Cohutta vs FiddleBack?

David45

David45

Joined
Oct 27, 2017
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330
I see Andy is selling (promoting?) the Cohutta knives and they look like FiddleBacks to me but that may be due to my lack of sophistication. Can anyone tell me what differences are in construction (other than obvious dimensions or blade shape).
 
Fiddleback Outpost isn't Fiddleback Forge - the outpost is a point of sales from friends of the business who also sell Cohutta.

Outpost is good people.

Looks like Russell @ Cohutta learned a bunch from Andy and adopted much of his style. No idea about the relationship.

If Andy was selling Cohutta I missed it but good on him, he is always helping out other makers and there is room for craftsmen here.
 
Alternate Theory: Andy Roy IS Russel Reese... like Stephen King was Richard Bachman...

I'm liking this theory...

One day Andy wakes up and says... wait a minute, i'm going undercover, and I will launch a knife brand to compete with myself! A mysterious stranger will appear on the scene with gifts of spalting and grind, a trove of shadetree, and a penchant for being miserly and shy...
 
That, or, perhaps, Russell is Andy's evil twin, and Andy is in grave danger. There is no more Fiddleback, there is only Cohutta.
 
...or, Russ is a great guy who makes a hell of a knife who 100% has learned a lot from Andy without being under his direct apprenticeship. I’ll toot his horn because he won’t, Russ is meticulous. It’s truly amazing who is involved with the GA Custom Knife Makers Guild ya’ll. I’d go in a bunker with Russ and his knives are spot on, but if he’s not in Secret Santa by tomorrow I take it all back.
 
Wow. Just looked at the ‘post and those blades are purdy. But handle lamination, spine stamp, handle contours, pin placement, there is an unmistakable similarity.....
 
I or we have perhaps more Coretta knives than anyone here and I can say they are stunning. Not to mention Russell has become a good friend of mine and is one of the best guys you'l ever meet. His quality is amazing. A lot of his inspiration for knife making is none other than Mr, Roy and it shows in some of his work. You won' go wrong with one in your collection. BTW, he likes the thin 3/32" steel, like me and the Outpost has a freaking stunning Bocote 3/32" right now, better get it.

One of Russell's early creations and one of my favs.
https://i.imgur.com/NYSPh8C.jpg
 
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Specifically, can anyone tell me how these fine men heat treat their A2, the resulting hardness and whether any differences result in a difference in performance?
 
Fiddleback A2 is pretty hard and should register on a Rockwell scale at 59-60. Just from grinding on it so much and using it I can tell you that aside from the number it performs well.

I don't know the specifics - based on videos it appears that the blades are quenched in oil and then, presumably, tempered. There is no funny business.
 
That Cohutta Ocoee with bocote wood that the Outpost had is amazing. Who ever picked that one up got one beautiful knife.
 
Russell learned a lot of what he knows about knife making from one of Andy & Dylan's early apprentices. Ron Soloman of Devil Dog Knives. Since then he and Andy have talked a lot and Andy has been helping him learn. His style is very similar to Andy's and he hears about it a lot.
I can understand his situation. If I sit down to draw a knife it ends up looking like a Fiddleback because that's the style I like & I buy.
Russell has actually started working here Part-Time and hopefully will make the jump to Full Time in a little while. In addition, Russell is officially an apprentice at Fiddleback Forge. Andy plans to announce that later this afternoon with lots of other news.

Definitely check out his work! He's a pretty cool dude on top of making super nice knives.
2v2unyH6qxurAoi.jpg
 
Kalsu said:
That Cohutta Ocoee with bocote wood that the Outpost had is amazing. Who ever picked that one up got one beautiful knife.
Click to expand...

That Ocoee was stunning. It was available when i was checking it out this morning and lusting over it. I am a bit partial to Russell's Ocoee model...but as I am the one who suggested the name Ocoee after checking mine out along the Ocoee River valley some months back, I may be a bit biased... Russell is a great guy, and he makes a fine knife. He's not bashful about who all influenced his knife making, he's pretty open about it when you talk to him. I've talked with him a good bit trying to explain subtle ways he could use the influences he has learned and still make his models his own, and more like homages than copies of FF models. I love the Ocoee I have. I see the Andy Roy influences to be sure, but it's definitely not directly like any Fiddleback model I've used so far. The handle and especially the pommel have a different shape, and the blade profile, size, and shape, as well as overall size and shape set it appart. He sees the Ocoee as being somewhat like a mini Woodlore, which he likes the Woodlore, and I can see Alan Wood's influences in that design, but once again without it being a copy.

I think these two knives, the top being one of Andy's Lonestar EDC models and the bottom one being one of Russell's early Ocoee models, may be able to illustrate much of what I am trying to say about their differences in style and expression without the use of too many more words. Yes, Russell's style is a bit like Andy's in some areas, as could also be said about any number of knife makers. There are reasons for that. For one Andy influenced Russell. On top of that there are only so many ways a fixed blade knife can be varied and still function well and do so comfortably. But as always, Andy has a knack for expressing himself in his art in some pretty intense ways that few, if any others at all, do. That common ground was what drew me to his work to begin with because it is what set him apart from the crowd to begin with, and i suspect it will continue to set him apart for some time to come.

20171130_231848.jpg
 
I grabbed that Ocoee first thing early this morning. I saw it earlier and actually considered it when it was first posted and was surprised it was still there today, but couldn't stand it any longer!!! At first I was thinking maybe I would prefer to wait for a TT but its already 3/32 so wouldn't change the feel much and that was just more for cosmetic reasons really. Mistwalker Mistwalker I am glad to hear that you like it and the story behind the name, ...I was wondering? Bmurray Bmurray had mentioned to me something about Russell Reece quite a while ago and was familiar and impressed with his work and him as a person. I have been watching him on Instagram and seen several posts and comments since then, so can't wait to get it in hand. Even if a knife looks similar to Andy's style, I often notice that every maker has tendencies in their particular style that I sometimes "feel" much more than I see in a picture, so this will be interesting!

mistwalker said:
That Ocoee was stunning. It was available when i was checking it out this morning and lusting over it. I am a bit partial to Russell's Ocoee model...but as I am the one who suggested the name Ocoee after checking mine out along the Ocoee River valley some months back, I may be a bit biased... Russell is a great guy, and he makes a fine knife. He's not bashful about who all influenced his knife making, he's pretty open about it when you talk to him. I've talked with him a good bit trying to explain subtle ways he could use the influences he has learned and still make his models his own, and more like homages than copies of FF models. I love the Ocoee I have. I see the Andy Roy influences to be sure, but it's definitely not directly like any Fiddleback model I've used so far. The handle and especially the pommel have a different shape, and the blade profile, size, and shape, as well as overall size and shape set it appart. He sees the Ocoee as being somewhat like a mini Woodlore, which he likes the Woodlore, and I can see Alan Wood's influences in that design, but once again without it being a copy.

I think these two knives, the top being one of Andy's Lonestar EDC models and the bottom one being one of Russell's early Ocoee models, may be able to illustrate much of what I am trying to say about their differences in style and expression without the use of too many more words. Yes, Russell's style is a bit like Andy's in some areas, as could also be said about any number of knife makers. There are reasons for that. For one Andy influenced Russell. On top of that there are only so many ways a fixed blade knife can be varied and still function well and do so comfortably. But as always, Andy has a knack for expressing himself in his art in some pretty intense ways that few, if any others at all, do. That common ground was what drew me to his work to begin with because it is what set him apart from the crowd to begin with, and i suspect it will continue to set him apart for some time to come.
Click to expand...
 
Panthera tigris said:
Alternate Theory: Andy Roy IS Russel Reese... like Stephen King was Richard Bachman...

I'm liking this theory...

One day Andy wakes up and says... wait a minute, i'm going undercover, and I will launch a knife brand to compete with myself! A mysterious stranger will appear on the scene with gifts of spalting and grind, a trove of shadetree, and a penchant for being miserly and shy...
Click to expand...

No. Andy Roy is actually......... Liza Manelli. :)
 
MTBmonkey said:
I grabbed that Ocoee first thing early this morning.
Click to expand...

Nice score, I bet you'll like it. I agree that with the 3/32 there wouldn't be a lot of difference in feel, nor even all that much in looks with a tapered tang. I hope Russell doesn't take this wrong, one difference is that...in my opinion from what I have seen so far anyway, I haven't known Russell near as long as I've known Andy. He is not as complex or complicated as Andy is personality wise and in an artistic sense (not many people are) and that shows up in the more peaceful nature of his work. Yet he is just as driven to produce great looking, great feeling, and great performing cutting tools and that very much shows in his work as well.
 
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