- Joined
- Sep 28, 2003
- Messages
- 1,235
Here we have my first (and hopefully not my last) Dan Farr knife. If you know my collecting habits you will know that this is a bit of departure for me in terms of style and size. With an OAL of 12 1/4 inches and a blade length just short of 7 inches, this piece does not fall into the "BBHB" category (..Bloody Big Honkin' Bowie). But variety is the spice of life and this piece, together with a recent hunter acquisition, have opened up new and exciting collecting opportunities ( if you listen carefully you can here my overdraft limit starting to creak!).
Anyway back to the knife in question, an absolutely exquisite fighter by the tremendously talented, and damn right pleasure to acquaint, Dan Farr. Roger P's superb review of his recent Competition Cutter acquisition was as fine an insight into Dans approach as you are likely to read, so I will not try and repeat that. But I think it is worth giving an insight into one or two aspects of this piece.
First off the blade construction, forged from 5160, Dan has given this blade a slight recurve and a subtle drop point, the spine is apexed rather than flat or radiused, the final finish is 800 grit hand rubbed . The most striking aspect is the fuller, an unusual incorporation in today's forged blade, this rarity is partly due to the work involved in adding the feature - no milling or power tools here, just plain old elbow grease ,abrasive papers and many many hours. The fuller lightens the blade , which lends itself to the fighter ethos of a quick, fast blade. Dan has put a lot of time, effort and consideration into his blade design, edge geometry, handle design, angles, thickness,weight and balance, such that he is able to construct his knives to specific purposes, knives that look very similar in photographs will have very different persona's in the hand. That being said Dan did inform me that this little delicate flower (Fluer de lis!!!) is still able to cut 2 pieces of rope in one go!
The handle on this piece, and the feature that lends it its name, is really exceptional. The shape is truely a divine mating of form and function. The multiple finger grooves and swollen back allow your hand to grasp the knife perfectly. The stippling providing just enough grip and friction to maintain confidence in the most challenging environment.
As with all of Dan's knives the finish he puts on this walnut is amongst the best you will see. He put about 7 coats of finish on the wood, sanding in between. It is then coated in mineral oil, sanded with 600grit to remove any dust specs, or imperfections. Next its cleaned and coated with oil again and sprinkled with fine pummice and rubbed until the shine is removed. Finally Dan rubs on*a slurry of rotten stone and mineral oil to bring the finish to a satin, it is also a very repairable finish for the users amongst us.
Finally, Dan has worked in the Fleur de lis design into the stippling on the spine and also the gold wire inlay in the butt of the knife. Stippling over the inlayed gold spreads out the gold and provides an even stronger mechanical lock. It really is a fantastic finishing touch to this superb piece.
Stephen
Anyway back to the knife in question, an absolutely exquisite fighter by the tremendously talented, and damn right pleasure to acquaint, Dan Farr. Roger P's superb review of his recent Competition Cutter acquisition was as fine an insight into Dans approach as you are likely to read, so I will not try and repeat that. But I think it is worth giving an insight into one or two aspects of this piece.
First off the blade construction, forged from 5160, Dan has given this blade a slight recurve and a subtle drop point, the spine is apexed rather than flat or radiused, the final finish is 800 grit hand rubbed . The most striking aspect is the fuller, an unusual incorporation in today's forged blade, this rarity is partly due to the work involved in adding the feature - no milling or power tools here, just plain old elbow grease ,abrasive papers and many many hours. The fuller lightens the blade , which lends itself to the fighter ethos of a quick, fast blade. Dan has put a lot of time, effort and consideration into his blade design, edge geometry, handle design, angles, thickness,weight and balance, such that he is able to construct his knives to specific purposes, knives that look very similar in photographs will have very different persona's in the hand. That being said Dan did inform me that this little delicate flower (Fluer de lis!!!) is still able to cut 2 pieces of rope in one go!
The handle on this piece, and the feature that lends it its name, is really exceptional. The shape is truely a divine mating of form and function. The multiple finger grooves and swollen back allow your hand to grasp the knife perfectly. The stippling providing just enough grip and friction to maintain confidence in the most challenging environment.
As with all of Dan's knives the finish he puts on this walnut is amongst the best you will see. He put about 7 coats of finish on the wood, sanding in between. It is then coated in mineral oil, sanded with 600grit to remove any dust specs, or imperfections. Next its cleaned and coated with oil again and sprinkled with fine pummice and rubbed until the shine is removed. Finally Dan rubs on*a slurry of rotten stone and mineral oil to bring the finish to a satin, it is also a very repairable finish for the users amongst us.
Finally, Dan has worked in the Fleur de lis design into the stippling on the spine and also the gold wire inlay in the butt of the knife. Stippling over the inlayed gold spreads out the gold and provides an even stronger mechanical lock. It really is a fantastic finishing touch to this superb piece.
Stephen
