A Quick Four-Prong Gig

Mistwalker

Mistwalker

Gold Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2007
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I have been saying all year that I wanted to get down on the river and play around with some of the river cane. I bought a Ka-Bar some weeks back to have on hand as a prop in an up-coming photo shoot. In the test shots I realized it looked just a little too new to suit me. I only know one way to remedy that...use it. So, since I was down on the river the using started out as one of my river cane projects...making a simple four-prong gig. I'm not finished with it yet but getting there.


So I found a nice little patch of cane.

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Then found a larger stalk to use.

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In any area around a large body of water where modern man has been there is a good chance there will be cordage around.

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But I keep some cordage on my sheath that I like better. It's braided line that comes in handy for lots of things such as two stick fire boards, making shelter, or making gigs.

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First off, I tied a not around the first joint up from the base end to keep it from splitting further than I wanted it to.

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The initial starting of the split in the end of cane or bamboo requires a good bit more force than finishing it. Once the split starts it goes fast. One safe way to do it without it splitting too far too fast is to stick the edge of the knife into the end and then holding the bamboo like a handle shove the spine against a tree branch or something. A good method to use if you are cold and tired or fatigued so you don't cut through the string or cut your hand.

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Then finishing the splits is easier to control.

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I cut a thin piece of bamboo to spread the tines with so they can be sharpened. I left long working ends on the cordage to tie in the spreaders.

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Then once sharpened I tied another wrap above the spreaders to further secure them and close in the tines.

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Now to harden the tines and see how it works.

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perfect timing with this post! we went mountain biking last saturday and i noticed a small patch of canes growing near the trail. when i saw it i was really surprised since i thought it was bamboo and i didn't think that bamboo grew in the area and can survive the harsh winters we get here...i guess what i saw was cane.

i'm going to try and go back there soon to harvest some and play with it to see how similar it is to the type of bamboo i played with when i was a kid in the philippines.
 
giggity giggity :)

good project for the frogs or some fish :>

i also like the way the line is wrapped on the bottom of that sheath. neato.


Bladite
 
Thanks guys, once it stops raining I'm going to harden to tips.

Will have to be fish guts, wrong time of year for frogs...
 
Mistwalker, thanks for sharing this with us. I have a Black Kraton handled Kabar and used to have a short leather handled one. Hoping to pickup a new Leather handled Shorty and a full sized one of these days. You are right, they are like old friends. :)
 
wildmanh said:
Mistwalker, thanks for sharing this with us. I have a Black Kraton handled Kabar and used to have a short leather handled one. Hoping to pickup a new Leather handled Shorty and a full sized one of these days. You are right, they are like old friends. :)
Click to expand...

I actually got this sheath for a black handled one, but then gave that knife to a friends son who was going into the Marines. I kept the kydex sheath though because it fits several of my knives...my SOG Bowie, my Fallkniven A1, a CS ODA, and a few others. Then I just had to get another leather handled Ka-Bar...



amon said:
Great post, ty for sharing! :thumbup:
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Thanks amon, glad you enjoyed the post!
 
I need to get another classic KABAR. I bought mine when I was 13 and thought serrations were essential on a knife so mine have the goofy kabar serrations on it. need a PE.
 
Jake Bauer said:
I need to get another classic KABAR. I bought mine when I was 13 and thought serrations were essential on a knife so mine have the goofy kabar serrations on it. need a PE.
Click to expand...

I prefer the leather handled ones like this but I wouldn't mind at all if this one had serrations.
 
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