Well, it's here! Actually, it arrived yesterday AM by USPS. Although the website stated the Wild Dog was received July 28th and made of N690 Bohler steel, there is no indication of that on the sales receipt, knife box, or knife. Nothing in the box, either, like the sheet CRK includes indicating the blade material and Rc testing. The sheathed knife came wrapped in bubble wrap in the nicely made box. Two labels on one end of the box - "Made in South Africa" & "Model: Wild Dog, Handle Material" on one end; "AB043 & UPC 0 00000 16970 7" on a similar label on the other end.
The knife is well made - no, it's very well made! The blade is .150" (~3.8 mm)at the spine and highly polished at that thickness; finely ground to the straight bevel. The tang is full length but tapers in the handle. It came razor sharp. The maple burl handle is beautiful, and well-shaped - with five pins - and no lanyard hole. No thumb jimping - but the eased edge of the spine is comfortable as is. The only place you could draw a ferrocerium rod and draw a spark is on the edge. I'd rate the quality as excellent - bordering on exquisite - a great buy, I feel, at the price paid. The polished/finely ground blade resembles my Boker Savannah - side by side - looks like the same steel, as if I could tell. The Savannah is clearl labelled "N690", while the only ting on the Wild Dog is an AB logo and the name Arno Bernard in script.
Stainz
PS In the current brochure, downloadable at arnobernard.com, it states that they use N690 - and it takes a good polish (The similarities between the Savannah and Wild Dog again...) - no other blade metals are listed in the brochure. It states that they are hollow ground - must be shallow.
