- Joined
- Oct 11, 2001
- Messages
- 475
This is my first review and my knife knowledge is still in the infant stages. Please be gentle and patient. (Wow, why do I suddenly feel like I'm talking to my first prostitute?)
I recently got back from a five-day camping trip to New Mexico and FINALLY got the chance to put my knives through more stressful paces than apples and cardboard. Seeing as there weren't steel drums to be halved out there, I didn't exactly push them to their limits. Nonetheless, I think that I used them enough to glean some useful insight into what makes a knife.
I did the usual knifeknut overkill and brought six knives for three people on a very low-impact camping trip. The inventory included a custom Firebrand from our very own Ferret, a CRKT Companion, two Opinel 8s, a CS Bush Ranger, and CS Bushman. I mainly carried the Firebrand while the Opinels and Bushman were used for kitchenly duties.
Not surprisingly, the Firebrand was the most impressive. A short description: 4 in. wharncliffe of RWL-34, G-10 handle, flat ground. Though it's my first custom, I was intent on beating the crap out of it. I mainly used it while cooking, slicing meats and apples and so on. I also used to to open a tuna can in a pinch and was surprised at how well it held up. I tested it out on another apple to see if it lost anything and I couldn't notice a difference. I inspected the edge and there were no deformations, even towards the tip. I had my sharpener ready, but since I'm not maniacal about my edges, I left good enough alone.
The next day I did some light rock climbing and used it to pry out a few rocks for foot/handholds and it did so with no complaints. Granted, they were manmade rocks that were quite sandy, but I was impressed. At the top I tested out the Companion on some rocks and there were very, very small nicks, but nicks nonetheless that didn't show up on the Firebrand. I guess that's to be expected considering the steels.
I have to say though that the most fun I had with the Firebrand was whittling. I must've spent half my time out there whittling. Boy that's fun.
I won't go over the other knives. I don't have much to add to what's already been said. One thing of note though is how impressive the Opinel was. The sucker is sharp! I've really come to appreciate geometry after using the no. 8. In slicing chores, it was a very close second to a custom knife. Maybe I should've bought just the Opinel and used the rest to buy a clue instead
.
That's it, really. It was a fun trip and I would practically jump at the chance to use my knives. Ain't that what it's all about?
Zero
I recently got back from a five-day camping trip to New Mexico and FINALLY got the chance to put my knives through more stressful paces than apples and cardboard. Seeing as there weren't steel drums to be halved out there, I didn't exactly push them to their limits. Nonetheless, I think that I used them enough to glean some useful insight into what makes a knife.
I did the usual knifeknut overkill and brought six knives for three people on a very low-impact camping trip. The inventory included a custom Firebrand from our very own Ferret, a CRKT Companion, two Opinel 8s, a CS Bush Ranger, and CS Bushman. I mainly carried the Firebrand while the Opinels and Bushman were used for kitchenly duties.
Not surprisingly, the Firebrand was the most impressive. A short description: 4 in. wharncliffe of RWL-34, G-10 handle, flat ground. Though it's my first custom, I was intent on beating the crap out of it. I mainly used it while cooking, slicing meats and apples and so on. I also used to to open a tuna can in a pinch and was surprised at how well it held up. I tested it out on another apple to see if it lost anything and I couldn't notice a difference. I inspected the edge and there were no deformations, even towards the tip. I had my sharpener ready, but since I'm not maniacal about my edges, I left good enough alone.
The next day I did some light rock climbing and used it to pry out a few rocks for foot/handholds and it did so with no complaints. Granted, they were manmade rocks that were quite sandy, but I was impressed. At the top I tested out the Companion on some rocks and there were very, very small nicks, but nicks nonetheless that didn't show up on the Firebrand. I guess that's to be expected considering the steels.
I have to say though that the most fun I had with the Firebrand was whittling. I must've spent half my time out there whittling. Boy that's fun.
I won't go over the other knives. I don't have much to add to what's already been said. One thing of note though is how impressive the Opinel was. The sucker is sharp! I've really come to appreciate geometry after using the no. 8. In slicing chores, it was a very close second to a custom knife. Maybe I should've bought just the Opinel and used the rest to buy a clue instead
.That's it, really. It was a fun trip and I would practically jump at the chance to use my knives. Ain't that what it's all about?
Zero