Designs and Variations from a Wilderness skills perspective

Mistwalker

Mistwalker

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Dec 22, 2007
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OK...I have a quick question. Now...first off bear in mind that it is not the intention of this thread to discuss; propriety, ethics, morals, rights, copyrights, steel quality, or any other issues pertaining to one company versus another...I think those issues have all been discussed ad nauseam, most people's opinions have been expressed on this matter, and I would really like to avoid carrying that further. The question is one of a design nature.

My question is as follows and pertains to below pictured knife,in which I think most of us can easily see the origin of the design. Since the design was to be used anyway, how many would have considered it an over-all improvement to the design...making it a more useful tool in a bushcraft or "survival" situation... to have just left off the "serrations" all together rather than making an even less functional variation of the originals (which I personally don't like any more than I like these)?

PICT0303.jpg
 
I would have to say leaving a plain edge on that knife would definitely be an improvement to that design. I can see that basic profile being extremely useful withought the serrations, though I could take or leave the finger grooves, also. However, for my uses the serrations pretty much destroy any possibility of usefulness, attractiveness, or purchase. I would be all over the same knife (design) w/out serrations and with a higher grind.
 
i am not a fan of serrations, but i do recognixe their usfulness. however, the serrations on this apear to be too deep, if that makes sense. also, i dont remember if the original had the finger grooves, but i would think that they would limit the number of ways one could grip the knife. just my opinion though.
 
I'm a little slow and find the verbage a little dizzying, no offense I really just have a short attention span..It sounds like your asking would the Knife be more useful without serrations? in relation to bushcraft and wilderness use I would whole heartedly agree with that statement..I personally also don't like the design of the knife at all for any prolonged bushcraft activity. Politics aside as I don't pay much attention to them anyway I will say that it looks more like a tactical (mall ninja) piece than bushcraft knife..But that is just my opinion no offense to the owner...
 
I agree with Riley in that it definitely does lean in the tacticool direction.
You might get a few oohs and aahs when you first whip it out but at the end of the day it doesn't really seem to be a useful design IMO.

Those serrations do look useless to me.
 
Those serrations don't appeal to me at all. Either do the finger grooves, exposed tang, thumb ramp, choil, pointy guard, and grind.(is that a hollow grind?) I can live with out the swedge also.
 
First impression without ever having used such an animal and knowing what I know, as relates to the woods I'm used to bumming around in?

::deep breath::

Junk.
The useless kind.
I have no idea what the prior design was (I'm guessing you mean they imitated somebody else, going from that one CRK looking knife they did). So you're getting a fully sterile opinion.
Serrations of that type are good for one thing: nothing.

They won't saw notches for shit. As deep as they are they make several weak points where a break can occur. The swedge is pretty, but useless. The micarta slabs are smaller than the tang, which means your hands would hurt like hell after a lot of use (probably in the crotch of your palm and the inside bends of your fingers)--blister city, pressure bruise city. Those wide spaced traction grooves would be murder on the part of the hand between the thumb and forefinger. Chopping with that for any length of time would make you pray for death...and after you crippled both hands, it'd more than likely come.

Drop the "serrations", that half-assed choil looking thing, make a plain edge that covers all the space they've wasted with that crap. Micarta slabs are good, especially ones with some kind of grooves in them, but make them as wide as the tang.

That's about all I can find functionally wrong.
 
tonym said:
Those serrations don't appeal to me at all. Either do the finger grooves, exposed tang, thumb ramp, choil, pointy guard, and grind.(is that a hollow grind?) I can live with out the swedge also.
Click to expand...

I understand the finger grooves...the original design is after all a tactical knife and finger grooves are great for grip if you are wearing gloves or if the handle gets muddy or bloody. Also I do tend to like choils for detail work. However I've always thought it would be a mistake on my part to carry a knife into a combat zone that functioned well as a weapon but in turn functioned poorly in a bushcraft or survival situation. After all who, with the possible exception of a combat pilot, is more likely to find their self in a "survival" situation than an infantry soldier.

I just think those particular serrations are much too deep, and have too many flat areas included to be very functional even in a tactical environment.. and that has been my experience with the so far, other than the serrations I like the over-all design, buts as stated previously in other places I have an affinity for tactical knives.

To me serrations of any kind pretty much negate the reasons for having a choil and make the knife of limited value in a bushcraft environment.
 
It looks like a Chris Reeve Green Beret Knock-off to me, probably more durable than an actual Chris Reeve though, lol !!!!

As for serrations I recently had serious problems going through some large section heavy duty rope with most of my knives, I finished up using the little serrated blade on my Vic Swiss Spirit and it sailed through like a hot knife through butter ! This goes to show that serrations definitely can have a place but as someone already mentioned those on that knife look a little too large to work ?
 
I'd like it if A. No serrations, B. No finger grooves/choil and C. Higher grind.

If all of that were integrated into that, I could see myself using it to some fashion.
 
Mistwalker those are the strangest serrations i've ever seen.
Personally i avoid buying/using knives with serrations, and usually avoid knives with finger-grooves.
I don't see those serrations as adding anything in terms of functionality.
And aesthetically they don't help either.
Do they actually work?
 
I don't like this design for bushcraft. Here is why:

1. Serrations on a Bushcraft knife are a waste of the most important part of the edge. Right by your fist where you can get the most force for notching.
2. This is hollow ground, which I think is pointless for a bushcraft knife.
3. The finger grooves limit you to one grip.
4. The huge ricasso moves the edge away from your grip, see # 1.


No offense intended. JMHO.
 
Fiddleback said:
I don't like this design for bushcraft. Here is why:

1. Serrations on a Bushcraft knife are a waste of the most important part of the edge. Right by your fist where you can get the most force for notching.
2. This is hollow ground, which I think is pointless for a bushcraft knife.
3. The finger grooves limit you to one grip.
4. The huge ricasso moves the edge away from your grip, see # 1.


No offense intended. JMHO.
Click to expand...

this sums my opinion up also...

imo, there are LOTSA things about that particular knife i personaly do not care for for bushcraftiness...
 
Fiddleback said:
I don't like this design for bushcraft. Here is why:

1. Serrations on a Bushcraft knife are a waste of the most important part of the edge. Right by your fist where you can get the most force for notching.
2. This is hollow ground, which I think is pointless for a bushcraft knife.
3. The finger grooves limit you to one grip.
4. The huge ricasso moves the edge away from your grip, see # 1.


No offense intended. JMHO.
Click to expand...

Well put Fiddleback :thumbup:

I'd also get rid of the Thumb ramp (if that's what it is) and lower guard. Personally I don't like guards on knives I'm intending to use for bushcraft.



Kind regards
Mick
 
tonym said:
Those serrations don't appeal to me at all. Either do the finger grooves, exposed tang, thumb ramp, choil, pointy guard, and grind.(is that a hollow grind?) I can live with out the swedge also.
Click to expand...

You took the words (all of them Tony!) right out of my fingers :D
 
tonym said:
Those serrations don't appeal to me at all. Either do the finger grooves, exposed tang, thumb ramp, choil, pointy guard, and grind.(is that a hollow grind?) I can live with out the swedge also.
Click to expand...

Ditto what Tony said:thumbup::thumbdn:
 
tholiver said:
Do they actually work?
Click to expand...

As of yet? .....no. To me they are the bane of this knife. I could change pretty much anything else about the knife that I don't like. I could shrink the lower guard, make the thumb ramp less pointy if I want. I can easily grind of the part of the handle scales around the lanyard hole that dig into my hand when I chop with a rearward grip (other that these.....serrations that's the only thing that actually annoys me), and I could round over the swedge as it is easier to remove things in most cases than add them...but that rule doesn't apply to serrations and so far the only idea I've come up with is to use a chainsaw file and make the serrations at least functional...I think they are just to deeply ground to remove.
 
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