Just ordered a Potbelly!

vba

vba

Joined
Jan 12, 2009
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Ordered a Johnson Adventure Potbelly and can't wait for it to get here. There have been a couple of reviews here and based on them, I went ahead.

Interestingly, I had an aversion to this blade when first seen, but have grown to like it as a useful tool.

Vin
 
I love mine. It's my favorite knife by far. Totally under-rated. The best 7" bladed chopper AND slicer I've ever held. I once timed how long it took me to chop through a treated 1x6 edge to edge with the Potbelly and then timed it again with my BSA hatchet. It literally was NO CONTEST. The Potbelly blew the hatchet out of the water.
 
Cramsey, good to hear. I have the BK2 and many other knives but this blade seems very strong in design and function.

Vin
 
Yeah, I like it so much that I can't see anything taking it's place. Anything factory at least.
 
Bought one. Fondled it. Liked it. Traded it. I'm no pig hunter and the knife just seemed too purpose built and I couldn't see myself packing it instead of my KA-BAR USMC or BK7. It is a really nice knife. I just don't like having too many knives that I know will NEVER be used.
 
I took mine into the bush right after I got it. I delimbed an evergreen in prep for a quick emerg. shelter pic set. Batteries crapped out, then it became nuclear winter. So end of story, too cold for camera. It lobbed off decent sized branches quite easily. This is no fairy wand.

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Upnorth, thanks for the photo comparison to the BK2! Looks like a good hunk of steel.

Vin
 
fairy wand :) heh.

yeah, it's ... THICK. if they made a big brother, it would be a HUGE monster machine.

i grabbed one because it seems like the closest thing currently that KaBar makes for a stout chopper, with handle slabs, and is somewhat like a Machax to my eye. can't beat the price. my limited tests thus far... i like it. it feels very fast in the hand, and i do like the funky handle.

makes me wonder what the bacon maker is like... as the potbelly is definitely a good all around camp blade, and yet still quite stabby... the BM is ALL about the stabby, so i really wonder about it's woods utility - probably not very much. haven't really heard from too many (any?) people that bought one yet.
 
When I Google, I consistently get the following pic.
Does it come with everything shown? Sheath, 5599 necker and cordage?
Also, US made and 1095 CroVan, correct?

kabapic02-5600-4.jpg
 
Guyon said:
When I Google, I consistently get the following pic.
Does it come with everything shown? Sheath, 5599 necker and cordage?
Also, US made and 1095 CroVan, correct?

kabapic02-5600-4.jpg
Click to expand...

as far as i know. just order one already :)
 
Yep, it comes with all of that.

As for the BaconMaker... I bought one of those too. I haven't stabbed any pigs yet. Don't know if I will, I'd love to try it, but honestly, I'm not sure if my gonads are big enough to face a 300lb pissed off pig with a knife. :eek:

I think it would be a GREAT combat knife. IMO, stabbing big pigs is hand to hand combat anyway.

I think that the BM has a great balance in the hand. It's only 3/16" thick compared to 1/4" for the PB, and the blade is not nearly as wide. It's quite a bit lighter. It's not a chopper like the PB, but you could choke back on the grip and make snap cuts with it. Having had a couple of "regular" Kabar's, I'd say that the BM would be a better chopper than they are.

I would think that with the recurve, it would be a wicked slasher. It's got a great point with a false edge that can be sharpened for fabulous penetration. Other than the fact that I have no formal training in blade techniques, I'd no qualms with using it in a hand to hand situation. It can fill the role of any other similar sized combat knife easily. If I were a soldier, I'd seriously consider carrying the knife.

The BaconMaker is now the knife that is close to hand while I'm sleeping at night. It replaced my Kabar Next Generation.
 
But how is the Potbelly at slicing? Yeah, it looks like a great chopper, but will it slice like a BK-2 with a proper convex edge put on it?

I've always liked the look of it, but while I'm sure it will chop better than a BK-7 (and perhaps even a BK-2), can it slice?
 
rockspyder said:
But how is the Potbelly at slicing? Yeah, it looks like a great chopper, but will it slice like a BK-2 with a proper convex edge put on it?

I've always liked the look of it, but while I'm sure it will chop better than a BK-7 (and perhaps even a BK-2), can it slice?
Click to expand...

it's got a lot of belly, like the BK5, and i've used it in the kitchen a bunch. slices some things well, like meat, just glides right in there - when new it had a hair popping edge that was one of the best of any i've seen for a knife out of box.

the hollow grind though makes slicing vegetable more of a chopping / splitting experience for brittle veggies. carrots for instance, don't slice, they go flying, unlike say, using a THIN THIN knife. the potbelly is not thin, once you get deeper into that hollow.

sure is good at powering through frozen food though. no contest :)
 
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