A G Russell Lairson-sort of review

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Please excuse an old fart with minimal computer skills. This is "sort of" because posting pics or links is not in my current skill set:o. I felt the need, however to give my impressions of the AGR Lairson utility camp knife. I have been using knives for 58 yrs and currently own about 250; so I have some idea what I'm talking about (especially since learning so much more about details from this forum the last couple of yrs). This knife IMHO is one of the best dollar values I have ever seen in a knife. A G Russell, although always fair in their pricing, has never been shy about charging fairly high dollar amounts for quality knives, this time they have been extremely conservative. You can find the full description on their site (agrussell.com)- some stats-9 7/8" SK5 blade at 55-57Rc, 2" wide at widest point, .23 thick, 14 7/8 overall, 14.6 oz. A great looking knife with some VERY special features such as Spanish olive wood handle, very nice leather sheath with a special retention method (see Jerry Lairsons' site for particulars, and (drum roll please) "a tuning fork in the tang":eek: which tells you when you are hitting the "sweet spot":cool:. I took it out yesterday to do a light chopping competition (1" and 2" thick seasoned ash branches cut into 8" lengths) with my RTAK II (BIG loser), CS carbon V Trailmaster (a camping/hiking companion of 30 yrs or so), and a "bear bone" smith knife I commissioned to be my concept of the ultimate large knife FOR ME. OK the custom won (it should, since it was made to my specs and cost 3X as much as the Lairson). The surprise was how effortlessly the Lairson kept up with the Trailmaster (same results less work, and day 1 with one and YEAR 30 with the other). It beat the snot out of the RTAK II:confused:. It looks great, performs great, and at $149.95 is a stone bargain. I highly recommend that anyone into large knives, or just doesn't dislike large knives grab one of these before AGR regains their senses and has a sudden pricing adjustment "due to "typographical error":D. Again, sorry for the lack of proper review technique/form but I figured my embarrassment was worth getting the word out to you.
 
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I have one of these on the way (and one of the originals by Lairson). Full distal-tapered, properly balanced knives with true cutting geometry will tend to have a serious advantage over their heavier brethren, especially if your hacking/clearing/chopping isn't just for making a little youtube video, but will actually take you a few hours. I have a number of seriously beefy, nearly-indestructible knives but time has proven that they'll largely be left at home, not because I fear scratching them up (I only enjoy customs through using them) but because they just become dead weight, providing exhaustion more than utility. My Lairson truly bridges the gap between machete and small hatchet, and it sounds like the Russell version may compare favorably!
I'm willing to add some pictures to this thread--anybody have another knife that they'd like to see one of these next to for comparison? I don't have everything out there, but I have quite a bit. ;)
 
I have one of these on the way (and one of the originals by Lairson). Full distal-tapered, properly balanced knives with true cutting geometry will tend to have a serious advantage over their heavier brethren, especially if your hacking/clearing/chopping isn't just for making a little youtube video, but will actually take you a few hours. I have a number of seriously beefy, nearly-indestructible knives but time has proven that they'll largely be left at home, not because I fear scratching them up (I only enjoy customs through using them) but because they just become dead weight, providing exhaustion more than utility. My Lairson truly bridges the gap between machete and small hatchet, and it sounds like the Russell version may compare favorably!
I'm willing to add some pictures to this thread--anybody have another knife that they'd like to see one of these next to for comparison? I don't have everything out there, but I have quite a bit. ;)

I would like to see the Browning Crowell/Browning competition knife next to the Lairson if you have it.
 
Please excuse an old fart with minimal computer skills. This is "sort of" because posting pics or links is not in my current skill set:o. I felt the need, however to give my impressions of the AGR Lairson utility camp knife. I have been using knives for 58 yrs and currently own about 250; so I have some idea what I'm talking about (especially since learning so much more about details from this forum the last couple of yrs). This knife IMHO is one of the best dollar values I have ever seen in a knife. A G Russell, although always fair in their pricing, has never been shy about charging fairly high dollar amounts for quality knives, this time they have been extremely conservative. You can find the full description on their site (agrussell.com)- some stats-9 7/8" SK5 blade at 55-57Rc, 2" wide at widest point, .23 thick, 14 7/8 overall, 14.6 oz. A great looking knife with some VERY special features such as Spanish olive wood handle, very nice leather sheath with a special retention method (see Jerry Lairsons' site for particulars, and (drum roll please) "a tuning fork in the tang":eek: which tells you when you are hitting the "sweet spot":cool:. I took it out yesterday to do a light cutting competition with my RTAK II (BIG loser), CS carbon V Trailmaster (a camping/hiking companion of 30 yrs or so), and a "bear bone" smith knife I commissioned to be my concept of the ultimate large knife FOR ME. OK the custom won (it should, since it was made to my specs and cost 3X as much as the Lairson). The surprise was how effortlessly the Lairson kept up with the Trailmaster (same results less work, and day 1 with one and YEAR 30 with the other). It beat the snot out of the RTAK II:confused:. It looks great, performs great, and at $149.95 is a stone bargain. I highly recommend that anyone into large knives, or just doesn't dislike large knives grab one of these before AGR regains their senses and has a sudden pricing adjustment "due to "typographical error":D. Again, sorry for the lack of proper review technique/form but I figured my embarrassment was worth getting the word out to you.


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I would like to see the Browning Crowell/Browning competition knife next to the Lairson if you have it.

Hmmm---dammit, I don't anymore. I just rehandled one for someone about a month ago, but it's back in their hot little hands. I'll take a look and see what I have in the way of common large fixed blades. I currently have a Trail Master that I'm refinishing/rehandling for somebody but I haven't started yet. Probably still have some bigger Beckers laying around. I'll hunt when I get home this evening.
 
Okay, mine was waiting for me today---really a VERY close copy of the original, especially in feel (which is something that frequently gets lost when there are production versions of a custom knife). Balance is extremely similar---the Russell version is actually just a tad heavier than the Lairson. In one of the shots (I apologize for the poor quality of the pictures, I didn't feel up to dragging out the lights/tent/etc) I tried to show the two spines next to each other, although the copy is closer to the camera and looks longer, which it isn't; the darker of the two is the original, and you can see it's just a tad thinner everywhere but about four inches from the tip, its distal taper actually apexing at that point and narrowing towards the plunge and back into the tang. This shifts even more of the mass out front, another reason for the enormous chopping power of these knives despite their relatively light weight. The Russell version, while a little more massive overall, still balances very well and is quite lively and controllable---I already took a chicken apart with it and it's intuitive in its handling...the knife, not the chicken. I would have sliced up some vegetables but they were already sliced. :) The actual Lairson is 5160 if I remember correctly and obviously differentially hardened, and at the edge is harder than the Russell (its point will scratch the Russell at the edge shoulder where the reverse is not true), but I've had experience with SK5 steel before in the listed hardness range and feel confident it will be a tough, solid performer. The nice thing about having such excellent cutting geometry and handling dynamics is that you don't have to swing them as hard anyway!

I took a picture next to a Rat Mastiff and the old Trail Master (I'm just fixing it, somebody ELSE let it get all rusty), just for size comparison. Notice how much contour/swell there is in the Lairson grlp compared to the Swamp Rat.
Overall, I think they did a tremendous job with this copy, and look forward to taking it out and about, possibly giving the custom a rest on rainy days. I still prefer my "real" one, but as it costs more than four times what the copy does, one would HOPE I liked it better. :D

 
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t1impani: thanks for filling in some great info and some pics which my review lacked. It is appropriate that you did so, of course, since you are the pain in the-I mean-forumite largely responsible for my spending MONEY I DID NOT NEED TO SPEND, :o sorry, because of your post in the "large chopper" thread. In all fairness, you were aided by that bast-I mean, by fellow forumite cutter17 who, in the same thread posted a pic of this VERY nice addition to my addiction, er collection. Thanks guys; I think :D, I mean I think I am grateful or, maybe, I think you are guys :confused:.
 
If we can't help you rid yourself of your cash before it gets spent on responsible stuff, what good are we?
 
You don't want to ask my wife (32 years today :D) that question ;). God bless her, she has never complained (well, not about guns or knives, but she hates swords; of which I have A LOT) :eek:
 
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