I'm smitten.. Help me!

A

Alacrity

Joined
Aug 25, 2013
Messages
59
My love affair with good steel got serious about 4 years ago now. Being a poor college student or a full time missionary for the majority of those years I've been slightly limited in what I can get ahold of. I started off with benchmades and picked up a ZT that I love and the classic PM2. I've also dabbled in bussekin grabbing the RMD and a smaller rat as well.

BUT SWEET MOMMA I WANT A FIDDLEBACK.

I didn't even know this existed until seeing a link to this thread when purusing my normal stomping grounds around the forum but man am I glad I found it!
I'm pretty happy with my Busse wish list for larger knives but I'm rather besotted with a couple of the 3-4.5 in fiddlebacks that I've seen.

So this is where you knife nuts come in.

What would be a good first Fiddleback?

The ones that have stood out brightly so far are the Kephart and maybe a bush finger or patch. I'd also love opinions on the wood handles as I've never had non synthetic materials in my knives so any advice on that would be great too.

To be honest I'm pretty open to any suggestions. Try and convince me, please..I'm begging you.. This itch needs to be scratched pronto.

Thanks much!
-Alacrity
 
In my opinion, the KE Bushie is a great starter. Big enough to do most task, but small enough to carry with no problems.

Any that you mentioned would be great ones to start with too!!

Martin
 
Depends on what you want to do with it. Are you looking for a small everyday carry blade that is subtle and easy to slide into a pocket? Or a bushcrafting knife for camping etc? A knife for food or game prep?

Give us more details, and you'll get lots of advice.
 
Welcome to the forum. You've definitely taken the right approach in eliciting community feedback for your first fiddleback! With that said, what is your intended use for the knife? Bushcraft, skinning, EDC, etc? Any design considerations you prefer (grind type, tang type, stock thickness, etc.)? Let us know and we can help! As some have already alluded, the KEB and bush finger would be great choices although without knowing more , it's hard to make a solid recommendation

I'd also strongly recommend reading some of Mistawalker's, Thurin's, and Comprehensivist's reviews to gain some solid insight into specifics about each pattern. There is also a Thread (below) that we put together a long time ago that might be helpful.

(http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...-Thicknesses-amp-Weights?highlight=Tang+types)

edited: check below as well

maw's thread: Fiddleback Forge Comparison Photos Round Three (PIC Heavy)

Thurin's thread: (http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...hree-25-Different-Models?highlight=Comparison)
 
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Thanks so much! I'll give the threads a read.

I have a 6 in camp knife, so it probably won't be for chopping or batoning. With any knife I like versatility over just about anything. It would be namely a camp knife to replace my folders (which I don't love taking camping because gunk gets in them).

So in short, shorter camp knife duties to include more delicate work that would be awkward with my bigger knives and food prep or just any camp duties that don't need a big knife. If I like it enough I may even include it in my EDC rotation.
I also love hiking and fly fishing where again folders get a tad annoying at times and a big beastie of a knife is just a bit too much.

I hope that helps clarify! I'll do more research as well! Thanks for the links
 
That's helpful; you could go with anything from a recluse to a bushfinger or maybe consider a bushcrafter. If you plan on EDC'ing consider a monarch or handyman both would fit the bill very well and have the added bonus of being compact enough to in-pocket carry.
 
I'm a fan of the Patch, Recluse, Leuku blade shape. For you the first two would be better since you have the larger knife already. The Hiking Buddy is a classic smaller EDC outdoor use knife and now the Handyman can fill that roll as well. My advice would be to check out the dealers or wait until a Friday for the sale thread and pick up one of the custom 4ish inch models; Recluse, Bushfinger, Kephart, KE, etc. But first try out one of the production Hiking Buddies. The production models are all stainless so they're easy to maintain and are available right now. More mid-tech than fully production because the shop puts them together and sharpens them if I'm not mistaken. Then you could do a little browsing to find the right 4" custom for yourself. There are lots of choices!


As for the wood, it depends on where you live. I think most guys just give their knives a quick rub down with mineral every once in a while.

Good luck. Welcome to the addiction. Once you get one you will want many more.
 
Welcome aboard.

By your intended uses named above, I'd also suggest a Patch knife. It is a beautiful all around design, not too big, not too small. The blade is short enough to carry every day conveniently and not so wide that it only would perform certain tasks well. For fishing, hiking, and delicate work, I think it's a winner.

But really, it just comes down to preference. Fortunately, Andy makes so many different Fiddlebacks, I'm sure you will find something you will love to carry.
 
Hiking buddy or handyman if I were in your shoes. Either one would compliment your larger camp style knife in the woods but also be pocketable enough for EDC use giving you more chances to use the knife.

Handle choices are pretty much individual preference.

For woods I like African blackwood, straight grained desert ironwood, ironwood burl or black ash burl. There are so many that look amazing. Bog oak is pretty cool, and I even like some cuts of wenge.

See you on Friday :)


Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 
Check the flea market thread...and browse back through the pages. Lots of unsold knives (including an African Blackwood Handyman I have listed) that might interest you. Plus it's a great way to view lots of the designs.
 
Welcome to the madness :)

Hiking Buddy, Patch, Handyman, BC Junior would be great options.
 
All great suggestions thus far, but let's not forget the Bushboot. I love mine. As said already there are lots of great options and it may really come down to personal preference.
 
Alacrity said:
My love affair with good steel got serious about 4 years ago now. Being a poor college student or a full time missionary for the majority of those years I've been slightly limited in what I can get ahold of. I started off with benchmades and picked up a ZT that I love and the classic PM2. I've also dabbled in bussekin grabbing the RMD and a smaller rat as well.

BUT SWEET MOMMA I WANT A FIDDLEBACK.

I didn't even know this existed until seeing a link to this thread when purusing my normal stomping grounds around the forum but man am I glad I found it!
I'm pretty happy with my Busse wish list for larger knives but I'm rather besotted with a couple of the 3-4.5 in fiddlebacks that I've seen.

So this is where you knife nuts come in.

What would be a good first Fiddleback?

The ones that have stood out brightly so far are the Kephart and maybe a bush finger or patch. I'd also love opinions on the wood handles as I've never had non synthetic materials in my knives so any advice on that would be great too.

To be honest I'm pretty open to any suggestions. Try and convince me, please..I'm begging you.. This itch needs to be scratched pronto.

Thanks much!
-Alacrity
Click to expand...

Welcome aboard my friend. I'd start with a Hiking Buddy, or Handyman first. Those are great options. When you get ready to cut something with those big boys, you'd better compare them to our Camp Knife. The lack of a choil and the thin edge makes the knife a lot more functional. The procuction Camp Knife is a big chunk of 3V steel for only $350. I know, I know, Infi steel is the mother of all badassness, and I own a bunch of Busses. But that 3V isn't to be laughed at. Or, even the 12" machete. I'd bet a Fiddleback 12" machete against almost any makers 'big chopper'. Especially if you intend to wear it on your belt.
 
Alactrity,
Welcome to the addiction! I'm maybe a couple months ahead of you and your questions/background were pretty much in line with where I started. After a ton of reading and research on here, I was convinced that the Hiking Buddy would be my first FF. I've yet to pick up a Hiking Buddy and my first was a Handyman. The handle and feel are super comfortable and the blade length is very capable. My next acquisition was a KE Bushie and is just a bit bigger in blade length and handle. You couldn't go wrong with either of those - or any mentioned above for that matter.

I've just come off a long stint of Spydercos (primarily PM2s) myself so I'm used to pocket carry. JouFuu's ISP is a great option for EDC pocket carry and his Ambidextrous Carry offers nice belt carry that stays pretty concealable. There are other folks on here that make great leather too.

Once thing I'm still impressed with almost every day on here is how friendly, supportive and helpful everyone is within this Fiddleback (and related) forum. Great group for sure! A recurring theme from all of the knife and sheath makers is that they're super nice, skilled but humble and their customers' satisfaction matters to them.

For purchases, do follow the Fiddleback Fridays, watch the Flea Market and also monitor the Dealers' sites. The most complete list of dealer sites I've found is right on FiddlebackForge.com and under the Purchasing link. I'm pretty sure Andy has a standing offer of discount on a direct-bought Fiddleback if you buy one from a dealer.

This may be a pattern too but if your first discovery was Fiddlebacks, you soon notice that there are other makers that hail from there like W.A. Surls / WAS knives, Osprey Knife and Tool and others. I guess they could be described as similar but different, some very different. That might not have made complete sense but you'll know what I mean when you dig into their stuff. Either way, they kick butt too and give you even more models to learn about, look into and expand the addiction.
 
Welcome to the finest group of knife people that you will ever encounter!
For a first FB I would suggest a Handyman. It's a little bigger than Hiking Buddy/Patch and to me is the most versatile of the smaller models. It's also guardless a plus for food prep and very easy to pocket carry in an ISP. If you're looking for a 4 incher the Recluse is a great all around versatile choice. I never imagined just looking at pics how good the Recluse would be. Sort of bridging the gap between 4 and 3 inches is the KE Bushie, another wonderful design and a little smaller than the 4 inch models. If bang for the buck is your thing look at the production Hiking Buddy. You really can't go wrong with any Fiddleback, it's tough to pick just one! Good luck.
 
I can totally agree with a few on here. I've had a few different designs and totally loved the edcii until Vance turned me onto the Bushcraft Jr.. I am totally in love with this knife. It does anything I ask of it, all while smiling back at me a single for more. IMHO you will not be disappointed in the BCJR. And as you can see I don't have small mitts. Lol

21bfc484cea6498fb56c44d58e6f4bfa.jpg


Resident assistant thread jacker
 
Fiddleback suggestions; Hiking Buddy, Bushcrafter Jr, Handyman .. yeah, they're all good choices in the 3" blade range.
If you like the Bushfinger (4" blade) profile but want it a little be smaller? The Bushnub is a reduced in size Bushfinger.
There should be reviews, pics, etc .. use the 'search forum' feature at the top right (if you're using a standard browser)
 
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