Skills Let's have a contest!

[DerekH]

Alright folks, it has been awhile, so let's have a contest.

This will be a simple one, and we will keep it to one winner.

Using a Becker Knife (ONE KNIFE), craft something useful for a trip into the woods. Camping survival, goofing off, woods bumming, whatever you choose to call it, using a Becker Knife create a device, mechanism, tool, widget, or thingamawhatsit that would make your time out there easier.

"What can I make?" You ask? A spoon, a bowl, a rake, a shelter, a basting brush, it doesn't matter, your ambition and imagination are up to you.

"I never do that good at these, how can I win?" Bonus points are awarded for style, flair, difficulty, aesthetics, and most importantly, a learning experience. For example, making a spoon with a BK16 is awesome. Making a four-tined fork with a BK20 is even more awesome. And if it is something you have never done and you learn something in the process, even more points!

As per usual, neither Ethan Becker, Ka-Bar, Cutco, BladeForums, myself, any of the moderators, elected govt officials, appointed govt officials, North Korean dictators, aboriginal woodsmen, or anyone is liable for any harm you may cause yourself or others in the course of this contest. Enter at your own risk, and by doing so you acknowledge you are responsible for what happens with your entry. Keep the sharp bits out of contact with your soft bits. Simple.

Entries go here. All contestants are limited to one entry, contest is open to all, not just Beckerheads. Cut off date will be Friday the 27th (extended), midnight eastern time.

Prize will be, I dunno. Maybe a BK5, maybe a bundle of goodies and a BK5. We will figure something fun out.

And don't fill this thread up with a bunch of chatter. Let us know you are in and then post your entry into your post here.

Good luck! (POST QUESTIONS IN THE SNARK THREAD [*cough* Nix!!!])

 

[NixKustoms]

Imma try to get some things made.

Only one knife or can I just two?

 

[GingivitisKahn]

Alert - dead critter content. If that's going to bother you, please scroll past my entry.

Okeydoke. This isn't going to be the prettiest or most complicated creation in the contest but I've field tested it and plan to carry it with me when hunting small game because this works and its handy.

I was going to call it the Small Animal Skinner but then it dawned on me that the acronym, SAS was already in use and Britain's Special Air Service might not take kindly to the competition. No problem. Name two could be something like the Becker Built Contraption. Hrm - pretty vague and again BBC seems to be in use. Britain again - that's weird.

With no further ado, behold the Becker Designed Skinnin' Machine. Nothing British about that!

Here's the process. Used my BK9 partly because I figured I'd be snap-cutting a sapling or branch or something. I was right. One inch diameter seems about right.

Next, I sized the limb with some beaver bites.

Like (I think) all Beckerheads, I like to find excuses to baton and this stick needed cut more or less in half.

Next up - notches. A couple very shallow notches in the thickest half should do.

Here's the completed unit reassembled. The notches are visible on top.

Now all I need is a critter. I was hoping for a nice big fox squirrel but one takes what the Lord provides. In this case, a tiny red squirrel. No problem - the BK9 should be able to handle her.

I wasn't really sure the BDSM would work for a squirrel this small but she loaded in just fine.

Next step - mount the device in a conveniently shaped tree and start skinning.

Boop - there she goes. Once the bulk of the work is done, I just finish up by standing on the bulk of that skin and pull down the skin on the hind legs. Easy peasy.

Update: works just fine for fox squirrels as well. Here's my kill kit with a couple of fresh fox squirrels in the background...

 

[SaturatedShadow]

I was trying to think of something elaborate for this challenge. I've been doing a lot of drawknifing this year and decided I should make some type of stump vise to hold a stick and then have two hands free to drawknife. But all the bushcraft vise designs I know of require rope and/or axe work, and this is a one knife contest. I thought about it a while and realized there is a much easier way to achieve the same goal. Instead of elaborate, it's going to be exceedingly simple.

First, I need to fashion a baton.

Then choose a suitable, green, hardwood tree and baton some slivers off it to make a wedge shape.

Separate the wedge portion by cross grain batoning.

Then find a forked tree, and drive in the wedge to lock the work piece on place.

And drawknife.

BONUS CONTENT



I was mowing some hay the other day, and the tractor was running a little hot. Here's the problem. The radiator is full of chaff.

I needed to brush it out, but didn't have a brush. However, I did have a field full of broom sedge and the Broken Back Nine.

Cut a stick for a handle.

Lash with bank line. And chop the stems even.

All clean and ready to go now.

 

[Aikiguy]

Geez, no one wants to go first? Alrighty then, I'll be the first one to break the seal...

Went out with the rugrat for a dayhike, needed some utensils for lunch...

Found a suitable-sized piece of wood, batonned thru it with my 16:







A little knotty, but it'll do.
Next, broke the halves down into thinner sections:





...and carved out the general shape I wanted.





Next, got the kiddo to try and copy mine with the other piece. She was having trouble carving, so I hammered the 16 into the log and got her to shave it down that way.





She got most of it done, but got bored after a while . As I was finishing up, the handle snapped at the knot. Oops. My bad. Figured it'll work anyways.



Carved some notches and twined her up.







Moment of truth:




https://flic.kr/p/YWApYY


Success:

 

[DerekH]

Five days! Let's see some action, folks!

 

[DerekH]

Extended until October 27!

 

[1066vik]

since it's raining - again - I'm not out in the woods - again.
but, I'm using my BK24 as a marking and trim knife to build a set of dutch style barn doors for some friends.
here are the bottom panels assembled & scorched, waiting for metal trim, hinges, and a coating of oil finish.
hopefully I'll be able to get them hung tomorrow afternoon so I can add more pictures of the project.
(yes, I'm aware this doesn't actually meet contest guidelines, but you looked so lonely.....)

doors hung:

and a broom I made from willow and little bluestem (and some sisal twine) harvested with my BK29. (it's for my boss - her car is broken)

 

[gmoneyluv]

Nate and I were up at an isolated climbing area for eight days earlier this month. Between trying to stay dry from the rain and battling the bugs, we decided to spend some time building some kitchen tools.

Using a BK9 I decided to make a spatula.

Nate, on the other hand, wanted to build something a bit more robust, so he decided a man-size spoon was in order.

It's also worth noting that we cut the tree and all those logs with a Silky Big Boy. Split the wood with small Fiskars hatchet. Not the most efficient tool choices, but the guy who has my chainsaw bailed on the trip at the last moment. Good times none the less. A really remote area with no cell service.

Here's a panorama of the cliff. The image is stitched together from multiple drone pics. Cliff is 150 m tall and about 2.5 km long. Wild area.

 

[DerekH]

Alright folks, she is done. Stay tuned for the winner.

 

[DerekH]

I am gonna give the win to GingivitisKhan for his squirrel bondage device.

Thanks for playin everyone, it was definitely a tricky one as there are certain things in particular that hit high points for me. Anytime I see someone sharing this info with their kids, that is just an awesome thing, and it really makes me proud that here in Beckerland we show so much of these great skills to our kids. Aiki, good job there.

I love seeing things made that serve a purpose, especially when there is a definitive need for said item. Jordan, you and Gus definitely met that and then some.

I like fun, especially pokin fun, and Erik, the broom for your boss since her car broke down, I got a chuckle. That being said, for me the tool to help clean a squirrel, that is pretty sharp, and when it comes to killin squirrel ole Gingi is our guy.

Gingi, shoot me a message with your details, you got a BK5 comin your way.

Everyone else, be on the lookout, we got more stuff coming up, and I have a good and devious idea for the next challenge. Full blown old school go and do something awesome challenge. It is gonna be good times.