Review Bushbaby slip joint by Stefan Diedericks Knives

[miso2]

I've got a very nice handmade slip joint knife from Stefan Diedricks Knives.

The specs

  Overall length:              160 mm (6.3”)
  Closed length:               90 mm (3.54”)
  Blade Length:                67 mm (2.64”)
  Blade thickness:             2.3 mm (0.09”)
  Edge thickness:              0.4 mm (0.016")
  Edge angle:                  15 DPS
  Blade material:              N690
  Blade grind:                 Hollow grind (?)
  Handle thickness:            10 mm (0.39”)
  Handle material:             G10 with brass liners
  Weight:                      59.5 g (2.1 oz)
  Lock type:                   Slip joint with half-stop
  Deployment method:           Nail nick

 

[miso2]

Overall impressions

It is a very well constructed slip joint knife.
The pivot feels solid.
The fit and finish is superb.
The action is fantastic due to the quality finish and the design (see below).
I am truly glad that I pulled the trigger for this baby.

Blade
This sub 3" Zulu spear blade seems to be slightly hollow ground.
The blade shape is very utilitarian.
The grind can be a bit deeper to make it a better slicer.
Nevertheless, it cuts pretty well after reprofiling to 15 DPS.

Handle
The original Bushbaby comes with synthetic scales and liners.
I asked Stefan to put brass liners instead.
The red G10 is finished very nicely and pleasantly smooth.

 

[miso2]

Action
It has a half-stop like GEC knives.
The blade tang is not square but has a ramp down to the spring, which greatly reduces the tension to open the blade to the half-stop.
This makes it easier to pinch open the blade with my left hand.
From the half-stop, the tension becomes stronger to keep the blade secure.
It is a very nice design.

At a glance, it looked running on washers.
But, actually the liners are ground to make a kind of bushing.

Again, very nice design and construction.



Fit and Finish
Excellent.
The centering (see above) is perfect.
The gap between the blade and the spring is almost invisible.

The blade has a very nice satin finish at #800.

It is a really well made Zulu pattern pocket knife.

 

[J D Wijbenga]

Good looking knife! Thanks for showing!

 

[Joseph H.]

Love the brass and red g10 combination!

 

[miso2]

I got a second one from Stefan.
The second one seems better in many aspects.
I especially like the deeper hollow grind and the more stout spring.

To me, it is a good gentleman's non-locking carry.

Thanks @stefand !

 

[J D Wijbenga]

That is a good, practical looking knife miso2 ! Thin hollow ground sounds very nice!

 

[miso2]

Thanks J D Wijbenga
The most slicey knife I have is Case Sod Buster Jr. owing to its thin blade stock and the hollow grind.
Busybaby2 has a thicker blade, but the thickness behind the edge is smaller than Case, making it a little better slicer.
Really love it!

 

[J D Wijbenga]

Sounds good to me!