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Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
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Need a Big(ger) Boy
- Thread starter Bartlax4
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- Mar 18, 2007
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I'm a huge fan of the Hunter. It might just be my favorite "all around" Fiddleback, however, at camp I like just a little more blade. I am not saying the Hunter wouldn't do everything I need but the Duke does everything the Hunter does and still has some additional blade length for more uses. The Duke feels like a Hunter on steroids. The Duke blade shape excels at the bigger tasks such as batoning.
Comprehensivist
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Jared,
You have received some good and wise advice above on the pluses and trade-offs (not minuses) of the various bigger Fiddleback options.
Here is my feedback on the five that I currently own:
Camp Knife: This is the premier big knife in Andys line-up. The balance in the forward grip is nothing short of amazing. This knife is 3/16 thick SFT and it balances 3/16 in front of the forward pins for a totally neutral balance. Sliding your hand to the rear grip makes this a forward weighted chopping machine. I dont recommend going below 3/16 on this model. If your uses are 80% camping and 20% heavy-duty kitchen work, then this is your knife. If those percentages are reversed, then this model is overkill even though it is guard-less and has good finger clearance.
Duke: This model is a great crossover for camping and kitchen work. This one is 3/16 thick SFT which makes it a little more of a stout camp type knife than a delicate kitchen knife. The balance on this one is 1/4 ahead of the forward pins, which is almost neutral and excellent in my opinion. This model is guard-less which is good for kitchen work. It has more belly than the Woodsman, which is a personal preference choice you have to decide on. I think that a 5/32 tapered tang model of this knife with a 3/4 height grind would be an excellent balance of what you are looking for in your all-around big knife.
Big Sneaky: This model does not get nearly the respect it deserves. This one is a 5/32 thick tapered tang model. It balances 38 ahead of the forward pins and it is absolutely the best balanced knife that I own. It feels light in hand but very stout at the same time. The Sneaky Pete grip is very solid, comfortable, and natural feeling in various holds. The Bushcrafter and Sneaky Petes are my two favorite handles. This model has decent finger clearance with a small guard which may hinder some kitchen applications. Another strong contender for your all around category.
Camp Nessie: I just recently acquired this one in a trade after I posted a specific WTB in the Flea Market. I sought out this knife based heavily on thurins positive reviews and video on how versatile this model is. I am very impressed with it so far. This one is 5/32 thick with a tapered tang and it balances right on the forward pins. It is guard-less with good finger clearance. I am looking forward to putting this knife through its paces. What I believe makes this a good crossover option is the height of the blade combined with the height of the grind. This combination makes it stout but still a good slicer at the same time.
Leuku: I posted a detailed review of this model in another thread on this forum. I like this model as my 80% kitchen work 20% camping model. It is nimble and handy for my uses in the kitchen even though it has a small guard. This model is not a chopper, but is vey capable of batoning reasonable sized wood for camp. This model has a slightly narrower height profile than the other models which may or may not suit your taste.
Good luck with your decision. Keep us informed when you find it. Pictures will be required of course.
Phil
You have received some good and wise advice above on the pluses and trade-offs (not minuses) of the various bigger Fiddleback options.
Here is my feedback on the five that I currently own:
Camp Knife: This is the premier big knife in Andys line-up. The balance in the forward grip is nothing short of amazing. This knife is 3/16 thick SFT and it balances 3/16 in front of the forward pins for a totally neutral balance. Sliding your hand to the rear grip makes this a forward weighted chopping machine. I dont recommend going below 3/16 on this model. If your uses are 80% camping and 20% heavy-duty kitchen work, then this is your knife. If those percentages are reversed, then this model is overkill even though it is guard-less and has good finger clearance.
Duke: This model is a great crossover for camping and kitchen work. This one is 3/16 thick SFT which makes it a little more of a stout camp type knife than a delicate kitchen knife. The balance on this one is 1/4 ahead of the forward pins, which is almost neutral and excellent in my opinion. This model is guard-less which is good for kitchen work. It has more belly than the Woodsman, which is a personal preference choice you have to decide on. I think that a 5/32 tapered tang model of this knife with a 3/4 height grind would be an excellent balance of what you are looking for in your all-around big knife.
Big Sneaky: This model does not get nearly the respect it deserves. This one is a 5/32 thick tapered tang model. It balances 38 ahead of the forward pins and it is absolutely the best balanced knife that I own. It feels light in hand but very stout at the same time. The Sneaky Pete grip is very solid, comfortable, and natural feeling in various holds. The Bushcrafter and Sneaky Petes are my two favorite handles. This model has decent finger clearance with a small guard which may hinder some kitchen applications. Another strong contender for your all around category.
Camp Nessie: I just recently acquired this one in a trade after I posted a specific WTB in the Flea Market. I sought out this knife based heavily on thurins positive reviews and video on how versatile this model is. I am very impressed with it so far. This one is 5/32 thick with a tapered tang and it balances right on the forward pins. It is guard-less with good finger clearance. I am looking forward to putting this knife through its paces. What I believe makes this a good crossover option is the height of the blade combined with the height of the grind. This combination makes it stout but still a good slicer at the same time.
Leuku: I posted a detailed review of this model in another thread on this forum. I like this model as my 80% kitchen work 20% camping model. It is nimble and handy for my uses in the kitchen even though it has a small guard. This model is not a chopper, but is vey capable of batoning reasonable sized wood for camp. This model has a slightly narrower height profile than the other models which may or may not suit your taste.
Good luck with your decision. Keep us informed when you find it. Pictures will be required of course.
Phil
I am chef. a knife thick enough to be a good knife for batoning, is not going to be super nice in a kitchen. i suggest getting a decent chefs knife, serrated knife an a parring knife, and keeping them in your kitchen. then have a full blown camp knife for camping. along with your pocket knife.
when i cut potatoes with a nice thin chefs knife, i either tilt them over, or they stand up as they fall off the knife. with a thick camp knifeyou will have to use a lot more pressure, and that will send the potato chunks flying. also, with most kitchen knives you want a 17 degree edge, for tomatoes and such, that is very fine, like a razor blade. a chefs knife is like a big huge durable razor blade.
a cam knife wants a much thicker grind. even a convex. like a 30 degree grind. even it it was razor sharp, a quarter inch think piece of the steel with a 30 degree convex would smush a tomato. send potatoes flying all over the kitchen, and be very hard to control when cutting meat. imagine trying to filet a piece of chicken breast in half with something that massive. its a pain, and even i would be not making very accurate cuts. one half would be much bigger than the other lol.
you are looking to two very different knives in one, i am sure you could make it work, and any blade will do in a pinch in the kitchen if its sharp enough. however, a kitchen knife wont hold up in the woods.
when i cut potatoes with a nice thin chefs knife, i either tilt them over, or they stand up as they fall off the knife. with a thick camp knifeyou will have to use a lot more pressure, and that will send the potato chunks flying. also, with most kitchen knives you want a 17 degree edge, for tomatoes and such, that is very fine, like a razor blade. a chefs knife is like a big huge durable razor blade.
a cam knife wants a much thicker grind. even a convex. like a 30 degree grind. even it it was razor sharp, a quarter inch think piece of the steel with a 30 degree convex would smush a tomato. send potatoes flying all over the kitchen, and be very hard to control when cutting meat. imagine trying to filet a piece of chicken breast in half with something that massive. its a pain, and even i would be not making very accurate cuts. one half would be much bigger than the other lol.
you are looking to two very different knives in one, i am sure you could make it work, and any blade will do in a pinch in the kitchen if its sharp enough. however, a kitchen knife wont hold up in the woods.
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Phil,
Excellent info and review of each of these. You have stunning examples of each. Love the shadetree (but you knew that) and I can't believe the tapers on the Leuku and CN. I'm missing 4 out of those 5
Great pictures as well. Nicely done.
- Joined
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Here is one last thought after thinking about your quandary over night.
If you want a knife that will be able to perform the same in the kitchen as the outdoors I would say go hunter or.... Guardless Woodchuck. I have one and love it. However, these being on the small-ish side of the big knives you're going to sacrifice in the chopping department outdoors.
When it comes to true outdoor tasks i think of the try stick. So will those knives do what you need for a trystick?.. absolutely.
The Duke is still an excellent choice and adds some of that chopping capability to it. I haven't used mine in the kitchen, but I can attest to it from the outdoors perspective. Many have mentioned the Camp Nessie. I would recommend this knife next to the Camp knife as the ultimate outdoors knife. I do however feel it will have significant deficiencies in the kitchen. CN vs the trystick... good luck drilling.
So with all that being said, what do I think? If you truly want equality everywhere i'd go Hunter or guardless woodchuck. If you absolutely want size and are willing to sacrifice some in the kitchen... absolutely go with a Duke. Get tapered tang to cut down on weight a little, and this knife can be extremely nimble for its size.
If you want a knife that will be able to perform the same in the kitchen as the outdoors I would say go hunter or.... Guardless Woodchuck. I have one and love it. However, these being on the small-ish side of the big knives you're going to sacrifice in the chopping department outdoors.
When it comes to true outdoor tasks i think of the try stick. So will those knives do what you need for a trystick?.. absolutely.
The Duke is still an excellent choice and adds some of that chopping capability to it. I haven't used mine in the kitchen, but I can attest to it from the outdoors perspective. Many have mentioned the Camp Nessie. I would recommend this knife next to the Camp knife as the ultimate outdoors knife. I do however feel it will have significant deficiencies in the kitchen. CN vs the trystick... good luck drilling.
So with all that being said, what do I think? If you truly want equality everywhere i'd go Hunter or guardless woodchuck. If you absolutely want size and are willing to sacrifice some in the kitchen... absolutely go with a Duke. Get tapered tang to cut down on weight a little, and this knife can be extremely nimble for its size.
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- Mar 6, 2014
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Phil,
Can't thank you enough for taking the time to write that up and post those pics. REALLY helpful! That is such a nice collection.
Yes, there seem not to be any negatives of any Fiddlebacks (none I have found with the ones I have), just good uses, better uses and best uses. You guys have helped out tremendously with your suggestions, can't thank you all enough.
Thanks Rawzors too for your input, always good to hear from someone who uses knives for a living! I know I won't be finding any knife really that will be the best knife in both the kitchen and camp...that would be a tall order. I have a chef's knife that will still be my main kitchen blade. Just looking for a solid cross-over for my the big half of my envisioned big/little combo and all this info from you all has been terrific. Appreciate everyone's suggestions and opinions and making me think about things I may have overlooked.
Good stuff.
Can't thank you enough for taking the time to write that up and post those pics. REALLY helpful! That is such a nice collection.
Yes, there seem not to be any negatives of any Fiddlebacks (none I have found with the ones I have), just good uses, better uses and best uses. You guys have helped out tremendously with your suggestions, can't thank you all enough.
Thanks Rawzors too for your input, always good to hear from someone who uses knives for a living! I know I won't be finding any knife really that will be the best knife in both the kitchen and camp...that would be a tall order. I have a chef's knife that will still be my main kitchen blade. Just looking for a solid cross-over for my the big half of my envisioned big/little combo and all this info from you all has been terrific. Appreciate everyone's suggestions and opinions and making me think about things I may have overlooked.
Good stuff.
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- Mar 6, 2014
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Dcaggie,
Yup, lots of thinking overnight! All these posts have helped a lot, but still going to be tough to narrow. I will bet $$ (and perhaps the only way to truly figure it out for myself) that if I can get my hands on them I end up cycling through every one of these suggestions. Ha! For now I think I am leaning Duke, but ask me in an hour, or once fotki goes up today
Yup, lots of thinking overnight! All these posts have helped a lot, but still going to be tough to narrow. I will bet $$ (and perhaps the only way to truly figure it out for myself) that if I can get my hands on them I end up cycling through every one of these suggestions. Ha! For now I think I am leaning Duke, but ask me in an hour, or once fotki goes up today
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- Jan 30, 2014
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Wow! I am so glad that this question was posed as I have had the same question. Your response is very informative as others have said. Thanks so much for taking the time to do such a detailed post! This is exactly what I have been looking for.
Tod