New to collecting... Hell of a forum you have here! *updated*

[Fixall]

Also... If anyone has some advice about where to source the 3/8" Micarta and Bocote slabs/scales, I'm all ears. Right now I'm looking at Texas Knifemaker's Supply, Jantz Supply, USA knife Maker, and Woodcraft. I'm hoping for some very level planks.

 

[Fixall]

The Grimalkin came in today! It's a sweet little knife, FortyTwoBlades did a really good job on it! It's very comfortable in the hand with a variety of grips. It's about half an inch shorter than I was expecting, but I'm not missing the extra length at all. I'm going to pick up some Fire Cord to wrap it with until I can figure out a plan for the scales. I'm really liking the blade shape and geometry. It's SUPER slicey and the blade shape allows you to really choke up on it if needed. I'm also loving how thin the knife is overall. The only thing about the knife that I would change, is the area where the handle meets the blade (quillon?). The ramp is a little bit too gradual of a slope for my liking and I worry about my finger slipping onto the blade. I think I'll probably do a little work to that area... Make the ramp a steeper slope or something. Other than that, I can't think of anything that stands out. It's a great knife! I'm not a fan of the sheath material, but in my opinion that's irrelevant because of the price of the knife and the fact that the knife doesn't have a handle, so I'd likely want to get a new sheath anyways. The grind is also slightly uneven near the heel, but I'm sure that's because I paid extra for the "Special Grade" blade and it had to be hand ground. No biggie, as I like to set my own edges... I just wanted to see how sharp it would come (it came SHARP by the way). I guess that's about it... On to the pictures!


The knife also came with a bonus Shelby Co can opener (thanks!). These little guys actually work quite well and is a welcome addition to my pack. Don’t mind the dog hair, Ronin the dog is blowing his coat again (husky life!).

And here's that spot I was talking about where the handle meets the blade.

Yep, it arrived sharp.

The Spyderco Mule Team won't be in until Wednesday. I seem to have been bitten by the "mod bug"... And I went ahead and ordered a Condor Kephart blank too. I'll soon have four knives here in need of scales. Should be fun! Or a disaster.

That's all for today, have a great day BladeForums!

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

The goal with the sheath was to be durable, effective, and inexpensive. The knife is sort of a "functional kit knife" in that it works as a complete ready-to-use tool out of the box, but is also ripe for modification. As such, custom sheaths will probably be common, and so keeping the cost of the stock sheath down was important while still keeping it USA made and versatile. We'll eventually have some nice leather sheaths to offer as well, but we're taking things one step at a time.

 

[Fixall]

The goal with the sheath was to be durable, effective, and inexpensive. The knife is sort of a "functional kit knife" in that it works as a complete ready-to-use tool out of the box, but is also ripe for modification. As such, custom sheaths will probably be common, and so keeping the cost of the stock sheath down was important while still keeping it USA made and versatile. We'll eventually have some nice leather sheaths to offer as well, but we're taking things one step at a time.

I think you made the right choice going with a sheath like this because of all the reasons you listed. People who want a great performing, quality knife for cheap, get all that plus a functional sheath. People who want to add scales get something to protect the knife while they do that, and would likely have (or want) to replace the sheath with something custom anyways. People who want a lightweight, utilitarian knife get a sheath that matches that school of thought perfectly.

I'm excited to see where you go with the Grimalkin.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

As a bit of a tip, in any cases where you're doing tip work that you think risks your hand slipping up onto the blade (unlikely, though I understand the concern!) you can either lock the curl of your pinkie finger under the butt of the handle to act as an additional stop, or pinch the flats of the blade between your forefinger and thumb while bracing the butt end of the handle into the hollow of your palm. Most of the cuts that are best made with the fingers right under the heel of the blade are ones that are unlikely to have such force behind them that it causes the hand to slip upward. Think of the blade as sort of being part of the handle and envision all of the different ways to choke up on it during different tasks. That factor was something I kept constantly in mind during the design process, but the overall philosophy of the design is closer to that of a guardless Mora #2 than it is to a Mora #511 if that makes sense.

If making your own scales for it, the holes/slots accept Corby bolts or #10-24 machine screws, which I suggest using with a self-clinching fastener (normally used to add threads to sheet metal too thin to tap) as a nut on the opposite side, for a nice clean look.

 

[Fixall]

As a bit of a tip, in any cases where you're doing tip work that you think risks your hand slipping up onto the blade (unlikely, though I understand the concern!) you can either lock the curl of your pinkie finger under the butt of the handle to act as an additional stop, or pinch the flats of the blade between your forefinger and thumb while bracing the butt end of the handle into the hollow of your palm. Most of the cuts that are best made with the fingers right under the heel of the blade are ones that are unlikely to have such force behind them that it causes the hand to slip upward. Think of the blade as sort of being part of the handle and envision all of the different ways to choke up on it during different tasks. That factor was something I kept constantly in mind during the design process, but the overall philosophy of the design is closer to that of a guardless Mora #2 than it is to a Mora #511 if that makes sense.

If making your own scales for it, the holes/slots accept Corby bolts or #10-24 machine screws, which I suggest using with a self-clinching fastener (normally used to add threads to sheet metal too thin to tap) as a nut on the opposite side, for a nice clean look.

I can't quite curl my pinky under the butt of the handle comfortably (my hands really are that small, lol), but pinching the blade works just fine. You raise a good point. It's not like I'm going to be trying to pierce things with a filipino, hammer, or sabre grip, lol. I haven't had a chance to use the knife just yet (going camping this weekend though!), so I'm sure the design choices will become much more apparent once I put it to use. So far, I'm really liking it though.

Thanks letting me know the size of the fasteners/screws. I'm just trying to decide which storefront to source my Micarta and Bocote planks from and then I'm going to get started on the handle. I have 25 feet of Fire Cord on the way right now, so I'm gonna go with a wrap for now... I just gotta learn how to do it, lol. I'm excited to see what you come out with for leather sheaths! I'll probably wait for those to come out instead of having one made. I have an Ambush Killdeer pocket sheath I can use until then.

While I have you here, I wanted to ask, which stone on your site do you recommend for sharpening smaller (Kershaw Blur, SOG Field Pup, etc) recurves? I was thinking one of your Scythes would be perfect for the task and then I could use a ceramic rod or the corners of my F or UF SharpMaker rods to refine the edge. Maybe the Bull Thistle? Or do you think the Arctic Fox be up the task? I don't plan on resetting the edges, but having the ability to fix damage if it happens would be nice.

Oh! One more question, lol. I want to try my hand at shaping a handle with just hand tools before I bust out the belt and rotary sanders. What are your thoughts on the Stella Bianca Four-In-One Rasp for doing something like that? I used to have a Nicholson 4-in-1, but I can't seem to find it. Are they pretty comparable?

Thanks!

 

[bikerector]

I can't quite curl my pinky under the butt of the handle comfortably (my hands really are that small, lol), but pinching the blade works just fine. You raise a good point. It's not like I'm going to be trying to pierce things with a filipino, hammer, or sabre grip, lol. I haven't had a chance to use the knife just yet (going camping this weekend though!), so I'm sure the design choices will become much more apparent once I put it to use. So far, I'm really liking it though.

Thanks letting me know the size of the fasteners/screws. I'm just trying to decide which storefront to source my Micarta and Bocote planks from and then I'm going to get started on the handle. I have 25 feet of Fire Cord on the way right now, so I'm gonna go with a wrap for now... I just gotta learn how to do it, lol. I'm excited to see what you come out with for leather sheaths! I'll probably wait for those to come out instead of having one made. I have an Ambush Killdeer pocket sheath I can use until then.

While I have you here, I wanted to ask, which stone on your site do you recommend for sharpening smaller (Kershaw Blur, SOG Field Pup, etc) recurves? I was thinking one of your Scythes would be perfect for the task and then I could use a ceramic rod or the corners of my F or UF SharpMaker rods to refine the edge. Maybe the Bull Thistle? Or do you think the Arctic Fox be up the task? I don't plan on resetting the edges, but having the ability to fix damage if it happens would be nice.

Oh! One more question, lol. I want to try my hand at shaping a handle with just hand tools before I bust out the belt and rotary sanders. What are your thoughts on the Stella Bianca Four-In-One Rasp for doing something like that? I used to have a Nicholson 4-in-1, but I can't seem to find it. Are they pretty comparable?

Thanks!

His scythe stones work pretty well as do the pucks if the curve isn't too tight. I prefer the rods myself.

The jewelstick he has is a little small for larger blades but 5" would be perfect for the little recurves.
http://www.baryonyxknife.com/jesdist.html

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I can't quite curl my pinky under the butt of the handle comfortably (my hands really are that small, lol), but pinching the blade works just fine. You raise a good point. It's not like I'm going to be trying to pierce things with a filipino, hammer, or sabre grip, lol. I haven't had a chance to use the knife just yet (going camping this weekend though!), so I'm sure the design choices will become much more apparent once I put it to use. So far, I'm really liking it though.

Thanks letting me know the size of the fasteners/screws. I'm just trying to decide which storefront to source my Micarta and Bocote planks from and then I'm going to get started on the handle. I have 25 feet of Fire Cord on the way right now, so I'm gonna go with a wrap for now... I just gotta learn how to do it, lol. I'm excited to see what you come out with for leather sheaths! I'll probably wait for those to come out instead of having one made. I have an Ambush Killdeer pocket sheath I can use until then.

While I have you here, I wanted to ask, which stone on your site do you recommend for sharpening smaller (Kershaw Blur, SOG Field Pup, etc) recurves? I was thinking one of your Scythes would be perfect for the task and then I could use a ceramic rod or the corners of my F or UF SharpMaker rods to refine the edge. Maybe the Bull Thistle? Or do you think the Arctic Fox be up the task? I don't plan on resetting the edges, but having the ability to fix damage if it happens would be nice.

Oh! One more question, lol. I want to try my hand at shaping a handle with just hand tools before I bust out the belt and rotary sanders. What are your thoughts on the Stella Bianca Four-In-One Rasp for doing something like that? I used to have a Nicholson 4-in-1, but I can't seem to find it. Are they pretty comparable?

Thanks!

I take a size 8 glove (S) so I've got pretty tiny hands! I actually had to have friends and family try holding a cardboard mockup while I was in the design phase to make sure it was still comfy for folks with larger hands than mine.

As far as a wrap goes, this is how I did my pre-production prototype one:

The Stella Bianca rasp blows the current-production Nicholsons out of the water. Stella Bianca files and rasps are basically the modern equal to vintage American files/rasps, in my opinion. I kind of stumbled upon them, and I'm quite glad I did! They're so flippin' hard and sharp that I can't use them to file-test oil-quenched O1 because they'll still cut it like butter.

 

[Fixall]

Severe weather has delayed a few packages. Bummer.

On the plus side... It's going to make for a fun Friday! There should be four or five knives coming in.

I did have a little surprise come in the mail today though. A Victorinox Replacement Parts Case for Swiss Army Knives! I ordered this about two months ago for $15 but it went out of stock before they could get to my order and I completely forgot about it. This thing is loaded! The $15 must have been a price mistake that they honored because the contents of this thing is worth way more than that. Two thumbs up!

His scythe stones work pretty well as do the pucks if the curve isn't too tight. I prefer the rods myself.

The jewelstick he has is a little small for larger blades but 5" would be perfect for the little recurves.
http://www.baryonyxknife.com/jesdist.html

Thanks! The Jewelstick might be just what I'm looking for. An SCHF42 is about the largest recurve I could see myself dealing with, so the size of the Jewelstick should be perfect.

I take a size 8 glove (S) so I've got pretty tiny hands! I actually had to have friends and family try holding a cardboard mockup while I was in the design phase to make sure it was still comfy for folks with larger hands than mine.

As far as a wrap goes, this is how I did my pre-production prototype one:

The Stella Bianca rasp blows the current-production Nicholsons out of the water. Stella Bianca files and rasps are basically the modern equal to vintage American files/rasps, in my opinion. I kind of stumbled upon them, and I'm quite glad I did! They're so flippin' hard and sharp that I can't use them to file-test oil-quenched O1 because they'll still cut it like butter.

That wrap job looks fantastic! I don't expect mine to look nearly as nice, lol. I think I'm going to attempt to wrap mine in a similar, if not the same way. Looks comfy!

That Stella Bianca sounds perfect! Looks like I'll be ordering one of those and a Jewelstick tonight. I wish I would have seen that you carried the Condor Kephart blanks... I just ordered one from DLT. What do you think of the blanks?

I'm gonna have to dig through your site and see what other hidden goodies I can find.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

That wrap job looks fantastic! I don't expect mine to look nearly as nice, lol. I think I'm going to attempt to wrap mine in a similar, if not the same way. Looks comfy!

That Stella Bianca sounds perfect! Looks like I'll be ordering one of those and a Jewelstick tonight. I wish I would have seen that you carried the Condor Kephart blanks... I just ordered one from DLT. What do you think of the blanks?

I'm gonna have to dig through your site and see what other hidden goodies I can find.

As a tip, doing the last couple of turns of the wrap required a little trick to thread the end under the vertical portion of the wrap. To do this, I ran some sturdy nylon thread through the end of the cord and then threaded the needle under the verticals. A set of pliers then allowed me to tug the lead thread through, bringing the cord along with it. It would have been impossible otherwise. Lastly, paracord shrinks slightly when wetted for some reason, and so I use it to advantage when doing cord wraps. Wrap it as tightly as you can, but then when you're all done and you're melted off the end cut, run the cord under some hot tapwater and put it somewhere warm to dry. The cord will tighten up like rock.

The kephart blanks are nice, and provide a good option for folks looking to put together a Kephart without the black blade finish of the standard production version, but the factory edges are thick so you'll want to thin it out. Not sure what size you'd need to get, but consider looking into those self-clinching fasteners and machine screws for scale fastening. You can find 'em all the way down to #2-56 thread, which is absolutely puny.

 

[ErocSD]

nice collection.... Lot's of different knives in there. Buck to Spyderco and a few in between.

I'm relatively new here as well and I originally joined BF to research the higher end knives without having to spend thousands purchasing and selling them. Like you I have been collecting knives my whole life, Just recently got in to the higher end knives.

I personally only really post about Mid techs on BF even though I own cheap chinese Kershaw's to Kabars and plenty of working blades. I don't find working blades all that interesting with exception to super steel EDC blades like a Spartan Harsey.

I still haven't taken the plunge on a CRK sebenza yet but I really like Reate and WE..... some of the Buck's you have are really impressive though and I wouldn't mind a 119 S30v.

Looks like you really dove head first in to the knife collecting much like I did, once again Nice collection.

 

[Fixall]

A couple packages came in early (well technically late, I guess... But earlier than the updated delivery schedule).

First was a Spyderco UK Penknife in BD1N steel. I've been wanting to try this steel out for a little while now. Spyderco can thank @DeadboxHero for that, his enthusiasm is infectious! It was either the UK Penknife or the new Para 3 Lightweight. In the end I decided to go with the Penknife for two reasons. One, I've heard there are several Para 3 LW sprints/exclusives in the works so I'd like to see what steels/colors are released. And two, I figure the UKPK will make a great travel knife since the blade is under 3" and doesn't lock. I was in San Antonio six or seven months ago and I was surprised to hear that locking knives are illegal there. 0_o

I freaking love it! I wasn't expecting this at all and after thinking about it, it makes total sense. It's basically a non-locking Calypso Jr. that address all of the issues I have with the Caly Jr. It adds a deep carry wire clip, Torx construction, and jimping on the choils... Hell yes! I do wish it had a backlock and a steel backspacer, but that's ok. Maybe someday they'll update the Caly Jr. This will more than get me by until then. I also really like that they added a half stop to the action. Good call Spyderco. The build quality and fit/finish is also excellent. In fact, it looks to be a bit better than most of the Spyderco knives I own. That's really surprising given the cost of the knife. The Golden factory really outdid themselves. The only part I don't care for too much is the pattern on the scales. I would have preferred the fish scale pattern on the Caly Jr. or the pattern on the FRN Chaparral. All in all... highly recommended!

The Condor Kephart blank also came with the UKPK.

I'm very impressed with the quality for the price! It looks great, has no warps, no bad tooling marks, etc. The finish is a lot better than I was expecting. FortyTwoBlades is completely right about the thickness behind the edge though. Holy cow, that could use some work. I've got some Bicote and Micarta on the way already. Now I just gotta order that four-in-one rasp and decide if I want to pick up a new drill press or get a kit to outfit my hand drill or Dremel.

And last to come in was the Fire Cord. This stuff is pretty cool. It's a paracord with a waterproof tinder in the core and actually works quite well. It should make for a nice wrap for the Grimalkin for now. I spend a ton of time outdoors and live in the Pacific Northwest so I figure more redundancy when it comes to fire making is always a plus. I've never had to resort to busting out the Fire Cord, but I've had more than a couple occasions where the Bic wouldn't work and I had to use either a Magnesium block and/or ferro rod or just eat cold rations. Thank God the situation has never been dire.

The site I purchased it from threw in a can of Fire Dust for free, which I thought was cool. No idea if it's any good or not, but I'll compare it to some fatwood this weekend. If nothing else, I can use the canister for char cloth or fatwood shavings.

As a tip, doing the last couple of turns of the wrap required a little trick to thread the end under the vertical portion of the wrap. To do this, I ran some sturdy nylon thread through the end of the cord and then threaded the needle under the verticals. A set of pliers then allowed me to tug the lead thread through, bringing the cord along with it. It would have been impossible otherwise. Lastly, paracord shrinks slightly when wetted for some reason, and so I use it to advantage when doing cord wraps. Wrap it as tightly as you can, but then when you're all done and you're melted off the end cut, run the cord under some hot tapwater and put it somewhere warm to dry. The cord will tighten up like rock.

The kephart blanks are nice, and provide a good option for folks looking to put together a Kephart without the black blade finish of the standard production version, but the factory edges are thick so you'll want to thin it out. Not sure what size you'd need to get, but consider looking into those self-clinching fasteners and machine screws for scale fastening. You can find 'em all the way down to #2-56 thread, which is absolutely puny.

Thanks for the tips! I'll probably be trying my hand at wrapping the Grimalkin tonight or tomorrow. I've been using it bare for the last couple days and really liking it. The thinness of the stock is absolutely perfect and the thumb ramp has just the right angle to allow you a ton of blade control.

I see what you're saying about the Condor Kephart blanks. It looks to be really well done, but man... That thickness behind the edge! It looks like the knife could have REALLY benefited from a true, full flat grind. I think I'll probably send it in to be reground after I fashion the scales. Not sure I'm ready to try my hand at that just yet, lol. A nice convex grind sounds like it would be fun. I've been looking into those self-clenching fasteners, but there seem to be several styles. Do you have a favorite? I'm glad you bring that up, because I wasn't really looking forward to trying to pin the scales.

nice collection.... Lot's of different knives in there. Buck to Spyderco and a few in between.

I'm relatively new here as well and I originally joined BF to research the higher end knives without having to spend thousands purchasing and selling them. Like you I have been collecting knives my whole life, Just recently got in to the higher end knives.

I personally only really post about Mid techs on BF even though I own cheap chinese Kershaw's to Kabars and plenty of working blades. I don't find working blades all that interesting with exception to super steel EDC blades like a Spartan Harsey.

I still haven't taken the plunge on a CRK sebenza yet but I really like Reate and WE..... some of the Buck's you have are really impressive though and I wouldn't mind a 119 S30v.

Looks like you really dove head first in to the knife collecting much like I did, once again Nice collection.

Thank you, and welcome to the forum (sorry I'm a few months late, lol)! This place is an incredible source of information and I've met some of the best people ever here. Not to mention the exchange makes it pretty easy to "rent" a knife without getting in too deep. I love it here.

I haven't yet purchased my first mid-tech or custom folder, but with the way things are going, it's not far off, lol. I'm starting to run out of knives to try in the $100 - $200 range that interest me. I think I focused really hard on the working knives and budget knives right off the bat because of the abuse my knives get at work. I really like that M390, SG2, S35VN, 20CV, HAP40, Super Blue, etc with a good heat treat can be found these days on knives in the $75 - $150 range. It's amazing. What a time to be a steel nerd. I do think that 5160, 1095, 52100, 440c, and AUS 8 will always have a special place in my heart though.

I'm still trying to decide what my first higher end knife is going to be... So far I'm thinking a Sebenza Small 21 with Micarta or an Olamic Cutlery Busker. That Liong Mah Warrior Two you have is beautiful by the way! So many of the most beautiful designs have 3.5"+ blades though... I'm more of a 3.2" and under kind of guy, lol. So what's your favorite knife so far? What are you picking up next?

I love my S30V Buck 119! You can find them (with gaudy badging) for $180ish on a regular basis, but if you ever make it to the Buck factory in Post Falls, Idaho, they have the unbadged "blemishes" for sell on a regular basis for crazy cheap. Right now my favorite Buck has been the 55 with S30V and Micarta. Such a sweet little knife!

I need to update the first page soon! I have about ten knives that I haven't had time to edit into the OP (such a hassle with the photo limit). Thanks again!

 

[ErocSD]

Thank you, and welcome to the forum (sorry I'm a few months late, lol)! This place is an incredible source of information and I've met some of the best people ever here. Not to mention the exchange makes it pretty easy to "rent" a knife without getting in too deep. I love it here.

I haven't yet purchased my first mid-tech or custom folder, but with the way things are going, it's not far off, lol. I'm starting to run out of knives to try in the $100 - $200 range that interest me. I think I focused really hard on the working knives and budget knives right off the bat because of the abuse my knives get at work. I really like that M390, SG2, S35VN, 20CV, HAP40, Super Blue, etc with a good heat treat can be found these days on knives in the $75 - $150 range. It's amazing. What a time to be a steel nerd. I do think that 5160, 1095, 52100, 440c, and AUS 8 will always have a special place in my heart though.

I'm still trying to decide what my first higher end knife is going to be... So far I'm thinking a Sebenza Small 21 with Micarta or an Olamic Cutlery Busker. That Liong Mah Warrior Two you have is beautiful by the way! So many of the most beautiful designs have 3.5"+ blades though... I'm more of a 3.2" and under kind of guy, lol. So what's your favorite knife so far? What are you picking up next?

I love my S30V Buck 119! You can find them (with gaudy badging) for $180ish on a regular basis, but if you ever make it to the Buck factory in Post Falls, Idaho, they have the unbadged "blemishes" for sell on a regular basis for crazy cheap. Right now my favorite Buck has been the 55 with S30V and Micarta. Such a sweet little knife!

I need to update the first page soon! I have about ten knives that I haven't had time to edit into the OP (such a hassle with the photo limit). Thanks again!

Thanks man,

I really like the Warrior 2 V2, it's a well balanced knife and very well executed. I do get frustrated with the tanto tip occasionally though. Sometimes for an EDC blade I prefer a drop point for daily tasks instead. The Crossroads is my other tradeoff EDC blade I couldn't live without.

Its weird I customize my guns but I don't feel the need to customize many of the midtech knives I've purchased. I do all my own gunsmithing and love the mechanics of guns but when it comes to a knife I think they're often just right the way they are.

I think I may venture into some of the bladesmithing like yourself, I really wouldn't mind making a knife from scratch. It would be really fun I think, just need some crucial tools first. I'm amazed how easily you jumped right into the bladesmithing aspect so quickly, that's impressive. Perhaps that what bbn it will take to get me in to customizing is some more hands on in the building process of a knife.

Seeing as how I appreciate my Kabar I am sure I would love a few solid Bucks. I have an old sharp I got from my late grandfather and it's a lower end knife but man it's a great little blade for outdoors so I could see a good Buck bridging the gap between Kabar and Sharp in my collection. Especially while hunting.

Next on the list.... I'm looking at a couple Liong Mahs like the Zulu or Kuf V2 but I also really like the Reate K2 or K1 in M390. I think I've decided my next knife will be a Spartan harsey folder then followed by a TI Spine. Since you prefer 3.2" blades the TI spine may be up your alley or its cousin the DPX Aculus.

I don't make it to Idaho often but I'd be interested in taking a trip and hitting the factory along the way I've got friends on Utah so I could always make a side trip. Thanks again, it's nice to see cool people in this forum, I've met some real d***heads.

 

[Fixall]

Hello BladeForums!

I hope you're all doing well this Sunday. Three new knives came in yesterday.

First we have the big brother to Blackbird, the Schrade SCHF42D Mockingbird! I was wrong when I called the SCHF55 a beast... THIS is a beast! Holy cow, this is a lot of knife! The tip on the Blackbird was a little uneven, but the grind on this bad boy is absolutely perfect. The handle has good ergonomics, although the hump for the choil is slightly too big for me. I was really impressed with the sheath. The quality of sheaths the SCHF42/SCHF42D/SCHF55 come with at their price point is astonishing. Really well done @B Griffin. I'm tempted to try to make my own set of scales for this out of Micarta... but realistically, I have four other sets of scales to make and I don't want to bite off more than I can chew. I think I've also decided that this knife is just too big for my uses. I'll definitely be keeping it's little brother, the Blackbird though.

Next to come in is something I've been really excited about! A stretched Lime Cutter made by @nighthaxan! This bad boy features a 2 1/4" 52100 (6" OAL) blade and lightning strike carbon fiber! Look at this thing! It's beautiful! Absolutely beautiful! It also has amazing ergonomics, which was an unexpected surprise for a handle so small. I'm more of a lemon and tequila guy, rather than lime... So we'll have to see if it's large enough to tackle that job. I sure hope so, because I don't think I could part with this regardless. I love it.

I have a bottle of Don Julio Reposado and lemons on hand and ready to go.

Next was a package from the Spyderco Factory. Heck yea!

First is a leather sheath for a Spyderco Mule. Too be completely honest, this is one of the few times I've been underwhelmed by a Spyderco product. It's not a bad sheath by any means, but I think I could have spent just a little bit more elsewhere and ended up with something that I would enjoy much more. Oh well, live and learn. It should do the job just fine.

Next to come out of the box was much more satisfying. A Spyderco Mule Team 27 in Micro-Melt PD#1. PD#1 is basically CarTech's (Carpenter) version of Crucible's CRU-WEAR. Really great stuff from what I've read and I'm super excited to give it a try! The fit and finish on this is fantastic and I'm really shocked at what you can get for $70 with the mule platform. I wasn't expecting the blank to be finished to well. I've decided that making a handle that will do this knife justice is beyond my experience and capability at this point, so it is going to be sent to @Brian77 of Haw Creek Blades to be beautified. And besides... I have four sets of scales I need to work on already. He did a stellar job on my Landi and I'm really excited to see how the Mule Team turns out!

That's it for the new knives! I have some really cool stuff coming in for those handle projects though!

I ordered;

A set of 1" x 1 1/2" x 5" linen Micarta planks and a set of 1" x 1 1/2" x 5" Birdseye Bocote planks to try my hands at making removable scales for the Grimalkin (thanks for the hardware FortyTwoBlades !).

A 5" x 1 1/2" x 1 1/4" block of linen to make a hidden tang handle for my wife's SOG Field Pup. I probably would have been better off purchasing two planks and made a mortise handle... But I really want to try my hand at working making a hidden tang out of a solid block. Besides... It gave me another excuse to pick up a new drill press.

A whole mess of new hand tools, respirator filters, acetone, etc.

And if all goes well with the handles for the Grimalkin and the Field Pup... I also purchased a really nice set of African Blackwood planks/scales from @Jarrett Fleming to make scales for the Condor Kephart.

No going back now....

That's all I have for ya today. Have a great end to your weekend!

Thanks man,

I really like the Warrior 2 V2, it's a well balanced knife and very well executed. I do get frustrated with the tanto tip occasionally though. Sometimes for an EDC blade I prefer a drop point for daily tasks instead. The Crossroads is my other tradeoff EDC blade I couldn't live without.

Its weird I customize my guns but I don't feel the need to customize many of the midtech knives I've purchased. I do all my own gunsmithing and love the mechanics of guns but when it comes to a knife I think they're often just right the way they are.

I think I may venture into some of the bladesmithing like yourself, I really wouldn't mind making a knife from scratch. It would be really fun I think, just need some crucial tools first. I'm amazed how easily you jumped right into the bladesmithing aspect so quickly, that's impressive. Perhaps that what bbn it will take to get me in to customizing is some more hands on in the building process of a knife.

Seeing as how I appreciate my Kabar I am sure I would love a few solid Bucks. I have an old sharp I got from my late grandfather and it's a lower end knife but man it's a great little blade for outdoors so I could see a good Buck bridging the gap between Kabar and Sharp in my collection. Especially while hunting.

Next on the list.... I'm looking at a couple Liong Mahs like the Zulu or Kuf V2 but I also really like the Reate K2 or K1 in M390. I think I've decided my next knife will be a Spartan harsey folder then followed by a TI Spine. Since you prefer 3.2" blades the TI spine may be up your alley or its cousin the DPX Aculus.

I don't make it to Idaho often but I'd be interested in taking a trip and hitting the factory along the way I've got friends on Utah so I could always make a side trip. Thanks again, it's nice to see cool people in this forum, I've met some real d***heads.

I'm with you on the tanto tip. For EDC and work I prefer a drop point or wharncliffe.

I wouldn't call it bladesmithing just yet, lol... But I'll get there! It's funny you mention that though. I was looking at drill presses last night and my wife walked by and said "Just buy a damn anvil already and be done with it." She knows me too well. Once something catches my interest, I tend to dive in head first. It has it's pros and cons, lol. I started thinking about it, and so far I've; reshaped, dyed, and finished a few wood and G10 handles, reprofiled a clip point to a drop point, forced patinas, acid etched titanium, disassembled/reassembled all my folders, swapped scales, and sharpened knives both freehand and with a system.

You should really give it a go if gunsmithing is enjoyable to you! I've been having a lot of fun and most of it is a lot easier than I expected and once you get started it's really hard to stop. Patience and reading go a long ways. My next project is making four sets of scales for three knives. If it goes well and I enjoy it, I really think I may start working towards making a knife from scratch. I've been reading and reading and reading and I've been really amazed at just what you can do with very little power tools. A good belt grinder, drill press, hand tools, respirator, clamps, sandpaper, dowels, and practice.

Buck has some amazing knives for great prices! It's a nice little bonus in my opinion that the majority of their production is done right here in the U.S. (even down to the screws in a lot of cases). If you like the classic Buck 110 (I like the slightly smaller 112), Buck just partnered with Taylor guitars and is now producing those knives with solid ebony rather than plywood. If you're in the market for a camp knife... Check out the Buck subforum here! A Buck 104 Compadre was designed by everyone and should make for a pretty sweet knife. I would also HIGHLY recommend taking a look at the Buck custom shop. I've seen some incredible pieces come out of there (their ironwood and buckeye burl are breathtaking in my opinion).

Oh man... I've been looking at both the Reate K2 and the K1 for quite a while. They're gorgeous, but just so dang big! I've tried, and so far I haven't been able to keep any 3.5" or larger in my regular carry rotation. They just end up looking like a machete in my baby hands, lol. I'll check out the TI Spine a bit more, the matte versions look great and I LOVE me some Elmax. Great steel. Two thumbs up on the Spartan Harsey! I've seen that knife in the past and thought it looked super familiar. Turns out Bill Harsey designed not only the Spartan, but also the cheap Gerber Air Ranger I have. If a $10 designed by him can be as good as the Air Ranger... I'd love to handle a $500 knife designed by him!

Well, I'm off to Home Depot... Have a good one bud!

 

[Fixall]

Sad day.

I spent about a month and a half working towards putting a mirror polish on Svord Mini Peasant. Every other night or so I would put in some time sanding the finish... Starting with 60 grit sandpaper and working all the way to 3000 grit... Changing direction with each grit, making sure the previous grit scratches were completely gone. I must have put in at least ten hours easily.

About a week ago, I was finished with sandpapers and had moved on to polishing gels. In my excitement at seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, I got careless while polishing the blade and cut myself. Apparently, when I was cleaning up the blood and whatnot, I must have thrown away the blade along with the blue shop towels I was using. It's gone. All that work down the toilet.

Meh, I guess not all is lost. I was just doing it for the practice anyways... And I got plenty of that.

Anyone need a purple (mauve is a dumb name) Mini Peasant handle, lol?

On the plus side, the bench press and Dremel 7000 I ordered came in today.

 

[Fixall]

Well, today is improving.

I checked my email a bit ago and had a surprise "work in progress" pic from @incaorchid. Those are going to look amazing on my Elmax Blur when they're finished!

 

[Fixall]

Just a small update today.

I'm still waiting on the Micarta, birdseye bocote, hardware and a couple other odds and ends to come in before I start on the scales for the Grimalkin and SOG... But I've got everything here to start getting the rough shape on the scales for the Kephart (drill press not pictured). I also picked up a cheap Grizzly 2" belt sander locally (because why not?) and have the option of going back and picking up a Grizzly belt and spindle sander for cheap too if I want. I'm really tempted. Seems like I would go through belts fast and have to keep the scales cool... But I bet it would be fun for making scales! I don't plan on using the belt sander for any of these particular scales though. Other than the drill press, I'm going to try to stick with hand tools.

The African Blackwood from @Jarrett Fleming are so pretty! I might glue the scales and cut out a rough, oversized outline for the Kephart, but I'm going to save the rest of the work on the these scales until I am done with the Grimalkin and SOG scales. Don't want to mess them up!

And since I'm moving on to other projects, I'm gonna call the finish on the Mora and Opinel done. I'll let them cure for a few days and then hit them pretty heavily with the steel wool again to tone down the gloss, and then I have a tiny bit of work left on the blades and that's all she wrote. I'm actually quite please with how they turned out.

Have a good night BladeForums!

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Should be getting the hardware out to ya' tomorrow if things go to schedule. I've got your stuff all ready to box up, but had to take of a bunch of other orders that were in queue, and I've got my son up visiting for the week (two weeks, actually) so I've had to divide my time carefully. Can't wait to see what you do with it!

 

[xraso]

I was in San Antonio six or seven months ago and I was surprised to hear that locking knives are illegal there. 0_o

Great thread with lots of interesting pics!

But I was just in San Antonio a couple months ago on business, and there was all the buzz that they had just done away with all knife restrictions and you could carry a sword down the street if you wanted to. The only restrictions left are nothing bigger that 5.5" in "restricted" areas (college campuses, bars, etc) and nothing larger than 5.5" if you were under 18.

My info is second hand, but I am pretty sure that a locking blade is A-Ok there

https://www.davidbreston.com/texas-switchblade-laws/

 

[Fixall]

Great thread with lots of interesting pics!

But I was just in San Antonio a couple months ago on business, and there was all the buzz that they had just done away with all knife restrictions and you could carry a sword down the street if you wanted to. The only restrictions left are nothing bigger that 5.5" in "restricted" areas (college campuses, bars, etc) and nothing larger than 5.5" if you were under 18.

My info is second hand, but I am pretty sure that a locking blade is A-Ok there

https://www.davidbreston.com/texas-switchblade-laws/

Thanks!

Haha, my info is second hand too. It came from the hotel concierge when I asked for the best BBQ joint around. Looking back... that trip was actually about eight months ago. Time goes by fast!

That’s really good to hear that it sounds like there have been some changes to the laws though! I’m sure a lot of residents are happy. We’re real close to getting rid of the automatic knife ban in Washington state and I’m pretty excited about that... although I don’t have much use or interest in automatic knives, lol.