Another Collaborative Effort

Jeff H

Jeff H

Joined
Feb 14, 2008
Messages
1,093
This has been a long time coming. I got the knives from Bryan Breeden months ago and Mike (MtnFolk Mike) and I have talked about doing sheaths for each others' knives since about the time we got the knives. I finally got around to sending one to Mike to finish off the project – a three-way collaboration of forum-members to put together some compact Bushcraft outfits. Bryan made the two knives from a full-scale sketch I sent him and he did an excellent job of maintaining the lines as depicted. He left the scales unformed and I shaped those on the Micarta-handled knife shown and swapped out the original Micarta for some Curly Maple left in the attic of my house from when it was built in 1900, from lumber milled on the property of local trees. Mike made the leather neckers – perfect for the context of the knives’ original design.
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Both knives are made of 3/32” O1, an inch at their widest points. This one is 7 ¼” overall with a 3 3/8” blade and weighs 3.6 ounces.
The neck sheath is smooth, stiff and very secure. It fits nicely between two buttons on my shirt when I want to keep it from dangling in the fire.
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This sheath is a little different and I could tell Mike had a preference for the other but they are both of excellent workmanship and material. Since this one was a fuzz lighter, I chose to pair it with the 2.6 ounce knife. This knife is only very slightly shorter than the other but the dimensions for both were based on minimums that I could work with. Sorry about the beads, Mike. I usually don’t purty things up, but this combo just looked so good and the beads are real glass, not plastic, so....
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Both of these knives are very capable and seem to get the most use, regardless of what bigger knives I have around. The Micarta knife, the Compact Bushcraft 01 (CB01) stays in my “go-bag” because I want something there for emergencies that I get along with, not my least-favorite knife, which would not be missed if in the bag. The Maple-handled one, the Compact Bushcraft 02 (CB02), is the one I grab when heading outside, unless I consciously make it a point to “spread it around” or am playing with something new.
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I have done about everything with these knives I have done with any other and will spare you the fuzz-stick-making, batoning, notch-carving and sapling slicing pics. Most of these pics are simply for everyone’s viewing pleasure and to show off the work of a couple friends.
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continued...
 
Alright, OK, what’s a review without a little “Bushcraft blood-n-gore?” I am going to stray just a wee bit here and share without a public flogging of a knife. No knives were harmed in the making of this thread. There were treated humanely and used to cut and carve.

While my wife was putting the finishing touches on Thanksgiving dinner, I rounded these two up along with a few other Bushy accoutrements and headed out back to smoke my pipe. I gathered some dead, dry pine twigs and branches and a few handfuls of “dried” grass (rain and snow has everything still a bit damp) and made some fuzzies, split a few small sticks up, laid some bark on the wet ground and went to work.
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A few “flicks” and,... there ya go! The wind did most of the rest of the work.
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It’s in there. It’s the black spot.
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NOW, you’ll believe it’s in there! I burned my fingers waiting for the camera to focus!
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Just relax and start feeding it some twigs..... waiting for a “pipe lighter” now.
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My reward for my effort in my hasty fire, a light for my pipe!
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My reward for getting out of my wife’s hair while she prepared the feast! I also just finished TWO pieces of her pumpkin pie.
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So, today was a very good day. A few forum friends e-mailed to wish me well, I got out with my knives and sheaths made by other of my friends, my dear sweet wife pulled off her 29th consecutive Thanksgiving feast with wondrous skill and my youngest daughter learned to make gravy plus humored the old man and took a shot at making a fire with flint and steel. Sometimes, when a fella gets a chance to slow down a little, he gets a chance to realize how good he has it.

Thanks for lookin’
 
Good stuff Jeff, good looking blades and good looking leather. And even a dinner upon return! :D Livin' the high life. :thumbup:

Didn't know you were a brother of the briar! Handsome piece you've got there, lots of character. I usually end up sticking to a cob when out in the woods.
 
SpookyPistolero said:
.....I usually end up sticking to a cob when out in the woods.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Spooky'. That's a Nording. Over the years I have tried this and that but have found these to suit me best, so I have (am down to) a couple of favorites. Something I have not been able to do with knives. Some day I should go to the cigar shop and pick another out for myself. For about the cost of a custom knife from one of our makers on the forum, I could have another. This one is about ten years old and I just reamed the bowl with my Woodswalker a couple days ago. The edge stood up well to the hard carbon and it worked better than the dedicated reamer they used to use at the pipe shops. A ten-dollar pipe reamer!

I always make room for a couple pipes in my kit. I figure, if I lose or damage one, it's no different than losing or damaging a prized custom knife, and I surely would not go out without one (or four) of those.

Was it Nessmuk who took it upon himself to always make room for the luxury of a cherished porcelain teacup? I remember reading this of some otherwise prudent and practical woodsman, but cannot remember who it was. I have wanted to start an OT thread to ask what everyone else carries that they just don't absolutely need, but takes along for the sake of enhancing the pleasure of "being out."

I have always wanted another corn cob pipe but have not been able to find them. They used to be sold at counters, displayed on yellow, stand-up cardboard placards.
 
Great looking knives. Always nice to see a collaborative effort.

Jeff H, you should definitely open that "being out" thread!

All the best,

- Mike
 
very cool jeff....:thumbup: those are some great pics man... i'm glad you like the sheaths...:o those knives are just about perfect, in terms of size and weight.. the design is spot on.. you don't need much more than that...
that is a great looking pipe too... i like it...:) i might need to try and find one of those someday...

i like the idea of the collaboration of BF members... all well executed...

happy thanksgiving again.... that plate looks delicious, i'm still stuffed.... i need to upload our pics from out turkey day in the woods...
 
Jeff H said:
I have always wanted another corn cob pipe but have not been able to find them. They used to be sold at counters, displayed on yellow, stand-up cardboard placards.
Click to expand...

I hear you Jeff, I streamline all sorts of stuff but end up keeping a little area for pipe and whatever blend I'm into. Like you, it just falls into that category of 'enhancing' my outdoors experience.

I've not been through too many of the 'real' briar pipes, sadly. I do have a few nice pics from the 'barrel bin', and a few nicely broken in meerschaum piipes (I love those). The cobs are nice because they always smoke pretty darn evenly, are cheap, light, and are great for testing out a new blend that you wouldn't want to taint a briar pipe with.

My local tobacconist is pretty good, and has some of the good cob pipes. I'd be happy to pick you one up if you send me your mailing address. :thumbup: You can pm or email it.
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Perhaps my 2 cents isn't needed here, but isn't one of the beauties of corn cob pipes is that they are relatively easy to make - an erstwhile skill in need of reviving, especially for a self-reliant member of a WS&S forum ???? :confused:

Just askin', that's all.:rolleyes:

Doc
 
A truly amazing amount of talent here guys, very impressive collaboration. Nice to have some relaxing play time.
 
Those are absolutely beautiful in so many ways. Nice looking and very functional. I love the neck sheaths (haven't tried that method yet am going to give it a try sometime). I like the shape of the micarta handle but love the look of the curly maple.

Nothing like starting a fire with flint and steel. I've got to get me a couple of good pieces of flint. I have some milky colored flint that came with the kit and it works okay.

Thanks for sharing and inspiring me to find small ways to steal away and enjoy the outdoors.

Charlie
 
Whoa Jeff. I remember talking with you about these awhile ago......They look outstanding. Nice work guys!!!!

I too like a nice pipe smoke. Good stuff. Drop me a line or a call one of these days man.:thumbup:
 
Hi all,

Jeff those are such awesome pics of the your knives and sheaths. and the dinner plate makes me hungry LOL.
I just read to day again in Horace Kepharts book about his medicine and about his tea cup it is on page 112.about 2/3rds of the way down the page
I kid you not I was just reading that this morning. LOL
I am going to be gone this week end family visiting and more turkey dinners LOL
I am going to take camping and wood craft just for some reading just in cast there is some down time.

Take care and chat with you all later,

Bryan
 
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