BF2020 Knife from Maniago Poll

[JohnDF]

The potential problem with the poll will be "wood vs horn".
The sheer number of wood options will dilute the numbers and horn will win, even if there are more total votes for wood.

 

[JohnDF]

And sorry if it seemed like i was being a turd.
Mike is doing us a HUGE favor, and if he said he'd rather not deal with horn I'd like to think that we would respect that. He even went as far as to mention the "no return" policy, which will eventually scare buyers away. But still some guys seem to want to put the knife before people and that always makes me kind of sad.

 

[Onearmbladenut]

1. Amboyna Burl Wood
2. Maple Burl
3. Ram Horn
4. Ox Horn
With No Returns

Harry

Amboyna Burl Wood is the best looking wood on Earth. It might be hard to pass Amboyna wood through European customs. European Walnut/Burl wood is easier for Italian companies to obtain with less taxes. Even the cheaper Walnut grades are stunning with dark streaks. Any kind of stain hides the true beauty. I stripped all 11 of my Uberti cowboy revolvers. I put on Formby's wood oil to make the dry wood pop ! I keep them oiled , just like my knives.

 

[William Pace]

I like the idea of giraffe or camel bone but if wood is simpler for Mike then I like the walnut

 

[Onearmbladenut]

V

The potential problem with the poll will be "wood vs horn".
The sheer number of wood options will dilute the numbers and horn will win, even if there are more total votes for wood.

Vote wood or horn , after the vote choose what kind.

 

[Onearmbladenut]

Amboyna Burl wood comes from Burma Pudak wood. Many verities , most imported Amboyna Burl wood comes from Indonesia. Europe has crazy laws on harvesting wood. Europe has crazy importing laws also. "Import taxes" or band on rare imported wood is a nightmare in Europe. I heard importing GEC wood knives to Europe is a nightmare. European walnut is a solid beautiful hard wood. Only Turkish Walnut burl wood looks better. And that is used only on $25,000 hand made/engraved shot guns and crazy price furniture. Pietta Firearms just built a small factory to produce $25,000 plus shot guns four years ago. Anything made in Italy has to be yearly tested by the government. And the company has to pay for it. It will be so much easier on the company and Mr. Mike to go with a local Italian or European harvesting company. You can't just cut down a tree in Europe. Everything is regulated and taxed by the Government. European Walnut would be the easiest and most beautiful wood to deal with in the long run.

 

[r8shell]

I know THAT's not true.

O course not, that would be silly. They will each be fitted with a hidden tracking chip instead of a tang stamp.

 

[Prester John]

O course not, that would be silly. They will each be fitted with a hidden tracking chip instead of a tang stamp.

 

[Scott J.]

Amboyna Burl wood comes from Burma Pudak wood. Many verities , most imported Amboyna Burl wood comes from Indonesia. Europe has crazy laws on harvesting wood. Europe has crazy importing laws also. "Import taxes" or band on rare imported wood is a nightmare in Europe. I heard importing GEC wood knives to Europe is a nightmare. European walnut is a solid beautiful hard wood. Only Turkish Walnut burl wood looks better. And that is used only on $25,000 hand made/engraved shot guns and crazy price furniture. Pietta Firearms just built a small factory to produce $25,000 plus shot guns four years ago. Anything made in Italy has to be yearly tested by the government. And the company has to pay for it. It will be so much easier on the company and Mr. Mike to go with a local Italian or European harvesting company. You can't just cut down a tree in Europe. Everything is regulated and taxed by the Government. European Walnut would be the easiest and most beautiful wood to deal with in the long run.

But I think Amboyna is on the OK list. CK sells a Viper Quality in that wood so it doesn't seem to be a problem.
And man, it is so good looking.

 

[Onearmbladenut]

Pulled some images from Viper's website. I couldn't find all the things mentioned and of course these being natural materials they'll vary but just representations.

Amboinia

Brown Stabilized Maple Burl

Giraffe

Olive

Ox Horn

Zircote

I did not grab any pics of the horn tip. But two I saw that weren't on the list:

Tulip

Walnut

That European Walnut has stain on it. Everybody tries to out do God's natural beautiful. A satin clear or gloss clear sealer is all you need. Using an European harvested wood will keep the price down.

 

[Onearmbladenut]

But I think Amboyna is on the OK list. CK sells a Viper Quality in that wood so it doesn't seem to be a problem.
And man, it is so good looking.

If someone in Europe wants a BF knife , it might be a problem.

 

[bflying]

My only Amboyna, from Boker Solingen. And is amazing! "Wood" love more.

 

[Onearmbladenut]

But I think Amboyna is on the OK list. CK sells a Viper Quality in that wood so it doesn't seem to be a problem.
And man, it is so good looking.

I own a dark blue dyed Amboyna Burl wood Railroad spike knife. It looks like blue marble wood after buffing. I should of went with a satin clear sealer. Amboyna Burl-wood is naturally perfect and it don't need any stain. It is the best looking wood on Earth to me. It aint cheap for premium Amboyna burl wood on Evil-bay. I am thinking of keeping the price low and making things easier on everybody. A Viper Swayback in any stain/dyed color , I will be in for one. And I be very happy with it. I hope the nail nick is closer to the tip of the blade for easier opening. I prefer Tidioute blades to Northfield , because they are easier opening. I'll use my feet and a CASE XX blade pick if I have too.

 

[Onearmbladenut]

My only Amboyna, from Boker Solingen. And is amazing! "Wood" love more.

Go buy some $10 paint stripper at the hardware store. Tape up everything , you aint stripping. Use a scraper or an old butter knife. Apply the stripper and start scraping. Do it over and over again until you are happy. Do not use sand paper. You don't need it and you don't want the wood to look sand papered. Super fine steel wool is OK applied lightly, but don't over do it. I use Formby's Wood oil to make that wood pop. All the true beauty is hidden under that stain and gloss finish. You can't out do God's natural beauty. If I buy a 2020 BF Viper Swayback with Amboyna wood and I did not like the finish , I'd strip it. There is a jewel under that finish. I like that Boker burl knife.

 

[Will Power]

Wait till you hear about the no-flip policy. We come to your house unannounced to make sure you've still got it.

The Enforcer

 

[Will Power]

If someone in Europe wants a BF knife , it might be a problem.

?? Can't exactly see why? The laws in the EU are about the importation&regulation of the raw material/timber not the finished product. Once the material has been approved for import it's OK, this is not Ivory you know. Viper sell these knives in Europe anyway but such burl is going to be costly and make the Forum Knife probably too expensive.

 

[Will Power]

Let's get down to Horn.

It is sensitive to climate changes- here in winter it's very dry and this MAY cause shrink . The knives I've had problems with have all been English or American...and they are bovine horn of some kind. If cheap quality horn is used, or stuff which is not properly seasoned 'cured' then problems may result such as shrink of curl. Unlike Stag, inferior horn does not regain its shape when humidity rises . It might be seen as a boring hobby-horse of mine, don't care but all the offending Horn knives have been with brass liners-the stuff MAY react with bovine horn in some way?

The European knives I have in Bovine Horn are not very expensive but I've had them in excess of five years minimum kept in dry conditions-NONE have shrunk or warped. All are on steel liners. None of the Ram's Horn knives I own have showed any problems in quality either. So I'd be confident in choosing Ram's Horn or Horn Tip from Viper.

HOWEVER, Mike has expressed his preference for NOT opting for Horn and I feel we should respect and follow this quite frankly. As for returns, you will get the cosmetic brigade bitching about slabs not matching or how come they've seen 'awesome' specimens on others' knives but mine isn't ?? The stuff of nightmares. Ram's Horn like Stag is not only variable & individual but many people on receiving it just don't like it, possibly the more so on a Contemporary Traditional.

These Italian companies, Fox, Lionsteel, Viper et al. come from a long knife making tradition yet they are using the latest manufacturing processes&plant to make these knives, QC is really not going to be a significant problem- just as with SAKs.

Pity Zebra Wood isn't an option it looks brilliant. But there's a very good choice of woods on offer, let's hear of prices and then we can focus. I like @waynorth Charlie's idea of natural bone (Camel would do here too nice and pore filled) but don't know if this manufacturer has experience with bone or not?

 

[Onearmbladenut]

Remember the US Government raiding Gibson Guitar over Cocobolo wood ? I talked to a German last year. Germans can not buy Boker traditional knives in Germany at the Solingen factory. Germans have to find an American friend to buy and ship them a Solingen Boker made traditional knife. Don't get caught. Knife laws are awful every where. This is 2020, I am so freaked out over government. When I was in Ramstein ,West Germany 1982-84 . The Air Force did not allow me to buy a Boker , mail it home , or ship it with my belongings when go back to the states. Things are getting even crazier now! I want to do everything easy as possible.

 

[Onearmbladenut]

But I think Amboyna is on the OK list. CK sells a Viper Quality in that wood so it doesn't seem to be a problem.
And man, it is so good looking.

That Viper finish looks so much better than Boker's gloss finish.

 

[Haegar]

That Viper finish looks so much better than Boker's gloss finish.

If we are looking at a (modern) traditional knife we should do the same for the scales.
It’s an European knife so we should stick with European (Italian) wood. My preferences would be olive or juniper and walnut. All locally available materials and it keeps the price reasonable.

Gerd