A New Brian & Bryan Design

[Mistwalker]

Anyone who has seen the last few knife threads I've done knows that I like for my knives to be able to multi-task, and that their ability to function well in firecraft is a key aspect for me.

The last couple of knives have actually been experimental in certain aspects directly related to usefulness in firecrafting with some changed angles here and bevels there creating purpose designed surfaces specifically related to firecraft.

Having been a custom woodworker for over 25 years I have worked with many purpose designed tools which were naturally "optimized" for working with wood. In thinking about that for a few minutes one day when I was out practicing firecraft I realized that not one of those tools consisted of a "squared- edge" as the surface interacting with the wood. They all consist of acute angles of varying degrees depending on the desired result. With this thought in mind those experiments led over time to the development of a new tool which is primarily meant as a dedicated firecrafting tool but which also functions well as a stand-alone "three-finger-knife" for the minimalists who want a rugged little knife to perform lighter cutting tasks.


I based this tool partly in design on Bryan's Final Option Knife pictured here…

I sent the first drawings, pictured below, off to Bryan and this time it was he who simplified the design a little.

He sent me two prototypes to take out and work with, one smaller one about the same size as a final option knife which I now keep in the pouch on my 1-0…

And one an inch longer more designed to serve as more of a stand-alone tool.

This tool is designed with angled surfaces, the scallop in the spine which serves as a thumb grip has only a slight bevel. This doesn't interfere with it's use as a thumb grip at all and works really well for scraping fuzz from fatwood as I have determined that multi-textured fatwood material works better than any one single texture of material.

 

[Mistwalker]

The razor sharp edge of the tool works really well for cutting the finer slivers of fatwood….

As anyone who has ever tried it knows, the edge of a knife will produce a lot more sparks from a firesteel than even the squarest spine. With this in mind I thought an acute angle beveled spine would work better for a striker than a squared one…I was right.

I also tried the tool on some plain dead pine one afternoon after a night of rain. With the abilities of the edge to cut very fine slivers, and the beveled spine to throw sparks, creating fire was no problem at all.

 

[kgd]

That one looks good. I can see where that choil really works with the design of this one!

 

[Mistwalker]

Then I tried it with some Bamboo, also with favorable results so odds are that if there is fuel for a fire in the area I am in, then with this tool and a firesteel I shall have fire.

In experimenting with, and demonstrating this tool to friends….as well as using it to start a few fires in a couple of firecraft classes…I have started a couple of dozen fires. Bryan has done an awesome job on the hardening as there is virtually no sign of wear so far.

So now I keep the smaller one in the pouch of my knife, and I have put the larger one in a contingency kit I made from an old drill bit case.

There was a couple of issues I did note in the process of working out the design. The grind needed to be changed so that the front of the "choil" was flat and would serve as a guard when striking. And the tip where the beveled spine meets the upper scallop needs to be rounded over somewhat to make it more comfortable in push cuts and tip work

So now the new ones will look more like this.

Bryan is also working on a version with handle scales for more comfort, as well as a couple of full sized knives based on this same concept. Here you can see one of the concept drawings compared to one of Bryan's FOK's and the prototype Bushlore knife I bought from Rick (Magnussen) .

 

[Mistwalker]

That one looks good. I can see where that choil really works with the design of this one!

Thanks Ken, I had to work out a couple of things but all in all I think it's a great little tool to have along.

 

[Rockywolf]

I like it. How will the larger knife's (one with handles) spine be designed if you want to grip the blade and scrape with it?

 

[Mistwalker]

I like it. How will the larger knife's (one with handles) spine be designed if you want to grip the blade and scrape with it?

Do you mean as in holding the blade in a pinch grip and scraping with the edge?

They'll all have a beveled spine for scraping a firesteel...unless requested without it I suppose...however it's only about a 25 degree angle so it's really not all that sharp. I held the larger and smaller ones in a pinch grip while scraping bamboo with no discomfort.

 

[TheGame]

I like the design. Seems like it would fill its intended roll very well.

 

[Mistwalker]

Thanks, I think it does quite nicely. All I did to solve the issues with these two was to round off the point where the blade meets the choil and no more cut finger, and round over the point where the spine meets the scallop and it was more comfortable doing push cuts and tip work.

 

[sicily02]

Neat firestriker / knife there Mistwalker, I love the fire pics and the preparation that you do to get your fires started. To bad about the finger cut. I will talk to that guy Bryan and see if he will make me one with the modifications like you did to yours.

Bryan

 

[Mistwalker]

Neat firestriker / knife there Mistwalker, I love the fire pics and the preparation that you do to get your fires started. To bad about the finger cut. I will talk to that guy Bryan and see if he will make me one with the modifications like you did to yours.

Bryan

He's pretty good to work with you on things like that...lol, I'm sure you can talk him into it

 

[Mistwalker]

Today, after severe storms passed through last night and a good storm this afternoon, seemed like a good day to practice some firecraft.


Here are a couple of short videos to show what today was like...there were a couple of hours of this.









I think you can tell how wet the material is, one of the really cool things about fatwood is that it doesn't absorb water.

and so once fuzzed up good, and sliced thin it takes a good spark well and this little jewel throws great sparks

add a little wet fuel, and you get steam!

and if you used enough fatwood you get fire.

considering how little I just used...you can get pretty much as much fire as you'll ever want at one time from one good stump...unless you're wanting to make a good signal fire.

 

[sicily02]

Wow you really got some rain there man LOL.
Neat fire pics with the fat wood .

I can hardly wait to hear ( and see with pics LOL) what
you think of the redesigned one that is in the mail to you.
I think it really felt more secure and just plain over all felt
better to me than the first one.

I made one for me too. I will be using that firesteel striker knife
this weekend for help in starting a couple of fires I plan to have
while working on couple of camp projects that I am going to make
up with a new MEGA "1-0" knife that I made up this week.

Chat with you later,

Bryan

 

[Mistwalker]

Yeah, it really has been raining a lot!

I got the new designed larger one in today, man I really like this thing.

You did a great job at fixing my issues with it by changing the grind and rounding the tip on the spine, thanks!

Today seemed like a s good a day as any to test it so with just these...

I made this after three days of heavy rains.

I posted a thread on that here if you want to check it out.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=671430


Bryan, I'm looking forward to your pics of the coming projects!

 

[sicily02]

Hi all,

Mistwalker glad you like the design fixes LOL. I made my self one too. I like this over the first one we worked on too. Here is a few pics of mine.

Since it was not raining her today kathy and I wnt out to one of our campsites and had a fire and roasted a few weenies and had some coco and marshmellows In this pic kathy is roasting here weenie and I have some water boiling for the coco.

This pic kathy is roasting here marshmellow and I have some coco in my cup just waiting for the water to be put in.

I finally turned the camera over to kathy and I roasted a marshmellow for me.

This one is going to be for the back up for my MEGA "1-0" as you can see in this pic.

The striker knife will ride in pouch on the front of the sheath.

In the pic I put my 5.5" bladed "1-0" for comparison to the 10" One Zero.

I am going to do a little review of the MEGA "1-0" and a wooden chair I made with it and my leather man wave and some wire.

So look for that LOL

Well chat with you all later,

Bryan

 

[caine]

Those's knives are awesome. Can't wait to get home to my Warthorn

 

[Mistwalker]

Wow! Bryan those look great! That 10" looks awesome...ya know Christmast isn't far away Looks lke you had a great time out and that's awesome, I bet that mega looks like a sword in Kathy's hand lol. The firekit knife is awesome, I love mine.


Caine, I'll be glad when you get home too.

 

[sicily02]

Hi all,

Caine thanks, I can hardly wait for you to get home too and e-mail me back about what you think of your Warthorn too LOL.

Mistalker thanks it was a fun time. LOL Ya know that is right Christmas is not that far away LOL. When I did have the MEGA "1-0" done and went into the house and showed here Kathy was like you know this is really a long knife LOL.

Yea I love the firestiker knife to. the sparks that thing generates is pretty cool. And as for scraping wood for small tight thin curls is freaking crazy LOL.

Well chat with you all later,

Bryan