Big "Bush Buddy" Chopper by Tai Goo

HTMD

HTMD

Joined
Feb 15, 2002
Messages
1,705
Tai may have posted pics of this piece a few weeks back. Now I've had a chance to live with it for a while and finally got a few pics of my own together.

Man, this blade is built to see action. With photographs out of the way I guess a few scrapes and scratches won't hurt it much. The grip, balance and heft feel just right for the brush clearing and fire mitigation work I have to do around the mountain house.

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Here's a couple of detail shots - very clean and elegant work by Tai.

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And a final thought......

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can you show pics of the knot work around the scabbard?

btw, I think tai goo got his inspiration for the open face scabbard from the south east asian / igorot blades...

very very nice. I like a tribute to the native crafts, but with modern consistency and flair.
 
It would just about be a crime NOT to use a knife like that. I bet that beast is just as sharp as can be as well. And I love the open scabbard that Tai does for these. An absolutely first class hard-working knife. Congrats Buddy, and thatnks for the excellent pics.

Roger
 
:thumbup: Congrats,Buddy.
Great piece and pics.
I dig the scabbard as well.Would you happen to know what the scabbard wood is?
I ask because I have a Bowie that is handled in what looks very similar to that.I have a guess but am not sure.
Thanks.

Doug:)
 
I could be wrong but I think the open faced wooden scabards Tai Goo makes are the same as his ancestors carried. And they were carrying them while my ancestors were considered barbarians by the enlightened civilizations.
 
"Civilisation" has the tendency to end in mass murder and destruction!

But it's a great knife, i would like one, can you give us a price category?
200-250$, 250-300$ or more?
 
You have now created a want. You will buy another knife from Tai , and it will be fine !

Be well
Floyd;) ;)
 
spyken said:
btw, I think tai goo got his inspiration for the open face scabbard from the south east asian / igorot blades...

very very nice. I like a tribute to the native crafts, but with modern consistency and flair.
Click to expand...

YEP! Truly inspiring to see familiar designs appreciated by folks from other cultures :cool:
 
Some things I like about the open faced scabbards are that they drain water, dry out quickly, are easy to clean out and they show the blade.
 
Mr. Goo, everytime I look at the Bush Knives on your website I salivate.
I think it's a primal thing.

Great work.
 
I love Tai's work. Very inspiring!

Great photos for a great knife! Thanks for sharing.
 
spyken said:
can you show pics of the knot work around the scabbard?

btw, I think tai goo got his inspiration for the open face scabbard from the south east asian / igorot blades...

very very nice. I like a tribute to the native crafts, but with modern consistency and flair.
Click to expand...

You are quite correct. Here's an Igorot (a major Philippine aboriginal tribe) knife with a seated anito (tribal lesser god) handle. It's solid brass, unsharpened, and not even ceremonial. In other words, a tourist bait letter opener. Igorots do, however, make real fine knives and bolos with water buffalo horn handles and half-wood (rear), half-horn (front), M-O-P inlaid sheaths, and tempered leaf spring blades. These knives are for using. I'll post a picture of one such knife/sheath combo later today.

Regarding the knot work on the handle of the Tai Goo, any U.S. Navy Boatswain's Mate worth his salt can do that, and even better. Those guys can knot-weave-wrap-twist-unravel cotton cord into anything functional or decorative. That vanishing art--at least in the navy--is called McNamara's Lace in navyspeak and the more popular "macrame," originally Japanese but now in Webster's and Oxford, et. al. DSP.

PhilippineAnitoKnife.jpg
 
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