Got a Berretta Stampede for Christmas. Now what?

[gorean]

I have been lurking here for a couple of days and have really really enjoyed the education. I thought I was alone in my interest in knives. Back on track. What do I have here?
1. I am pretty sure Berretta did not make this knife.
The blade is imprinted "Seki Japan AUS 6"
2. Is it tough enough to throw?
3. What does it take to get an edge on this and is it likely to hold it?
4. The walnut handle gives me pause. In my youth I would have wrapped this in a silk thread to enhance grip.

Let me just say this seems a nice ulitarian Bowie. I like the size and balance of the piece. It is the type of knife I was wanting and I am sure it will serve adequately if I do the right things. I am sure there is better but.
I live in the NW any good Bowie instructors out here?

 

[t1mpani]

1.)No they didn't, they contracted it. Trust me, you'd far rather have the people at Seki building it than Beretta---no knock to the latter, but their expertise lay in other areas.

2.)Almost anything will survive a few throws, but I wouldn't. Most decent knives (as in, are hardened to a point where they'll actually hold an edge and do traditional knife work well) do not do well in throwing. Dedicated throwing knives tend to be very soft, and surviving throws is pretty much all they are cabable of. I don't know how hard this is, but I'm imagining the upper 50s on the RC scale. Plus, the thin clip point would probably take a beating from a throw, and the walnut handle certainly wouldn't like it--which probably would hit as often as the blade as I doubt it's balanced right for very consistent throwing.

3.)AUS-6 is not a high-level edge holder but the guys at Seki will likely have done what they could. It'll sharpen easily on regular Norton/Arkansas stones, or diamond or ceramic---it's not a highly abrasion resistant steel, so it sharpens up fairly easily. What it does do well is resist corrosion, and will not lose its sharpness through oxidation as quickly as many knives. It is reasonably tough, in that it will be more likely to roll/blunt than chip in comparison to most stainless steels, so it'd do okay on light chopping/limbing. Truth be told, though not as tough, its edge holding will likely be about on par with or better than many of the old (as in last century) bowies made out of carbon steel, just because they didn't run knives nearly as hard back then as they do now, for the most part. Bowies especially tended to be left at about axe-hardness, which greatly increased their toughness. It's only in the last few years that the knife world has moved to absolutely everything having to hold its edge like a skinning knife, whether it'll be doing any skinning or not. Don't get me wrong, I have some modern custom bowies that are really hard (at least at the edge) and I love 'em, but they're not entirely representative of what once was---and what once was seemed to work okay back then.

4.)Never held one, and everybody's hand is different anyway, but it looks like some attempt at ergonomics was made. If it doesn't feel secure in your grip, wrapping it is certainly an option, as would be roughing or checkering it. I'd find some scrub that needs clearing and do some swinging with it, and find out how it feels.

What kind of instructor do you mean? Fighting with a bowie?

 

[gorean]

Yes fighting with a bowie and thanks for the input.
It does feel good in the hand though a bit slick for my very dry hands.
I figured throwing was out. I have some bushes out back and I think I will give'em a whack or 2.

 

[t1mpani]

Well the full tang will move the balance point backwards as will the clip point, so I'd imagine it's balanced pretty well for fighting. I don't know the knife fighting instructor world, so I'll let others speak to that.

Welcome to BF, by the way!

 

[gorean]

Thanks again for the insights and the welcome. Actually I agree with you on the edge philosophy. Still carrying those old Case Cattleman three bladed jobs in my pocket. Got a couple of bucks same variety. Always thought of them as basic tools. Most of the newer knife styles seem a little less practical for me. Don't get me wrong. It is a lot tougher to cut a rope with my pocket knife than my son's. His has a serated edge and is made fo that sort of thing. Tough to clean my breakfast trout with his though.
I have to sharpen mine regular he goes and gets a new one. No worries, each to their own.