And then there were 3

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Been thinking lately.
I believe I am going to make Fiddleback Forge my Default Knife Company.

In reality that means very little. I am not now, nor will I ever probably be, a large consumer of new knives. Don't get me wrong. I do buy knives. But not like many folks here do. But Andy always treats me like a big customer anyway. And that is pretty cool.

What drives me to this decision?
First off, as I as said, Andy has always treated me very well. And as anyone who is here probably already knows. The fit and finish of Fiddleback Knives is outstanding. Plus the community sort of jives with my way of life. Just real and sort of laid back. I like that.

But it goes deeper than that.
And it truly is driven by different things.

First off. I like the small hometown feel of Fiddleback Forge. It's an American Company, making American Products. I like that.

Next my knife needs seem to be an ever evolving Möbius. I'll probably end up back where I started if I travel long enough. But I may be facing in the opposite direction when I get there.

And lastly, It's the knives themselves. Not just how they look. But how they respond in your hand.

My Leuku is a fairly large blade. Bit it's light and quick in hand. It always seems ready. I rarely find it slipping out of my grip. It's like an extension of my hand. It's just there.

My new Pro Kephart arrived on Saturday. It has that same balanced feel to it. Such a cool little knife. We have spent most of our time together so far, in the kitchen. Wind, rain, ice, and snow have all conspired to keep us out of the woods. The Kephart has done a great job at tasks it wasn't really designed to do. So I can't wait to actually get into its own element.

Yesterday, I listed a knife for sale. Not a Fiddleback. But a very nice knife never the less. I need to downsize and generate some cash. I wasn't looking to trade. I wanted capital. But as luck would have it. I was asked if I wanted to trade. I said I'd listen. And what I heard was Fiddlebacks. Long story short. My knife is headed out and a Fiddleback Bushcrafter is headed my way.

The Bushcrafter will make 3, hence the title. In truth, I haven't seen many of Andy's knives that don't appeal to me. But I thought the Bushcrafter would fill the void beween the Leuku and the Pro Kephart rather nicely.

As I was researching the Bushcrafter yesterday. I stumbled on a review from a gentleman who seemed to have it in his head Fiddlebacks were overhyped and over priced. He entered his review very skeptically. Almost mocking his loaner Bushcrafter as voodoo, and marketing. But by the end he was gushing about it.

But gushing in a way that made sense to me. He used words and phrases like simple, straight forward, no unecessary frills or gimmicks, and so on. It just made sense to me.

Since I had no capital outlay involved to try the Bushcrafter. It seemed like a no brainer to me. Of course I didn't count the money I already had invested in my original knife.

But that's because my original knife was just sitting in a cabinet. It might as well have been money buried out in the yard in a coffee can. I had it, but it wasn't doing much for me.

I certainly wouldn't call myself a "Fanboy". But I've never held a bad Fiddleback Knife. I regret selling my original Recluse and Woodsman. But time marches on, and we all have life lessons to learn.

Late winter/early spring, always seems to be my weak spot for knives. Cabin fever is in full bloom. Spring is teasing, yet remains aloof. My mind switches to new bushcraft projects, fires, and outdoor cooking. All the opportunities and potential breathes new life in to my aging battered body.

With two new Fiddlebacks and one old standby. Life should be good this spring. I am very much looking forward to testing out the Pro Kephart and now the Bushcrafter.

 

I didn't make that statement lightly or off the cuff. You've earned it!

I don't think I'm young enough to wear these down to nubs. But I promise they won't be in my will as safe queens either.

I like the patch idea!

 

Aias,
I'm right there with ya,
Knife selection is as much about the user, as it is about the knife. Personal preferences, location, skill levels, intended uses, all come into play. Which is partly why there are so many options out there.

I like options and challenges.
Sure you can do big knife stuff with big knives. The same can be said for doing small stuff with small knives. Where the fune begins is when you reverse the roles. You can learn a lot doing big stuff with small knives. And Vice versa.

Some days, I just want to go out and cleve with a big chopper. But more and more I find myself on the other end of the spectrum.

 

Brian,
Your posts always strike a chord with me!

I have several knives that originated from "Witch Doctors in Helsinki"
They know their craft very well. And the blades they produce are stellar pieces. But there is always that underlying fear. The fear of sliding forward.

But I don't live in Helsinki. Although there are parts of Finland I could easily call home, wilderness wise. The original Puukko style, which I admit I am still very fond of. Seems more at home in the boreal softwod forests of the Nordic countries. Than they do in my northern hardwood forests.

As of now. There are no gators in the Adirondacks either.
But like you. I'm very of fond of the speed bump. I like pointy too. But that transition from handle to blade can be a dangerous place. Especially given cold, wet hands.

Maybe I'm unskilled, or perhaps lazy.
But I like the comfort level the speed bump provides. Also the extra leverage it provides when forward thrust is called for.

Even more so than the safety feature of said bump. Is its seconday attribute. The ability to index the knife, immediatly, in hand, by feel. My Puukkos are all but indiscernible with out visual confirmation or physically touching the blade.

I can grab my new Pro Kephart anytime. Day or night, and tell you exactly where the blade is just by feel. And while remaining on the micarts. I see that as a huge plus.

Even in the kitchen. I find the need to visually check my Puukkos before my thumb ventures out on to what I hope is the spine of the blade.

Just little things you pick up after you have bled all over a tent peg, or a pepper.

Oh, by the way. You can keep the gators.
I don't sleep well around hungry dinosaurs.