Enjoyable to read about your hike and see the dogs doing what they love. Thanks!
You have some very nice sheaths to go along with your Buck knives.
Stumps,
Thanks. I was heavily into Buck knives in the late 70s & early 80s but then I settled into other things. I had all the knives I needed so why spend any more time thinking about them? Then recently I was rethinking the gear I carried on hikes, especially my cameras. I have a lot of cameras and lenses but recently (because of a neck that tends to stiffen up) I have been using a lightweight camera, an Olympus Epm2 and a very nice 14-42mm lens. I went through my knapsack and removed items I thought I could do without on a hike. When I got around to knives it wasn't just a matter of weight. I was used to using the Buck 639. Some years ago I bought a Kershaw 1010BK as a possible replacement for the 639. It and its sheath are about as light as you can get, I would think, for a blade that is almost 6 1/4 inches long with a cutting edge of about 5 1/2 inches. I never read anything bad about the Kershaw. But it seemed overly delicate and didn't inspire me with confidence. The 639 however never failed to inspire me with confidence. However the 639 hadn't been made for years and my fabric sheath could not readily be snapped closed on a hike without removing the sheath and in the course of years had become faded and shabby.
I am a former Marine and was partial to one Ka-Bar knife, the 1217; so I checked the Ka-Bar knives first. I found the little 3/4 replicas interested and bought 3. I liked the 1250 best but it like the Kershaw 1010BK didn't inspire me with confidence. And then I discovered the Becker line. I can't imagine knives any more confidence inspiring than those. I had a big problem with Becker sheaths; which seems to be one of my refrains; but found a good sheath maker on the Becker forum. I am really happy with these knives, but they are humongous and awe-inspiring. Ethan Becker doesn't believe in the "finesse" approach to knife making. He favors bullish designs. An image he favors is "a pry-bar with an edge," and his BK3 is actually that, with the BK2 not far behind.
I acquired all the Becker knives I thought I might use on hikes and began thinking I was done buying knives; but then I found some good sheaths for my three potentially favorite (aside from the sheaths) Buck knives, the 119, 120 and 124. Then being caught up in the moment I bought a 119BR and a 120BR.
This morning I checked out Buck custom knives. I was surprised. Back when I was buying Buck knives, the Kalinga had just come out but I had no use for a knife of that shape and so passed, but there are a lot of good looking Buck knives out there today, and it would seem, many being made just for collectors. I have been accused of being a collector because I have so many knives, but I try not to collect them just to be collecting. Variations on the 119 and 120 interest me but mostly because I plan to use these two knives, probably in the 119BR & 120BR design on hikes. I was surprised to see the custom 639 designs and while I've never found bone handles that comfortable they do look gorgeous.
Lawrence
