general thoughts on dylan fletcher hatchula?

[Sig_Op]

one should be here wednesday and im super excited, sorta reminds me of a nessmuk. I want something to replace my Busse ash 1 just cant get it to work for me so it will sit maybe trade it cheap idk
anywho anyone like them how is 01?

 

[PayetteRucker]

I have the first-built Hatchula II, which is slightly thinner and elongated, but I can hopefully give you some insight into the craftsmanship and materials.

First thing I'll start with is the handle. Dylan has a very solid design with no sharp edges-everything is very well rounded with all the swells and dips in all the right places. It fills the hand without being too large. The length is plenty big for large mitts. I wear large M or small L in glove sizes and there's about a half an inch of extra space from the integral guard to the pommel, though my hand is drawn to the swell in the middle, the integral guard and the dropped thumb ramp for a very secure, ergonomic grip. I don't know who he sources his canvas micarta from or how he finishes it, but the finish is very exact. Most of my other canvas micarta handles are somewhat softer and grippier on the outside so maybe this particular laminate is very thin or uses a harder resin in the construction. Handles use two lanyard-style pins with a micarta pin in the middle and the scales are very secure.

I had my blade ground custom with a scandivex edge. From the 3/16ths thickness, it comes to a Mora-esque bevel angle, so it makes a heck of a slicer and a beater-the best of both worlds, really. If I'm really abusing the blade I'll get some miniscule rolling on the edge, but it buffs right out. I think Dylan said he heat treated the 01 to 57 Rockwell, and it probably could have been 59 or so to prevent the rolling without sacrificing any real durability-the blade is plenty thick and wide to soak up anything you can give it. The Hatchula 2 is an inch and a half longer, but even still there's incredible control of the point. Dylan is obviously quite intuitive when it comes to blade balance and handling when he comes up with his designs. The point is pronounced enough to be useable for any kind of chore that would require puncturing with the tip. Cleaning fish is a good test, I find, as the point has to get through the hard scales, and the Hatchula handles the job with ease. The belly is huge and great for chopping, slicing, you name it. The working edge has to be at least an inch and a half longer than the length of the blade and it makes everything super efficient. Dylan gets an A+ for his grinding skill, both on the profile of the blade and on the bevel. Allaround it's well worth the asking price, and a dynamite design for anything from companion carry to armageddon-esque survival.

 

[Sig_Op]

wow, thanks lol sweetness im very stoked. I like my beckers and my esee's but this i think will be special. First off a sheath must be made for it, ill do it by hand since ive made once before and it was FUN and i did a decent job, it was very functional. Anywho thanks for that review. My biggest concern ii think is the handle. I need a large grip as my hands have been broken to many times and it hurts to grip anything small

how does 01 perform to say 1095? As my other blades of carbon steel are all 1095 except the infi but i cant find true love for it

 

[PayetteRucker]

O1 and 1095 are both steels that can take on very different tasks and properties based on the heat treat. It's hard to compare Kabar's 1095CV with Ontario's machete 1095, and O1 is similar in that it can be blade-strength or edge-retention heavy. It's widely considered as one of the best bushcrafting steels though, because it can be treated somewhere in the middle to get a happy balance of both. Dylan's O1 definitely achieves the happy balance point. In general it does a really good job of retaining shape at very fine points, like scandi grinds. In the case of this thin scandivex grind, that holds true. I'm able to put way more force into this very acute edge without rolling or chipping than you could out of alot of other carbon steels. In that way it's close to L6 and 52100.

 

[geargeek]

I have a Hatchula which I totally love; it is my favorite "do it all" camp knife. It is a funny looking knife, but there is a good reason for everything about it. The wide blade chops way better than any other 5" bladed knife out there, the edge profile is perfect for slicing, it has just enough point at the tip to drill with, and you can choke up on the blade and use it like a chefs knife or an ulu, it really works great for food prep. I don't know of any other knife that can chop the wood for the fire, start the fire, clean the fish, chop the onions, and yes flip the pancakes, with as much ease as this one.
The grip is VERY comfortable and fills the hand perfectly. I don't know much about all the different blade steels, but this one certainly seems to hold an edge very well; even with the thin edge profile it has held up to chopping and wood splitting hatchet duty with no problems. I think you will be very pleased with it.

 

[Shotgun]

I don't know of any other knife that can chop the wood for the fire, start the fire, clean the fish, chop the onions, and yes flip the pancakes, with as much ease as this one.

I've said that about the GB mini.

Be sure to post a review when you get it. I've always thought that blade was cool looking.