An Afternoon With A Little Knife & A Little Woods time, With My Little Girl.

[Mistwalker]

I decided since I was stuck at home today with Alayna that I'd get us both out of the house for a while. I thought today was a good day to start checking out the knife I've chosen as my back-up blade, a RAT Izula.

I thought I'd start with fire craft, that usually tells me most of what I want to know. I grabbed a couple of pieces of Black Birch, some Black Walnut, some pine limbs, and some fatwood,

It handled the batoning to split the wood just fine.

It did fine splitting the fatwood too.

It did really well at whittling fuzz sticks from the pine limbs and the fatwood, this little knife handles better than I expected.

 

[Mistwalker]

Because of the heavy coating on the steel I can't use the spine to spark the firesteel but the edge handled sparking it just fine with no ill effects...one advantage to the mischmetal firesteels being softer I suppose. This one is a Badger from Going Gear, I'm really liking this thing too.

I even got Alayna involved in the keeping the fire going.

Before long we had a nice little fire to enjoy our snack by. This stuff is pretty good, looks and reads to be pretty healthy...Alayna sure liked it.

I decided to let her wear herself out carrying broken blocks and bricks adding to my "tower" (a rocket stove), hopefully she'll go to sleep early tonight...I know after spending ten hours playing with her I'm sure tired.......

 

[brians]

Savor those moments, Mist. They're short-lived.

Great pics.

 

[TKAZ]

Is that a Maxpedition backpack I see there? looked like a nice relaxing day.

 

[Gaurdian_A1]

Nice pics man, looks like you two had fun..Those izulas are really popular around here, i dont know weather or not i should get an izula or becker necker..not sure yet.

 

[dawsonbob]

Savor those moments, Mist. They're short-lived.

Great pics.

And, boy, that's the truth. Mine are in their forties now, and they're just not as much fun at all.

Fortunately, I have a new neighbor whose three year old daughter follows me around jabbering a mile a minute. Almost makes me want to start over... almost.

 

[pitdog]

Great stuff as usual buddy ! I'll have to look out for those Tuna snacks they are handy to throw in a day pack eh !!!

 

[Stormstaff]

That's awesome! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Mistwalker]

Savor those moments, Mist. They're short-lived.

Great pics.

Yep, getting to savor them twice :thumbup: ...her sister is 16 now so with her friends and playing in a chamber orchestra she's..."too busy" for such things. They are short lived....much shorter than you ever imagine during those first sleepless nights.

Is that a Maxpedition backpack I see there? looked like a nice relaxing day.

Yep, it's a Sitka.

Was a good day!

Nice pics man, looks like you two had fun..Those izulas are really popular around here, i dont know weather or not i should get an izula or becker necker..not sure yet.

Thanks, glad you liked them. Yeah...she's a handful some times, but lots of fun.

I like the Izula handle a lot more than I first expected to. For my app. it's better unwrapped so i wanted to try it that way first. I thought it might be uncomfortable...but it felt fine and gave me no problems. Handled really well.

And, boy, that's the truth. Mine are in their forties now, and they're just not as much fun at all.

Fortunately, I have a new neighbor whose three year old daughter follows me around jabbering a mile a minute. Almost makes me want to start over... almost.

Yeah...they start being less fun sometime in the teens

I enjoyed the first, and I'm enjoying the second...don't think I'm going for a third though

Great stuff as usual buddy ! I'll have to look out for those Tuna snacks they are handy to throw in a day pack eh !!!

Thanks bro!

Yeah, that was funny...the conversation went...

me: "Come on Alayna lets go in and get a bite to eat and something to drink" (I had skipped breakfast and it was well past lunch)

Alayna: "I'm not hungry, I want to stay out here!" (First really nice day outside in a couple of weeks)

me, an hour later: "Come on Alayna lets go in and get a bite to eat and something to drink I'm hungry I haven't eaten today"

Alayna: I'm not hungry, I don't want to eat, I want to stay out here and play!"

me: "fine then, I'll just eat some tuna and crackers for now"

Alayna: "Can I have some, can I have some?!"

Lesson learned long ago...always just bring some food

That's awesome! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks Storm, glad you liked it!

 

[KiljoyKutlery]

This is your best post yet bro. Man, I have 3 girls..and I love being a dad. I also have another stepdaughter....the same age as my oldest. So, basically, I am outnumbered all the time. Honestly, I kinda like it...in a lazy way, with girls, if they take an interest in what I am doing, its a bonus. If they dont, no worries...they are girls afterall.
I cant wait for this summer, my 3 year old, almost 4, is ready to go camping....I am making her first knife right now, outta a damascus blade blank I recieved in a trade...small and sweet, just like her.
Thanks for the very nice thread, and keep it up...they grow up fast.

 

[remmmm]

Nice pics as always. My one and only is a 4yr old girl. Last year was the first year I really took her out with me as I was paranoid about having her around fires before she could really understand how dangerous it was. This year I'm definitely stepping it up though...

 

[mtnfolk mike]

great stuff MW.. :thumbup: i love the Izula.. it's one of my favorite/most used knives...

i also learned long ago, with my 2 (wild)boys, to always have food, no matter where we are going.. you wouldn't believe how much food these 2 eat...

 

[Bushman5]

+1 on those tuna snacks! a little tobasco, some sharp aged cheddar and crackers = soooo gooood woods bumming food!

 

[remmmm]

This is your best post yet bro. Man, I have 3 girls..and I love being a dad. I also have another stepdaughter....the same age as my oldest. So, basically, I am outnumbered all the time. Honestly, I kinda like it...in a lazy way, with girls, if they take an interest in what I am doing, its a bonus. If they dont, no worries...they are girls afterall.
I cant wait for this summer, my 3 year old, almost 4, is ready to go camping....I am making her first knife right now, outta a damascus blade blank I recieved in a trade...small and sweet, just like her.
Thanks for the very nice thread, and keep it up...they grow up fast.

I got yelled at by the wife the other night for showing my little girl a picture of a pink mini-grip To be honest, it will probably be a few more years before I actually let mine start handling anything, but she does already tell me how cool looking she thinks some of my blades are :thumbup:

 

[Mistwalker]

This is your best post yet bro. Man, I have 3 girls..and I love being a dad. I also have another stepdaughter....the same age as my oldest. So, basically, I am outnumbered all the time. Honestly, I kinda like it...in a lazy way, with girls, if they take an interest in what I am doing, its a bonus. If they dont, no worries...they are girls afterall.
I cant wait for this summer, my 3 year old, almost 4, is ready to go camping....I am making her first knife right now, outta a damascus blade blank I recieved in a trade...small and sweet, just like her.
Thanks for the very nice thread, and keep it up...they grow up fast.

Thanks man, I'm really glad you enjoyed it. Yeah I'm outnumbered three to one, it gets interesting at times but I wouldn't change a thing :thumbup:

Nice pics as always. My one and only is a 4yr old girl. Last year was the first year I really took her out with me as I was paranoid about having her around fires before she could really understand how dangerous it was. This year I'm definitely stepping it up though...

Yep, it's much better when they actually understand the words..."hot, will burn you"

great stuff MW.. :thumbup: i love the Izula.. it's one of my favorite/most used knives...

i also learned long ago, with my 2 (wild)boys, to always have food, no matter where we are going.. you wouldn't believe how much food these 2 eat...

Yep, I'm really liking it a lot!

Yeah, once that clicks...makes every outing a better experience

+1 on those tuna snacks! a little tobasco, some sharp aged cheddar and crackers = soooo gooood woods bumming food!

A little sharp cheddar makes any snack better!

I got yelled at by the wife the other night for showing my little girl a picture of a pink mini-grip To be honest, it will probably be a few more years before I actually let mine start handling anything, but she does already tell me how cool looking she thinks some of my blades are :thumbup:

I won't be ready to turn her loose with one for some time...still working on the butter and steak knives just yet...but liking knives is on both sides of her family...I know it's coming eventually.

 

[ratamahatta]

great pics buddy, I'm liking my izula and esee 4......it's one of the best combo's out there!!!!

 

[sicily02]

That looked like a great day out.

Bryan

 

[hushnel]

Fantastic, you know that's what I like about this place, people that know what's important and what the best part of being alive is.

 

[franchisekid]

Wow, great pics and great time out with what matters most.

**sniffle sniffle, fk wipes tear away saying, "Oh no, I just have something in my eye"**

 

[Mistwalker]

great pics buddy, I'm liking my izula and esee 4......it's one of the best combo's out there!!!!

Thanks bro,

I like to take along something larger when I know in advance I'm going to be gone a couple of days or more...but most of the time on day hikes and overnighters I try to disturb as little as possible. The Izula and the RC4 are tough, very well made tools, that function great and fit into that philosophy very well.

That looked like a great day out.

Bryan

Thanks Bryan, it was a great day out!

Fantastic, you know that's what I like about this place, people that know what's important and what the best part of being alive is.

Thanks man! My young life, at her age and a little older, was awesome. My dad was really strict on discipline because of being a Marine, and he worked a lot of hours through the week because of his growing up in the depression and wanting us to have things he didn't... but he spent a lot of time with my brother and I on the weekends teaching us things. I try to do my part and pass that on. Life is fleeting, but we usually have a lot of say in what we leave behind. I'm really fortunate in that a lot of my work is done at home, I try to take advantage of that.

Wow, great pics and great time out with what matters most.

**sniffle sniffle, fk wipes tear away saying, "Oh no, I just have something in my eye"**

Thanks man, there is nothing like watching the bright eyes of a child as they take in new things.