- Joined
- Jul 9, 2008
- Messages
- 1,147
So here goes:
What I am about to say is why I believe everyone who is seriously interested in a solid, simple knife should buy a Breeden Knife. Bryan Breeden and his wife Kathy are two of the kindest, warmest people I have ever met. They opened their home to two total strangers who knew each other only through their passions: knives. For an entire Sunday I heard fantastic stories of survival all while hand making my knife from scratch. Pausing only to have a home-made lunch by Kathy, Bryan and I (well mainly Bryan) handcrafted my knife. From 01 steel strips and cow shoulder came my favorite survival tool. The experience of making your own knife is something I will never forget and I owe those memories to Bryan and his family. This is my way of thanking a very generous man.
It began with the same search many of those who are reading this have struggled with. Amid a sea of expensive, exotic custom fixed blade knives I began to feel overwhelmed and underpaid. Like any passion or hobby, one can spend as much on a knife as one wishes; however for most of us, its a matter of choice. Eat or cut (As we all know a knife can sometimes mean eat, but for most of us online and city-stuck its a realistic choice.) My folders were my first preoccupation. With 12 different folders (probably 10 more than I really need; still a modest collection compared to most) fulfilling my pocket knife desires, I began to focus on a solid fixed blade. After hours pouring over forums and pages of research and reviews, I knew I wanted a more substantial (and apparently more expensive) go-to survival knife. This is where Bryan Breeden and I crossed paths.
For the last three years I have spent most of my free time in Poudre Canyon in Northern Colorado. There I have learned many aspects of tracking, hunting, and surviving in the Rocky Mountains. My skills were honed by a modest man who lives like we all wish we could. My friend, Potoshasha is a direct descendant from the famous Bear Grease and a member of the Chippewa tribe (we call him Dubs) lives in a small cabin void of any running water but full of warmth and friendly banter about the good days. It was his backyard that I learned many of the techniques I use while solo-trekking some of the most spiritual places in Colorados northern mountains. During my two month fixed blade research Dubs patiently answered my inquiries about what is really necessary in a knife. Finally one day I told him I had a couple of knives already, and in a tone reminiscent of an elder teaching a foolish student, Dubs says to me, Well, how many hands do you have? Puzzled I said, Well, two of course. Laughing through his big red beard Dubs chuckles back, Well then it sounds like you only need two knives then! This lesson learned led me to Breeden Knives: A simple, well crafted knife is all I need.
After reviewing hundreds of opinions and posts, I came across a forum about small fixed blades on BF. Pictured was a Breeden PSK in a small kydex sheath. I thought the knife looked simple and humble. After some digging I found that Breeden Knives was a small company that consisted of one man in Nebraska who loved making knives. I was shocked when I called the number listed on the website and got Bryan himself. After a few dozen emails, Bryan suggested that I take part in the making of my own knife. The company I recently worked laid me off after being internationally acquired, and this led to me having an enormous amount of free time (if you know what I mean.) So with little to no money a friend and I drove out to Diller, NE to do some camping and meet Bryan. The pictures below are from my recent trip to Bald Mountain near Red Feathers Lake, CO.
Specs:
Blade Material: 01
Blade Length: 4 with Convex grind
Blade Thickness: 5/32
Handle Length: 4.75
Handle Material: Orange G10
Weight: Just Right
Sheath: Breeden Custom Leather
The hollow pins were a request in case I ever needed to lash it.
The drop point is my favorite design. The handle length fits perfect in my larger hand.
The horizontal sheath is an easy carry even with a pack on.
Easy to spot Orange G10 handle: A must in a survival situation
This is slightly thicker then most of the knives Bryan makes. Boy can it take a beating!
I must have bantoned through 20 or so 5 thick chunks of evergreen and aspen (thanks dad for volunteering to hold the wood!) The blade held up remarkably well and there was no damage or markings on the spine. Bryan leaves his spines sharp enough to strike a flint with.
Heres some fuzzies I made after bantoning and cross-chopping some downed aspen. Bryan would be the first to tell you that Im not the best fuzz maker so this is quite impressive after hours of abuse.
Heres a shot of my debris shelter for the evening thanks to the help of my Breeden Custom and a 50 year old German hatchet I dont have a name for.
Heres one of the best parts of the 01 Tool steel Bryan used. After hours of abuse my Breeden knife sharpened to a razor edge with only 10 strokes of the fine rods in my SharpMaker! Seriously 10 strokes each side, I couldnt believe it! The knife was obviously pretty banged up and I was astonished to see how quickly this knife took an edge again. Some of my more expensive steels (s30v and 154 cm) took much more time to restore their edges. Great craftsmanship!
I cant express how awesome it was to be a part of all of this. After using this knife my quest for the perfect fixed blade is over. My travels will now be accompanied by my Breeden custom and two of my best folders (hey your naked with only one knife right?!) Bryan has made me a life long customer, and as long as Bryan continues to do what he loves, I will continue to buy his knives. Because when you buy a Breeden knife, you are afforded the opportunity to meet a very wonderful man. Thank you again Bryan and Kathy for everything!
What I am about to say is why I believe everyone who is seriously interested in a solid, simple knife should buy a Breeden Knife. Bryan Breeden and his wife Kathy are two of the kindest, warmest people I have ever met. They opened their home to two total strangers who knew each other only through their passions: knives. For an entire Sunday I heard fantastic stories of survival all while hand making my knife from scratch. Pausing only to have a home-made lunch by Kathy, Bryan and I (well mainly Bryan) handcrafted my knife. From 01 steel strips and cow shoulder came my favorite survival tool. The experience of making your own knife is something I will never forget and I owe those memories to Bryan and his family. This is my way of thanking a very generous man.
It began with the same search many of those who are reading this have struggled with. Amid a sea of expensive, exotic custom fixed blade knives I began to feel overwhelmed and underpaid. Like any passion or hobby, one can spend as much on a knife as one wishes; however for most of us, its a matter of choice. Eat or cut (As we all know a knife can sometimes mean eat, but for most of us online and city-stuck its a realistic choice.) My folders were my first preoccupation. With 12 different folders (probably 10 more than I really need; still a modest collection compared to most) fulfilling my pocket knife desires, I began to focus on a solid fixed blade. After hours pouring over forums and pages of research and reviews, I knew I wanted a more substantial (and apparently more expensive) go-to survival knife. This is where Bryan Breeden and I crossed paths.
For the last three years I have spent most of my free time in Poudre Canyon in Northern Colorado. There I have learned many aspects of tracking, hunting, and surviving in the Rocky Mountains. My skills were honed by a modest man who lives like we all wish we could. My friend, Potoshasha is a direct descendant from the famous Bear Grease and a member of the Chippewa tribe (we call him Dubs) lives in a small cabin void of any running water but full of warmth and friendly banter about the good days. It was his backyard that I learned many of the techniques I use while solo-trekking some of the most spiritual places in Colorados northern mountains. During my two month fixed blade research Dubs patiently answered my inquiries about what is really necessary in a knife. Finally one day I told him I had a couple of knives already, and in a tone reminiscent of an elder teaching a foolish student, Dubs says to me, Well, how many hands do you have? Puzzled I said, Well, two of course. Laughing through his big red beard Dubs chuckles back, Well then it sounds like you only need two knives then! This lesson learned led me to Breeden Knives: A simple, well crafted knife is all I need.
After reviewing hundreds of opinions and posts, I came across a forum about small fixed blades on BF. Pictured was a Breeden PSK in a small kydex sheath. I thought the knife looked simple and humble. After some digging I found that Breeden Knives was a small company that consisted of one man in Nebraska who loved making knives. I was shocked when I called the number listed on the website and got Bryan himself. After a few dozen emails, Bryan suggested that I take part in the making of my own knife. The company I recently worked laid me off after being internationally acquired, and this led to me having an enormous amount of free time (if you know what I mean.) So with little to no money a friend and I drove out to Diller, NE to do some camping and meet Bryan. The pictures below are from my recent trip to Bald Mountain near Red Feathers Lake, CO.
Specs:
Blade Material: 01
Blade Length: 4 with Convex grind
Blade Thickness: 5/32
Handle Length: 4.75
Handle Material: Orange G10
Weight: Just Right
Sheath: Breeden Custom Leather
The hollow pins were a request in case I ever needed to lash it.
The drop point is my favorite design. The handle length fits perfect in my larger hand.
The horizontal sheath is an easy carry even with a pack on.
Easy to spot Orange G10 handle: A must in a survival situation
This is slightly thicker then most of the knives Bryan makes. Boy can it take a beating!
I must have bantoned through 20 or so 5 thick chunks of evergreen and aspen (thanks dad for volunteering to hold the wood!) The blade held up remarkably well and there was no damage or markings on the spine. Bryan leaves his spines sharp enough to strike a flint with.
Heres some fuzzies I made after bantoning and cross-chopping some downed aspen. Bryan would be the first to tell you that Im not the best fuzz maker so this is quite impressive after hours of abuse.
Heres a shot of my debris shelter for the evening thanks to the help of my Breeden Custom and a 50 year old German hatchet I dont have a name for.
Heres one of the best parts of the 01 Tool steel Bryan used. After hours of abuse my Breeden knife sharpened to a razor edge with only 10 strokes of the fine rods in my SharpMaker! Seriously 10 strokes each side, I couldnt believe it! The knife was obviously pretty banged up and I was astonished to see how quickly this knife took an edge again. Some of my more expensive steels (s30v and 154 cm) took much more time to restore their edges. Great craftsmanship!
I cant express how awesome it was to be a part of all of this. After using this knife my quest for the perfect fixed blade is over. My travels will now be accompanied by my Breeden custom and two of my best folders (hey your naked with only one knife right?!) Bryan has made me a life long customer, and as long as Bryan continues to do what he loves, I will continue to buy his knives. Because when you buy a Breeden knife, you are afforded the opportunity to meet a very wonderful man. Thank you again Bryan and Kathy for everything!
bryan makes some hardworking knives, i have a few... though i think i need a few more... the CUB and the KAT knife have both been calling me lately...
(nothing against Busse knives)
