Nice Blade For Wilderness Travel

Blues

Blues

hovering overhead
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I was looking at the For Sale forums the other day when I noticed that my good friend Big Tex had put a nice custom knife up for sale.

Turns out that it's been owned by a couple of forumites before Jim, but the price was right and the blade style hit home.

I had recently picked up a Marbles Fieldcraft and a Fallkniven S1 for back country and general use, so I've been in that "mode" of late.

While planning a trip up to the Smoky Mountain area of NC I had the chance to read a couple of Horace Kephart's books about the region. In Camping & Woodcraft Kephart has an illustration of the knife he considered to be the ideal outdoorsman's knife. Wouldn't you know the blade was the spitting image of a Marbles Woodcraft?

Anyway...on to the knife. The maker is Rick Dunkerley, Master Smith. The blade is forged of 52100 and the cutting edge is just under 5", not including the choil. OAL is about 10 1/4".

I gave the edge a few licks on a fine ceramic rod from the Sharpmaker and it responded almost immediately. This is some very good steel.

Guard is mokume and the handle(mortised)is nicely figured ironwood.

Nice heavy duty leather sheath by the maker with "Baldy Mountain Forge" and the image of an anvil featured on it.

I don't need to tell you guys that this baby fits the hand like a glove and begs for action.

Definitely not a wallhanger. ;)

View


Well, just felt like sharing. I figured that some of you forged blade and Marbles fans might appreciate taking a look.

Blues
 
Pretty nice! ;)

And you got a great price on that piece.

Fowler taught Dunkerly the tricks for 52100, and while it's "just" carbon steel, I've never owned a knife that got as wicked, and easily and truly hair jumping in my life as a Dunkerly out of 52100.

Dunkerly is focusing on folders now, but he makes a true real-deal usin' hunter (like Fowler) and those sheaths are made by someone who has worn and worn and worn a leather sheath and knows how to keep them together.
 
That is a true beauty. Has it all, so far as I can see. I know Rick Dunkerly is a smith who's constantly pushing the envelope with his forged steel, and it is both a beautiful and useful design.

Thanks for sharing, Blues.
 
Blues,
I can't think of a better knife to keep you company in the backcountry. Kephart I'm sure would have loved it as would have Nessmuk. Enjoy! You got a real outdoorsman's knife there.
 
Thanks, gents. I appreciate your comments.

Blues


(Forgive the second picture. I just wanted to test out the upload feature as I hadn't tried it before now.)
 

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Yes, I forgive you for posting a second picture of that knife, and I think I could forgive you for posting two or three more if you have them -- in fact I would welcome the opportunity to practice the virtue of forgiveness. Practice makes perfect, they say....
 
Blues--Thanks for your thoughts and the great pics.

That is a sure 'nough "usin' rig". Rick's talent with steel paired with his depth of experience as a backcountry outfitter have given him the tools to produce some of the best outdoorsman's knives I've ever used, and that one is a great example. Not too hard on the eyes, either.

Congratulations and enjoy the Smokies!

-w
 
Beautiful knife. I had one that looked similar to that one, custom made in Sweden. An awsome knife (don´t let it to your brother, I did and now I have to talk in past tense about it).
 
Thanks for posting that, very nice cleanly made blade and yep that ironwood looks to be hand fittin' alright!

Love the mokume as well, it should patina nicely!

G2
 
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