"Survivor" Design thread - let's wrap this up

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Daniel Koster

Daniel Koster

www.kosterknives.com
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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THIS IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER
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http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=530749











Ok, you guys know the drill. :thumbup:


Here's what I've got so far:


survivor02.gif

See Design #3 here:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5295584&postcount=69



Specs on the above:


Overall length = 16 inches

Blade
  • 9 inches (sharpened), 10 inches to the front of the handle
  • 5160 steel, hardened to ~59.5 HRc
  • 1/4" thick
  • 2.25" tall at the belly
  • Flats will be "as-forged" finish
  • "K" logo will be cut in by waterjet etched
Handle
  • 6 inches (from front of the handle to the pommel)
  • 5.5 inches of actual handle material
  • 1/4" thick material (0.75" total)
  • Options would be natural, green or black canvas micarta
  • 3 lanyards/tie downs (front safety lanyard = 1/4", rear handle lanyard = 3/8", pommel lanyard = 1/4")
  • 2 Corby pins (mechanical fasteners)
  • Handle is large enough to fit an extra large hand "just right". The rest of us "non-apes" :D will have some wiggle room - helpful in chopping.
POB (Point of Balance) will be "in the ring"

Ring is 1 inch diameter

For now, the sawback is a no-go. Might revisist that later on if there's enough interest.


#1 has more of a drop point
#2 has a staight clip




Design intent:
  • Large Camp Knife
  • Able to handle chopping, batoning, heavy-duty food prep
  • Pointy enough to sley wild beasts (hogs come to mind :D)
  • Heavy enough to chop, but not "pants-pullin-down" heavy
  • Tall flat grind with 0.025-30" thick edge for strength, yet great cutting ability


Here's my reasoning on this guys...

I was looking at my WSK in one hand....and my K-BOAR in the other hand....wondering if there was some way to "bring the two together". The K-BOAR is such an efficient pig-sticker, but I would be leery to use it for chopping. The WSK is an excellent chopper and can be used for draw-knife cutting as well (the K-BOAR has a sharpened top edge).

So, I set out to design something that would have the best of both designs. Be able to "take a hog" with the blade, but also chop, baton and draw-knife with it too.

Right now...I'm leaning more toward design #2. Can still be used for batoning, yet the swedge (not sharpened) allows good penetration.

Also, I'm sticking with 1/4" thickness for now. I looked at it in cross-section and don't feel the gains in balance offset the loss in strength.


Additional notes:

Yes, this is "almost" a bowie knife. But there are some key differences.

The most obvious is the use of a ring instead of a guard. The ring does act as a guard and, if you compare it to a guard/subhilt....or a guard/choil combination....the ring is stronger - more steel "connected" together. Make sense? No welding...no hidden tang to break off....no choil to weaken the blade cross-section. It is essentially a 2.5" tall piece of steel with holes in it. More sturdy....stronger. Retention is also excellent. There is enough room to fit your entire hand behind the ring...the ring is mostly for "choking up" tasks...just like a choil. :thumbup:

The other obvious difference is the flared butt of the handle. This a big departure from "traditional bowie knives" - that might have a coffin-shaped handle, or even just a piece of stag. Look great, but retention is not a strong-point. My inspiration for the handle butt is clearly the Kukri (ie. http://www.qcmilitaria.com/ind/kukriN.jpg). The hand fatigues easily during chopping and losing your grip (safety lanyard or not) is no fun. The flared butt in the handle allows you to use even just 2 fingers and your thumb to "hold on" while chopping.





Well...there is probably a lot more to say about this...but I've run out of steam...:D


Tell me what you guys think and we'll take it from here.


This is NOT a pre-order thread. ;)

But feel free to express your desire to have one.


And yes, pricing will be $195 :thumbup:

Dan
 
You're crazy if you think I'll say 'no' to this. :eek:

I'd prefer #2 but I'd accept #1.

I'm a terrible Busse addict and this chopper hits my sweet spot. :D

The sawback might be nice, but its absence doesn't bother me. Do think about sheaths...
 
A big Spydie fixed blade?

I am sure it will fill a niche... good luck!

Stainz
 
I like it Dan!
I would buy one.:thumbup:
I prefer the #1 shaped blade. It seems to flow smoothly to my eye.:D
 
My preference is for number one but either of them would suit me fine. May I suggest something? Radiused spine for the first couple of inches in front of the handle on top--that leaves plenty of hard edge on the rest of the spine for firesteel use but makes things a bit more comfortable on the thumb if you're trying to bear down on something. Also, radius not only the inside but also the outside of the ring guard. As one who has done a fair amount of hacking and splitting with your WSK, I really love the ring, but when my index finger was through it, it tended to pull my middle finger into the outside of it which got a tad uncomfortable after a few minutes. I've since put my own radius on that area and the problem is gone. Obviously, I could always do that to this one too, it's just that I know your grinds would look better than mine. :D

Warren
 
I like #1. A ring make much more sense than a choil.

I don't like the piece protruding from the pommel. I'd 86 that myself.
 
# 1 is my preference.... I ain't gonna be hunting or stickin' hogs with it. That is what a bow or gun is for........ :D

It looks great..... :thumbup:

My only suggestion is to add a third Corby Bolt in the handle. Move the rear one back slightly and then space the third one midway between them. This is a big knife that will be put through the wringer..... ;)

Even though the slabs will be glued on.... the extra strength provided by the third Corby would IMO prove very beneficial.
 
Hey Dan, There are a lot of #1 takers out there but I prefer
the #2 design. Nice design. :cool::thumbup:
 
I like #2. I also do not like like pommel lanyard.
I like the ring.

They both look like beasts.
 
I would opt for Design #2 just to differentiate this knife from some others I already own.
 
Looks good, except that the cut away hole and logo look like they'd weaken the knife considerably, it makes an area with very little steel. I'd be worried about prying anything with it.

I prefer the #1 design, I dont see the need for a clip style point in a "survival" type knife. I prefer the drop point because there's more metal at the front, gives it a bit more forward weight and more chopping power. Not a fan of swedges either, they really slow down batoning because the baton gets stuck into the back of the knife.
 
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