- Joined
- Jun 23, 1999
- Messages
- 1,209
I've been to BAKCA 4 out of the last 6 years. First year bought a production knife (nice Spyderco at least), was my introduction to better knives. Last few years have come away with a couple of fixed blades each year spending maybe $400-$500 on each show.
This year I went looking for a small folder as I'm working a lot more now in an office environment where pants don't take well to even the smaller Sebenza, and while I have a few that are lighter and smaller, none of them are true customs or even small shop jobs (except my sebs), so this year I brought the $500 with me, and went looking for a gents-like folder that was never-the-less single handed (not hard to find as it turned out) and also sported a clip, since I've discovered I don't like fishing for even a small knife (been living with a BM 330 the last few months) in my pocket if I can help it.
The show was great, but finding a "gents folder" with a clip turns out to be a hard thing to do. I can understand what with there being few clip materials that go well with the slab work seen on most gentleman's folders. The BM 330 size was right (about 2" blade), and I liked the light weight... Early on in the show I spotted a small knife with titanium slabs, a little longer than what I had pictured (thought the little bit of extra blade length was appealing), but it was very light thanks to the thinness of the slabs. Very nice, and at $295 (if I remember correctly) down near the lower end for decent custom folders...
Then I ran into Bob Lum! He had a variety of folders, but only one that was really small, same length as the BM, with a blade just over 2", and a nice Wharncliff with a bare curve to it (beautiful for small knife utility chores), flat ground, 3/32" stock again thin for cutting efficiency finally! Liner lock, Ti. slabs (grey, fine bead-blast style finish), and again very thin, but this time shapped by being curved ever so slightly. I wanted flat slabs since other curved handles have bruised my hip (I carry in waist band), but these slabs have just a little dimention to them, and yet are just about flat, a very nice effect. Other very nice details, including a generous finger nick that permits one to open the knife one-handed given a little practice - and thanks to its liquid smoothness! More over, one of the most secure detents I have ever come across! A beautiful clip shaped like the clip on a fine pen, and mounted opposite the pivot (yes point up carry, I'm glad the detent is strong), and a hole just next to the point where the clip mounts where a fob can be tied. A beautiful little knife, and it met my initial specifications almost perfectly. I decided to buy it before it disappeared (as a club member I got in to the show before the general public, and even then there's no guarantee the really neat stuff will be there for very long)!
The price... Yes, a little sticker shock at $495, thus blowing my stash on a single small knife when I usually come home with 2 or 3 and a variety of new kitchen implements for the same amount! But it is a Lum, and I love it! So much in fact that I *almost* can't wait to go to work and wear it!
This year I went looking for a small folder as I'm working a lot more now in an office environment where pants don't take well to even the smaller Sebenza, and while I have a few that are lighter and smaller, none of them are true customs or even small shop jobs (except my sebs), so this year I brought the $500 with me, and went looking for a gents-like folder that was never-the-less single handed (not hard to find as it turned out) and also sported a clip, since I've discovered I don't like fishing for even a small knife (been living with a BM 330 the last few months) in my pocket if I can help it.
The show was great, but finding a "gents folder" with a clip turns out to be a hard thing to do. I can understand what with there being few clip materials that go well with the slab work seen on most gentleman's folders. The BM 330 size was right (about 2" blade), and I liked the light weight... Early on in the show I spotted a small knife with titanium slabs, a little longer than what I had pictured (thought the little bit of extra blade length was appealing), but it was very light thanks to the thinness of the slabs. Very nice, and at $295 (if I remember correctly) down near the lower end for decent custom folders...
Then I ran into Bob Lum! He had a variety of folders, but only one that was really small, same length as the BM, with a blade just over 2", and a nice Wharncliff with a bare curve to it (beautiful for small knife utility chores), flat ground, 3/32" stock again thin for cutting efficiency finally! Liner lock, Ti. slabs (grey, fine bead-blast style finish), and again very thin, but this time shapped by being curved ever so slightly. I wanted flat slabs since other curved handles have bruised my hip (I carry in waist band), but these slabs have just a little dimention to them, and yet are just about flat, a very nice effect. Other very nice details, including a generous finger nick that permits one to open the knife one-handed given a little practice - and thanks to its liquid smoothness! More over, one of the most secure detents I have ever come across! A beautiful clip shaped like the clip on a fine pen, and mounted opposite the pivot (yes point up carry, I'm glad the detent is strong), and a hole just next to the point where the clip mounts where a fob can be tied. A beautiful little knife, and it met my initial specifications almost perfectly. I decided to buy it before it disappeared (as a club member I got in to the show before the general public, and even then there's no guarantee the really neat stuff will be there for very long)!
The price... Yes, a little sticker shock at $495, thus blowing my stash on a single small knife when I usually come home with 2 or 3 and a variety of new kitchen implements for the same amount! But it is a Lum, and I love it! So much in fact that I *almost* can't wait to go to work and wear it!
