- Joined
- Feb 14, 2008
- Messages
- 1,093
Fiddleback Bushcrfat Jr, Osage Orange/Padauk Handles w/Red Liners:
I have effectively reviewed this knife twice now in correspondence with Brian Andrews and BHess the other two recipients of the other two thirds of this trio offered up at once by Andy. I have also had the pleasure of handling all three while making sheaths for them and I got a good feel for how they handled and what kind of workmanship went into them. I have had the pleasure of handling a lot of knives over the past several years and have kept very few. Most were decent quality, some were just OK, but very few ever really just felt right to me. Much of my thought in what is a good knife is personal preference the subjective. Very much of that subjective grading is based on the objective as well though, and most of the knives I have passed along were quite fine knives objectively, but did not meet my subjective desires. This knife happens to be one that could be judged wholly on objective terms and come out well. It also happens to pass, with flying colors, on the subjective plane. This knife is a notable knife it is one you could own and know you always had one to fall back on for most needs while you indulge in passing infatuations with all the other pretty faces at least I could.
When I first looked the knife over I noticed several things things that I look for as soon as I pick one up. Not on purpose those things just catch my eye. This is a short, though not necessarily all inclusive list of hot-buttons that make a good or bad first impression for me:
The shape and lines of the knife look intentional not a recovery effort for a bit too much time, pressure or angle on the last pass at the grinder.
Grind is high and even from spine to edge, all the way to the point, and symmetrical from face to face.
Plunge lines are even.
Lines are clean and smooth.
Spine is perpendicular to the centerline of the blade.
Even finish to a fine grit with no residual coarse tool marks.
No gaps between handle scales and tang.
No glue squeeze-out residue.
The shoulders of the scales are finished to the same level as the rest of the handle, are even and symmetrical.
Handle contoured symmetrically.
Lanyard hole is not half-full of epoxy.
Edge goes all the way to the plunge line on purpose!
Point is ground evenly.
Pins are not proud of the handle material.
The workmanship is excellent but the nudge goes to the handles. Andy is obviously fussy about his work and it shows in his handles and his attitude not like he could hide that, as he seems intent on making sure you see how they look coming out of his shop. I asked him to send the knife to Bearthedog first so he could play with it and Andy cleaned up and re-sharpened it for free before sending it back to me. He seems confident and eager to impress but very much not conceited about his work. Andys handles carry his blades a little not a lot. Not that there is anything wrong with is blades, more that he focuses some extra effort on the handles. This is evident in things like the absence of a flare at the butt. While a nicely executed flare looks great, Andys handle tapers very slightly inward, which accommodates various holds and should suit users with larger hands as well as smaller hands very well. The only thing I would change on the handle would be to have left more meat in the waist toward the front, on the top (or spine side), of the handle. That would let me push the knife more than I probably should, longer and with less fatigue. That is not a detractor though and it is certainly not uncomfortable when muscling the knife through a heavy cut. I might be better advised to just not do that as the doctor might say when I tell him it hurts when I do this......
Granted, a knife can function perfectly well without most of those features, but when these things are well executed, I feel comfortable that the things I cannot see are also well executed like HT and steel type. No guarantee there, but a safe bet. Steel type does not make much difference to me as I would prefer whatever the maker does his best work with. I do not know what steel this knife is and I do not propose to be enough of an expert on steel to authoritatively determine which is appropriate even for my own use.
Overall, I found Andys Bushcraft Jr. very handy and nicely balanced. It does not try to fall out of your hand or slip in any direction in a loose grip or when changing holds. It registers well so you know which way the edge is and where the point is without looking at it. It has a very natural feel. Incidentally, the other two, though of different handle materials, and one being longer, both also balanced just as well. The other Jr had thinner G10 scales, while the Bushcraft (full-length) had slightly more scale material to balance with the longer blade.
Intentional or not, they all felt very good in the hand. The dimensions are home-runs in every aspect. It is 7 ¾ overall with a 3 9/16 blade and a 4 3/16 handle. The handle is 13/16 at its widest point. The blade looks like it started with 3/16 stock, looking at the handle, but it mics more like 5/32 just ahead of the shoulders of the scales at the spine. That is a LOT thicker than I would have specd, but with Andys grind and the 1 1 /16 blade height, it does not pose a problem with geometry and it has a certain heft (not heavy) that reminds you that this is one robust knife, weighing in at an even 5 ounces. I did convex this after an attempt to use it with the original (very sharp) edge. I confess to being utterly incompetent at effectively using a secondary bevel (or convex, as the case may be) and fell back on an old habit I will never outgrow redefining edges of cutting tools a woodworkers habit, I guess. Holy Cow, does it CUT though! It wont turn curls with no effort like my flimsier knives but it does a more than passable job and I know it will not let me down if I am forced to pry chunks out of a log in search of grubs for emergency nutrition (or fish bait).
In comparison to a couple other of my most-used and favorite knives, Andys Bushcraft Jr. performed admirably at the Bushcraft tasks I use as grading tools. One another note, I feel that this one will perform equally well as a hunting knife and it may go out with me this year. Try as I might though, I never end up taking just what I need and I have several knives on me when I am out. Then, standing over a dead deer, I have to make the decision at that moment. Ill never learn. Maybe this year I will get an extra tag and get to try more than one at field-dressing.
Continued.....
I have effectively reviewed this knife twice now in correspondence with Brian Andrews and BHess the other two recipients of the other two thirds of this trio offered up at once by Andy. I have also had the pleasure of handling all three while making sheaths for them and I got a good feel for how they handled and what kind of workmanship went into them. I have had the pleasure of handling a lot of knives over the past several years and have kept very few. Most were decent quality, some were just OK, but very few ever really just felt right to me. Much of my thought in what is a good knife is personal preference the subjective. Very much of that subjective grading is based on the objective as well though, and most of the knives I have passed along were quite fine knives objectively, but did not meet my subjective desires. This knife happens to be one that could be judged wholly on objective terms and come out well. It also happens to pass, with flying colors, on the subjective plane. This knife is a notable knife it is one you could own and know you always had one to fall back on for most needs while you indulge in passing infatuations with all the other pretty faces at least I could.
When I first looked the knife over I noticed several things things that I look for as soon as I pick one up. Not on purpose those things just catch my eye. This is a short, though not necessarily all inclusive list of hot-buttons that make a good or bad first impression for me:
The shape and lines of the knife look intentional not a recovery effort for a bit too much time, pressure or angle on the last pass at the grinder.
Grind is high and even from spine to edge, all the way to the point, and symmetrical from face to face.
Plunge lines are even.
Lines are clean and smooth.
Spine is perpendicular to the centerline of the blade.
Even finish to a fine grit with no residual coarse tool marks.
No gaps between handle scales and tang.
No glue squeeze-out residue.
The shoulders of the scales are finished to the same level as the rest of the handle, are even and symmetrical.
Handle contoured symmetrically.
Lanyard hole is not half-full of epoxy.
Edge goes all the way to the plunge line on purpose!
Point is ground evenly.
Pins are not proud of the handle material.
The workmanship is excellent but the nudge goes to the handles. Andy is obviously fussy about his work and it shows in his handles and his attitude not like he could hide that, as he seems intent on making sure you see how they look coming out of his shop. I asked him to send the knife to Bearthedog first so he could play with it and Andy cleaned up and re-sharpened it for free before sending it back to me. He seems confident and eager to impress but very much not conceited about his work. Andys handles carry his blades a little not a lot. Not that there is anything wrong with is blades, more that he focuses some extra effort on the handles. This is evident in things like the absence of a flare at the butt. While a nicely executed flare looks great, Andys handle tapers very slightly inward, which accommodates various holds and should suit users with larger hands as well as smaller hands very well. The only thing I would change on the handle would be to have left more meat in the waist toward the front, on the top (or spine side), of the handle. That would let me push the knife more than I probably should, longer and with less fatigue. That is not a detractor though and it is certainly not uncomfortable when muscling the knife through a heavy cut. I might be better advised to just not do that as the doctor might say when I tell him it hurts when I do this......
Granted, a knife can function perfectly well without most of those features, but when these things are well executed, I feel comfortable that the things I cannot see are also well executed like HT and steel type. No guarantee there, but a safe bet. Steel type does not make much difference to me as I would prefer whatever the maker does his best work with. I do not know what steel this knife is and I do not propose to be enough of an expert on steel to authoritatively determine which is appropriate even for my own use.
Overall, I found Andys Bushcraft Jr. very handy and nicely balanced. It does not try to fall out of your hand or slip in any direction in a loose grip or when changing holds. It registers well so you know which way the edge is and where the point is without looking at it. It has a very natural feel. Incidentally, the other two, though of different handle materials, and one being longer, both also balanced just as well. The other Jr had thinner G10 scales, while the Bushcraft (full-length) had slightly more scale material to balance with the longer blade.
Intentional or not, they all felt very good in the hand. The dimensions are home-runs in every aspect. It is 7 ¾ overall with a 3 9/16 blade and a 4 3/16 handle. The handle is 13/16 at its widest point. The blade looks like it started with 3/16 stock, looking at the handle, but it mics more like 5/32 just ahead of the shoulders of the scales at the spine. That is a LOT thicker than I would have specd, but with Andys grind and the 1 1 /16 blade height, it does not pose a problem with geometry and it has a certain heft (not heavy) that reminds you that this is one robust knife, weighing in at an even 5 ounces. I did convex this after an attempt to use it with the original (very sharp) edge. I confess to being utterly incompetent at effectively using a secondary bevel (or convex, as the case may be) and fell back on an old habit I will never outgrow redefining edges of cutting tools a woodworkers habit, I guess. Holy Cow, does it CUT though! It wont turn curls with no effort like my flimsier knives but it does a more than passable job and I know it will not let me down if I am forced to pry chunks out of a log in search of grubs for emergency nutrition (or fish bait).
In comparison to a couple other of my most-used and favorite knives, Andys Bushcraft Jr. performed admirably at the Bushcraft tasks I use as grading tools. One another note, I feel that this one will perform equally well as a hunting knife and it may go out with me this year. Try as I might though, I never end up taking just what I need and I have several knives on me when I am out. Then, standing over a dead deer, I have to make the decision at that moment. Ill never learn. Maybe this year I will get an extra tag and get to try more than one at field-dressing.
Continued.....
:thumbup:
