Anyone have experience with Arno Bernard Zebra?

Peroni1973

Peroni1973

Joined
Mar 25, 2010
Messages
707
I couldn't resist this one;

ABZebra_zpsbfb34a9c.jpg
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Image courtesy of Knivesshipfree.com

Overall length: 7.875", blade length:*3.75" in N690 at 59-60 HRC

Just seems right in my sweet-spot of blade length and style. I would love to hear from anyone who has experience of Arno Bernard knives, their application of the steel, etc., etc.

Now I just have to handle the wait!!

Thanks,

Ben
 
You have a great knife coming. You'll like the sheath just as much. They are a lot like Bark Rivers---just feeling the blade and checking the sharpness should give you a quality-rush like you rarely get on a knife. They're so high quality it'll probably have that new-knife smell when you open the box.

Pretty sure my next fixed blade will be an Arno. Maybe the one in your pic. It's just so hard to decide which one or two to purchase, ya know?

What wood is that? And be sure to follow up here when you get it.
 
Thanks for your input - I have 5 Barkies (I recently lost 4 others in a friend's house fire).

This order is a bit of a treat in light of recent events. The scales are Spalted Maple - I love the idea of the stabilzed giraffe bone but couldn't find one and I think the wood on this one (it is the specific one in the photo) looks incredible. :)

I will keep you posted on my thoughts once I get my hands on it at some point next week...

Thanks again!

Ben
 
I guess I'm a Arno Bernard fanboy. I have several of these. Once you own one, you'll end up buying another. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I think this is the worlds finest fixed blade. Feather light compared to most " over-done" fixed blades. Exotic. Lifetime guarantee. Razor sharp with excellent edge retention qualities. The N690 steel contains cobalt vanadium. Very similar to vg10. Better than 440C. Holds an edge quite a bit better than 440c which in my opinion isn't a bad knife steel at all. Bernards N690 blades are cryogenically treated via " Liquid nitrogen process" also. Each blade is hollow ground, free handed, and then hand polished. Each blade sports tapered tangs, a desirable feature that reduces weight, looks awesome and adds to the uniqueness of a truly hand crafted fixed blade.

These knives are in my opinion, the Ferrari of fixed blades. I truly believe that they are the best fixed blades in the world. I think you'll like it.

Here's a couple of mine. I currently have another one on hold that I will pick up on soon.

This is the porcupine model. I liked the blade profile and the Giraffe Shin handle. I shaved my face for this first time, using a fixed blade, with this knife.
Not its intended use, I know, nor what this blade profile is designed for. Nevertheless, I did indeed shave with it.
3MeqX58.jpg


This is a Gecko model with warthog Ivory that I bought close to 3 years ago.
Rd0NLRx.jpg
 
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skyhorse said:
Those look fantastic!:thumbup::)
Click to expand...

For what it's worth I completely agree with you Skyhorse - they do look great. ;)

Thanks also, to IXLR8 for taking the time to share your thoughts (& photos) of these knives. To say that I am excited at the prospect of getting mine is a huge understatement...

Thanks again guys!

Ben
 
Peroni1973 said:
Shameless bump ;)

Any more thoughts/experiences?

Ben
Click to expand...

Well.......since you brought it up. Now that you have one of the best knives you can buy, ' Do you have a quality sharpening apparatus?
By this I mean something like an inexpensive Lansky system to rough your blade profile in. This will help you obtain concentric edge angles.
You can then work your edge up ( I like to call it) by hand to a mirror finish on a quality whetstone, like the one seen below. A good strop is a valuable tool also.
Get some aluminum oxide to go along with it.
NWTWB62H.jpg
 
I have a lot of experience with Arno's knives....not the zebra though. He uses great stainless that doesn't corrode in the worst of conditions as far as my experience goes and the fit and finish is great especially at his price range. Cant get a nice custom fixed for any cheaper IMO. I think you will really like what you have coming.
 
Hey IXLR8, I have decent sharpening stuff, I have a sharpmaker, some local 600 & 1000 grit stones and a decent strop with black, white & green compounds.

May well be worth looking a some better quality waterstones. Thanks for the recommendation (/enabling :))

Ectoplasm, thanks for sharing your experiences of the knives and the steel. I have/ had several knives in VG10 and from what I have read it seems comparable. Needless to say I am excited to test this new knife. It will definitely be a user (unlikely be abused) but I really want to work with the knife...

Thank all for your input!

Ben
 
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