A couple of Mountaineers.

[Haze]

I was going through my CRK One piece knives the other day and giving them a bit of a check up. I have always liked the Mtnr. I and II, the MtnrI was my first Chris Reeve knife infact.
That opinion has not changed at all it would seem, over time all our tastes change or evolve in one way or another. The OPK are knives that have seemed to always be there when others have come and gone from my rotation.

These are my two mint examples from the collection next to a rather less fresh user for good measure. Any hoo, pics are always better than words.......

 

[maxbelg]

Very nice! I've always liked the one-piece range!

 

[Steven65]

Beautiful knife Haze!

Of all the one piece knives I think that the mountaineer (the small original model) is the most useful and practical edc of the lot. With it's high hollow grind and relatively thin edge it is an excellent working knife and more than a few hunters here used them regularly in the field.

When Chris moved to his house in Kloof (a suburb just outside of Durban) I visited him there regularly and one day and we got to talking about the Mountaineer and it's strength. He took his own personal one, walked outside to a big tree in the front yard and with a mallet hammered it into the tree for about 60% of the length of the blade. He then stood on it and bounced (Gently)
Apart from the tree sap the knife was perfect.

If I ever purchase another one piece.......it will be a mountaineer.

 

[JNewell]

Wow. Good grind + A2 + good heat treat... :thumbup:

Beautiful knife Haze!

Of all the one piece knives I think that the mountaineer (the small original model) is the most useful and practical edc of the lot. With it's high hollow grind and relatively thin edge it is an excellent working knife and more than a few hunters here used them regularly in the field.

When Chris moved to his house in Kloof (a suburb just outside of Durban) I visited him there regularly and one day and we got to talking about the Mountaineer and it's strength. He took his own personal one, walked outside to a big tree in the front yard and with a mallet hammered it into the tree for about 60% of the length of the blade. He then stood on it and bounced (Gently)
Apart from the tree sap the knife was perfect.

If I ever purchase another one piece.......it will be a mountaineer.

 

[ThumperACC]

Beautiful knife Haze!
...
When Chris moved to his house in Kloof (a suburb just outside of Durban) I visited him there regularly and one day and we got to talking about the Mountaineer and it's strength. He took his own personal one, walked outside to a big tree in the front yard and with a mallet hammered it into the tree for about 60% of the length of the blade. He then stood on it and bounced (Gently)
Apart from the tree sap the knife was perfect.
....

That's pretty impressive. Was the cutting edge pointing down or to one side?

ThumperACC

 

[nyefmaker]

Great comments first of all and great pics Haze.........Can you show more pics of your Scout...?

My first CRK was the shadow III. I still have it and liked it so much, I bought a back-up. The one piece knives were in a league of their own. I once chopped down an ironwood tree with my shadow III. It took about an hour and I ended cutting my lanyard in half, but it did it. These were amazingly tough knives. Plus, these were made before the whole Rambo survival knife craze. This was THE ONE to get.

I so miss the one piece knives. As much as I love CRK folders, the one piece will always have a special place in my heart.

 

[marthinus]

great looking knives. I really wish CRK still made the one piece, but its time has passed. congrats on the fine knives!

 

[Haze]

It must have been nice to be able to just pop in for a visit with Chris, back when you both lived in South Africa ! I have been very impressed by the OPK over the time I have used them. I can't say I have done much jumping on them but they have seen a lot of splitting, light chopping and prying with zero problems.

(The tradidtional knives here in Taiwan are actually very similar to a modern one piece knife. Many of the old guys from Taiwan that see my OP knives get a big smile on their faces when they see what they have in their hands. The knives have a hollow handle that flows into the blade with no voids or obvious joins at all. They are made with the wrap around handle method but there is a bit more to it and takes some clever forging. I like them a lot and wish they were more well known to be honest as the larger blades have even the best kukri looking over its shoulder . The old guy in Da-shi that makes the very best of them IMO ain't going to be around for long though ).

Here are few extra pics of the Scout, obviously every Scout is different as they have to be made by the owners them selves....... I wonder how many there actually are ?

 

[nyefmaker]

Thanks for the scout pics HAZE. I have considered making up one MANY times but just never did. Its a great design, too bad it never made it into production. I guess since Chris did not come up with it, it wasn't going to happen...lol. Which is cool. I just wish they would do the coating on it so its not left silver on top.

I am amazed how close it is in design to the Nyala. Its just a little bigger from what it looks like. Hopefully someday I can do up one.

I have a mint mountaineer II that I never used, only ever handled and took pics of it. It looks like it would make an amazing bushcraft knife or just a great field knife in general................My personal favorite has always been the shadow IV. I just have a thing for spear points. Two of my bark river bravo 1's are even spear point. The only thing I can think of better is the shadow IV sawback I have, though the sawteeth on the crk don't cut well at all IMHO. For someone wanting a clip point blade though, the mountaineer is the way to go.

 

[Steven65]

That's pretty impressive. Was the cutting edge pointing down or to one side?

ThumperACC

The blade was at a right angle to the tree so he stood on the flat of the blade. The tree curved so he used a hand against the trunk to stabilize himself so a small amount of his weight was not directed down. He also placed the edge of his shoe hard up where the blade and tree trunk met. So the fulcrum/turning moment was the smallest it could be.
Even so it was a hell of a feat for a small knife back in the '80's.

Steven

 

[ThumperACC]

The blade was at a right angle to the tree so he stood on the flat of the blade. The tree curved so he used a hand against the trunk to stabilize himself so a small amount of his weight was not directed down. He also placed the edge of his shoe hard up were the blade and tree trunk met. So the fulcrum/turning moment was the smallest it could be.
Even so it was a hell of a feat for a small knife back in the '80's.

Steven

Very impressive indeed. Thanks for that little anecdote about Chris, great to hear little stories like that.

ThumperACC

 

[JNewell]

That's really impressive and a great story. I've seen people demonstrating how rugger their FB knives were by standing on the *spine,* but really, how much does that prove? Standing on the *flat* of the blade - that is different. Thumbs-up for the A2 and the heat treat, as well as the grind. :thumbup:

The blade was at a right angle to the tree so he stood on the flat of the blade. The tree curved so he used a hand against the trunk to stabilize himself so a small amount of his weight was not directed down. He also placed the edge of his shoe hard up where the blade and tree trunk met. So the fulcrum/turning moment was the smallest it could be.
Even so it was a hell of a feat for a small knife back in the '80's.

Steven

 

[Steven65]

Thumbs-up for the A2 and the heat treat, as well as the grind. :thumbup:

Thanks for the kind words.
This was when he was still making the one piece knives in D2.

 

[JNewell]

Shoulda known, given the date.

Thanks for the kind words.
This was when he was still making the one piece knives in D2.

 

[Blade Yang]

Hi, Haze: Very nice pictures, fully represented the quality they are! I love CRK one piece series very much because it have never been substituted in the market! However I don't like the hollow grinding as well as feel the rounded and checked grip is not comfortable to hold! So, a small size maybe a better choice! I really like your knifes

 

[Ryan28801]

I really like your sheath, can you tell me where you got it? I have a Shadow 3 that would look good in one of those! Thanks for your time.