My new Buck Hartsook arrived yesterday....

longbow50

longbow50

Joined
Jul 12, 2002
Messages
3,291
When Eric of On/Scene Tactical suggested the Hartsook in another thread, I took a look around and found that they could be had for under $20.00 on ebay, so I place an order and here it is.

It's chilly this AM and with it's very small size and my stiff hands, I had a bit of trouble using the little blade, but I managed to make shavings from a piece of oak.

Shown with the Becker Necker, the Hartsook's size becomes apparent. Still, I plan on taking Erics advice and will make a minimalist kit and will place this Hartsook kit in/on my Tilley T3. I'll post a few pics and description when I get it put together.

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It's a great little knife. I carry mine in the wallet a lot. I'd suggest sharpening it flat to the main bevel if you really want to see a cutting ability increase. I did and haven't had any durability issues. Batoned it through some seasoned wood and it did fine until it got into some real nasty knots. Still only a slight roll in the edge. Seems to have a great heat treat.
 
Good to know. By sharpening it flat to the main bevel, do you mean that you convexed the edge?
 
I have a Hartsook and I like it pretty well. It is a lot smaller than I thought it would be, but it has performed well so far. I haven't totally beaten it up, but it has stood up to the abuse so far. Glad you like it.
 
those are cool looking little knives....:thumbup: i've been maening to try one out for a long time now.....:D

it looks like a toothpick compared to the becker necker....:eek: there is a huge difference in size....
 
I work it over some and see what I can do to up it's cutting ability.

mtnfolk mike, for the few bucks they cost and the fact that Eric makes a sheath for them, it's was worth it.

It's gonna fit the Tilley just fine I think.
 
Thanks for the pic. Wow, I knew it was small but next to the Becker it's tiny. I might have to get one now too.:mad:
 
By flat to the main bevel I mean do this. Lay the knife perfectly flat on the benchstone, then tilt it towards the edge. When it lays flat on the primary grind, that's your sharpening angle. Gives it a flat saber grind instead of hollow and removes the secondary bevel, making it an extremely acute edge. Here's a photo of mine, though it's been sharpened more since this pic and polished up a little.

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I know I toot the reprofiled knives / thin edges horn in probably over half my posts, but this is one knife that really, really benefits from it. It's a small knife, how many rocks are you going to chop with it? Having a thinned out edge like this also means exerting less force during a cut, which goes a long way in increasing ergonomics when you're using a knife this thin and small, especialy for long periods of time on a heavier cutting task like carving wood. A knife this small can be really good for precision wood carving too, so give it that thin grind and have at it. :)
 
Vivi, thanks for the explanation. I think we are on the same wave length here. That is exactly how I figured to proceed.
 
longbow50 said:
I work it over some and see what I can do to up it's cutting ability.

mtnfolk mike, for the few bucks they cost and the fact that Eric makes a sheath for them, it's was worth it.

It's gonna fit the Tilley just fine I think.
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I tried using the Hartsook as a neck knife and will admit that the sheath doesn't secure it very well and it actually fell out twice when exiting the HMMWV. It is small and carries well and I like the size and design for a small cutting implement. My only other grip is the black oxide coating...I had a huge black spot on my chest where it rubbed off under my IBA in 120 degree heat...messed up my t-shirt too:mad:

I definately need to get a better sheath from Normark.

Now, as a side note, the Buck Mayo Kaala is a little big for as a neck knife, but still, it's one heck of a deal for an excellent small utility blade!

ROCK6
 
For a quick fix using the original sheath, wrap some black electrical tape around the end you insert the knife. Play around with wrapping tight or loose to get the retention you desire. I did this to mine and my friends Hartsook and I haven't had any sheath problems since.
 
Vivi said:
For a quick fix using the original sheath, wrap some black electrical tape around the end you insert the knife. Play around with wrapping tight or loose to get the retention you desire. I did this to mine and my friends Hartsook and I haven't had any sheath problems since.
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That's a good idea and a good short term fix. I need to rub the rest of the black oxide off to keep from dying my shirt or center of my chest.

ROCK6
 
Longbow thanks for sharing, that does seem like a very good solution for a minimalist PSK!!

As i have said many times, the PSK has to be small enough so that people carry it with them, too big, and they will choose to leave it in their vehicle or in camp, thus defeating the purpose.

Add a small flint-fero rod to this knife and you have the makings of the basics for survival.

Nice little dealy....let us know how the post-purchase sharpening goes!
 
For a while I've been interested in compiling a wallet PSK. I don't see myself ever keeping a dedicated PSK on my person (One in my car though), so that's the best option for me I think. I was thinking something like the Hartsook, a fire rod, some sandpaper, bandaids, some type of tinder etc. Maybe I should start a thread....
 
Vivi said:
For a while I've been interested in compiling a wallet PSK. I don't see myself ever keeping a dedicated PSK on my person (One in my car though), so that's the best option for me I think. I was thinking something like the Hartsook, a fire rod, some sandpaper, bandaids, some type of tinder etc. Maybe I should start a thread....
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Not to make a hijack, but I do have a similar pocket PSK (more of a first aid kit) that I wear in my bottom leg pocket of my ACU's. The Hartsook would make a great addition for something like this. I have the typical bandaids, needles, credit-card dispensor of dental floss, safety pins, sliver grippers, mole skin, Benadryl, Hoods-Woods mini fire rod (outstanding for a pocket kit). Good idea for you to do another thread:)

ROCK6
 
Rock6: You mention "credit-card floss dispenser"--where are these to be had? (Myself, I've taken to carrying a few yards of braided 80-lb-test fishing line wrapped around a card in my wallet--but am interested in other extremely-compact means of carrying survival gear. Among my best ideas to date: pocket magnifying card from Campmor, for fire-starting during high-sun daylight hours; am toying with the idea of surrounding a strip of char-cloth with some kind of tape or other water-resistant flat material for use with the card magnifier or otherwise.)

Field report on the Hartsook: took mine recently on a swimming trip. Fits nicely in a swimsuit pocket, so it's likelier to be there in circumstances where you might ordinarily leave all knives behind. The fact that it's fixed-blade instead of folding means that sand and grit and salt water are not problems. My mom stepped, barefooted, on a bee, and needed something to scrape out the stinger. "Need a knife?", I asked. She was grateful to use the Hartsook. It does take a little getting used to--small size means that you grip it largely by pinching the thin metal between thumb and index and middle fingers, so it's kind of a precarious hold, compared to others that get more finger-flesh on the knife. Short blade edge means it's easy to get the knife hung up in the material you're cutting if you end up trying to cut with the unsharpened part of the knife. Still, it excels at what it's probably designed for: carry where a less-compact knife would get left behind.
 
I havn't done any extensive work with the little blade yet, but have practiced different methods of holding it, for the different chores that I'm likely to do and with a little user experience, I have no doubt that it can be a fairly safe and very usable companion.
 
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