- Joined
- Feb 8, 2004
- Messages
- 4,172
Well, I first saw the Habilis at the Blade Show last year and was hoping to see them again this year, but work interrupted my visit to the show this year
Regardless, I really liked the Habilis Bush Tool when I first saw it and handled it its a very different design and there are some excellent reviews out there on it. Seeing the newer version and the JRE sheath that was offered pushed me to finally give it a shot. I was hoping to get it before I took off this week for a three day backpacking trip with just the pooch, but it sadly arrived the day after I took off.
Anyways, its always nice to come home to a new toy! I at first though the 1/8 would be too thin, but I was not expecting the heft of the Bush Tool when I discovered the newer version is 3/16! Ive only did some minor cutting tasks and a little chopping (still recovering from the backpacking trip
the heat and humidity are kicking my hind-quarters!
Knife Spec's:
1095 High Carbon Steel
Rockwell 57
G-10 Handle
10 1/4" Overall Length
5 1/4" Blade Length
3/16" Thick Blade
Scandi Grind
Gun Blued Finish
The good news is Martin Knives sheath accessory pouch fits perfectly. Since the sheath has the fire steel loop built on, I used the accessory pouch loop for a small stainless tube with some needs and heavy duty thread. Ill try and get some more work out of it in the next week or two before our trip to the Keys so far, Im pretty impressed with the potential I see in a tool like this.
It seems to have a good tip for drilling and digging and the concave cut-out on the main blade gives you some good hand holds as well as the designed brace for using the fire-bow bearing in the handle and locking it against your shin (Ill be interested in how that actually works). The primary bevel is Scandi and it looked like a minor secondary bevel but it looks like the finished edge which removed the bluing or it was covered during the bluing process. I only wish the handle was a tad wider, but it still feels good in the hand and the design allows you to hold the back end for more leverage when chopping. The JRE sheath is top notch, although I did wish it was a little more form fitting something I may try and remedy. Its well thought out; its completely ambidextrous and can be carried horizontally (across the back or cross-draw), vertically, high; and it comes with a removable drop loop excellent for carrying below a backpacks waist belt.
So far, so good
ROCK6
Regardless, I really liked the Habilis Bush Tool when I first saw it and handled it its a very different design and there are some excellent reviews out there on it. Seeing the newer version and the JRE sheath that was offered pushed me to finally give it a shot. I was hoping to get it before I took off this week for a three day backpacking trip with just the pooch, but it sadly arrived the day after I took off.
Anyways, its always nice to come home to a new toy! I at first though the 1/8 would be too thin, but I was not expecting the heft of the Bush Tool when I discovered the newer version is 3/16! Ive only did some minor cutting tasks and a little chopping (still recovering from the backpacking trip
the heat and humidity are kicking my hind-quarters!Knife Spec's:
1095 High Carbon Steel
Rockwell 57
G-10 Handle
10 1/4" Overall Length
5 1/4" Blade Length
3/16" Thick Blade
Scandi Grind
Gun Blued Finish
The good news is Martin Knives sheath accessory pouch fits perfectly. Since the sheath has the fire steel loop built on, I used the accessory pouch loop for a small stainless tube with some needs and heavy duty thread. Ill try and get some more work out of it in the next week or two before our trip to the Keys so far, Im pretty impressed with the potential I see in a tool like this.
It seems to have a good tip for drilling and digging and the concave cut-out on the main blade gives you some good hand holds as well as the designed brace for using the fire-bow bearing in the handle and locking it against your shin (Ill be interested in how that actually works). The primary bevel is Scandi and it looked like a minor secondary bevel but it looks like the finished edge which removed the bluing or it was covered during the bluing process. I only wish the handle was a tad wider, but it still feels good in the hand and the design allows you to hold the back end for more leverage when chopping. The JRE sheath is top notch, although I did wish it was a little more form fitting something I may try and remedy. Its well thought out; its completely ambidextrous and can be carried horizontally (across the back or cross-draw), vertically, high; and it comes with a removable drop loop excellent for carrying below a backpacks waist belt.
So far, so good
ROCK6
Last edited by a moderator:
Will do as I plan to make this my primary bush blade for a while.
:grumpy:
). The finish is what I would consider "service grade". It's not a highly polished tool. Some of the edges are a little sharp but the overall construction is well done and you can quickly see the focus is on performance and not looks. 
