Emerson La Griffe, Fred Perrin La Griffe, and concealability...

[Flood]

Hi all. I recently got an Emerson La Griffe neck knife(Black-T coated, 154CM steel). I am very pleasantly surprised with the excellent concealability and small "print" that his knife offers while carrying it in its neck sheath.

Although I like the Hawkbill blade shape, I must admit that I quite fancy the spearpoint shape of the custom La Griffe made by Fred Perrin. For those of you who own both or have been able to compare them, I wanted to ask:

1) Does it offer the same concealability and "small print" advantage of the Emerson production version?
2) Is it about the same size or different? (larger or smaller?)
3) Does Perrin (or anyone else) offer it in skeletonized handles? If so, for how much?
4) And finally, if you have a G-10 handle version, can you easily remove the G-10 scales and end up with a comfortable skeletonized handle?

Thank you,

-Flood

 

[Eric Blair]

Hiya Flood. Here's a pic of a few of my Griffes which hopefully will give you a decent size comparison.

Top is my Emerson Griffe
Middle is my Perrin custom Buffalo Horn Bowie Griffe
Bottom is my Perrin Custom 100% G10 Griffe

Fred will make a Griffe to your specs. For a great selection of Griffes, check out the selection at Blade Art; http://www.bladeart.com/artists/fred_perrin/fred_perrin_lagriffe.htm

Larry Brahms, the owner of Blade Art is a great guy to deal with, and he quite possibly has the largest Perrin assortment in this country. Larry can get you whatever kind of custom Perrin you're looking for. You can e-mail him here:
<A HREF="mailto:larry@bladeart.com"</A>
Larry@bladeart.com



[This message has been edited by Eric Blair (edited 06-26-2001).]

 

[Brian C]

To answer your questions...

1) Without scales, yes.
2) The Emerson La Griffe falls just about in the middle, size-wise, between my Key Ring (early model) & Fang La Griffes. (Follow my "toys" link & select Fixed Blades for some pix.)
3) Yes. I believe skeletonized handles are considered standard. I don't want to speculate on price but, obviously, it would be less costly than one with scales.
4) No. At least on the ones I've had, the scales were secured with pins & probably epoxy.

I second Eric's recommendation of Larry at BladeArt for a great selection domestically. As an alternative, you might want to contact Fred directly:

Fred Perrin
7 rue de la Serpette
27120 FAINS
France
Telephone or fax from the US 011-33-1-60-88-41-74

BTW, Fred speaks very good English.



------------------
Cheers,
Brian

He who finishes with the most toys wins.

NOTE: My old PhotoPoint site is no more. Follow the "toys" link to my new site.

 

[Flood]

Thanks so much for your comments, guys. Those were some beautiful pictures, Eric! Love that Bowie La Griffe! And your comments were spot on, bcaffrey. You have both been very helpful so far.

I was actually thinking of getting a custom Bowie La Griffe, and maybe also custom spearpoint La Griffe, but both with skeletonized handles. The thin profile and overall "small print" is very important to me.

However, if you check Larry's BladeArt site, he offers beautiful customs, and he has run out of bowie La Griffes. Also, he doesn't offer skeletonized handled La Griffes except for the G-10 version.

So, NOW I am wondering:

1) Do I contact Larry at BladeArt, Laci Szabo at his website, or Fred Perrin himself for the skeletonized Bowie and/or spearpoint La Griffe?

2) Does the "all G-10 constructed" version of the La Griffe work well as a backup tactical, and even maybe as a utility knife?

Thanks again!

-Flood

 

[Eric Blair]

Flood, yes, contact Larry directly. He can get you the exact Griffe that you're looking for. BTW, Larry and Laci are very good friends, and both of these gentlemen are good friends with Fred.

The all G10 Griffe is somewhat of a specialized piece of equipment. Carry it when you can't carry a knife. Such as? Well, perhaps when flying the friendly skies, or perhaps in a courthouse atmosphere? Of course I'd never do such things. I'm simply being creative.

The G10 is sharp enough for fighting, but wouldn't be much good for utility. It's more of a last ditch weapon. Very effective for it's intended purpose. They're also 100% sterile; no markings whatsoever. Very clandestine and cool. Light as a feather too.
When you talk to Larry, tell him that Eric Blair said that you should ask about a "special deal" on the G10. Larry will fix you right up. Trust me.

------------------
Eric - Usual Suspect
"The best toys are the ones that you can put an eye out with."

 

[Eric Blair]

Flood, here's a few close up pics of my Bowie Griffe. These photos are compliments of Larry @ Blade Art, and these were the pics on his site that convinced me that I had to have this Griffe.

And here's a recent pic that I took of my Bowie Griffe along with my treasured Perrin Custom Bali.

The Perrin custom Bali's are nearly impossible to acquire. I obtained mine from a private collector. Best bali I've ever owned.