First Fiddleback?

[PharaohX3]

I've really been hearing some great things about Fiddleback Forge so I figured it was time for me to pick one up for myself. Craftsmanship on all these knives seems to be superb so I'm having a hard time choosing what to go with for my first (the Bushfinger has really caught my eye).

What are your favorites and why? Any recommendations for me? Feel free to post pics of your favorite and I'll post some pics of my own once I get my hands on one.

Thanks!

 

[Mistwalker]

For an all around woods and bushcraft type knife the Bushfinger is hard to beat, I also really like the Kephart...and a few others. What would the knife's primary role be? That would help in making a recommendation.

 

[PharaohX3]

Looking for an all-around bushcrafter, capable of most tasks besides chopping and splitting. Something comfortable, I hear Fiddleback is king in that regard.

 

[Mistwalker]

Looking for an all-around bushcrafter, capable of most tasks besides chopping and splitting. Something comfortable, I hear Fiddleback is king in that regard.

Yeah, Andy's ergos are sublime, and most of his line up falls in the area you describe. Are you more into drop points, modified spear points, straighter spines? Do you tend to prefer more pointy or less pointy? I really like pointy for my uses so for me so far my favorite for that role is the Kephart.

With my Bushfinger

But a lot of the guys prefer Andy's Bushcrafter for that role.

 

[Mistwalker]

MAW did comprehensive comparison post on a lot of Andy's models.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...rge-Comparison-Photos-Round-Three-(PIC-Heavy)

 

[schmittie]

I'm gonna vote for the Bushfinger. I waited for one for what seemed like ages! Sometimes, a knife you've seen in pics, just ends up being less than what you had hoped for......NOT the Bushfinger. I enjoy using mine for everything:

When I grow up, I wanna be as cool as Mistwalker.

 

[Mistwalker]

I'm gonna vote for the Bushfinger. I waited for one for what seemed like ages! Sometimes, a knife you've seen in pics, just ends up being less than what you had hoped for......NOT the Bushfinger. I enjoy using mine for everything:

When I grow up, I wanna be as cool as Mistwalker.

I can see that, the Bushfinger definitely has advantages over the Kephart in food prep (since you can contact the cutting board with the entire edge because it's "guardless"), and in processing big game (due to more belly in the sweep). Like I said before, as an all-around-er the Bushfinger is really hard to beat. Mine now lives in my kitchen...I have the Hunter for Big Game

Jeeez...lol, set your sights a little higher, I'm not that cool. I'm just a grumpy old man with a deep passion for good cutlery

 

[pap11y]

I am definitely going to own a bushfinger one day.

The fiddleback knives have beautiful handles and there's no doubt they are users.

The Bushfinger and the BHK bushcrafter are the last blades on my to do list

 

[PharaohX3]

Are you more into drop points, modified spear points, straighter spines? Do you tend to prefer more pointy or less pointy?

Yes.:eagerness:

Thanks for the input so far guys and the the pics are beautiful. Mistwalker, the handle on that Kephart looks amazing.

 

[Mistwalker]

Yes.:eagerness:

Ah, ok based on this input, and earlier input, I don't think you could go wrong with:

A Bushfinger
A Kephart
A Recluse
A Hiking Buddy
A Bushcrafter
An Arete
A Terrasaur
A KE Bushie
etc.


Perhaps blade length or size prefs might narrow it down

Thanks for the input so far guys and the the pics are beautiful. Mistwalker, the handle on that Kephart looks amazing.

The handle on the Kephart feels amazing too!

 

[maw]

Hello PharaohX3,

Welcome aboard! You have received some very good input from "mistwalker" and "schmittie" who are some very knowledgeable folks around here.

Perhaps another item to consider is the depth or width of the blade as measured from the spine to the cutting edge. Of Andy's 4-inch blades length knives, the Bushfinger and Bushcrafter run around 1.3 inches near the plunge line where as the Arete, Terrasaur, Ladyfinger, and Kephart run around 1.1 inches. I also believe the Recluse runs around an inch in depth as determined by studying photos. But I do not own one, so I do not want to say for sure. If you follow the link to my Comparison Photo Thread that mistwalker provided you, I think you will get a good understanding of this. Thank you mistwalker!

My preference is for a blade to be around an inch in depth. Hence, I prefer the Arete, Kephart, and Terrasaur.

Sincerely,
Mark

Some obligatory photos:

The Arete.

The Arete.

The Arete.

The Arete on top and the Kephart on the bottom.

The Terrasaur.

 

[RonnyOlsen]

Happy New year everyone, And very interesting thread...

what about grind any preferences on that ?

I have just gotten my first bushfinger with convex grind and I love it love it love it...also I think the appereance of the convex on the "big blade" looks really nice...but does it actually have any practical difference scandi and convex ?

 

[Rockywolf]

I started years ago with a nessy by Andy that I bought here on the exchange. Sold it. Then a woodsman. A KE bushie. A Runt. And recently a Bushfinger. The runt and Bushfinger will remain. They are functional pieces of art that hold an edge, perform in any capacity, and are among my favs in a ridiculous collection of knives.

 

[awestib]

If mostly bushcraft tasks, so food prep on cutting board etc. not so much, then I'd go for the Arete. As on my "Wishlist" (can't stop mentioning it ...) an Arete in 1/8 Scandi with tapered tang (for forward weight) and sharp spine with an extra beefy handle would be as good as it gets for a "pure" Bushcrafter! Bushfinger comes second, if rather all around knife then first choice though!

 

[minnesotashooter]

I would go- Hiking Buddy first, Hunter 2nd, Bushfinger 3rd, then the Bushboot.

 

[Turbo Tension]

My sister's first Fiddleback is the Blackwood Hiking Buddy and Heber's sheath I gave her for Christmas this year

 

[Mistwalker]

Happy New year everyone, And very interesting thread...

what about grind any preferences on that ?

I have just gotten my first bushfinger with convex grind and I love it love it love it...also I think the appereance of the convex on the "big blade" looks really nice...but does it actually have any practical difference scandi and convex ?

Happy New Year! You have a point there that I hadn't even thought about. I've had a couple of Andy's Scandinavian grinds and they are really nice. I personally prefer the convex grinds, but honestly can't put why into words. There really isn't anything I can do with one that I can not do with the other. I'm posting links to reviews of both below. The scandi Hiking Buddy is a fantastic little knife and became my wife's first Fiddleback. She loves it and took to the sharpening of it right away. I still get a kick out of watching her using it, maintaining, and yes sometimes even just sitting there fondling it. I used it quite a bit before she got it, and she has used it for about a year and neither of us has had any complaints about the grind. The KE Bushie was the first Fiddleback scandi I had, and it handled like a dream. I sent it to a good friend in the UK because he is a great guy who devotes a lot of his time to teaching wilderness skills to youth groups and scouts, but being a nurse in the UK he doesn't make the kind of money nurses over here make and was always carrying a Mora because that was what he could afford. I got a major kick out of the idea of the knife being brought out at Bushmoots and having one of Andy's knives kicking ass and taking names in the custom knife circles there. Almost two years later Chris still talks about how much he likes the knife.

Hiking Buddy

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/899708-Fiddleback-Forge-Hiking-Buddy

KE Bushie

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/834134-New-Scandi-from-Fiddleback-Forge

 

[Raining]

For bushcraft and all around use, I like the arete.

I like the narrower width of the blade as opposed to the wider ones as maw had mentioned.

I've had this knife for 2.5 years and I'll keep it forever - it just fits my hand perfectly.

 

[maw]

Raining, that is a beautiful knife you have there and it looks as though it has been well nurtured! Cheers.

Mark

 

[Raining]

Thanks, Mark - you have a nice arete as well - looks more refined!

Here's a photo that shows the comfortable curves of the handle. :thumbup:

Randy