What an interesting build! Blades are funny though… what floats my boat might sink yours and vice versa. Blades that appeal to you might turn me right off. In the real world I can do everything I need to do with a cheapo 3” blade. But… theres something that scratches a certain itch in the big fighters and hunters.
Something like this might be infinitely more practical for ne personally. It’s ugly to look at but … I bet that thing would be a dream around camp. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess.
Addicted to "cheapie" blades myself. Grabbed some interesting items from the clearance aisle at "Wally-world." Might be cheap ChiCom steel but many of them are very sharp, discovered accidentally lol. Just can't help myself...
ReplyDeleteMe too, hehe. I also have some nice ones too. Both pictured knives are fine with me, but then my "culture" is like buttermilk or maybe a fine fungus.
DeleteWe live in a world where good steel is dirt cheap. The artisans can run their mouths about 440 stainless and extoll the virtues of exotic materials… but if you keep the cheapo sharp it’ll still look after you for a lifetime if you keep it sharp.
DeleteI don't see the first knife appealing or artistic, it looks like the forge exploded. I rather have the second knife, looks like it could handle the job.
ReplyDeleteAll i see are a bunch of stress risers and points for crack propagation. No thanks.
ReplyDeleteExile1981
… and probably a premium price tag for it too…😞
DeleteI'm with you, Glen. If the steel has a nice edge to it, then that's the first hurdle. Straight knives, which is what you really want around camp, need a tang that runs the length of the handle and a large, solid guard to keep you from doing yourself a mischief.
ReplyDeleteWhile you (being Canadian and, therefore, wealthy) can spend literally thousands on a camp knife, I, personally, refuse to go over $50 US, and I'd prefer something around $20. That way when I lose the knife, or it gets stolen, I don't go nuts because I spent more on the knife than I did on the old ball and chain's wedding ring. I'll shrug and look at it as an excuse to visit Cabella's or Wall World or a gun show.
Like I told the guys - I respect that. I have all kinds of cheapo knives too. I built a few knives of my own a couple years back - and the fellas pinched them all.
DeleteCustomer knives scratch an itch that not all people have.
I carry a Walmart Ozark Trail flipper as a EDC. Chinese aus8 for $7. It's my rough use/lending blade. It'll take a hell of an edge, the geometry is decent, and if it gets lost I'm not out much.
ReplyDeleteNow my hunting knife is a Sharade sharp finger. Inexpensive, tiny skinning knife, also the choice of Sonny Barger of Hells Angels fame. Sometimes you just got to pop a balloon you know.
Picked up my pride & joy on my last trip to Tasmania. Hand made by a fellow just starting out in the custom knife field, high carbon steel, gorgeous profile, generous belly (matches mine) and wonderful native Tasmanian timber handle. The thing is an object of art. One of his early pieces - and I love it. He even made the leather sheath and it’s a thing of understated beauty and function. Perfectly matched for fallow, red & sambar deer that live in my local area. As we head towards April, the fallow & reds are shedding their velvet. Good times are coming !
ReplyDeleteIt’s too bad ya can’t poast pics in the comments. I’d love to see it. Hey - good luck filling those tags! 👍
DeleteThere must be a trick to it Don because I’m seeing lots of blades out there with compound curve profiles - and the guys are just stropping them to razor sharpness. It might be something to research for my own edification…
Delete🤨
the top blade, while nice looking, doesn't look to have the final edge ground on it yet. Moreso, it looks vaguely impractical. There's two distinctly different curves to the blade. How the hell do you maintain that? Hmmm. I'm sticking with my Opinel.
ReplyDelete