Cliff Canoe Knife for the Wilderness?

Q

Quirt

Joined
Oct 10, 2005
Messages
1,030
Okay so my son surprises me last night with a custom Cliff Canoe Knife from Mike & Deb Mann at Idaho Knife Works. Mike tried talking me into one of these about three years ago and me being a traditionalist, conservative, tight-wade, who rarely changes what "works for me" - 'phoo phoo'd' it off and respectfully declined.

Well, my son visited with Mike at a recent Knife Show and thought this would be the cat's meow for his old man who likes to live and work in the wild.

So I have the knife, it is a gem...and I've been wearing it all day. But the jury is still out. I'll leave tonight for a few days living in the wild and we'll see how it performs.

Anyone own one? Know anything about them? I have yet to see anything on the forums about this knife...other than a quick search which yielded really old posts from 1999 to 2005 on other sub forums but nothing in this forum. What do you guys know about this blade? How is it working, not working?

Just curious if anyone has any history or experience using this knife.
 
Steven Dick wrote an article for TK several years ago, which followed a new version of the Cliff knife from another maker. He covered the Gerber original, and the Mann custom version of the Gerber model, but the bulk of the article was written about the new makers version. The canoeist/scientist that designed it, his main priority was that it "get deep inside the peanut butter jar".
 
Get deep inside a peanut butter jar? Serious? Okay...we'll I'm not traveling by canoe and do not pack PB so I guess I'll need to find out myself if this knife can whittle a fireboard, shape a bow, create a drill, produce primative snares, filet a fish, gut a buck, scrape a hide, produce a pair of snow shoes and other mundane and sundry wilderness related tasks - other than reach inside a PB jar. I also read in an earlier thread the designer "diss" some folks with his across the bow cheap shot at larger blades and being a cowboy. Geez.

I'm not really concerned about all the actual or percieved baggage assocated with the original designer I'm just curious if others are using it as I've not heard much about it. Now I think I know why and unfortunately it has little to do with design, or its capablities or lack thereof.
 
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Quirt said:
Get deep inside a peanut butter jar? Serious? Okay...we'll I'm not traveling by canoe and do not pack PB so I guess I'll need to find out myself if this knife can whittle a fireboard, shape a bow, create a drill, produce primative snares, filet a fish, gut a buck, scrape a hide, produce a pair of snow shoes and other mundane and sundry wilderness related tasks - other than reach inside a PB jar.
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Peanut butter is a staple for backpackers. Even Tradja here on the forums said that on his PCT trek that one of the criteria was to reach the bottom of the jar. It has a high calorie to weight ratio and is a protein that doesn't readily spoil. As far as the knife goes I've never used it but after using several knives from customs to POS's I can't see any knife NOT working for what you listed. It's just up to you if you like using it or not.
 
By reading and looking at the description of it on the IKW website, it looks capable enough. I personally prefer a drop instead of a trailing point but own and use both. Hell, I would be more than happy if someone gave one to me.
 
jw2n said:
By reading and looking at the description of it on the IKW website, it looks capable enough. I personally prefer a drop instead of a trailing point but own and use both. Hell, I would be more than happy if someone gave one to me.
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jw, that is my thought exactly. It was very gracious of him to do this for me! I'm humbled and honored. Would this be something I'd order for myself - obviously not. But I will use the snot out of it and by the time he inherits the knife it will be extremely well used! Anyway, I'm more biased toward a drop point as well because when my hands are cold and shaking and I'm preparing a critter, elk, or what have you the last thing I need is to eviscerate a bowel! I can make this work, I just need invest some hours into it.

Shotgun, I read you loud and clear on PB. I didn't fully explain myself in my earlier post...what I meant to say is I didn't carry a jar of PB as it I just don't have a lot of use for a jar, plastic or otherwise in my kit. I often take PB with me on my treks but use a different delivery system which doesn't require the use of a blade or stick to reach it.
 
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