2 Scandi's, 1 mag block and a primitive weapon !

pitdog

pitdog

Joined
Apr 13, 2007
Messages
12,294
I took the JK Scandi Pass-around knife out for what is likely to be it's last outing today. I decided to take my other custom scandi along as well, my Koster Nessie, to compare it with( Note the Cedar root cordage in the top left corner, that will come in later)......

P3010003.jpg


There are some similarities between these two blades...Scandi grind, 1/8" stock, similar transition from blade to handle etc. The big difference between the two obviously being the size !

Today I wanted to try out the Magnesium block that I keep in my most extensive fire-kit.......

P3010004.jpg


Making shavings from one of these with a knife is really tedious, I think it would be best to make some up using a SAK Saw at home and carry them in a small tin ready to use.They did catch straight away with a ferro rod but fizzled straight out without igniting the wood.I think that my pile may have been far too small but like I said making them with a knife is a nightmare !
Anyway I then fuzzed up some fatwod and that caught straight away and gave a long lasting flame.....I'm getting as bad as Bushman with my love of this stuff !!!!

P3010005.jpg


P3010006.jpg


I then decided to compare the two knives head to head making an Apache Throwing Star.......

P3010009-1.jpg


I feel it fair to say that I have failed to get the JK Scandi as sharp as I'd have liked.With this being so I'm left frustrated wondering how it would perform if razor sharp !
Carving the points and making the notches took me quite a while and my hand and forearm were starting to hurt from gripping the handle so tight.
I'm positive that I could have done the same work with my Knatchet in a fraction of the time !
I really like the style of this blade for an all round knife but if it was to be used as a dedicated bushcraft knife I'd much prefer a handle that is larger and almost round in cross section as on my small ML Knife.

P8270012.jpg


As this knife now stands though it could easily be used as a necker or pocket knife, give it a big fat handle and you would narrow it's use down to belt carry only !On anything that is not a dedicated Bushcraft knife I also prefer a convexed grind and kept thinking that if this had one of Johns convexed edges with no secondary bevel it would be close to perfect for me !
The Koster nessie went through the wood a little better but due to the narrow handle still caused a lot of fatigue.When Mrs Pit asks me to make her a batch of feathersticks up for the woodstove I use the Koster Nessie but fatigue sets in after maybe only 3 or so !

I then lashed the throwing star using the cedar root creating a simple but effective weapon or food gatherer for rabbits, squirrels etc......

P3010010-1.jpg


I noticed that the Skunk Cabbage was blooming, another sign of spring !

P3010001.jpg
 
Cool pics. Did it come from the previous person not as sharp, or is it from your use that it isn't as sharp?
 
i agree about the mag bars. they are a pain in the ass for sure. i test out all this stuff so much just because i don't wanna need to depend on it and have it not work at all
 
TheGame said:
Cool pics. Did it come from the previous person not as sharp, or is it from your use that it isn't as sharp?
Click to expand...

Nah it came from the last person that way, I sharpened it a little but could really do with some stones to sharpen it correctly.
It will just about slice post it's now but with a little drag !
 
Good stuff. Did you scrape the corner of the mag bar? I find I can get a nickel sized pile pretty quick using the back of my knife or the spine of the sak saw.
 
tknife said:
Good stuff. Did you scrape the corner of the mag bar? I find I can get a nickel sized pile pretty quick using the back of my knife or the spine of the sak saw.
Click to expand...

Scraped down one edge using the blade close to the handle !
 
" I'd much prefer a handle that is larger and almost round in cross section as on my small ML Knife."

agree with you 100% on that........

love the apache star
 
Pitdog, how are you making the shavings? Are you trying to 'shave' them off with your knife blade at an angle, because that would be a PITA. If you scrape it with the blade at 90 degrees or so, you will have a little pile in no time.

Doc
 
Pit,

I'm not a big mag-bar guy, but I tape a small piece of hacksaw blade to the bar. It cuts the mag pretty well. I also run the beaded chain of the bar through the opening of the saw blade. BTW, if I buy anymore mag bars, I"m going with Doan, my second Colghans fell apart...
 
I have about 3-4 coghlans ones and they seemed to be ok, but this last one I bought struck sparks really weird. Instead of a shower of sparks, I get three or four really big blobs burning off.:confused: I guess it still works, but nowhere near the shower of sparks I get from the Gerber strike force, Blastmatch , or swedish ones.

Shaving magnesiun is a pain. Even with a carbide scraper. I clamped one in a vise, and took an old file to it , and found that stuff is pretty hard. No more mag bars for me. PJCB's and fatwood from now on.
 
hiwa said:
I have about 3-4 coghlans ones and they seemed to be ok, but this last one I bought struck sparks really weird. Instead of a shower of sparks, I get three or four really big blobs burning off.:confused: I guess it still works, but nowhere near the shower of sparks I get from the Gerber strike force, Blastmatch , or swedish ones.

Shaving magnesiun is a pain. Even with a carbide scraper. I clamped one in a vise, and took an old file to it , and found that stuff is pretty hard. No more mag bars for me. PJCB's and fatwood from now on.
Click to expand...

PJCB's suck in the rain though and fatwood ain't much better !!!:thumbdn:
 
Pitdog , this is a large handful of fatwood shavings, the tinder was PCJB fluffed up, and ignited in the rain with a fire steel. It went up like napalm



if you find an cedar stump and pull kindling from it, it will be dry, pile that over the fatwood shavings and let er rip with the spark
 
Fatwood works for me in the rain or a wet environment. It can not soak up water because of the resin, it is pretty much waterproof (if it's good quality). Just wipe off the water from the surface and you are good to go.
 
Yeah I guess with perseverance fatwood will work in heavy rain( those people who say PJCB's work in rain have obviously never been on BC's west coast !).

The only thing I have found to work everytime are those BBQ lighter matches that you strike with a burn time of about 8 mins.I always make sure I have at least one in my firekit !
 
Pit, I started a fire the other day with wet fatwood. Added an esbit tablet to keep it going while I piled on little sticks. I hear ya about the rounded handle, it's the way to go! My new knife from John will be contoured AND rounded. Keeps that annoying hand cramping to a minimum.
 
Rockywolf said:
Pit, I started a fire the other day with wet fatwood. Added an esbit tablet to keep it going while I piled on little sticks. I hear ya about the rounded handle, it's the way to go! My new knife from John will be contoured AND rounded. Keeps that annoying hand cramping to a minimum.
Click to expand...

I've noticed that a lot of Koyotes handles are now this way !:thumbup:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top