Fiddleback User Pics

[Bill510c]

Man, a Fiddleback Lanyard Tube and it would be puuuurrrfect!

I agree Will...

 

[hasco]

I have been wanting to par down my fiddleback collection to the ones I use or love the most. I actually never meant to have a collection. It was the rarity of the scandis and the beautiful old 3d spalting that drove me like a mad art collector for awhile. I also wanted to try as many models as I could and learn what I liked the most. Then the plan was to get it down to my favorites. The process of deciding who to release has not been easy to say the least.

Now I have come upon a new problem...

I just got this black ash burl patch knife from Vance. (Thank you Vance!!!) I was not sure if it would be a catch and release. I have been very partial to the feel of the synthetics lately. Unlike the box elder burl pics that blow my mind I had not been drawn to the black ash burls like this one. I was mostly drawn in by the spalting and something else I could not name.

Then it arrived. Holding it in my hand is an experience that is hard to describe. I love the feel of it, the density. I think some of the wood handle knives I have had feel to soft. There is also something else. It is like holding a story. The story of this tree. It feels imbued with character, mystery, maybe even power. I love it. I have tried to go after some of Andy's beautiful burls before with no success. I now understand the draw on a more visceral level. I do still want to get my collection down to a smaller number. I want to be able to honor each knife by using it on a regular basis. The process is just going to be a lot more difficult now that I have held one of Andy's beautiful burl knives.

 

[necrolicious]

I have been wanting to par down my fiddleback collection to the ones I use or love the most. I actually never meant to have a collection. It was the rarity of the scandis and the beautiful old 3d spalting that drove me like a mad art collector for awhile. I also wanted to try as many models as I could and learn what I liked the most. Then the plan was to get it down to my favorites. The process of deciding who to release has not been easy to say the least.

Now I have come upon a new problem...

I just got this black ash burl patch knife from Vance. (Thank you Vance!!!) I was not sure if it would be a catch and release. I have been very partial to the feel of the synthetics lately. Unlike the box elder burl pics that blow my mind I had not been drawn to the black ash burls like this one. I was mostly drawn in by the spalting and something else I could not name.

Then it arrived. Holding it in my hand is an experience that is hard to describe. I love the feel of it, the density. I think some of the wood handle knives I have had feel to soft. There is also something else. It is like holding a story. The story of this tree. It feels imbued with character, mystery, maybe even power. I love it. I have tried to go after some of Andy's beautiful burls before with no success. I now understand the draw on a more visceral level. I do still want to get my collection down to a smaller number. I want to be able to honor each knife by using it on a regular basis. The process is just going to be a lot more difficult now that I have held one of Andy's beautiful burl knives.

Great post and that sure is a beautiful blade too Hasco. There's something about burls that draws me in too. Certain synthetics are really nice, but a finely made tool for working with wood seems to just feel better with a natural handle.

 

[bonafide]

Playing with different settings on my camera I received for Christmas.

My Esquire in BEB.

My Tuxedo Scandi Bushboot.

 

[Comprehensivist]

This is an excellent post Tod. I share the feeling that my collection has grown beyond what I thought would be my maximum. Deciding which ones cull from the herd is easier said than done when you are talking about a few knives that you like for the most part. I'll probably post some for trade soon to give myself the illusion of progress before I move to outright sale(s.)

Your Patch is very handsome. The spalting is amazing and it really stands out against the scandi grind. I don't have many wood handled knives by choice, but I really enjoy looking at them. I like the lighter caramel color of the Black Ash Burl on this knife. The fact that it feels as good as it looks to you means a lot. I understand what you are saying about some knives just having a better feel than others for a reason that is hard to describe.

Thanks for sharing the story and the great photos. That one is a keeper.

Phil

I have been wanting to par down my fiddleback collection to the ones I use or love the most. I actually never meant to have a collection. It was the rarity of the scandis and the beautiful old 3d spalting that drove me like a mad art collector for awhile. I also wanted to try as many models as I could and learn what I liked the most. Then the plan was to get it down to my favorites. The process of deciding who to release has not been easy to say the least.

Now I have come upon a new problem...

I just got this black ash burl patch knife from Vance. (Thank you Vance!!!) I was not sure if it would be a catch and release. I have been very partial to the feel of the synthetics lately. Unlike the box elder burl pics that blow my mind I had not been drawn to the black ash burls like this one. I was mostly drawn in by the spalting and something else I could not name.

Then it arrived. Holding it in my hand is an experience that is hard to describe. I love the feel of it, the density. I think some of the wood handle knives I have had feel to soft. There is also something else. It is like holding a story. The story of this tree. It feels imbued with character, mystery, maybe even power. I love it. I have tried to go after some of Andy's beautiful burls before with no success. I now understand the draw on a more visceral level. I do still want to get my collection down to a smaller number. I want to be able to honor each knife by using it on a regular basis. The process is just going to be a lot more difficult now that I have held one of Andy's beautiful burl knives.

 

[Mcracker]

Awesome shots everyone!!!

The Bushie

How? And how long? Please.

 

[VANCE]

I believe that is the "chopped garlic" patina

 

[Mistwalker]

How? And how long? Please.

http://www.fiddlebackforge.com/inde...-information/forcing-a-patina-with-food-prep/

 

[Joe Duder]

How? And how long? Please.

The first application was forced with garlic. Finely chopped and left on the blade for about 20 mins. The second set was potato chopped irregularly. Some was fine mince, some thin hash brown size etc. I mixed the potato with some mustard and a teardrop of vinegar. I left it on the blade for about twenty mins as well.

 

[Mistwalker]

The first application was forced with garlic. Finely chopped and left on the blade for about 20 mins. The second set was potato chopped irregularly. Some was fine mince, some thin hash brown size etc. I mixed the potato with some mustard and a teardrop of vinegar. I left it on the blade for about twenty mins as well.

I like the affect of just a mustard patina with each application of mustard being left for hours, but man the clean up can be a pain. Though much easier with synthetic handles than with wooden ones, the phenolics aren't as moisture sensitive...

 

[Joe Duder]

I like the affect of just a mustard patina with each application of mustard being left for hours, but man the clean up can be a pain. Though much easier with synthetic handles than with wooden ones, the phenolics aren't as moisture sensitive...

Mustard patina is pretty cool. You can really control your pattern with what you use to apply it e.g. Tooth pics for thin lines and spots, Q-tips for larger tiger stripes and spots, even a sponge can be used to add a more organic effect. The one thing to keep in mind when using mustard, is that when you remove the patina with polish or stropping, you will see that the acid in the mustard will have lightly etched your blade. At first glance it's hard to notice, but in the right light it's very apparent. I call it ghost patina. It is cool though, almost damascus or laminated steel looking depending on the pattern.

 

[Mcracker]

The first application was forced with garlic. Finely chopped and left on the blade for about 20 mins. The second set was potato chopped irregularly. Some was fine mince, some thin hash brown size etc. I mixed the potato with some mustard and a teardrop of vinegar. I left it on the blade for about twenty mins as well.

Thanks a bunch!

 

[Mcracker]

http://www.fiddlebackforge.com/inde...-information/forcing-a-patina-with-food-prep/

Thank you Mist! Great very informative blog!

 

[bear71]

A belated Happy New Year to all my friends on this special forum!

After another bout of challenging weather in the Philippines - 2 Typhoons and a Tropical storm - all is good, the roof even stayed on this year!

Just a couple of pics of the newly painted homestead pre-typhoon and my trusty Woodsman helping out when we rebuilt a few fences after Typhoon Ruby.

 

[Uncle_P]

Bear,
Good to see y'all are ok. I know it could have been worse for sure. Thanks for the update. The fence and Woodsman look good.

Preston

 

[Redbird777]

Hey Bear,
Glad you are doing ok. I know a lot of us here were thinking about you guys. Glad to see you posting again, had a chance one time to go to work in Guam and always wondered what it would be like so I always enjoyed your pics. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods and this last one wasn't as bad as the one before.


Have a Blessed day!

 

[bear71]

Bear,
Good to see y'all are ok. I know it could have been worse for sure. Thanks for the update. The fence and Woodsman look good.

Preston

Cheers Preston

 

[bear71]

Hey Bear,
Glad you are doing ok. I know a lot of us here were thinking about you guys. Glad to see you posting again, had a chance one time to go to work in Guam and always wondered what it would be like so I always enjoyed your pics. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods and this last one wasn't as bad as the one before.


Have a Blessed day!

Cheers mate, good to be back in the loop and catching up with all that's been going on since I've been gone.

 

[Tim the Wizard]

Temperatures were in the 60's today in Florida. After two days of storms, a cold front followed and made for interesting coastal conditions. By national standards, these are not winter temperatures. But we can feel the change.

On the east coast, the red and purple flags were up. Red signifies high hazards in the form of dangerous surf and currents. Purple signifies dangerous marine life.

Cannon jellyfish came in with the tide. You wouldn't want to swim with them. Several got stranded on the beach, leaving pockets of red and purple across the shore.

Here, a jellyfish is being washed over the rocks by an incoming wave. A flash of purple and translucent outline identify the creature above the water line of the rock to the left and center of the photograph.

Even as the tide recedes, there is high wind blowing ocean spray in the distance. The coquina rocks are still wet.

Barnacles cling to the bottom of the rocks. They are a type of crustacean that reach out to feed on minute particles and organisms in the churning waters.

The colors of their shells seem to shift in the light.

As the tide continued to recede, several starfish were left in the tidal pools.

The pools themselves appeared like craters in the rocks. For a brief moment we feel like we are on some meteoroid battered moon.

The landscape constantly shifts, shaped by the forces of the sea.

Beneath the rocks lay a distinct type of coastal cave ecosystem. Salt water slowly drips off of strange hanging tube-like beings as shells reflect light in the otherwise shaded tidal pools like a thousand rare gems behind a crystal veil.

The shelter is made from generations of sea creatures that form the very substance of the coqina. There is a sense of reciprocity, flow, and duty in this ancient and ever-present symbiosis.

Water is drawn back to the oceans, carving sloping pathways in the sand.

Away from shore, the oak's twisted roots grow together, forming a nearly impassable sand scrub forest.

It is here that we find a resting place. Consider for a moment this Fiddleback Forge Hiking Buddy, nestled within a Jou'Fuu leather sheath.

CPM 154 is an excellent choice along the coasts, where salt-spray and time may challenge the most resistant steel blades.

The oak-scaled HB rests only momentarily on the oak hammock. We have more journeys to take today, and the tool will prove most useful in the hours to come.

Thanks for listening.

-V

 

[Shamr0ck]

@vayu - gorgeous pictures. Living here in MD in the middle of the winter, makes me want to head south....