- Joined
- Jul 14, 2010
- Messages
- 15,417
Ok, ya'll convinced me to get outta the recliner, and do something.:grumpy: 
The Johnson Adventure Blades Potbelly. I have been interested in it, since I saw it, and after handling it so much at the Blade Show, I got one. Here we go.
First off, I wanna talk about the designer, Steve Johnson. I've watched reviews, and read some articles from and about him, but until Blade, I never met him. Wish I had done that alot sooner. He's one of the coolest, most down to earth, honest guys I've met. A real #1 Top Shelf Guy. Plus, his blades don't suck either. Steve worked for Hornady for 13yrs and knows EVERYONE in the gun industry, and is well on his way to knowing EVERYONE in the knife industry. Can't do that and be anything but a great guy. Enough of that, if he reads this, he'll be calling and getting a restraining order against me.
THE KNIFE!!!!
The Potbelly is a 1095CV, 1/4" thick, hollow ground, JAB handled beast. Its kinda heavy, but there's a reason, its tough as hell. In the box, you get this,
Potbelly, Piggyback, sheath, and some Adventure Cord.
Now, I'm a fan of paracord, ya'll know this, so, the Adventure cord was just some cordage, not para by no means, in a pinch, it will work. The Piggyback is an imported small fixed blade, I'll review it later, it never made it outta the sheath except to photograph, I wanted the big fella'.
See? 1/4" full. Now, the grip has been called into question, I kinda like it. It offers 3 different grips, High (carving), Mid (general cutting), and Low (chopping). The texture is similar to rayskin or pigskin (football), and the handles are GRN. They do get a little slick when you sweat, but your hand isn't going to come off. A ranger band might be in its future, not sure yet.
Now, to WORK!!!! The victim, some random dead tree in my yard, a Rose of Sharon? maybe? Anyway, I call it the tree that will get its ass kicked by Potbelly.
I never chop with a big knife without a lanyard, I'm crazy, not stupid. I've been asked about my lanyard "style", so, here is as good a time as any.
Start with the edge to the left (lefties, reverse it) with the lanyard hanging down, like so.
Now, stick your right thumb through the loop, and rotate the knife, spine first around the back of your hand, until it hangs like this,
Now, continue to rotate the knife up, into your hand, grasp firmly, and feel that steely goodness.
Ok, action shots of me chopping, are not gonna happen. I don't let my kids around when I chop with knives, and my wife and her friend were busy manbashing. If ya'll wanna see a fat man chop with big knives, I'll make a vid and sell the link. The damage, half way through.
Now, all the way through.
The limb, or at least the stump. I'm gonna see what all properties this wood has, before I completely take the whole tree down. Never know.
TO THE BUSHCRAFT BENCH!!!! Better known as my picnic table.
The backwood for beating, one of the branches from the Rose of Sharon, now, I needs me a knife.
The Potbelly's hollow grind, and thick spine, take to the club quite well, one strike and I was through about a 1" thick piece. Oh, look, 2 1" thick pieces.
Another smart lick to the spine with my club, and now, we are talkin'.
A little baton, plank making action.
Knif Pron
SO, for those that don't know me very well, one of my favorite things to do, to test a knife, is to do just what you saw here, with the end results being,
Yeah, a bowdrill kit. I love making these things, and playing around with them. Friction fire is very fascinating, and very, um, er, troublesome sometimes. But, it fun to practice, and it makes me sleep good at night. Not because I have a good skill, but it wears my ass out.
The burn in. The Rose of Sharon done quite well for a BD kit, and I will be experimenting more, as I have a boat load of it, and it must be in the willow family of plants, it feels and cuts nearly the same.
I failed, but at only 3 attempts and 3 coals, I call that a mild success. The wood gave off these big flakes, looked like coarse cut tobacco, but they will light. I got tired, and hot, and the little one was very interested in my efforts. I got 3 comments while I was going at this kit, 1. Daddy, will you show me how to do that? 2. Daddy, when I get a knife like my sister, you can teach me how to do that. 3. Daddy, you're sweating.
Sierra, and my Rose of Sharon/Potbelly kit, burnt out, and given up on, for the evening.
Final Thoughts on the Potbelly
Its a beast of a knife, but managable. The weight makes it a good chopper, the grind makes it a good cutter. My grind was a little off, but I'm not one to care much about that. The handle works well, for all 3 grips, the sheath is fantastic, well made, and you get some goodies to go along with it. Not much more can be said, its a helluva deal. If you have been toying with the idea of getting one, go ahead, you'll like it.
Moose
The Johnson Adventure Blades Potbelly. I have been interested in it, since I saw it, and after handling it so much at the Blade Show, I got one. Here we go.
First off, I wanna talk about the designer, Steve Johnson. I've watched reviews, and read some articles from and about him, but until Blade, I never met him. Wish I had done that alot sooner. He's one of the coolest, most down to earth, honest guys I've met. A real #1 Top Shelf Guy. Plus, his blades don't suck either. Steve worked for Hornady for 13yrs and knows EVERYONE in the gun industry, and is well on his way to knowing EVERYONE in the knife industry. Can't do that and be anything but a great guy. Enough of that, if he reads this, he'll be calling and getting a restraining order against me.
THE KNIFE!!!!
The Potbelly is a 1095CV, 1/4" thick, hollow ground, JAB handled beast. Its kinda heavy, but there's a reason, its tough as hell. In the box, you get this,
Potbelly, Piggyback, sheath, and some Adventure Cord.
Now, I'm a fan of paracord, ya'll know this, so, the Adventure cord was just some cordage, not para by no means, in a pinch, it will work. The Piggyback is an imported small fixed blade, I'll review it later, it never made it outta the sheath except to photograph, I wanted the big fella'.
See? 1/4" full. Now, the grip has been called into question, I kinda like it. It offers 3 different grips, High (carving), Mid (general cutting), and Low (chopping). The texture is similar to rayskin or pigskin (football), and the handles are GRN. They do get a little slick when you sweat, but your hand isn't going to come off. A ranger band might be in its future, not sure yet.
Now, to WORK!!!! The victim, some random dead tree in my yard, a Rose of Sharon? maybe? Anyway, I call it the tree that will get its ass kicked by Potbelly.
I never chop with a big knife without a lanyard, I'm crazy, not stupid. I've been asked about my lanyard "style", so, here is as good a time as any.
Start with the edge to the left (lefties, reverse it) with the lanyard hanging down, like so.
Now, stick your right thumb through the loop, and rotate the knife, spine first around the back of your hand, until it hangs like this,
Now, continue to rotate the knife up, into your hand, grasp firmly, and feel that steely goodness.
Ok, action shots of me chopping, are not gonna happen. I don't let my kids around when I chop with knives, and my wife and her friend were busy manbashing. If ya'll wanna see a fat man chop with big knives, I'll make a vid and sell the link. The damage, half way through.
Now, all the way through.
The limb, or at least the stump. I'm gonna see what all properties this wood has, before I completely take the whole tree down. Never know.
TO THE BUSHCRAFT BENCH!!!! Better known as my picnic table.
The backwood for beating, one of the branches from the Rose of Sharon, now, I needs me a knife.
The Potbelly's hollow grind, and thick spine, take to the club quite well, one strike and I was through about a 1" thick piece. Oh, look, 2 1" thick pieces.
Another smart lick to the spine with my club, and now, we are talkin'.
A little baton, plank making action.
Knif Pron
SO, for those that don't know me very well, one of my favorite things to do, to test a knife, is to do just what you saw here, with the end results being,
Yeah, a bowdrill kit. I love making these things, and playing around with them. Friction fire is very fascinating, and very, um, er, troublesome sometimes. But, it fun to practice, and it makes me sleep good at night. Not because I have a good skill, but it wears my ass out.
The burn in. The Rose of Sharon done quite well for a BD kit, and I will be experimenting more, as I have a boat load of it, and it must be in the willow family of plants, it feels and cuts nearly the same.
I failed, but at only 3 attempts and 3 coals, I call that a mild success. The wood gave off these big flakes, looked like coarse cut tobacco, but they will light. I got tired, and hot, and the little one was very interested in my efforts. I got 3 comments while I was going at this kit, 1. Daddy, will you show me how to do that? 2. Daddy, when I get a knife like my sister, you can teach me how to do that. 3. Daddy, you're sweating.
Sierra, and my Rose of Sharon/Potbelly kit, burnt out, and given up on, for the evening.
Final Thoughts on the Potbelly
Its a beast of a knife, but managable. The weight makes it a good chopper, the grind makes it a good cutter. My grind was a little off, but I'm not one to care much about that. The handle works well, for all 3 grips, the sheath is fantastic, well made, and you get some goodies to go along with it. Not much more can be said, its a helluva deal. If you have been toying with the idea of getting one, go ahead, you'll like it.
Moose
