How long did you search for your perfect Fiddleback?

ncrockclimb

ncrockclimb

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I am going to assume that the answer for most is "I'm still searching, and having fun doing it!" However, I thought I would pose the question as a gateway to talking about the fun / frustration of collecting Fiddlebacks.

I am a relative noob to Fiddlebacks, having purchased my first one earlier this year and I currently own three. Each time I think I have found "the one," I see another model that I want to try and the search is on again. It seems never ending, and that is not a bad thing!

So, what is the longest time you have spent searching for a certain Fiddleback? How many other Fiddlebacks did you buy while you were looking for "the one?"
 
I tried the bushfinger, sneaky pete, monarch, patch knife, hiking buddy, leuku, nessmuk, and runt. To my eye, and for my environment, the hiking buddy is a nice fit. I don't want to say perfect. However, I appreciate the versatility and ease of carry of the model. It is a lot of blade for how easy it is to take on the trail. It doesn't fill the role of EDC for me, but it carries like a much smaller blade which is important if weight is a consideration in your travels.
 
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Every week i find a new 'perfect' Fiddleback. The high lasts for 6 days, sometimes less .. rarely more. The fun is in the chase or the hunt - not the kill. Must. Chase. The Dragon.
 
I've been acquiring Fiddlebacks for about 2.5 years now. The first one I bought (old school fat Bushfinger) was the "perfect" one. After getting that one I went on a tear acquiring a bunch of different models. About a year into it, I found the next perfect one, the Camp Nessie. Interesting thing about the Camp Nessie - it lasted over 20 minutes on the Fiddleback Friday thread before I picked it up. Now I get offers of kidneys, children and prime land in southern Florida to take it off my hands. It's been the perfect one ever since, although that doesn't diminish the perfectness of the Bushfinger, or of the other ones in between or since.

My buying has slowed down for a few reasons; budget constraints, I have most of the models I'm interested in covered, being more focused on configurations I'm looking for. But I'm still looking for the next perfect one.
 
First one I bought was a sneaky pete, loved it!!! ....then I read how others preffered other models so i let it go in pursuit of "better"....I have loved every knife I've gotten but none has topped that sneaky, but I sold it :( ...well I fixed that this week....sneaky pete is coming back home.
 
I have ton, but the 2nd and 3rd purchses are still some of my favorite knives. I'm always searching and I think I have always found "the one", but then Bud posts his pictures on Tuesday and I get to see what the Forge is cranking out for Friday and it starts all over again.
 
As Bud had mentioned, I think the fun is in the chase. My humble opinion is there is no such thing as perfect knife, but awesome knives for different occasions/applications. And it's just a lot of fun whenever I can sparingly get a new Fiddie in my hands and see Andy & Co's imagination come to life.
 
My search began with a need for just one knife, something light for camping. Now, 10 months since discovering Fiddlebacks, I'm up to five specific needs with two more emerging. Camping has split into backpacking and bushcrafting.
EDC, a need I thought I had covered, has become sophisticated and now requires three models. Of the dozen models I've tried so far, three have attained grail status: A Camp Nessie, a Runt, and a freak BCjr with a handle fatter than the Nessie. The search continues.
 
I just discovered this wormhole, and wow it is deep. I just took delivery of and then promptly rejected my first Fiddleback, a 3/16" hiking buddy from Arizona Custom Knives. Excellent service, stunning knife, but the 3/16" stock was just too thick for my purposes. But WOW! What an amazing knife. I did a video comparison quickly while I had it on hand: https://youtu.be/fQW_Aedc4Z4

So now I gotta find a hiking buddy. I'd love a blue one... we'll see what I can snag, and ideally 1/8" tapered, and also a runt, maybe an esquire. But I agree with the original title of this post - there's gotta be magic in a knife like this, so I expect many will flow through my hands until a couple stick.

Noon on Fridays i'm busy until further notice. :)
 
I'm still looking as I don't think it's been made yet. Esquire in stainless, with some sort of oreo handle config (black/white burlap, white pinstripe and black liner) and a tapered tang. :D
 
When I first starting noticing and reading about Andy's knives I picked out 3 models that I really thought would cover my needs - Kephart, Hiking Buddy, and Camp knife. My first purchase was a Kephart 5/32 TT O1 in Spalted Maple Burl, and sometime later a stainless HB and a Camp Knife later still. I had many more in between and since but that first Kephart is still my go-to knife (just back from extensive spa treatment) and I wouldn't trade it for any other. Is it perfect?...well, for me it is everything I need. With endless new handle materials and bolster/pin configurations there will probably always be a more attractive knife than the one you just bought but, as i have reassured myself many times. looks ain't everything! Oh, BTW, I still stand behind Camp Knife, HB and Kephart covering all MY bases (won't stop me trying everything else though!):D
 
Man, don't get me started. I went through about 5-6 "phases" of perfect fiddlebacks; ironwood, shadetree, micarta, burls, naturally stable woods, and sandblasted / tumbled hard users... Like Nathan's post above, I've had people offer me eyeteeth, grandmothers, deeds, etc for some of these knives. But, if I had to pick one, truly perfect fiddleback, it would have to been my January 2014 DIW woodsman.

God I miss that knife...

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...but with all of that said, letting it go gave me the opportunity to experience so many other "perfect" fiddlebacks. Ironically, none of them ever truly lived up to the swagger of that first woodsman.

In closing, let my tale be a cautionary one. From someone who has been through125+ fiddlebacks, they're all perfect in their own regard. Find one that calls to you and stick with it... Try your best to not let it go; Even when Andy releases something mind blowingly good on a random Friday, hang in there and stay your course. You'll be glad you did.

:thumbup:
 
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Good advice, xxwjtxx. I think that my most recent Kephart purchase is going to be one of those knives that I stick with. :D
 
This thread has made my morning guys. Thank you for your support!
 
still searching as i only recently became aware and addicted when omega leatherworks showed me pictures of his.gotta save up a bit and then start hunting for a small edc like a runt or a bow legged joe... only problem: sooooooo many choices!!! and international shipping ;)
 
The search is the fun part, I hope it lasts for a good while.

I see models/configs that I would like to try every week, I wish I had the opportunity to stop by the shop from time to time just to handle more than the few that I have.
 
There are so many variations within models, there's always "another one" on the horizon.
 
I'm relatively new to this as I picked up my first fiddleback in the spring. Now I have four. So many models and configurations, all of them wonderful. I think I'll be at this for a long time.
 
My first Fiddleback was an Osage handled Ladyfinger in 5/32" CPM Stainless that I got about 2 years ago. Since then I've tried about a dozen more. They've all been carried and used to some degree and each has found a niche. Either EDC or food prep or fire prep and what have you. However, I've always gone back to that first Ladyfinger as my knife of choice. Until yesterday when my Terrasaur arrived. I can't wait to put it to use. The knife just feels so good as far as handle contour and balance go. I think this is the knife that can take over the Ladyfingers spot. Only time will tell.

With that being said I will continue to be on my computer at 3:00, every Friday that I am able, to continue the search.
 
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