Mourning a Fallen Grail

Hey jaz322 jaz322 ,

I was sorry to read about the loss of this wonderful blade at the hands of USPS.

I know this knife was a special acquisition for you based on our lengthy conversation in the Pit at the Blade Show last year. While I can’t bring myself to call any knife a “grail”, I can say that it was a very special knife that taught me much along the way in my Fiddleback journey.

This Gaucho was a December 2014 knife. That was back when CPM 154 was a very occasional offering and 3/32” steel was still a rarity in Fiddlebacks. To find both together in one knife was quite a score back then. That knife was unlike any other in my collection at that time.



I did a LOT of food prep with it over the years.





The handle was from a small batch of Burgundy Black burlap that I remember Ken said he bought from Cherokee Knife Supply. That was the most dense (no thickness shrink) and waterproof burlap I have ever had. I learned to very much appreciate the ease of maintenance that burlap & CPM 154 provided. Just rinse in hot water and towel dry to be good to go.



After the months passed, I became curious how this knife would do in the field. I sent the knife to Mark Condos for a custom deerskin lined sheaths. Carrying that combo on a few hikes and camping trips convinced me that thin CPM 154 was very capable of whittling, notching, and kindling size batoning.





Considering how much I used that knife over the four years I was its caretaker, it held up amazingly well. I thought it looked as good the day I sold it as it did the day I bought it.

In summary, my experience with this Gaucho left a lasting appreciation for what 3/32” CPM 154 blades with synthetic handles are capable of.

I will say again that I sorry for the permanent loss of a great knife as well as the associated expense and hassle to you. Hopefully the positive memories and experiences of using the Gaucho will outweigh the grief in the long run.

Phil

P.S. - That was very nice of @varga49 to offer to sell you the CPM 154 Gaucho with Blue Dyed Palm. I remember being impressed with that one after handling it at @M4Super90 ‘s house during our first get together to compare notes on our Fiddleback obsession back in 2015 (that was a lot of Fiddlebacks!) The Blue Palm Gaucho is fifth in from the left on the bottom row. My Black & Burgundy Gaucho is fourth in from the right on the top row.

 
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