JK Canadian Belt Knife (JKCBK)

T

Tahts-a-dats-ago

Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
854


When I first saw a picture of a Canadian Belt knife I thought the knife looked kind of weird and unwieldy. It wasn’t something I was particularly interested in, but as I lingered around the knife groupies, found on the Internet, I found myself more and more intrigued as I read glowing comment after glowing comment.

Before too long I decided I’d take a gamble and I ordered the R. Murphy version so I could see (for myself) what all the hubbub was about. That knife took a little getting used to, but once I became used to it I was hooked. I fell in love with the style and soon ordered the D.H. Russell original and the Bark River version. I liked them both, but found myself always reaching for the R. Murphy knife: it just seemed like an old friend and it worked brilliantly.

My one issue, with all three versions, was the handle. I wanted something a bit more hand-filling and comfortable, while maintaining the excellent control I had with the other versions.



In short: I loved the blade shape and the layout of the overall knife, but I wanted a better handle.

I can’t draw worth a darn and I couldn’t design a decent knife if my life depended upon it. However, I do know what I like and I know (roughly) what I want in my knives. Conveying that is sometimes almost impossible though.

John – much to his credit – somehow took the picture of my R. Murphy knife and my inept requests and magically created exactly what I was looking for. I don’t know how he did it, but sometimes I wonder if he has some strange ability to read my mind. He probably doesn’t have that ability – based entirely on the fact that he hasn’t shunned me completely – but I really am impressed with his ability to create exactly what I envisioned.

The JKCBK (Canadian Belt Knife)

OAL – 8.5 inches
Blade – 4 inches
1/8 inch 01 tool steel
Ebony wood handles
Brass pins
Brass lanyard tube



This was my most anticipated knife by far. With other knives I’ve sometimes wondered if I’d actually like them (in person) as much as I had in pictures. Not with the JKCBK – I knew I’d love the blade because it was the same shape that I already loved and I knew I’d love the handles because I own other knives made by John.

Some might say I had set myself up for disappointment.

Not at all.




Not only did this knife meet my hefty expectations: it blew them away. The fit and finish is just incredible; it’s a genuine work of art and an everyday working tool all rolled into one magnificent piece.

If you’ve ever seen a car that looks fast just sitting still, you’ll know exactly what I mean. This knife looks like it is cutting and slicing while it’s just sitting there. It practically begs you to pick it up, fondle it lovingly, and then go slice the hell out of stuff.



I suppose the most noticeable feature is the odd shape of the knife itself. It’s all about ergonomics and I find this shape to be the single most comfortable knife I’ve ever held. Not only is it enticingly beautiful – to me anyway – but the very shape of the knife leads to its usefulness (in a wide variety of uses). The knife is comfortable in a variety of holds and seems to be an extension of my hand. Because of the configuration, I am able to have precise control for detailed cuts and power when I want to slice off large chunks.

It’s almost as though the knife can read my mind and then acts accordingly.

Say……. Wait a minute. How much would John charge me to work his magic on my wife?

Ah, never mind… I probably couldn’t afford it anyway.

The handle is the reason I wanted this knife built and John knocked this out of the park. The Ebony scales are warm and inviting, smooth yet grippy, and somehow soft while being hard and durable. Best of all, the handle slides easily into the palm of my hand, with the butt resting comfortably against the heel of my palm and my thumb or forefinger always available for precision work.



Outside of chopping or use as a heavy pry-bar, I’d be hard pressed to think of something this knife doesn’t excel at. It is perfect in the kitchen; slicing and dicing is a joy with the offset handle. Outdoors I’m easily able to make precision cuts while whittling large sticks into smaller sticks and power cuts are merely a matter of deciding how much I want to remove at once. The point is great for drilling and the spine is nicely squared for scraping.

I have a lot of knives – OK; I have too many knives – but only two hands. That means most of my knives see little, if any, use in reality. Until I figure out how to grow a lot more hands, I am forced to select my personal favorites for my most frequent users.




Sorry R. Murphy – you got kicked out of the starting lineup.


JK Website: http://jkhandmadeknives.com/

JK Forum: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/830-JK-Handmade-Knives





 
Hi Thats -

Wow - beautiful pictures and an excellent review of your design!

Thanks for posting - that very first pic is a real work of art!

best regards -

mqqn
 
A GREAT "simple" review. . .

- Easy and straightforward thoughts and descriptions

- Brilliant execution of the knife itself by the maker based on the user's preferences

- EXCELLENT pics of the "subject" knife

. . . because "simple" is good! :thumbup:
 
So, would you say you are pleased with the knife?? LOL Very good review. Great pics, and the knife looks like a million bucks. Easy to see why you are so happy. Our custom makers are so often overlooked by the masses because, as you observed, they start out thinking the end product will be too expensive. But what is eventual satisfaction worth? Getting exactly what you want is sometimes more expensive, but in the end it can be definitely worth the money.

Andy
 
I'm new here but what I have seen is that the price pretty much matches the quality. I recently purchased a knife from one of the knifemakers on these forums and am totally satisfied. I probably won't be purchasing another knife from a manufacture.
What type of blade grind,(primary/secondary) is on the Canadian Belt Knife from JK?
John Smith
 
darkmatter35 said:
I'm new here but what I have seen is that the price pretty much matches the quality. I recently purchased a knife from one of the knifemakers on these forums and am totally satisfied. I probably won't be purchasing another knife from a manufacture.
What type of blade grind,(primary/secondary) is on the Canadian Belt Knife from JK?
John Smith
Click to expand...

It has a convex grind, with a slight v edge.
 
Beautiful knife. The more I see this design the more I'd love to try one in a decent stainless for the kitchen and camping food prep
 
mistwalker said:
Beautiful knife. The more I see this design the more I'd love to try one in a decent stainless for the kitchen and camping food prep
Click to expand...
The dh russel stainless is pretty good. If you look around you can get a #2 stainless with rosewood kit for 40$ or so, really easy to cobble together and comes with the pouch sheath. Mine is a go to for camp kitchen use, my mom borrows it every year on the family camping trip

That Jk is a perfect rendition of the design, very well done.
 
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