Camp Nessie / WAS Kodiak Round Up

[prom52]

Believe it or not even our knives enjoy taking a little vacation to explore new & exciting places. Thanks to the generosity of one of my fellow forum buddies Comprehensivist, I was provided an opportunity to get a first hand feel for a Fiddleback Camp Nessie, and a chance to compare it to my own WAS Kodiak.

Following the same format that Comprehensivist outlined in his post of 11.20.14 #64 in the Models, Tang Types, Steel Thickness, Weights thread here are the technical specs for both knives:

Camp Nessie:

FF Lot Info: 2013 0823 012
OAL: 9.500"
Blade Length: 4.290"
Handle Length: 5.210"
Steel & Thickness: 5/32" O-1 Tool Steel
Tang Type: Tapered
Grind: Convex
Handle Material: Sapphire Blue Burlap from Shadetree on black canvas liners and bolsters
Weight (oz.): 7.6 ounces
Blade Height @ Ricasso: 1.425" (Note: Widens to 1.610” high @ 1.940” from tip.)
Handle Width @ Palmswell: .850"
Handle Height @ Palm swell: 1.180"
Circumference @ Palm swell: 3.570”
Distance Front of Handle to Palm swell: 2.170”
Balance Point: Right at Front Pins

WAS Kodiak:

WAS Lot Info: 2014
OAL: 9.812"
Blade Length: 4.625"
Handle Length: 5.250"
Steel & Thickness: 5/32" CPM 154 Stainless
Tang Type: Tapered
Grind: Hollow
Handle Material: Black Box Elder Burl on black g10 liners w/ blue g10 p/s
Weight (oz.): 7.1 ounces
Blade Height @ Ricasso: 1.437" (Note: Widens to 1.1.562” high @ 1.940” from tip.)
Handle Width @ Palm swell: .750"
Handle Height @ Palm swell: 1.250"
Circumference @ Palm swell: 3.250”
Distance Front of Handle to Palm swell: 2.180”
Balance Point: Right at Front Pins

While both these knives are beautifully balanced and share similar DNA being variations on a Nessmuk theme, there are some subtle differences:

Aside form the materials used to craft these knives & the grind, perhaps the most significant difference is in the way the handles are shaped. I believe the handle of the Kodiak is very similar if not identical to the ever popular WAS Bison, while the handle of the Camp Nessie is unique from any other Fiddleback, and offers a comfortable choke-down grip when used for chopping or shelter building. The Camp Nessie is also guard-less which allows for additional versatility when prepping food at the camp site.

Handle contours of the Kodiak:

Handle contours of the Camp Nessie:

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The handle on the Kodiak is somewhat flatter & wider than the Camp Nessie. When held in a pinch point hold, the Kodiak feels more positive due to the deeper contours around 3/4" from the leading edge of the handle. The "quillon style" flaring of the Kodiak handle provides additional security in a reverse grip or fist clenched forward grip. As mentioned above, the handle extension of the Camp Nessie allows for the hand to choke down more comfortably to gain leverage when chopping. It also tends to fill the hand due to its greater circumference at the palm swell.

I was fortunate in being able to shark one of Allen's Kodiak's particularly since some of our camping is done in coastal areas where the higher humidity & proximity to salt water favors the use of CPM-154 steel, not to mention being beautifully tapered. That being said, I plan to keep Andy's Camp Nessie on the top of my acquisition list given it's classic styling and comfortable handle ergos.

For now, my Guard Owl is keeping a close watch on both till it comes time to box up the Camp Nessie and send it back to its home out west.

A special thanks to the both Andy & Allen for making these fine tools, and to my good friend Phil for his generosity in allowing for this transcontinental comparison.

Peter

 

[Taja]

thanks a lot I was wondering the difference and could not find comparison articles
but... it does not eliminate the choice to have both

could you also place this info to
Thread: Models, Tang-Types, Steel Thicknesses, & Weights
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...s-amp-Weights?highlight=fiddleback+comparison
that everything was at the same place?

 

[prom52]

thanks a lot I was wondering the difference and could not find comparison articles
but... it does not eliminate the choice to have both

could you also place this info to
Thread: Models, Tang-Types, Steel Thicknesses, & Weights
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...s-amp-Weights?highlight=fiddleback+comparison
that everything was at the same place?

Taja:

I do believe you are correct this being the first time anyone has compared these two knives. Given their similarity I thought a comparison would be meaningful. I purposefully didn't put the information in the M, TT, S, T & W thread because that is a dedicated Fiddleback thread. To date I haven't seen one done for WAS knives. If it ever were, then that would belong on Allen's dedicated sub-forum.

I like you're thinking about owning both......that's my plan if I'm ever quick enough to shark a Camp Nessie.

Peter

 

[newyork]

Infreakingcredible.

 

[FeralGentleman]

Great to see the comparison photos. While I do own a Kodiak, the Camp Nessie is one that continues to elude me. That black bolster/burlap is about as perfect as one can get from my perspective - I hope to snag something similar one of these days.

 

[Uncle_P]

Peter, thanks for this comparison write up. Love the pics as well.
Very well done comparison.

Preston

 

[hasco]

Great write up Peter! The kodiak looks very nice. The camp nessie is a great knife for many things. I find it is not as curvy as the regular nessie or pointy like a kephart or woodsman. What it lacks in flash, it makes up for in work performance. It can get the job done. A camp nessie in cpm154 would be very cool.

Thanks for the excellent post.

I especially love the owl watching out for the two knives.

Tod

 

[Kirkwood]

Peter, your Kodiak is freaking me out. I swear there's an old man face staring at me from that knot in the middle of the handle. Or maybe it's an Ewok.

Silliness aside, this is great! I've been intrigued by the Kodiak lately, especially seeing some with a flat grind and/or guardless. This comparison info is really helpful as I have handled a couple camp nessies.

 

[Comprehensivist]

Hey Peter,

I was hoping that you would post a comparison review of these two knives. You really nailed it describing the similarities and differences between them. I appreciate the side by side pictures that show the relative scale of these two models to each other. I think a lot of people have been waiting to see a picture of these two models together. That visual reference is more meaningful to me than a stand alone knife photo with the measurement specs posted.

Your Kodiak is a primo example of that model. I like the fact that it is stainless with very nice hammer texturing on the flats. I'll defer to the Mystic Seer Kris to enlighten us on what face is staring at us out of that beautiful wood. All I know is that is a great looking knife. I agree with your observations that it would be a little more versatile if it was guardless and maybe had a little less angled flare at the pommel end. But hey, that is really part of Allen's signature style that makes it easily identifiable as a WAS knife.

As Tod ("hasco") stated, I would really like to have a tapered CPM 154 Camp Nessie with a burlap or synthetic handle as the perfect all weather camp knife. That, along with a CPM Padre, are my two dream Fiddlebacks that I hope to get someday (like maybe at the Blade Show - "hint hint.")

It is one of the great Fiddleback Forge mysteries to me how Andy and Allen work in the same shop, yet Allen makes many large tapered stainless knives and Andy makes so few. I think the demand is definitely there for some tapered CPM Camp Nessies, Woodsmans, Dukes, Padres, etc. if they were offered. Maybe if enough of us chime in, it will happen.

Thanks again for a great review Peter. I thoroughly enjoyed your write-up and photos. Well done my friend!

Phil

 

[NUTRAMAC]

Peter,
Thank you for the comparison . These two models are keepers in my book!
I will have to do a review of my new guard-less kodiak. Raises the bar for sure

 

[prom52]

Thanks for your comments guys. This was my first knife review on this forum, needless to say I was a little nervous given that many of our fellow sharks have set the bar quite high. I also have a deeper appreciation for the amount of time it takes to pull one of these together. Kudos to all !

Ok, lets see if I can freak Kris out a little more......based on this photographic evidence it would appear that Allen has indeed released the spirit of some type of mystical being within the handle of this knife.

Given the ever present demand for the Camp Nessie I would agree that Andy could easily bump the production of this model with little risk of them going unsold. Mix in some CPM-154 and a tapered tang here & there and we would achieve epic status.

It's cool to see that Allen is mixing things up a bit and offering a variety of features on the Kodiak. By all means, it would be great to hear & see more about the guard-less & flat ground versions of this knife.

Peter

 

[Kirkwood]

There's just something funny about the handle on that Kodiak. Combine that with the mystery, as Phil noted, around how Allen makes so many large, tapered SS knives and Andy makes so few, I can reach only one conclusion... ALLEN'S A WITCH!!!

 

[prom52]

There's just something funny about the handle on that Kodiak. Combine that with the mystery, as Phil noted, around how Allen makes so many large, tapered SS knives and Andy makes so few, I can reach only one conclusion... ALLEN'S A WITCH!!!

I'd rather give him the benefit of the doubt on his gender and say he's a Warlock

 

[LavaWood]

Ew0k...

Thanks for your comments guys. This was my first knife review on this forum, needless to say I was a little nervous given that many of our fellow sharks have set the bar quite high. I also have a deeper appreciation for the amount of time it takes to pull one of these together. Kudos to all !

Ok, lets see if I can freak Kris out a little more......based on this photographic evidence it would appear that Allen has indeed released the spirit of some type of mystical being within the handle of this knife.

Given the ever present demand for the Camp Nessie I would agree that Andy could easily bump the production of this model with little risk of them going unsold. Mix in some CPM-154 and a tapered tang here & there and we would achieve epic status.

It's cool to see that Allen is mixing things up a bit and offering a variety of features on the Kodiak. By all means, it would be great to hear & see more about the guard-less & flat ground versions of this knife.

Peter

 

[thurin]

There's just something funny about the handle on that Kodiak. Combine that with the mystery, as Phil noted, around how Allen makes so many large, tapered SS knives and Andy makes so few, I can reach only one conclusion... ALLEN'S A WITCH!!!

There are ways of telling if Allen's a witch. Shall we throw him into the pond?

 

[Hone]

There are ways of telling if Allen's a witch. Shall we throw him into the pond?

Logically, if he weighs the same as a duck then he must be made of wood, and therefore, he's a witch.