Checking the mail after work I found this beast of a blade. 
John made it based on his Tank model with 3/16" O1 steel but with a straight back and Wenge scales that I sent him. I've been handling it all evening after I put my son to bed. It's stout and beefy all around and fits my hand very well. I decided that I wanted a knife on the heftier side after using John's Bushcrafter for a week. There's nothing at all wrong with his Bushcrafter, it's just that I have a few knives in that size range and I wanted something more bomb-proof. It's pretty much like the size of a Bark River Bravo-1. The Tank handle shape is really nice. My hand is locked in tight and it feels very secure. The taper of the scales toward the blade also feels great.
The thumb serrations grip my thumb nicely but are not too sharp to be uncomfortable. I'll test them out on a firesteel soon.
John made me a really nice and solid leather sheath. It's stout like the knife it holds and he made it ride a bit lower than usual so it wouldn't poke me in the side when bending or sitting down. It grips the knife nicely and it a stout piece that is sure to last.
Overall, my first impressions are very good. I'm going to hone the edge a bit and test it out over the next few weeks. I've got myself into a number of other projects and the forecast for the next week or so is lousy so be patient. I'm looking forward to making this knife work. I'm certain that it'll stand up to whatever challenge I throw its way. Thanks John!
John made it based on his Tank model with 3/16" O1 steel but with a straight back and Wenge scales that I sent him. I've been handling it all evening after I put my son to bed. It's stout and beefy all around and fits my hand very well. I decided that I wanted a knife on the heftier side after using John's Bushcrafter for a week. There's nothing at all wrong with his Bushcrafter, it's just that I have a few knives in that size range and I wanted something more bomb-proof. It's pretty much like the size of a Bark River Bravo-1. The Tank handle shape is really nice. My hand is locked in tight and it feels very secure. The taper of the scales toward the blade also feels great.
The thumb serrations grip my thumb nicely but are not too sharp to be uncomfortable. I'll test them out on a firesteel soon.
John made me a really nice and solid leather sheath. It's stout like the knife it holds and he made it ride a bit lower than usual so it wouldn't poke me in the side when bending or sitting down. It grips the knife nicely and it a stout piece that is sure to last.
Overall, my first impressions are very good. I'm going to hone the edge a bit and test it out over the next few weeks. I've got myself into a number of other projects and the forecast for the next week or so is lousy so be patient. I'm looking forward to making this knife work. I'm certain that it'll stand up to whatever challenge I throw its way. Thanks John!
