Ankerson/Sanders Bowie?

Ankerson said:
3V is OK at 58-60 HRC, but once you start getting over that hardness wise 4V is just the better steel all around. CPM 4V/V4E have been making very large inroads over CPM M4 in Blade Sports. And for very good reasons, it's VERY strong, can be ground thinner at the edge than either 3V or M4.

Those shock numbers on 3V just don't translate well at higher hardness's and thin edges when compared to 4V.

Using 4V the knife doesn't have to be 3/16" to 1/4" thick and .040" behind the edge to perform and take the type of use in the field that it should see.

Don't let the thinner stock fool you, the knife is extremely strong and it can take a lot.
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So do you think this knife is up to battonning for fire prep? Will it take a bend without snapping?
 
That's a good looking knife. Almost reminds me of a Hudson Bay also. I like it!

Just imagine - a knife that uses a proper steel and heat treat that can then optimize the geometry for its intended usage. Crazy talk, I know...
 
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I am all over this knife like flies on poo. I am gonna use it and use it hard. I am pretty excited about this one and will buy it as soon as it is released.
 
sodak said:
That's a good looking knife. Almost reminds me of a Hudson Bay also. I like it!

Just imagine - a knife that uses a proper steel and heat treat that can then optimize the geometry for its intended usage. Crazy talk, I know...
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My first thought was a Hudson Bay pattern
 
DeadboxHero said:
Dude, hell yeah. This is my primary purchase for 2018



Hrmm Why is bending important?
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sometimes, splitting wood that has a tough grain to it, a knife can take a pretty significant bend. I've had my Esee 6 and some custom gossman knives bend pretty good. Always come back to true though.
 
dcycleman said:
sometimes, splitting wood that has a tough grain to it, a knife can take a pretty significant bend. I've had my Esee 6 and some custom gossman knives bend pretty good. Always come back to true though.
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Right on, not sure if I'd buy this knife specifically for that purpose. The merits of the steel and design might be lost on that job.

Hatchets are pretty cool man
 
DeadboxHero said:
Right on, not sure if I'd buy this knife specifically for that purpose. The merits of the steel and design might be lost on that job.

Hatchets are pretty cool man
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Hatchets are cool,
To all their own. I find a largish sized fixed blade to be all I need when I go on extended 4 season backpacking / sea kayaking trips. Weight is critical, and honestly it works. Also it's way safer in my opinion, than swinging around a hatchet which really aren't that great at splitting wood. For an efficient splitter bit weight /profile and handle length are important.
But hey, if you are a hatchet person more power to you.
Curious though, what role exactly would be more "deserving" of this steel type and design?
 
dcycleman said:
Hatchets are cool,
To all their own. I find a largish sized fixed blade to be all I need when I go on extended 4 season backpacking / sea kayaking trips. Weight is critical, and honestly it works. Also it's way safer in my opinion, than swinging around a hatchet which really aren't that great at splitting wood. For an efficient splitter bit weight /profile and handle length are important.
But hey, if you are a hatchet person more power to you.
Curious though, what role exactly would be more "deserving" of this steel type and design?
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It's simple,
Thin blades work against batoning, they get stuck more.

Flexible is irrelevant to batoning its thickness that splits not flexibility.
Flexibility is only important for using the wrong tool for the job.

I'm not saying this design can't baton.

But if your worried about flexibly your not selecting the proper pieces of wood to baton.

Lots of wasted energy trying to baton a big knotty piece of oak with a thin blade no matter how tough


a thicker blade splits wood better. It spreads the wood apart but it's still no axe.

What is this design "deserving" of?

It's more deserving of being a good knife less of a froe for wedging wood.

Structure is function.

We can't have it all. Everything has trade offs hence why I suggested that some of the merits might be lost on someone looking to baton pieces of wood so gnarly they need flexibility.

It's like looking for a Lamborghini with that can tow a boat.


I like the knife because it's not trying to do everything. Its focused on being an all around cutting and light chopping tool first and less of a cold chisel wood froe.

Axes split and chop circles around knives and this is a knife that complements an axe/ hatchet very well.

So hatchets are pretty cool and knives that focus more on being legit knives are really cool because you can really see the performance.
Anything that tries to do everything usually just sucks at everything.
But at the end of the day it's all preference.
Do as you wish
 
DeadboxHero said:
It's simple,
Thin blades work against batoning, they get stuck more.

Flexible is irrelevant to batoning its thickness that splits not flexibility.
Flexibility is only important for using the wrong tool for the job.

I'm not saying this design can't baton.

But if your worried about flexibly your not selecting the proper pieces of wood to baton.

Lots of wasted energy trying to baton a big knotty piece of oak with a thin blade no matter how tough


a thicker blade splits wood better. It spreads the wood apart but it's still no axe.

What is this design "deserving" of?

It's more deserving of being a good knife less of a froe for wedging wood.

Structure is function.

We can't have it all. Everything has trade offs hence why I suggested that some of the merits might be lost on someone looking to baton pieces of wood so gnarly they need flexibility.

It's like looking for a Lamborghini with that can tow a boat.


I like the knife because it's not trying to do everything. Its focused on being an all around cutting and light chopping tool first and less of a cold chisel wood froe.

Axes split and chop circles around knives and this is a knife that complements an axe/ hatchet very well.

So hatchets are pretty cool and knives that focus more on being legit knives are really cool because you can really see the performance.
Anything that tries to do everything usually just sucks at everything.
But at the end of the day it's all preference.
Do as you wish
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The attraction of this knife for me is precisely the fact that it is thin, again less weight on my back while still being long enough for liming, battonning, ect. Also being thin, it will excel at all around tasks not just doing fire prep as it is the one tool I have on me. I'm not trekking 20 miles with axes and mauls. That's if it is tough enough to do what I need it to do, and the designer seems to think it is. Probably due to the fact that it is made with a steel that allows for rough use while being ground fairly thin. Also sometimes there isn't the luxury of finding the perfect piece of straight grained timber. It's dark, snowing, single digits, and you have the deadfall in the surrounding area to work with, gotta make a fire.
Personally, I would have no need of a knife of this size if I had an axe to work with, I'd be looking more at the 3-4" size if that where the case.
But people's uses and mileage differ.
Be well,
Dave
 
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The more I see it the more this is growing on me. Only thing that worries me is how corrosion resistant it is. In my neck of the woods its rainy and overcast most the year so keeping knives rust free can be an issue.
 
argyle1812 said:
The more I see it the more this is growing on me. Only thing that worries me is how corrosion resistant it is. In my neck of the woods its rainy and overcast most the year so keeping knives rust free can be an issue.
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Bar keepers friend does wonders. An easy clean when you get home.
 
dcycleman said:
The attraction of this knife for me is precisely the fact that it is thin, again less weight on my back while still being long enough for liming, battonning, ect. Also being thin, it will excel at all around tasks not just doing fire prep as it is the one tool I have on me. I'm not trekking 20 miles with axes and mauls. That's if it is tough enough to do what I need it to do, and the designer seems to think it is. Probably due to the fact that it is made with a steel that allows for rough use while being ground fairly thin. Also sometimes there isn't the luxury of finding the perfect piece of straight grained timber. It's dark, snowing, single digits, and you have the deadfall in the surrounding area to work with, gotta make a fire.
Personally, I would have no need of a knife of this size if I had an axe to work with, I'd be looking more at the 3-4" size if that where the case.
But people's uses and mileage differ.
Be well,
Dave
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As long as you use common since, not trying to pound the knife through some crazy thick piece of wood, same as any other knife.

For around a 7" blade, that would be 1/2 of the blade length or 3.5" or less.

Anything larger one would really need an AXE anyhow.

So for normal deadfall it should be fine.

Your type of situation is basically what the knife was designed for in the 1st place, a field knife so you should really be happy with it.
 
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Sal Glesser said:
Ankerson and Sanders have a great deal of experience between them and a great deal of focus in the development of this model. Well thought out details based on function (more brain than eye), even in steel selection. They did a good job. I think it will serve well.

sal
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Thanks Sal. :)

I don't foresee any issues under any type of even remotely reasonable field use, I believe it will handle anything that would come up in the field.
 
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Do we have a release date for this guy?

Spring is right around the corner and I'd love to hit the field with this bad boy and have the funds ready for it.
 
Our goal from the onset was to make a single knife that would perform ALL camp duties reasonably well. It does some things better than others but it can handle any reasonable task you wanna throw at it. From cutting a rope, to slicing meat and cooking some food, to building a fire and a shelter, you're good to go. It doesn't really excel at anything but it does just about everything well. I guess you could say that it excels at all-around utility.
For those with questions about steel choice, remember that the prototype I built was made with 10V and it held up fine so 4V should be just about right for this application.
 
NO!.....I’m trying to avoid spending anymore on knives! Not fair..........aw heck, I’ve got to have one!!

That profile reminds me of another knife, but can’t seem to pull it from the folds of my brain. Can anybody tell me?
 
Without the belly on the edge curving up to the spine it would be a large Seax.
As it is, it is a very good cutting tool for just about any purpose other than heavy duty chopping. The conversation above reveals how we each optimize our toolboxes a little differently, but I think this design really hits a sweet spot. Big enough for anything that does not require a machete, not too big to impair finer cutting jobs, very tough steel so it does not need to be babied, but thin enough to be an excellent cutter/slicer. It is more than just a multipurpose compromise, it is actually good at everything you might need a knife for.
I pair mine with a 4" folder (Mili), an 18" machete for brush clearing, and a hatchet (GB Wildlife) for chopping duties. If I don't think chopping is a likely chore, I don't carry that, but if weight and space are not the issue (in a sled, ATV or truck), that is my toolbox. None of these are individually heavy, but if I am hiking and gear has to go on my back, it is the folder (to be honest I usually also have a PM2) and a medium fixed blade like this. I am fortunate to have a lot to choose from, and I never carry anything heavier.
 
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