Modoc ED
Gold Member
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2010
- Messages
- 13,981
This is a GEC Northfield Harness Jack Burnt Stag knife that I got in mid-November 2010. This picture was taken new out of the tube.
On Saturday, 22 January 2011 I went to a ranch roughly 25-miles South of town to help butcher pigs. The rancher provided breakfast and lunch. For lunch the main course was of course pork -- pork chops, pork roast, pulled pork. I like a little white vinegar sprinkled over my pork and since I only had this Harness Jack with me, I used it to cut the vinegared pork. This is what the knife looked like the next day -- a heavy, even, patina (too much too heavy for my taste) from the vinegar I'm sure and some pig skinning.
Yesterday, I polished the blade of the Harness Jack with a Flitz metal polishing cloth. This is how the knife looks this morning. Much better for my taste. Some patina but not the heavy patina it had.
This is a close-up of the blade after polishing. The curved patina line about halfway up the swedge isn't just imprinted on the blade it is actually etched into the blade. If I run my finger nail over that line, I can feel the etched/engraved line and my finger nail catches on it. The small mark halfway between the etched patina line and the nick is also etched into the blade. The patina from just into the nick to the end of the nick is not etched into the blade. The blade steel is GEC's 1095.
This is the first knife I've ever had that a patina line was actually etched (eaten into) the blade. The toughest thing this blade has come in contact with was the vinegar sprinkled on the pork, a couple/three rabbits from the neighbor's rabbit hutch that I've skinned for dinner and of course some pigs skinned that day. Hmmmmm, I wonder if this particular blade is a bit soft. It works just great -- cuts, etc.. It also sharpens easily and holds a good edge.
The big reward for me so far is that the rancher gave everyone who lent a hand (5 people) a whole pig to take home for their freezer.
I'm going to use this knife again for some chores during the calf branding in March/April and I'll post pictures again to show the results, if any, of that adventure.

On Saturday, 22 January 2011 I went to a ranch roughly 25-miles South of town to help butcher pigs. The rancher provided breakfast and lunch. For lunch the main course was of course pork -- pork chops, pork roast, pulled pork. I like a little white vinegar sprinkled over my pork and since I only had this Harness Jack with me, I used it to cut the vinegared pork. This is what the knife looked like the next day -- a heavy, even, patina (too much too heavy for my taste) from the vinegar I'm sure and some pig skinning.

Yesterday, I polished the blade of the Harness Jack with a Flitz metal polishing cloth. This is how the knife looks this morning. Much better for my taste. Some patina but not the heavy patina it had.

This is a close-up of the blade after polishing. The curved patina line about halfway up the swedge isn't just imprinted on the blade it is actually etched into the blade. If I run my finger nail over that line, I can feel the etched/engraved line and my finger nail catches on it. The small mark halfway between the etched patina line and the nick is also etched into the blade. The patina from just into the nick to the end of the nick is not etched into the blade. The blade steel is GEC's 1095.

This is the first knife I've ever had that a patina line was actually etched (eaten into) the blade. The toughest thing this blade has come in contact with was the vinegar sprinkled on the pork, a couple/three rabbits from the neighbor's rabbit hutch that I've skinned for dinner and of course some pigs skinned that day. Hmmmmm, I wonder if this particular blade is a bit soft. It works just great -- cuts, etc.. It also sharpens easily and holds a good edge.
The big reward for me so far is that the rancher gave everyone who lent a hand (5 people) a whole pig to take home for their freezer.
I'm going to use this knife again for some chores during the calf branding in March/April and I'll post pictures again to show the results, if any, of that adventure.

Last edited: