Some of you might remember my Bradford Cutlery 046 humpback half whittler. Always been a favorite of mine since I've had it. Just love the shape, the feel. Especially that both blades drop so deep in the frame, with either blade open, it feels and uses like a single blade knife.
That long pen blade on it really surprised me. Pen is not exactly my first choice on any knife, but its longer and stiff.. good fine tip control, and classy with that long top swedge.
You see, this knife was bought as THE perfect candidate to make my grail knife, 3-5/8", super sunk blades, clip main, sheepsfoot secondary.
But that pen turned out to be so nice, I couldn't bring myself to grind the tip off!!
(And the fact that the nail knick is too far forward. There are ways around that, but I still couldn't mess with such a useful blade)
So it ended up a knife I loved as is, and is honestly probably in my top 3 most carried knives over the past several years.
That extended my grail search about 3 years!! I'd figured to just get another one, and mod it, then have both.
Nope, wasn't meant to be! They are not in production, and haven't been for a while. And are very popular apparently! Few and far between, and high cost(to my preference anyway).
After about a year I went to looking for the other perfect candidate for that mod--the Mini Muskrat-- those are hard to find and spendy, but aren't nearly as rare, or as expensive as finding these humpback half whittlers!!
A side story about that Bradford;
I lost the sucker once, it was devastating. Thank God I got it back again. I'd lost it this time of year, end of March-ish(still lots of snow here) about 2 months later a friend found it in his driveway, in the gravel. It'd spent several weeks pressed into the snow, mud and gravel, there where I'd parked one day. Bone is a little washed out after that, and its still rusty inside on the spring backs, but its solid and works just fine. Before it showed up, I eas seriously trying to convince myself to get another at collector prices... Not that they were easy to find anyway.
So anyway, all of that brings us to the other knife in this pic;
This one is Case branded, about the same age from the dots, and done up in bluegrass bone, almost half appaloosa on the back side!
YES! I finally found a deal on one! Not just affordable, but actually below what I'd pay for one if they were in production now!!!
It is used, but not more than light pocket, or maybe even drawer wear... its verry clean still! Also superbly built, its gap free, good action.
That back side bone was a small shock compared to the front, but I love it. As I've said before, I love case bone because its different, and tends to be variegated. Doesn't look like jigged plastic like so many other companies bone, too even in color, no character.
Yes. This one will probably get the mod done to it.
I did in fact find a mini muskrat last year, and with one blade made into a lambsfoot, my grail search essentially ended.
But that doesn't stop me from still wanting one on this frame!
Could actually leave the Case alone, and mod the Bradford so that I get to continue to carry my old friend, and the perfect blade combo... but then that pen really is part of that old friendship. Will probably mod the bluegrass.