2023: A Knife Odyssey

4/22
Another fixed blade in the pocket today - shocker, I know. I really do prefer them to folders these days. Today’s entry is another Runt from Fiddleback Forge. It features 1/8” stock spalted A2 with a tapered tang and bubinga handle scales over natural micarta liners with yellow pin stripes.

This one is likely my favorite of the small handful of Runts I own. It is quite light in hand and its handle has all the curves in all the right places for my mitts. It truly is a pleasure to hold and use.

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Playing catch-up!
4/23
Sunday saw carry of this Birdvis small zulu. This was my introduction to Nick Timpson’s work, and it did not disappoint. This little guy is ~3 3/8” closed with an hand rubbed satin CPM-154 blade and is rocking ivory G10 covers with vintage rag micarta bolsters over OD green liners and accents and jeweled stainless liners. Nick’s F&f is truly excellent.

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4/24
Here is the last of the Spyderco Kiwis in my expansive collection of 3 😂. This is the OG Kiwi with jigged bone scales and the usual VG-10 blade. This one came to me pretty well used, so I cleaned up all the metal parts a bit, but the action is so smooth
that the blade drops freely when the lock is disengaged.

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4/25
I received a pretty epic full custom order from Ben Krein. He was kind enough to do a matching set of two knives (different models) for me. This Morel features a Chad Nichols Intrepid stainless damascus blade with vintage crosscut canvas micarta scales over vintage black-line linen micarta liners and a copper lanyard tube and black micarta pin. This and its cousin are probably the coolest fixed blades I have ever had the honor to own.

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4/27
Here we have a semi-production Fiddleback Forge Runt. Mr. Roy used a small number of the stonewashed S35VN blades from their production run of Runts and slapped legit FF handles (and lanyard tube!) on them. I believe the wood is cocobolo, but I’m not sure, and the original owner had long forgotten. (Any help here would be appreciated). Either way, these great looking scales are riding atop of natural micarta liners with blue pinstripes and are complemented by matching natural micarta pins.

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4/29
Here is yet another example of Ben Krein’s handy work. This Forager is sporting an acid washed Nitro-V blade and vintage canvas(?) micarta scales over black liners with a black pin. The weave in this micarta kinda straddles in between canvas and linen, but the crosscut on the spine and underside makes me think it is a canvas with a fairly tight weave. Either way, it is absolutely gorgeous - just at that bark on the micarta!

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4/30
Here we have the knife that not only brought me back to GEC after my initial dabbling many years ago but also turned me on to the utility of knives with more than one blade. This 68 White Owl comes in satin 440C stainless steel and some really nice American cherry wood covers. The smooth cam tang action and the slim foot print due to the single spring setup changes my world. Also, the pinched bolsters are a nice touch. All and all a ton of utility in a small package.

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5/1
Happy Mnandi Monday, party people! Today’s pocketable is my very first CRK knife that was given to me as a birthday present from my brother back in 2012. He wanted to pull me out of my Spyderco obsession that I was in at the time and not only accomplished his initial goal but also turned me into a CRK craving fiend! Preesh, bruh! He bought it new from an authorized dealer because back in the day, CRKs used to sit on dealers’ shelves for actual YEARS. Ah, how I miss those days…

This beauty was born in 2008 and has an S35VN blade with the second generation nail nick and walnut handle inlays. The walnut has darkened a bit over the years from tons of carry and use, and the blasted facets of the Ti have taken on more of a tumbled finish because pocket slips are annoying.

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5/2
Here we have the last of the Tom Krein Hydras in my collection. This was my first Hydra, and it got me immediately hooked and wanting for more. This one has a satin Nitro-V blade with some gorgeous sunset jigged bone handles and brass mosaic pin and lanyard tube. To me, the Hydra sets the gold standard for a little big knife.

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5/3
Happy Wharncliffe Wednesday! Here we have the last of my meager Bret Dowell collection with a shadow wharncliffe trapper. Coming in at a petite 3.5” closed, this one comes equipped with a mirror satin finished CPM-154 blade and vintage black and green linen micarta covers. It is slim and easily pocketed but comes with loads of utility for most EDC tasks.
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5/6-5/14
My family and I flew to our sunny & warm vacation destination, so I brought limited stuff in my checked luggage, so I’ll just lump it together here.

This Smokey Mountain Knife Works (SMKW) exclusive Boker Solingen Club Expedition in green canvas micarta and brass hardware with a blasted N690 blade with a sunken joint. At 3 3/4” closed, this model is slim in the pocket but provides my medium hands ample room for a comfy grip. These SMKW (and other) exclusives are a great value and are worth checking out.

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This Nieto Grillo hails from Spain and is honestly the best bang for your Buck I have experienced in a knife in quite some time. At around $60 USD, I am blown away by the materials and fit & finish. It has an OAL of 5.8” with grenadille (African blackwood) handle scales over red and orange liners. It has a 2.75” N695 (European 440c) blade with a belt satin finish and polished spine. This knife is insanely good and also comes in a black G10 version of that is more your thing.

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This Spyderco UKPK Salt kept me company in the water, and has been my go-to beach/pool/boat carry since it was first released. Not much to say other than LC200N is an excellent rustproof steel, especially when attached to my favorite handle design that Spyderco ever made.

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3/14
Today we have a GEC 49 Freedom in smooth blue camel bone. These were a really cool little pattern and one of the few swaybacks in their catalog. Small, classy, easy on the eyes, and super handy - what’s not to like?

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I heard that when a camel, or mammoth, chokes on some food, their lips and bones turn blue. At least that's what the guy who sold me a blue mammoth folder told me. 😇
 
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