Camp Knife Challenge Results!!!!!

Brian, it's been well said already, but a HUGE THANK YOU !
your organization of how to test and how to display results in itself is a big task, let alone the time to do the testing and all the photography involved.
maybe the knifemakers will say "keep the knife buddy, you EARNED it !"
i'm pleased to see Bruce Culberson entered. i bought what i think is the first knife he listed here at BF, a Drop Point Hunter in O1 & Cocobolo. the price was soooo reasonable, i thought i was doing it to support a new knifemaker who is also a fellow B.C.'er. well when i got the knife i was blown away. everything and especially the blade grind seemed(s) perfect to my eye and level of experience and far better than nearly all my more expensive Hunters from well known and esteemed makers. i did post as such but it was entirely subjective and coming from a real non-expert, carried little weight.
so it is great to see my subjective views confirmed by your most excellent review.
Congratulations to you and all the knifemakers !
roland
 
I think you need to post that a fourth time, untamed...... lol.


Thanks for conceiving this whole event, Pit.... you da man!


Rick
 
Awesome review Brian. Thank you for taking your time to do that. It should be submitted and put in a magazine.

Now on to the chopper and small knife challenge.
 
Well, at this point it seems like a dogpile, but I have to comment.

This thread has probably been the most entertaining, informing, and useful thread I have seen here on BF. Just outstanding.

I do get the fun out of waiting for zombie attacks, chopping out of down aircraft, chopping through cinder blocks, etc.

But I really appreciate the time, trouble and effort to post something so useful.

And talk about "fair and balanced"! Wow... you didn't even hurt anyone's feelings! So good for you Brian, and thanks a ton to all the knife makers that so generously (and courageously!!) put themselves into Brian's hands for review.

This thread is just outstanding.

Robert
 
Wow.....just amazing. I second everyone else. Best thread/review/shootout Ive ever read on ANY forum or anwhere for that matter.

Im really impressed at the level of craftsmen we have around here. All the blades are just wonderfull, and unique. Its really interesting to see the differant atributes that bring all these designs together. How something so differant looking can perform so similar.

Not just a great review, but it really gives the reader a great idea of what is expected from a camp knife by seeing so many features compared and tested.

Great job Brian.... Great job Makers! Wonderfull idea Pit.
 
A simple "thanks Brian" from here.

Now if you had just tested the knives I was going to buy. :D
 
Horn Dog said:
This is the most detailed knife comparison review I have ever read (well almost, I still have to go back and read some of it). Brian did an outstanding job and really gave me a feel for the quality of these knives. I am just a hack and use mostly manufactured off the shelf knives and then have to regrind most of them just to make them cut (except for Barkies). Now I am really looking to get one of these fine customs. Thanks for the hard work, Brian. I am embarrassed to even call my comparisons valid after seeing this work. Outstanding!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
Click to expand...

Are you kidding HD? I have always looked up to, and looked forward to all your reviews.

The fact that you take something and make it better in the TWGS is much better than taking something as it is and living with it.

koyote said:
One opinion question: do you think light filework on the dropped edge would have made you feel better with a reverse grip? I've been debating that on several knives for a while.....
Click to expand...

Koyote,

I would have to say, probably not. Here is my thinking.

First, I want to say that I like the curved back nature of your knife and Rick's also shares that a similar feature. But, let me talk about one with a straight back handle for a minute.

In a more straight handle, when you do a reverse grip, there is no "feature" for where your hand should lay. So, for the most part, the underside seems to dictate where your hand rests.

With the curved back style handles, there seems to be a sweet spot where you want to hold that. Now, you need to balance that spot, with what is going on with where the cutting edge starts. Too close to your hand, and it gets a little unnerving.

I personally think balancing out the position of those two points is the real key. If you were to rely on filework, or other spine feature to keep your hand in position, once you start applying pressure, it would become uncomfortable. At least, that is my opinion. Much better to do it through positioning that by forcing it. If that makes any sense......

At least, that is the question I thought you were asking :D If I missed it, let me know and I will try again :D

B
 
I too want to thank Brian for all the effort and for the knife makers who took the challenge. And to Pitdog for thinking this up but that didn’t take too much effort ‘cus he is thinking about knives all the time anyway.

I would like to highlight a few things that Brian said that are particularly important.

Put emphasis on those traits that are most important to you, and the overall ratings may/will change.

Fit and finish costs money. Rays work is stunning and Stomper’s is not that caliber. Ray’s knife costs upwards of twice the price of JK’s. I know as I have several from each maker. Fit and finish may be important in the cabin before the roaring fire, but one cannot tell in the cold and dark when trying to get that fire going or shelter made.

Finally, life’s too short to use an ugly knife. Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder, yours.

In short: get what works for you, looks good to you and you can afford.
 
Brian Andrews said:
A

I would have to say, probably not. Here is my thinking.

First, I want to say that I like the curved back nature of your knife and Rick's also shares that a similar feature. But, let me talk about one with a straight back handle for a minute.

In a more straight handle, when you do a reverse grip, there is no "feature" for where your hand should lay. So, for the most part, the underside seems to dictate where your hand rests.

With the curved back style handles, there seems to be a sweet spot where you want to hold that. Now, you need to balance that spot, with what is going on with where the cutting edge starts. Too close to your hand, and it gets a little unnerving.

I personally think balancing out the position of those two points is the real key. If you were to rely on filework, or other spine feature to keep your hand in position, once you start applying pressure, it would become uncomfortable. At least, that is my opinion. Much better to do it through positioning that by forcing it. If that makes any sense......

At least, that is the question I thought you were asking :D If I missed it, let me know and I will try again :D

B
Click to expand...

Okay, so another 1/4 inch of depth, shortening the blade 1/4 inch at the ricasso end would have nailed it for you?
 
Quite possibly! If you want, why don't you let me hang on to your knife for say....... 3 years and I will let you know more ;)

Seriously, ask away. That was kind of the point of all this. But please, take my "opinion" with a grain of salt.

B
 
I'll keep looking at shots of rick's and mine, since the handle ergos are closest and see. Might be slightly moving the placement of the hump and thumb rise and gentling the cirve a bit would do it. I think the one Rotte has is a bit gentler of a curve.

Thanks- the input is all very valuable.
 
A well executed idea from start to finish. Thanks to all involved for this thread (and related ones). Should serve as a benchmark for all similar threads in the future. For me a lot of info on not only the knives in this thread but how to more intelligently select and review knives I buy.

Did someone say there was going to be another coming along..................?
 
Not only was the review awesome (thanks Brian) but this exchange between the user and the makers is invaluable. This type of thing serves all of us. The makers get feedback on how to make their knives better and some exposure. The rest of us get to benefit from what the makers learn by getting better knives.

Hats off to all involved!
 
koyote said:
I think the one Rotte has is a bit gentler of a curve.
Click to expand...

Looks like mine has a bit more relief with a bit more curve. Works for me anyway. :D

698490153_7sBCx-L.jpg


My version:

698266943_Rw56T-L.jpg
 
If there does end up being another of these threads, I'd love to see some more process shots by the makers. Obviously, no trade secrets.

I think it's cool to see the whole process: concept -> execution -> finished -> real world use
 
Horn Dog said:
This is the most detailed knife comparison review I have ever read (well almost, I still have to go back and read some of it). Brian did an outstanding job and really gave me a feel for the quality of these knives. I am just a hack and use mostly manufactured off the shelf knives and then have to regrind most of them just to make them cut (except for Barkies). Now I am really looking to get one of these fine customs. Thanks for the hard work, Brian. I am embarrassed to even call my comparisons valid after seeing this work. Outstanding!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
Click to expand...

...but a truly splendid hack!:thumbup::D

Don't be embarrassed. I've enjoyed every one of your reviews and will continue to do so.:thumbup::thumbup:
 
Wow this is too cool! Thanks so much Brian for all your hard work and thanks to the makers for their beautiful works. This thread just makes me drool even more.

//Subscribed to for later reference!
 
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