- Joined
- Nov 27, 2004
- Messages
- 3,124
Hi All,
A while back, Stomper (of JK Handmade Knives) started offering a fire kit. These kits come with a durable leather sheath, small knife / striker, and a fire steel with handle. Both knife and steel have lanyard holes, and the sheath has eyelets to attach a cord should you wish to wear it around your neck. As usual, Stomper is eager and willing to entertain customization ideas. I asked him if he could make my fire kit knife a miniature version of his Hudson Bay model, which is my favorite chopper these days. No problem, he said.
The finished fire kit arrived last Monday. Here it is. Mini-Hudson Bay knife (O-1 with a square spine and thumb notches to provide extra grip and aid in striking), fire steel, and sheath. Both the steel and the knife have walnut handles. The sheath has a uniform dark finish.
I managed to get away from the city for the weekend, and I spent the better part of today wandering about the woods of Blue Mountain and the Kolapore Uplands. It was rainy, windy, and dreary, but unseasonably warm (9-12 Celsius!), which made for great hiking. I took the opportunity to take my fire kit out for a spin.
So far, I have started five fires with the kit. The best was a small, hot fire that I used to heat up water for some coffee this afternoon, while I was on the Kolapore trails near Metcalfe Rock. I dont have any pictures of this one, as it was raining when I set out, and I seem to have developed an aversion to getting my camera wet (after drowning my last one, who can blame me?). I took my time shaving fuzz sticks for this one, and between the fuzzies and some unwound jute twine, I had a nice base to catch sparks in no time. My reward was a damn fine cup of coffee.
This morning, while wandering through the woods on family property, I started a little exhibition fire with this review in mind, and took a few photos.
My materials: twigs, wood shavings, and a bit of jute (not the whole spool!). I had hoped to find some natural tinder, but everything was thoroughly soaked. Not to worry, though the jute worked out fine.
A few strikes later
Impressions of the fire kit:
Knife: This blade has a wonderfully ergonomic grip and overall shape. My thumb naturally gravitates to the notched and recessed area on the spine, which provides comfort and control. The blade came nice and sharp, with an even grind. A bit of stropping brought it up to shaving sharp. It is a useful utility knife I used it for box opening, fuzz stick shaving, and other small tasks throughout the week. If you added an inch of blade and an inch or two of handle, you would have a great EDC knife. As it stands, its a bit small for tasks like food prep, though it can certainly handle them with a little effort. Im going to add a leather fob, just to extend the handle and add a bit of grip.
Striker and fire-starting: Not much to report here. This is a standard fire steel with a nice grip. Striking a spark is easy, and the inward curve on the knife spine catches the steel nicely.
Sheath: The sheath for this knife is excellent. It combines rugged construction with a small profile. I carried it in my pocket all week, and it was comfortable and did not imprint excessively. There is a full welt that extends around the sheath pockets, so there is no risk of cutting the stitching during (un)sheathing.
All things considered, this is a terrific little kit. Well worth the money, in my opinion. Its a nice compromise, occupying the middle ground between a small firesteel + striker and a full-sized woods blade with a firesteel loop on the sheath. With the fire kit, you get a useful (custom!) utility blade in a pocket-sized package. I will definitely be EDCing this item from now on. My only regret is that I did not order a larger sheath with an extra pocket for my Leatherman flashlight that would have been awesome!
Here are a few additional shots from the trail:
Thanks for looking, and all the best,
- Mike
A while back, Stomper (of JK Handmade Knives) started offering a fire kit. These kits come with a durable leather sheath, small knife / striker, and a fire steel with handle. Both knife and steel have lanyard holes, and the sheath has eyelets to attach a cord should you wish to wear it around your neck. As usual, Stomper is eager and willing to entertain customization ideas. I asked him if he could make my fire kit knife a miniature version of his Hudson Bay model, which is my favorite chopper these days. No problem, he said.
The finished fire kit arrived last Monday. Here it is. Mini-Hudson Bay knife (O-1 with a square spine and thumb notches to provide extra grip and aid in striking), fire steel, and sheath. Both the steel and the knife have walnut handles. The sheath has a uniform dark finish.
I managed to get away from the city for the weekend, and I spent the better part of today wandering about the woods of Blue Mountain and the Kolapore Uplands. It was rainy, windy, and dreary, but unseasonably warm (9-12 Celsius!), which made for great hiking. I took the opportunity to take my fire kit out for a spin.
So far, I have started five fires with the kit. The best was a small, hot fire that I used to heat up water for some coffee this afternoon, while I was on the Kolapore trails near Metcalfe Rock. I dont have any pictures of this one, as it was raining when I set out, and I seem to have developed an aversion to getting my camera wet (after drowning my last one, who can blame me?). I took my time shaving fuzz sticks for this one, and between the fuzzies and some unwound jute twine, I had a nice base to catch sparks in no time. My reward was a damn fine cup of coffee.
This morning, while wandering through the woods on family property, I started a little exhibition fire with this review in mind, and took a few photos.
My materials: twigs, wood shavings, and a bit of jute (not the whole spool!). I had hoped to find some natural tinder, but everything was thoroughly soaked. Not to worry, though the jute worked out fine.
A few strikes later
Impressions of the fire kit:
Knife: This blade has a wonderfully ergonomic grip and overall shape. My thumb naturally gravitates to the notched and recessed area on the spine, which provides comfort and control. The blade came nice and sharp, with an even grind. A bit of stropping brought it up to shaving sharp. It is a useful utility knife I used it for box opening, fuzz stick shaving, and other small tasks throughout the week. If you added an inch of blade and an inch or two of handle, you would have a great EDC knife. As it stands, its a bit small for tasks like food prep, though it can certainly handle them with a little effort. Im going to add a leather fob, just to extend the handle and add a bit of grip.
Striker and fire-starting: Not much to report here. This is a standard fire steel with a nice grip. Striking a spark is easy, and the inward curve on the knife spine catches the steel nicely.
Sheath: The sheath for this knife is excellent. It combines rugged construction with a small profile. I carried it in my pocket all week, and it was comfortable and did not imprint excessively. There is a full welt that extends around the sheath pockets, so there is no risk of cutting the stitching during (un)sheathing.
All things considered, this is a terrific little kit. Well worth the money, in my opinion. Its a nice compromise, occupying the middle ground between a small firesteel + striker and a full-sized woods blade with a firesteel loop on the sheath. With the fire kit, you get a useful (custom!) utility blade in a pocket-sized package. I will definitely be EDCing this item from now on. My only regret is that I did not order a larger sheath with an extra pocket for my Leatherman flashlight that would have been awesome!
Here are a few additional shots from the trail:
Thanks for looking, and all the best,
- Mike
Nice pictures and review, Mentor!
