Blackjack knives

James Green Dragon

James Green Dragon

Joined
Oct 24, 2004
Messages
3,318
Hello all!

I just recieved my new Blackjack Grunt (http://store.yahoo.com/knifeware/blackjackgrunt.html) from Knifeware! I am very impressed with it!!!

The overall size is perfect, the wide blade is convex ground and combined with the handle geometry, makes for a great all around knife. The only "flaw" is with regard to how the lanyard hole in the rubber and blade fail to match up perfectly. All in all, I'm thinking this might be the best all-around knife for under $100 on the market right now. Certainly one of the best.

My concern is that I have been told that Blackjack knive's AUS 8 steel may be a bit brittle. If anyone has any input on that; say, how well BJ's AUS 8 compares with company's like Cold Steel's I would appreciate some insight...

I will post again once I have used it a bit.
 
I'd like to hear what people think too! It has been an object of desire for months. My BF has told me that using AUS8 on that length of blade was not good. So I bought one anyway....
:)
EDITS:
oops - i am logged in as my BF. he sent me a link and I never bothered to log in. I am normally found under SuperNova. I am logging out now!
 
Okay, here is MY original post.

I'd like to hear what people think too! It has been an object of desire for months. My BF has told me that using AUS8 on that length of blade was not good. So I bought one anyway....

EDITS:
oops - i am logged in as my BF. he sent me a link and I never bothered to log in. I am normally found under SuperNova. I am logging out now!
 
I have the old knifeware kampr, its almost the same knife in aus-8 and I have not noticed any problems with it, but I have not used it that much either. I would not be worried about it though. Ken is a good guy and if you had any problems he would help you.
 
I got the high riding one with the nice thick leather... and the design flaw making it so that I nearly cut thru the retaining strap sheathing the knife within a day of getting it :grumpy: However, the knife itself is awesome, I can always make or buy a different sheath and Ken says they will be coming out with a new one soon! I'm still using the one it came with though as I really don't need a retaining strap so much for putting around the house.

Used the knife a bit over the weekend; performed well - I may have had slightly unrealistic expectations in the pruning department though (gardenia bush) afterall, it isn't designed for that & is basically a neutrally balanced knife. Still, I am very pleased!!!
 
I just got a Blackjack Quick and had the chance to use it on suckers, small branches and the like. I spent about 45 minutes using it, and then about 15 minutes with my machete.

I like the balance, small size and easy carryability of the Quick. But, it is too small IMO to be a serious garden tool. It would make an excellent camp knife, able to substitute for a machete when hiking and such. Obviously, I have not had the time to test its edge-holding, but chopping through the hardwood I did chop produced no rolls or dents.

The sheath is primitive, but works fine for around the property. If I was to go hiking with it, I would want a higher quality sheath.
 
Hey James...

Ahh Ok,,, Just wondered because I make the kydex sheaths for the Grunts for Ken...
I can see how the knife would cut through the leather.. They are Very sharp blades indeed.

The Grunt and Warrior are also some of the most comfortable "rubber" handled knives I've held...

I have both of them,, and always enjoy using them...

The Warrior will be going on a Scout camping trip next weekend for a couple of days....

Thanks

Eric....
 
Arch...

Perhaps a Concealex sheath ?? :)

Will have to talk with Ken about it....

ttyle

Eric....
 
Normack,

I agree; the handle design rocks! ...And yes, I happen to be in the market for a sheath now that you mention it ;) I meant no disparagement regarding the sheath that comes with the knife - A kydex belt sheath that could be modified to wear 'high ride' or hang from the belt, with lots of different type attachment points (so I can have my little maglight handy next time we have an extended power outage like for the recent hurricanes) would be ideal.

I think the knife could have a concealable sheath; someone my sized would have to wear it diagonally in the small of the back if not vertically to be truly concealed though.

Do you have a website?
 
Hey James...
My sheath will pretty much do all of that including concealed,, however the Grunt is a little on the large side to do that..
Under certain circumstances it could be done I guess...

Talk to Ken if you are interested in a Concealex sheath for the Grunt...

As far as my website goes,, you can go here:

www.mnsi.net/~nbtnoel

Thanks

Eric...
 
Got my Grunt last week and I am impressed. This is my first "big" knife. It cuts carrots and potatoes very good, but the blade is a little thick! ;) The blade is sharp and is making its way through the leather sheath. I just have to make sure I slide the knife in along the spine. May look for another sheath for work. :)
 
Hey Super....

Yaaa I hear you about the leather..

The Grunt is a super sharp knife,,add a nice big belly to that,,and the leather sheath is going to get some cutting...

However,, the kydex sheath will eliminate that completely....

Give Ken a shout,, he should have some,,if not i'm working on a batch right now for him...

ttyle

Eric....
 
I have the same problem with my Puma White Hunter, it's so sharp I don't know how long will the sheath survive to the repeated cuts it gets almost everytime I put the knife back into it. However, with such a nice knife I don't see a kydex sheath for it, maybe I could try to insert a plastic protection inside the sheath... anyone did already try that?

Xavier.
 
Though I don't own the Grunt by Blackjack, I do own several larger blades (5" - 6") in AUS-8 and have never experienced brittleness with any of them.

Blackjack, and a few others out there, have yet to satisfy their customers with their sheaths. Great knives. Lousy sheaths. :)
 
I have to admit I did that in the store, cut right through the retaining strap, I hadn't realized it was that sharp and I had hardly used any effort putting it back in. They said they'd ship it back to blackjack.
It was over a month before they got another 1 in last week, and they said down there that they weren't going to make any more grunts?
 
If the knife is cutting through the leather that is a horribly designed sheath, you don't need kydex to prevent that, you just need a properly made leather one.

-Cliff
 
I have a number of Effingham, IL BlackJacks from the Mike Stewart days -
not much wrong with those sheaths -
although I can quite understand the retaining strap being cut if one were not mindful -

TrailGuide2_S.jpg
AWAC4_S.jpg


The BlackJack trademark was taken over by Ken Warner (editor of "Knives 'xx" books for 20 years) - and through his KnifeWare - a number of new designs as well as older designs were produced as (the new) BlackJack knives -

I really like this BlackJack Small in cocobolo (linked) and AUS-10 -
its sheath is entirely reasonable -
BJsmall.jpg
BJSmall2.jpg


However the pocket sheath - is actually outstanding -
BJsmallPktSheath.jpg
BJsmallPktSheath2.jpg


--
Vincent

http://UnknownVT2006.cjb.net
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