almost time! Bud Nealy Pesh Kabz VS. Dozier Toothpick

Runs With Scissors

Runs With Scissors

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Dec 3, 2000
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As some of ya' know I've been in the market for a custom fixed blade for awhile, The Dozier Arkansas Toothpick had my heart all aflutter,and still does, but then I noticed a couple of Nealy's that got me curious. Intended use is attempting to get that "one knife for all things effect" Basically utility, outdoors, EDC, and lastly protection. What I'm looking for: thin edge, good point, decent steel, comfortable handle, EASY TO LIVE WITH daily, versatile, easy to sharpen and maintain, as well as simply easy on the eyes.

The Nealy I'm lookin' at is the Pesh Kabz with a 3.5 inch blade.

It looks pretty nice, but I've never handled one. Does the handle feel good in the hand? and is that reinforced tip a PITA to sharpen? How many different ways are there to carry it in the sheath system? What can ya' tell me 'bout 'em?

as near as I can tell the Nealy gets the nod for:

Multi Carry sheath
Wider blade
Stronger tip
Thinner knife?
slightly cheaper

Toothpick gets the nod for:

Hellbent for stout well known blade steel
Double edge
Comfy handle
very sharp point

Also flirting with the idea of a Nealy Appalacchian Trail, if anyone has had experience with this one.

I apologize for the billionth "which knife to buy" post, but unfortunately I don't get to handle most knives before purchase, and I like to hear input from folks who have. (hate it when I can't touch, fondle, and caress a knife before purchase)

Thanks for any input!
 
Wish I could help but with both of them being friends and me liking both of their knives (a lot) my best suggestion is to get both, even if it means buying used. You can't go wrong with either man's knife.
 
I am a Peshkabz fan - saving to buy one of Nealy's own products. Your choices are tough as both are beauties. One warning about the Pesh's is that the full width tip does not make for daily detail work if you need a narrow cutting tip.
My CRKT Pesh' is my EDC, but I always have another knife with me for any narrow tip, day to day tasks. My Pesh is wonderful for every other task though.

My recommendation - prioritize 'utility of blade' usage.......then save for both in that order!
 
This doesn't really answer your question, but I'd like to point out that any Dozier knife probably won't be very easy to sharpen. It'll be well worth the extra time on the stone, though.
 
You carry more than you use a knife like a Pesh-Kabz. Bud Nealy obviously knows this. His knives that I saw at Blade show were all very, very, thin. My hands are very large and I found the handles far too thin to handle safely. A person would be in a world of hurt if you needed a defensive weapon and bobbled the knife at the draw, or worse, cut yourself with it.I carry a knife with fuller handles. That is the price I pay for not being gifted with extraordinary coordination.
As Clint Eastwood says, "A man has got to know his limitations."
BTW I carry a knife very similar to the Dozier.
 
I have 2 Nealys, an old Aikuchi,(one of his first) and a One of a kind Dagger, both knives are great, the different MCS systems are great and very adaptable, as far as light and small, my Aikuchi is like a sharp well balanced prybar, the tang and scale taper towards the back making it wider in the middle, the dagger is very light and very fast, two different styles, two different uses.

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I'm afraid that this comes down to personal preferance. Both are very nice, well made pieces. The biggest difference (to me) is handle shape. The Nealy's are very flat. The Dozier's are rounder. Flat is more concealable. But then again they are both small knives. For me rounder is more comfortable.
There is no right and wrong here, just different.
If you had both, you'd have a hard time deciding which to go out the door with!
Not alot of help, I know, but it is kind of like picking a date for your friend. What works for you may not work for them ;)
Edited to add:
Mr. Goat,
How many of Bob's knives have you sharpened?
 
Hmmm.....

a huge plus about either of Nealys' knives it seems, is that they are very flat, concealable, and basically seem easy to live with...

A potential very negative is the same thing. I got pretty big forepaws myself...Not in overall size, but in thickness...VERY thick hands, and hairy too..damn lonely teenage years....AHEM!! Anyhoo...that may not be the most comfortable handle for me. BUT...on the other hand I'm kinda picturin' the Nealy like a Smith&Wesson Airweight revolver...basically something that's carried alot and used a little. 90% of my knife tasks are pure mundane utility, the knife is used for a minute at the most and then resheathed. If I want to whittle or something, I'll grab a Stockman. If I'm off strictly hunting I have other knives available that would do just fine, and at worst- I could live with a less than perfect handle for long enough to get a Caribou quartered and ready to go. Hell, come to think of it, skinning is a way far bottom priority. I haven't had a chance to really hunt in five years, what's gonna make this one any different?

By "ease of sharpening" I don't necessarily refer to steel hardness, as much as a simple edge that can be maintained on a daily basis. ie: an easy angle to hit with my Sharpmaker, that's low on curves, odd angles, and so on. Functionally the tip on the Pesh Kabz looks fine to me, but I'm concerned about the ease of keeping a damn good edge on it. On the other hand, practice makes perfect. Heck, I was able to carry Commanders an' P-SARKs for quite awhile, and learned how to maintain them well enough...

And the Humble Appalachian Trail keeps sitting quietly in the back, waiting to be considered...

ARRGHH!!! The agony of indecision!!

I think I'm down to choosing one of the Nealy's though...just for the easy to live with issue...

Although I WILL find a way to get the Dozier as well...eventually...

Thanks for the input, and the chance to ramble in text...Any other thoughts, suggestions, advice is still appreciated.
 
I don't have any experience with the Nealy's, but they certainly look like a nice system. I do however have an Arkansas toothpick. I love this knife, it is of course Dozier sharp and made for piercing. However, this blade style is not as suited for EDC type chores. Yeah, it cuts, but not as effeciently as a thinner blade. I think the handle is a good trade off between sufficient size and concealability. I think this knife is without peer in the small defensive blade category. If you are looking for a more EDC type blade, I suggest you look into Mr. Dozier's straight personal or the larger slim outdoorsman. I have both, and they are fantastic knives for EDC. He also makes a nifty model called the canoe.
Good luck on your quest,
Mongo
 
the handle is much more grippy and secure.

the dozier is a little slick and the pinky doesn't hang on very well.


both are excellent!
 
Runs With Scissors,

Check out these pics I just took to show you a comparison of the Nealy 5" Pesh Kabz's handle thickness next to some other knives. The Nealy is very thin. The Nealy is in the middle, on the left is the Spyderco Bob Lum folder and on the right is the small classic Sebenza. The pics of it in my hand shows the size well, mind you I have VERY small slender hands. The last pic is on a ruller next to an ordinary pen.

Al of that being said, the knife is AWESOME and very comfortable! The tip is a bear to sharpen to say the least.

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4290169053
 
Fixin' ta head out to work...I got the cash in my hot lil' hands as we speak....:D

The Dozier is out. Decision is between the Pesh Kabz, and the Appalachian Trail. The winner will be enroute by tomorrow afternoon...:D
 
well i have a mini peshkab and have been wearing it just bout every day for the past year and a half and love it to death, i sometimes have to touch it just to remind myself that it is still there.. great thing:) plus bud and his wife are great to deal with
 
well, no dozier but have had a peshkebz for a while (5"). its easy to sharpen, the tip makes no diff to me anyway, i have pretty big hands but the 5" model fits me fine, and i highly reccomend ya get the MASS sheath vs the MCS, i didnt care for the MCS at all, imho really good as a necker only, i mean, come on, a 1/4" cheap strap for IWB carry on a $200++ knife??BUT really like the MASS, FWIW, does every thing i need...........

greg
 
That bowie is just maybe the best looking bowie I have ever seen, and the workmanship appears to be near-flawless!! Does Mr. Bradshaw take orders at this time? Thanks!
 
It's really what you like better. They are two diffrent kinds of knives. The Dozier being more practical and the P-K being more tactical. You should try to handle them both before you decide...if you could. I love Bud's knives and own a couple of them and while his Pesh-Kabz are well known, the ones I truly love are the Kinzhal and the Amoeba. I own two Amoebas and wear one of them daily. But if I had a choice between the Pesh-Kabz or the Toothpick... I would have to take the Toothpick hands down. But if you put the Toothpick up against the Amoeba or the Kinzhal...I would probably choose either one of Bud's over the Dozier!
 
Good Gawd man....I've obsessed over this one so much I've made it more of a miserable task than a pleasurable experience...

I was really close to the Pesh Kabz- It looked like the handle might be a little more secure, and I liked the uniqueness of the tip design. (also a few of them floating 'round the used market for awfully tempting prices) Still may change my mind though...

But then...I got to thinkin' that I'd like a knife that I can continue to use and enjoy well after the novelty has worn off, and for me that's usually gonna be a more traditional style-ie: drop point, clip point, etc. so....I decided on the Appalacchian Trail. Went to order it last night, and discovered that someone had beaten me to it by a few hours. (FRUSTRATION!!:mad: )

So...now I'm searching for more dealers. So far I've found Tripleaught, Bladeart, Knifeart, and Arizona Custom Knives, and haven't found quite what I want yet. Went to what appeared to be Bud Nealy's homepage only to discover that it was down.

Any other suggestions as far as dealers, etc.?
 
Called the shop this morning...

Very nice folks they be!

They got umpteen Pesh Kabz' in an' ready to ship, The AT is on backorder. 45 days or so....UGH!!!

The one that caught my eye however....was the Appenzell...AKA the fishing knife. I myself however, don't see anything wrong with it for EDC/utility. It's got the perfect blade length (four inches) a nice sylish upswept blade, and a fine sharp point. I like the darn thing! it looks useful and attractive. I asked them if there was anything wrong with it for plain utility use and they really didn't have anything to recommend against it, other than the fact that it's a fishing knife. It has the same 3/32 width spine as any other knife in the MASS series. Am I wrong in the head here? Seems also the fact that it's a "fishing knife" could be useful in the VERY unlikely event that it ever should be used for protection.

I was all fired up wantin' one with the G-10 handle, but those are outta stock, so...It looks like I get bamboo instead. Seems that stuff oughta be pretty durable. Also less scary to folks when worn in the open. Seems it may be a bit smooth, but I'm not above using skateboard tape here an' there if it comes down to it.

Finally....while debating between the Pesh Kabz and the Appenzell...I asked my six year old son for his input. He said he liked the Appenzell better. (hey, I think the kid's got great taste in knives!)

So, what do you think? am I nuts picking out a fishing knife for my intended purposes? Anything you can think of to recommend against it?

BTW, thanks for all the input!! It makes these knife choices alot easier to make when you're dealing with knives you've never gotten to paw.
 
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