The CS Boot Knife Arrived. Impressions:
The blade profile, shape, and grind is awesome. I'd call the edge "very sharp" right out of the box.
The handle seems to be child-sized in length. I'm told that this is because it's supposed to be "cupped" and used to stab.
I cut scales from a heavy rubber mat and did a wrap with athletic tape (the stuff used to wrap hockey sticks). That made the handle something nice to hold onto and very grippy.
The shorter-than-usual handle is actually very nice for the way I planned to use it (horizontal on front of belt). I've tried it out that way and it is definitely the best way I know to be able to draw a knife with either hand, in a hurry, including from compromised positions. But I'm having some second thoughts about that carry option because I don't want the knife to fall out and cut my balls off if I'm crawling on the ground. I carry a much smaller knife this way (Clinch Pick), but the sheath on that knife is a lot more secure to begin with and there's less mass that could cause it to come out. The CS sheath is pretty good, but maybe not good enough for this carry option.
As short as the handle is, it does seem to be plenty long enough to grab onto instinctively. The double hand guard is useful for keeping my hand from going onto the edge while gripping it as fast as possible (e.g. if in a fight, when you're likely to be off from an ideal grip position by half an inch either direction). The pommel remains just exposed enough to be useful as a hammer strike tool in some grips.
TBD if I like it / keep it.
The blade profile, shape, and grind is awesome. I'd call the edge "very sharp" right out of the box.
The handle seems to be child-sized in length. I'm told that this is because it's supposed to be "cupped" and used to stab.
I cut scales from a heavy rubber mat and did a wrap with athletic tape (the stuff used to wrap hockey sticks). That made the handle something nice to hold onto and very grippy.
The shorter-than-usual handle is actually very nice for the way I planned to use it (horizontal on front of belt). I've tried it out that way and it is definitely the best way I know to be able to draw a knife with either hand, in a hurry, including from compromised positions. But I'm having some second thoughts about that carry option because I don't want the knife to fall out and cut my balls off if I'm crawling on the ground. I carry a much smaller knife this way (Clinch Pick), but the sheath on that knife is a lot more secure to begin with and there's less mass that could cause it to come out. The CS sheath is pretty good, but maybe not good enough for this carry option.
As short as the handle is, it does seem to be plenty long enough to grab onto instinctively. The double hand guard is useful for keeping my hand from going onto the edge while gripping it as fast as possible (e.g. if in a fight, when you're likely to be off from an ideal grip position by half an inch either direction). The pommel remains just exposed enough to be useful as a hammer strike tool in some grips.
TBD if I like it / keep it.
