BFF First Impressions

H

hollowdweller

Joined
Sep 22, 2003
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Just got the Baby Foxy Folly tonight. Went out in the dark with a headlamp and tried it on some dried redbud which is pretty hard. Seemed to chop great although it needs sharpened some. Kept freaking me out that it kind of clatters when you chop with it cause of the fat thin blade. No probem with bending or chipping though so must be tempered. Handle needs chip filled and the whole handle needs slimmed down.

Try to sharpen it up a bit and take it and the BGRS or some other khuk out tomorrow
 
See, here I was gettin all that crap for saying "pics or STFU" and sure enough the first report without pics and;)

It's mixed rain and slush this morning. If it slacks off enough to go out in the woods and take a few pics I'll for sure do so.:thumbup:
 
This thread is useless without pics.>>>>>>> Rishar

I hope your're dead wrong, Dave, because I haven't posted picts yet but will be trying eventually. Pictures are wonderful, but a writer's veracity is more important, and what he has to say. I don't read Dave Rishar's posts for the pictures. I don't read Yvsa's posts for the pictures; I read them for the know how and been there and gee whiz.

Keep Going, Hollow, and don't listen to that grumpy log, Rishar!



munk
 
Don't hate the playa, Munk...hate the game. ;)

In the meantime, we demand pics! At least some specs as an appetizer? Length, weight, point of balance?
 
Krull said:
Yvsa...lookit (read) the first post Baby Foxy Folly :D
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Yeah, I saw that but what the hell is a Baby Foxy Folly?:p ;)
Is it one smaller than the 17" model or smaller than the full size one that first came out? :confused:
If it's around the size of the 14" BDC how does it differ from the BDC?
 
Smaller than that Godawful 3 lb thing I could barely pick up.;)

This one is nice. Didn't take any pics today. Having a stovepiping problem with my Albanian SKS and spent a lot of the day trying to figure out the problem and cleaning it out more and unloading various types of livestock feed in the mud.:yawn:
 
hollowdweller said:
Smaller than that Godawful 3 lb thing I could barely pick up.;)
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Well Hollow, I must've missed where you posted the size, so just what size and weight is it? :rolleyes:
 
Yvsa said:
Well Hollow, I must've missed where you posted the size, so just what size and weight is it? :rolleyes:
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Yvsa,

I just assumed that people would know it was the newer smaller model. But you know what they say happens when I assume;)

It's 17" and 23 oz just like my Ganga Villager.

I'll try to get it together and take some pics. Ms Hollowdweller wants to go for a hike today. Probably go after I test out the cleaning on the SKS, but I want to wait till after noon to shoot cause it's a Sunday:)
 
hollowdweller said:
Yvsa,

I just assumed that people would know it was the newer smaller model. But you know what they say happens when I assume;)

It's 17" and 23 oz just like my Ganga Villager.
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Thanks Hollow.:)
With Andy getting an 18" Foxy Folly and with the advent of the 18" BDC and the 15" PK I wasn't sure there wasn't a 15"-16" Foxy Folly.
With so many variations and new models it's often hard to keep up.:rolleyes: ;) :D
 
Yvsa said:
Thanks Hollow.:)
With Andy getting an 18" Foxy Folly and with the advent of the 18" BDC and the 15" PK I wasn't sure there wasn't a 15"-16" Foxy Folly.
With so many variations and new models it's often hard to keep up.:rolleyes: ;) :D
Click to expand...

Very true actually. Yes this is 17" 23 oz. Still haven't made it to the woods yet but soon. I've been upstairs cleaning up a room and washing dishes.
 
Bad news, the retractible lens on my Fuji FD 100 locked open and I can't take pics, but I did have the FF out in the woods yesterday.

The Jury is still out but if my first impressions are corrrect this may end up being my second favorite khuk (nothing can beat my Bonecutter) due to the ergonomics. The FF FEELS lighter in my hand, and when it hits the wood, transmitting less shock to my hand, but seems to penetrate and contact the wood nearly perfectly.

I believe this is because of the blade shape which is similar to the bonecutter as far as not quite as much bend as other khuks and most of the bend being very close to the handle.

I think this model if it holds up and I run it thru chopping will be my all time favorite HI model.:thumbup:

I wish to H-E- double toothpick that my YCS was built to this type spec. I believe that the YCS has an even better blade shape but that the advantages are ruined because the kamis made the handle too big and the blade too heavy.:thumbdn:

Since the kamis seem to have demonstrated that they can make a light blade that is well tempered I'd be up for a run of 17" 23oz YCS's:D
 
I've got discouraging news for those of you who are fans of the 24 oz FF. The Kamis threw away many trys before completing the project. There were many culls even among the finished product. Yangdu lost money on them, and the advisability of making a fullered 17" to 18" khuk only 24 oz is not....good. They need to be at least two more ounces, anyway.

So, if you can talk Yangdu into more of them, I doubt the price will stay where it is. It is very hard to make a blade that slender with the fullers too.

Finally, in order to cut properly, the design needs more weight anyway- and that's not only my opinion, but many others as well as apparently the Kamis too.

munk
 
munk said:
Finally, in order to cut properly, the design needs more weight anyway- and that's not only my opinion, but many others as well as apparently the Kamis too.

munk
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Munk,

Do you have one? In what way didn't it perform?

I doubted the chop ability of such a thin one too. But I believe that where it is so wide at the point of maximum impact that the weight is in the right place.
 
I wish mine was a few ounces heavier. Its an inch longer than HD's. I think it would be my hands down favorite if it was just a smidge heavier.
 
Yes, I own the latest rendition of the FF and it needs to be a little heavier. That's the concensus from everyone. I've spoken to Yangdu about it.
It does not chop nearly as well as it could- and we're only off by a few ounces. It is remarkable that so little can make a difference, but true none the less.




munk
 
Not everyone, Munk. I thought both of mine were fine at 24 ounces. So does HD, evidently.

Here's the thing: there seems to be a very thin line somewhere in the design and once it's crossed, the performance goes downhill quickly. When I first started hearing complaints from people about their FF's I initially doubted them. It wasn't until I got to use Cndrm's FF that I realized that there are some floating around that don't chop as well as others.

We spent some time comparing the three Follies, trying to pin down just what made the difference. There isn't any one variable that I can point to but something is causing a problem. I will say that mine definitely hits with less authority than heavier models due to simple physics, but penetrates better than most without binding; it all seems to even out in the end.

The easy answer is to throw more weight at it, but if we can ever manage to figure out what variable or combination of variables caused the problem in the first place, I don't think that more weight would be necessary. In fact, I feel that it would be a disadvantage.

Another problem may be the way we view the role of the FF. I see it as a general purpose/ camping khukuri - as in, it has to take care of whatever odds and ends come up. It's not made to drop a tree but it can in a pinch. It's not made to buck logs all day but it can if need be. It's too short to safely clear prickly brush but it will do the job if there's not a machete handy. In being a jack of all trades, it's obviously a master of none.

And in return? That light weight and excellent balance means that it will be hanging on my belt when I need it (as opposed to sitting on my workbench) and I'll still be chopping when the guy with the AK needs a break.

My take on it, but perhaps I'm viewing it incorrectly.

I'm still quite pleased with mine.
 
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