KFU Caper arrived!

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Hi folks,

Thought I'd post my thoughts on the Caper Chris and his son recently made.

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It arrived today and pretty soon after opening the parcel I knew I'd made the right choice buying a KFU knife. This is my first one and i'm mighty impressed! the handle feels like it was made for my hand, Chris' pic's hadn't done the wood justice either, the orange liners are a nice match too (they should also help if I drop it in the woods!).

I've opted to remove the bevel, leaving a convex grind which steepens slightly to the edge, now it slices well!

I really hope Chris makes some more of these, in his sale thread he made it sound like something thrown together for fun. I'd been looking for a long time for a small fixed blade with a convex grind and a decent sized handle. hard to find! Even harder is one with a narrow blade from spine to edge. What this does is bring the edge behind your index finger, similar to a Puukko, making it a very easy knife to use for delicate control cuts (wood carving in my case). Also nice to find a small convex fixed blade with a decent point, Chris has still left enough behind the tip to keep it strong.

Great knife! :thumbup:
 
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Thanks for the writeup Sam! Im glad the knife arrived safe and sound and I hope it serves you well daily while you are in the woods. I envy your occupation!

I actually am making another between posts for another forum member!
 
That's awesome. Would love to see some more photos of it.
 
Chris, this is the 1084 knife isn't it? Which steel do you prefer having used both 1084 and 1095 (performance wise)? I have knives made from both and I can little to no difference. Maybe, just maybe a little better edge retention with 1095, but that may just be in my head.

I love this Caper. Thought about jumping on it but I'm getting a little out of hand with buying knives lately :o There's too many tools I still need!
 
KFU said:
Thanks for the writeup Sam! Im glad the knife arrived safe and sound and I hope it serves you well daily while you are in the woods. I envy your occupation!

I actually am making another between posts for another forum member!
Click to expand...

Thanks Chris, the job's pretty hard at the moment, non stop trail clearing!

It's the first knife I've had in this steel, the convexed edge is holding up really well and strops back nicely. I've only got GEC's in 1095 so can't really compare, be curious to know Chris' thoughts.

Glad you're making another Chris, I'm sure they'll like it. Any more knives to come with convex grinds....?:)

Sam
 
Sorry I haven't written back sooner guys. As far as the steel goes, I think you guys are right. They are very similar really. I do find that the 1095 holds an edge a little longer but the 1084 is easier to heat treat. I don't think you can go wrong with either one. I know alot of the really good forgers use 1084 alot. I will probably stick with 1095 for the most part because it sells better to steel snobs!!!!!!!!! I wouldn't care owning either on my personal knives.
 
Oh, I was also cleaning up one of my first knives the other day and thought I would pass along some info. For any non stabilized wood that is looking a little dry do the following. Grab a mason jar and fill it with mineral oil. Dunk the handle in and leave it for a couple of hours. Set out in the sun and let dry for half a day or so. It will darken the wood a little but nothing major and it really feeds the wood. The best finish that I have found is called Howards feed and wax. It contains carnuba, citrus oil, and some other things. Just wipe on, let sit for 20 minutes and wipe off. You should be fine doing this routine a couple times a year.

I will be making more in convex grinds. Its probably going to be 50/50 with flat grinds. I have tested both grinds and honestly can't choose a winner. I like them both if the flat grind has a convex edge and is ground thin. The flat grind is much easier to do and takes much less time but the saber convex stays flatter when heat treating so it takes less time in cleanup. Also, with the saber convex there is no worry with grinding too high and getting into the top, which produces an uneven grind when looking at the spine. All you have to do is match up the two sides. Believe me, a perfectly matched up saber convex is extremely hard to do and takes alot of time but in the end is probably my favorite.
 
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Thanks for the info Chris, I'm really impressed with the evenness of the grind and it works really well with woodworking:)
 
Sam, good looking knife, & a future "collector's item" as well. When Chris's son is CKM & CEO of KFU, Inc. in a few years, and Chris is sitting on a beach somewhere enjoying the fruits of his retirement, you will be the first person to have a "2nd Generation" KFU knife in their possession . . . . :thumbup:
Good looking combo, congrats to you both . . .
Be safe.
 
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