Does anyone have pics of their custom DDR EDC?

J

John Puckett

Joined
Dec 10, 2000
Messages
418
With all of this talk about what you do with a $400 knife going on, I just have to get one now. I've been wanting a custom for sometime now and I think that I should go ahead and get one. I have picked a Darrel Ralph EDC as my first custom knife. I don't really know that much about the knife so any input that you have on the knife would be a big help. I've been to Darrel's web site and looked around but I can't decide what exactly that I want mine to look like. Its going to be a user so I don't want one with all that fancy file work and gold on it. I like the carbon fiber ones but I kind of want a frame lock instead of the liner lock. Anyway sorry to go on for so long, any pictures and advise is going to be a big help. Thanks!
 
John,

I just confirmed my order for a EDC with Darrel less than a week ago. Mine was to be a user too and I decided on this:

- 3.5" blade (a nice, handy medium size)
- Dominator blade style (I think the drop point makes for a better utility blade rather than the fighter upswept point)
- 420V (maybe a few percentile points better in corrossion resistance than D2, especially in the local hot/wet climate)
- Slotted CF handles (I like framelocks too, but prefer CF to metal handles. The way Darrel crafts his liner locks, its almost as good as a frame lock anyway ;) Darrel also does CF handles without the slots)

It would probably look like the one 3rd down from the top of this pic (not mine, my apologies to the original poster). Nice array of different styles here. The 2nd one down has the fighter-style blade with the upswept point.
 

Attachments

  • edc02.jpg
    edc02.jpg
    38 KB · Views: 600
Hey, I was about to post that same picture!:) Those are Dirk's (ah...jealousy).
Here's mine [edit: well, here's a link, since the pic won't post for some reason.]
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid28/p6f84ab232f92f607fc793ee2f0ab3b73/fe018bfb.jpg.orig.jpg
That's not a great pic, but I like the way the ceramic peened finish on the grind doesn't scratch easily, and even when it does, the scratches aren't noticeable unless you turn the blade in the light.
btw, my offer from awhile back still stands, if you want to meet up, and handle this thing before you order one.
 
John,

If you can, check out the Nov 2001 issue of Blade magazine which has an article on Darrel Ralph and his knives.

This is a knife I came within a hair of buying when it was for sale at Jay and Karen Sadow's Arizona Custom Knives site. Its a plain framelock EDC which would also make a nice using knife.
 

Attachments

  • edc01.jpg
    edc01.jpg
    9.5 KB · Views: 575
It's funny to look at a gorgeous knife like that, and realize that it's a "plain" one. Darrel is an artiste.
 
Thanks guys for repling so fast. All this really helps. I think that I like the one that redvenom posted a picture of, maybe I should just get a plain one. Keep'em coming. Thanks again.

Thanks OwenM. That's a nice offer and I might have to do that :D .
 
Congrats, you've picked a great first custom knife. Here's a post I made about 15 months ago after Dexter Ewing, Kevin Pensinger (of The Edge Equipment fame) and I spent a long weekend with Darrel and his family:

I had the pleasure of flying up to Darrel's shop in Ohio to spend a long weekend (along with Dexter Ewing, as well as Kevin Pensinger from The Edge Equipment) helping to create this double-action EDC. This has a 3.5" 420V blade with a hand-rubbed finish (that took a whole freakin' day to apply!) I did all of the anodizing and heat coloring of the clip and screws, texturing of the screw heads and handles, and the "nugget" work in the design grooves. I jeweled the inside of the titanium handles. I drilled holes. I screwed up. I fixed my screw-ups - with Darrel's help, of course. I put the knife together. I took the knife apart. I put the knife together. I took the knife apart. I put the knife together... Well, you get the idea. All-in-all it was a fantastic trip. It was great meeting Kevin finally. Darrel and fis family were great hosts. It was fun to have a hand in making a knife like this as well. Hope y'all like it.

Click on the pic for a hi-res image.


<CENTER>
<A HREF="http://home.carolina.rr.com/senator/images/Darrel_Ralph_EDC.jpg"> <IMG SRC="http://home.carolina.rr.com/senator/images/Darrel_Ralph_EDC_small.jpg"border="3"> </A></CENTER>
Click to expand...


As for the liner lock models, I wouldn't worry a bit. Darrel's carbon fiber models with stainless steel liners lock up rock-solid on every model I've seen. They've all had just the right amount of "stick" where the lock meets the blade tang - not enough to require two hands to disengage the lock, but enough that a solid grip shouldn't make it come loose. (Just ask him to build you one that will pass the CPR/Chris Raymond spine whack test. :p ) I'm still lusting after a CF EDC myself.
 
Another pic of a plain framelock EDC clip side from my knife pictures archive. Just check out those elegant lines, that flawless craftsmanship... and this is just the clip-side.

Its enough to make grown men weep and reach for their credit cards :D
 

Attachments

  • edc14.jpg
    edc14.jpg
    79.9 KB · Views: 521
I'm really liking the latest picture that redvenom has posted. I know that its just a plain one but I think that is the one I want at this point. The carbon fiber one of OwenM's is very nice too. Should I get the 420V blade, why or why not? Thanks again and keep all the great photos coming.
 
Oooohhhhhhh. . .you have selected a superb folder for your first custom/handmade !

The one that I elected to possess has an OAL of 8" (3.5" blade). I also decided on a "fighter" style blade ~ love the aggressive look ! DDR's damascus blades kick a$$ and really wanted one. . .but stayed CPM-420V cuz it's a user. The blade is scary sharp ! :D And since my intentions were to "use" the knife. . .had to go carbon fiber on the scales ! Besides, I have a soft spot for carbon fiber ! :D

When this knife first came out it was being offered with "heavy duty ( 0.75 SS) liners". . .got those. My EDC is also accented with heat colored/treated ( a bronze color/tone ) screws, clip and liners.
 
Here's a view of the clip side (and folded). . .

Absolutely awesome lookin' ! But hell. . .I'm "bias !"
 
redvenom posted the clip side of my EDC, here's the other side:

dredc2.jpg
 
John:

You have made a great choice. My EDC is the same as the one posted by revenom, except maybe more blue-toned than gold. It's an incredible knife. Mine has the 420V Dominator blade.

It was made even better by the fact that a won it in last Spring's BFC contest.(Remember?? Buy a Camillus EDC and be entered in a contest to win a custom EDC?). I was the very lucky winner.

Even better, Darrel Ralph communicated with me, giving me a choice of blade length. He was a total gentleman to deal with.

At last November's NY Custom Knife Show, I sought Darrel out to thank him, and I can assure you he is a gentleman of the highest caliber.

My EDC user is a carry piece for me and it's remarkable beauty and utility are only enhanced by my respect for it's creator.

Good luck. You will treasure your EDC as obviously so many of us do.
 
Thanks a lot guys for all your help. I have decided to go with one that looks like Nosamk's EDC. I think that knife looks REALLY cool. Got to have one. I'm saving up right now and should have the rest of what I need in two or three more weeks. Being in college that kind of money is hard to come by all at once ;) .
 
Originally posted by Dexter Ewing
To make it easy
Click to expand...
Easy? That just makes it hard!...um, hard to live with just having one, I mean:eek:

John,
That's gonna be a beauty!
btw, talk to Darrel about the steel. My EDC is in 420V, but I really like the D2M in my ArcLite, and any future knives will probably have D2M (it holds an edge great-not like 420V, but still great-and is easier to sharpen+I just like the "feel" of the D2M, if that makes any sense).
 
Came back 'cause I just remembered...Seems like I saw somewhere that Darrel was going to offer S30V as an option (I think it was in a thread about his bali-songs), and from what I've read, that would be another step up from the D2M. Definitely worth asking about.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top