Breeden Knife Number Three, and some Firestarting Under Very Wet Conditions

[Mistwalker]

Since atmospheric conditions were such that to set up for photos any distance from shelter would have been a bad idea I decided to check out the latest knife I got from Bryan today. In the thread on the first knife we worked on together someone mention it being functional in a tactical manor if needs be. I put some thought into that and realized there were certain elements that made the knife less than an ideal candidate for a combat knife. The second one was a bit more functional for such a purpose but still more of a woods knife that a battle field blade. This got me back to the drawing board to see just what I could come up with that would be very functional and practical in a combat environment yet still be functional in a field craft role at the same time. This knife is what I came up with from those thoughts. Because it seems somewhat twisted and spikey...and because it was meant to be at home in the woods even if the woods were a combat zone we chose a name that is a play on words and call it the Warthorn.

This knife has both an upper and lower guard which allows for a retention strap the holds the knife from the top never coming in contact with the edge upon drawing the blade from the sheath. Bryan added a firesteel loop to this sheath for me.

and the angled orientation of the guard allows for more comfort when plunging the knife with a reverse grip.

It has flat unsharpened areas imediately in front of the guard on both top and bottom so that if the knife wwere to become hung up in bone or cartilege there is a place to hook your index finger around the guard for a better grip to facilitate extrication. The double guard also allows for leverage for twisting the knife which will create more trauma, cause more blood flow from the wound and make extrication more easily achieved. The two flat areas can also be used in order to choke up on the knife for more detailed cutting in the field.

The balance is as has been with the last two knives I've gotten from Bryan, just forward of the first finger.

 

[Mistwalker]

Today, since the atmospheric conditions were so wonderful....off and on intense storms for the last three days...I thought it a good time to practice some firecrafting. So, grabbing a large piece of Oak bark, a hunk of Fatwood, and some of the Applewood I used to work with the last knife...all three of which had been out in this for three days...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0yNSGe0muE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKHlhCF5XT0

....My knife and a firesteel I made fire. A lot of people wouldn't even try to start a fire with such wet materials but if you know what to look for and how to use it fire here in this temperate rain forest is really not all that difficult to achieve even after days of rain. The key is in the initial prep.


First I made plenty of slivers of fatwood, then shaved off a good bit of fatwood fuz. Then I Split some fatwood into larger slivers and then a few even larger. The initial fire will be nothing but fatwood.

Then taking an apple wood limb that I had already split in half, I split it into very thin pieces that would dry very quickly.

You want to have your kindling all ready and at hand before you spark the tinder.

and as soon as it catches the spark and starts to flame hold the thin fatwood slivers in the flame and gently lay them down as they catch fire.

Once that has started burning good start laying the thinner pieces of wood in the flames and the larger ones beside the flame to be dried by the heat.

 

[Mistwalker]

Soon you will have enough heat that you can lay some larger stuff across the fire to dry.

and once you have a good bed of coals just keep adding more smaller split material and giving the fire oxygen as needed and before long you will have a sustained fire. Once you have a hot enough bed of larger coals just keep rotating the wood taking what has been drying beside the fire and add it to the flames and place more on the side to dry.

This was only a 20 minute fire....but all of this had literally been dripping with water 25 minutes earlier.

 

[Mistwalker]

I haven't done a lot of chopping or any splitting with this one yet but I have cut a few of pieces of bamboo. It is as sharp as I have come to expect from Bryan's knives.

 

[Rockywolf]

I like it. Looks like a tool for many uses.

 

[dawsonbob]

Good one mist, as usual. Good pics, good description, and a good looking knife. Bryan does some really nice work.

 

[TheGame]

Nice review. Thanks for sharing. Top notch blade as well.

 

[Mistwalker]

I like it. Looks like a tool for many uses.

Glad you like it Rocky, that is what I was going for...multifunctionality.

Good one mist, as usual. Good pics, good description, and a good looking knife. Bryan does some really nice work.

Thanks Bob, glad you like the knife. I haven't gotten as many pics of it as I wanted yet but the weather hasn't exactly been the most cooperative lately.

Nice review. Thanks for sharing. Top notch blade as well.

.

Thanks, glad you like the blade design. I knew a knife with a tactical aspect to it wouldn't really be every one's cup of coffee....but I thought it turned out pretty well. I like it a lot.

 

[mtnfolk mike]

great review.. :thumbup: that's a cool looking knife... i like it...

 

[Mistwalker]

Thanks Mike, glad you like it. It may look a bit bulky looking at it in the pictures....and in all honesty probably would be for a dedicated battle blade...however I think it has the most comfortable handle I've ever held or worked with. I can really get an awesome grip on this thing in multiple hand holds.

 

[udtjim]

Very good and useful design. I think you hit it on the head.:thumbup:

 

[Mistwalker]

Thanks Jim, I'm glad you think so. I thought it worked out pretty well. It handles good and I wouldn't have any problems carrying it in either situation.

 

[sicily02]

Hi all,

Mistwalker great pics as always. Your reviews are so full of practical information on the way to use a knife for many if not all the cutting chores ( Yes a axe in a cold place and a longer knife in the jungle would sure make life easyer but for most places a knife will do just fine.) that one might encounter wether in a wilderness or the urban environment.

The slanted internal tang with the choil on this model is very user friendly for chocking up on when wanting to do some cutting on the blade near the beginning of the edge.
Showing the pictures with the different hand holds that you posted really gives the reader the understanding on what you are trying to get across and why they ( the hand holds) can mean so much when using the knife for that it's intended purpose.

I really like the sheath. Having the retaining strap on the side of the knife that is NOT SHARP is one slick deal. I have cut so many reataing straps on the sheaths that I have had in the past, it is not funny.

I also like the way you had the Button Stud screw back instead of them snaps that make noise when you un snap or resnap them shut. That could critical in a situation where STEATH could mean the difference between life and death or noise or no noise. During a day emergency might not be so bad to have a snap on the retaining strap with all the day time noises but at night when sound travels 1100 feet per second that's is another matter.

Also with the snap if you fall into water and it is cold out that snap could freeze shut and make trying to get your knife out of it sheath a real problem when seconds count. Great idea on that too.

Your fire making skills just proves another point. Being able to start one let alone get it going and maintaining it is so important too. Everytime I see a fire thread I always thank of Jack London's story about the guy that could not get a fire started in the winter when he got his leg wet and wanted to dry out his leather shoe but went through all his matches and then died for lack of getting afire going. The thing is we read about this every year that some one dies because they could not get a fire started to stay warm with. Thanks for the fire pics and the detailed info you wrote.

Going to do any Shelter pics in time with your Warthorn hint hint LOL ?

The WARTHORN !!! how did you come up with that name? Very Cool.

Well Mistwalker , I do not think I could say it better than UDTJIM when he said You have hit the nail on the head for this Tactical / Woods knife.

I tell ya mistwalker, if I was heading back into the Marines this is the design I would be taking with me. The Recon and the Combat Recon are neat designs but this Warthorn just has the Tactical knife look, feel and over all dependability of first and foremost a Tool then Weapon when needed for cutting chores.

They say the third times the charm Well with this design you nailed it

Great job on the review and the pictures you posted. This is one of the reasons that I enjoy reading in this part of the Blade Forums so much. With such indeapth information and with the pictures you posted, just really shows with your expereinces in knife usage.

Bryan

 

[Mistwalker]

I forgot to mention the specs on this one...

3/16 0-1 Steel
Convex edged but with a flat area above for a very strong spine...my request
Blade length is 6.5 inches measuring from the top.
Extended tang for batoning...or cracking.
3/8 thick Green canvas micarta handle scales with heavy pins for rough use.
12.5 inches O.A.L.
Mustard Patina, done by me.

 

[sicily02]

I for got to say that patina you put on is kick A$$ LOL.

Bryan

 

[burddogg]

I am really impressed with the design and patina. It's obvious you have a solid understanding of function and Bryan has an uncanny ability to bring ideas to life. Nice tool.

jb

 

[Mistwalker]

I really do like the stud Bryan, good answer for the quetness I requested. You did a great job at bringing this design to life. It feels great in every grip I have tried, and the balance is awesome as always.

Glad you like the pics...I always try to put more information in my threads than just about a knife if I can. I am glad you enjoyed that.

I am glad you like the patina, lol, it isn't exactly what I was going for but I ended up liking it better than what I was trying to do to start with.

As for shelters...I am already in the middle of one shelter project, but I'll get to it in time.

As for the name just scroll back up and re read the first paragraph. I thought it fit well with what I was going for.

 

[Mistwalker]

I am really impressed with the design and patina. It's obvious you have a solid understanding of function and Bryan has an uncanny ability to bring ideas to life. Nice tool.

jb

Thanks, I've done a lot of...studying and research over the years, and Bryan does an excellent job of bringing designs off the paper. I have been very pleased with all of his work.

 

[sicily02]

Hi all, Thanks for the kind comments and Bringing Mistwalkers design to life as you say LOL.

Yep I scrolled back and seen how you came up with the name. Twisted and Spiky, Very Cool.

Well I look forward to the shelter pics when you are able to do them

Take care all,

Bryan

 

[Snake Dr.]

Another Great review MistWalker, I'm liking the WarThorn, Bryan's doing some real nice work on these Knive's, I like the Tactical Style Combat Survival Knive's, They've been used for a Good number of year's by Armed Force's around the World, The Ka-Bar Combat Survival Style Knife has been around since what ? Right before WW II ? I like the concept Tactical/Combat/Survival Look's like a Great Knife, So In the design's you've come up with and Bryan has made them from your design's we have the Recon & the Force Recon and now the WarThorn Correct ?