- Joined
- Jan 1, 2007
- Messages
- 1,424
Fiddleback Forge Maverick
LOA: 8-1/4 inch
Blade: 3-3/4 inch
Handle: 4-1/2 inch
Weight: 6.1 oz
Blade Thickness: 1/8 inch
Handle Thickness: 7/8 inch
Handle Material: Ironwood
Blade Material: 0-1 Tool steel
Initial impressions:
When I first saw the new designs, I must admit it was not love at first sight. In fact I was quite disappointed that the clean lines and gentle curves that I had come to admire were now what I could only call bumps and knots. The new blade shapes, although interesting, were unlike most anything I had ever seen. It seemed a cross between a professional skinning knife and a super high Schrade sharp finger. Dont let the looks fool you, this would prove to be a capable cutter and the handle ergonomics are swell.
The handle however, was clearly something unique in a good way. The bump allowed me to get a great grip and I could imagine how it would give good purchase when braking down a ham or ripping into a half cooked pork shoulder, fresh out of the smoker, as I broke it down to fit it into the slow cooker to finish up some BBQ. Both tasks where you end up covered in greasy drippings and your knife needs to be working for you and not against you. Im not a hunter, but I can only imagine the skinning ability that this knife must have.
Ill give this one a test against the Christmas Ham I picked up on super sale. I think the handle will fare well, but I was a little hesitant to see how the upswept point would work in the kitchen. The knife performed exceptionally well in this role. The long sweeping point allowing me to work it around the bone while slicing. The handle excelled when my hands became covered with juices and grease.
Grind- Initially I did not notice the grind and more specifically, the parallel lines of the grind. This shows the immense skill in grinding such a complex blade shape. To be able to resist the urge to rotate the knife as you finished the blade tip is something to behold. Its very subtle, but when you realize it and think about the difficulty in getting a smooth transition and sweeping curves without rotating the blank, the artistry and craft comes out. Check out the detail.
Overall I like it. I like it a lot; but its still got some issues that you need to be aware of. The first is that if you use the tip of your knife a lot like to break packing tape, or to slice with precision, then this tip is so upswept that its almost uncomfortable to use in this fashion. I found myself rolling the knife in my hand and using the back of the blade so that the tip was more in line with what I was used to. Heres an example of opening a box.
You can see where the tip is no where near the tape. However, the blade did just fine so Im not sure if its a design or an operator issue.
As you can see, there is a little patina developing. I purposely left it out dirty on the kitchen counter for the weekend to see if it would rust under kitchen conditions. It did not.
I thought about running it through the dishwasher, but the ironwood looked so good that I just could not bring myself to do it, so I made a pot of coffee.
However, whoever did the dishes didnt seem to mind putting it through the wringer and tossing it in with the other cutlery and silverware.
My mother in law commented that she liked the knife and used it a few times over the weekend when it was left out on the kitchen counter.
The other issue is finding a sheath. I made one, but its only a matter of time before I push the point right through the leather. Heres mine:
And here is one made by Rick Lowe, who has leather skills that can deal with the tip issues.
Bottom line, this is a knife I would recommend and will likely buy myself.
nthego::subdued: