Cherokee Rose... :-)

Carter Leffen

Carter Leffen

Joined
Sep 21, 2005
Messages
105
Hi All,

Been away again, taking care of my brother down in Maryland. No computer access, so it's been a while away from normal folks...

While away, I was blessed by Mrs. Martino with one of Kami Bura's Cherokee Rose's. WOW!!! Imagine a Bowie Knife mating with a short sword, and there you have it!!!

Don't get me wrong- I'm a collector and rabid fan of Angus Trim's fine work, as well as that of Arik Estus. Steel in large proportions is BEAUTIFUL! So are the works of H.I. and it's Kamis...

I used to collect Bowie knives, until I got "hooked" on H.I. Khukuris. Now, well, it seems like I've found a home for the biggest Bowie knife I've ever seen! As Gus says, "What goes around, comes around..." Yea, verily, and with interest!

Balance for such a big bladed "knife" is superb. I'm not a "flourishing" kind of guy- "slice, dice, and julienne fry," an unqualified YES!!! "Flourishing?" Nah...

Well, that was until I started to do some of the drills in LTC Dwight McLemmore's books on Bowie and Big Knife Fighting... Dad-gum! Talk about a surprise!!!

As you'd expect, the weight is well forward on this VERY sharp blade... The handle is slender, but long, well carved in relief, giving great presence and confidence in the grip. Passes are swift, and care must be maintained NOT to get carried away on the follow through. Reverses are possible, but will not be as graceful as with a 13" bladed Bowie... Think of this blade as UBER BOWIE, or Son of Scimitar... Comparison with a Roman short sword isn't really inapproprite. Workable? Functional? Combat capable? Yes. With the above caveats. B-I-G, S-L-O-W blades don't stop or turn quickly.

In conjunction with my Arms and Armor English Buckler, it will be a great pair for defense in my home at night... ;)

Please let me know what you think about YOUR Cherokee Rose's, and what possible role they might play in the uncertain future...

Regards,

Carter
 
I love my Rose. I know it's a shocker (and it took about 2 years to do it), but it finally displaced my AK bowie as my go to knife. Big and broad and beautiful, this wonderful knife will cleave with the best of them. It's my bump in the night blade. I really would like to see a slightly shorter version to be more packable. I have to say, though, there is something about taping 3 pool noodles together and slicing them cleanly to ground in one stroke that makes me grin ear to ear. I could only imagine what this vixen could do in the hands of someone who actually knew how to use her;)

Jake
 
That's about as good a thread hook as I've ever seen, and I've tied a few of them myself. Cherokee Rose?

STory goes back a little ways...The Rose is beautiful by knife standards, or even museum standards, but had no place in my utilitarian world. The Rose is also slightly closer than comfortable to over-done, the lines exagerated to the point where an argument could be made the designer was making fools out of knife lovers. Cartoonish? Not far from it.

The solid build of the blade puts the cartoon allusion to rest. This is a tangible, real tool. It was made by persons who undertand, and though this design is not native to their culture, the Kamis put integrity and seriousness into what in other hands could be a Soldier of Fortune pretender.

My connection to the Rose started that way; I looked at it from the theatre, I saw the exagerated lines and sweep of the form. Yeah, there's some fun and silliness there. I imagined a sand bank, and the words of a trapper in the movie Lonesome Dove; By God, life's cheap out here on the Brazos."

(paraphrased) I repeated this line and had a good old fashioned soul chuckle. Not to harm anyone, just to celebrate life. Yes, the knife could do the things the design intended, but still.....

And then one day a person I respect imensely wanted me to have a Rose, and made a very generous offer. There was the completion of a loop here, the end of the story. He should hold what he's been tickled by. And I did.

You know what? The damn blade has sat by my bed many times, pulling sentinal emergency response duty. There's no question in my mind that in a dark hallway of my house, the Rose's proportions are idealy suited to serve and protect my family.

The Rose came to mean friendship to me, and out of the fun of the world, meant something substancial and trustworthy. I can depend upon the Rose in a crisis.

Only my best friends get the same sentence written of them.


munk
 
Sure they did, maybe you didn't recognize them at the time.

You already know you've a spot in the munk compound should the nukes start flying at the end of the world.


munk
 
munk said:
You already know you've a spot in the munk compound should the nukes start flying at the end of the world.


munk
Click to expand...

I hope I don't have to wait that long... Thanks, pal.:D
 
Folks like you that much Brian...Roses are just hard to come by.
 
Life's cheap out here in the Brazos. You can not only lose your life to a scum bucket for a trivial matter, but you lose stuff too. Probably got a lot of Bowies under the sand. Lot of skeletons too.


Now do you remember? All that talk of zombies, undead, and the Brazos?


munk
 
Awesome review. Another I do not have and lust for. Sweet.
 
Gentlemen,

Steely_Gunz and Munk say it best, with an eloquence that cannot be denied... "The Vixen," (thanks Steely_Gunz!)my Cherokee Rose, in just a short time, became my "go-to" blade as well. Frankly, I was bowled over by her heft, balance, and ferocious dimensions. Munk's review was "spot-on."

Gents, I may have to order another Cherokee Rose- to retire my Chiruwa Ang Khola ("Gunga Din") that has always been with me when hiking, or otherwise being out and about in the outdoors... True, the Khuk is quite versatile, but there's something *SPECIAL* about "The Vixen." She has an aura of authority and presence that we Westerners instantly recognize as being "home" inspired... I wonder if Jim Bowie wouldn't have rather had a Cherokee Rose, himself... That fight on the riverbar might have gone better for him then... Might not have got himself stuck with that sneaky swordcane... ;-)

Outside of bows/arrows, swords, dirks, and firearms, "The Vixen" is now my favorite form of "functional art." I really love Munk's , "By God, life's cheap out here on the Brazos." That can't be topped, but to it can be added, from the second Crocodile Dundee movie, "You call that a knife? Nah, mate, THIS is a KNIFE!"

Have a great day, Gents. From where I sit, "The Vixen" and I are good to go...

Regards,

Carter

P.S. Gentlemen, you're ALL more than worthy to ride the river with... cfl
 
Carter,
There would no finer blade for Crocodile Dundee to pull out than the C R.

When I'm out hiking I usually take a khuk for self defense from bad two legged animals and Cougars. You have to figure any blow landed by a khuk anywhere on Kitty's body would solve your problem.

My hat's off to the Rose, though, because if you wanted to eviscerate Kitty, I mean just come on out and disembowel him, the Cherokee Rose gets the nod, heh?


munk
 
Carter Leffen said:
Hi All,

\In conjunction with my Arms and Armor English Buckler, it will be a great pair for defense in my home at night... ;)

Carter
Click to expand...

Not to sidetrack but what do you think of your buckler? Do you have anything else by A&A?
 
Being a big fan of the Scagel style knives, I believe it was Yvsa who came up with this idea and the design for Uncle Bill. I am always amazed when I hold mine how well they balance. I was fortunate enough to get my satisal one hand sharpened by Yvsa at the SWKK, and it is still the sharpest HI knife I own. Nasty had some great pics of Yvsa posing with it that were pretty scary. (If I had seen Yvsa holding that big ole knife and looking that way 150 years ago I would have probably shot at him! :D)

I "decorated" that one by cutting off some .45 Colt and .444 Marlin cartridge heads and inletting them on each side of the handle. Should have made them higher on the handle to be the "eye" to compliment the handle nose, if you know what I mean (see the Crow knife and yin/yang eyes), but they still look good and add something personal to the plain handle.

On some of the ones made a couple years ago Bura did not make quite enough space (either by lengthening the guard or narrowing the root of the handle) for the index finger between the handle and the lower guard, so when the guard curves in it can pinch your finger. There ideally should be enough space between the handle and the bump in the guard for your index finger to rest. I sanded down my handle a bit to get this fit. On a later carved handle rose there was both a longer guard and a narrower handle at the start of the tang so it wasn't an issue, and I'm pretty sure they are all coming this way now.

Nasty had a better pic of him posing, but here's Yvsa in action with the knife he designed (got it from Rio Jim's neat website.) He's using the one he sharpened for me, and as you can see, cut that water filled bottle clean in two. Wet, but fun. :D

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Norm
 

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Norm, my Tarwar is definately the grey Neem. (The Grey Neem sounds like a elite force... I may stick that in a book if and when I try SF again)

The many faces of Neem.

And a further sub group here at HI....



munk
 
TEDWCA,

My only gear from A&A is my English Buckler, at least at this date. My swords are all from Angus Trim, and my Scots knives from Arik Estus... As to the buckler, it's truly outstanding... Quality, balance, and weight are "just right." Originally, I got it to accompany my AT1542, but have "retired" it in favor of the Cherokee Rose, "The Vixen." Ease of parry, thrust (as in the world's biggest "brass knuckles"), and masking device (for either blade or handgun), is superb... For offense or defense, the A&A #129 English Buckler (http://www.armor.com/2000/catalog/item129.html) is one of the best "investments" I've made in recent years... I have several go-kits ready at all times. At least one is always in my car at all times. The A&A English Buckler is ALWAYS part of any go-kit that I daily judge to be potentially necessary. Currently it, and the Vixen, are accompanying one of my Black Widow longbows, two all-up quivers of Black Mamba and Gold Tip arrows tipped by Zwickey 160gr. Eskimos, extra strings, nocking points, wax, ect... If the dark smelly stuff hits the oscillating, rotary impellor, and things get messy, stealth will be a better choice, rather than advertising my presence anywhere... Oh, and a gunners mate chief once told me- "NEVER hit anybody in the head with your fist. Use something that's balanced and HARD..." As usuall, the Chief was correct, hence my buckler...

A&A has a great reputation for quality. My friends that do reenacting swear by the firm...

Regards,

Carter
 
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