Patch Knife Review

[xxwjtxx]

Yep, way to set the bar SUPER HIGH Phil -- outstanding post as always! Your ability to combine great photos and insightful commentary provides a lot to the rest of us here on the forum; it is truly appreciated! I'm digging the patch and it looks right at home (as to include j-dog approval) in your ever expanding shadetree collection! Nice work my friend:thumbup:

Oh .. The .357 isn't too shabby either . I was debating on starting a fiddlebacks and firearms thread; I believe I will be doing this after returning from travel this weekend

 

[Comprehensivist]

Phil:

Fantastic review on the Patch Knife. Thanks for making the call on your personal preference over the two models. Not that they were easy to come by before you shared your wisdom.....note to Andy.....crank up the forge as we'll no doubt need more to satisfy demand following your review.

Regarding your Ruger, did you acquire it as a custom model with the bull barrel & adjustable rear sight or did you send a stock model in for a work up ? I also have this model Ruger and agree with your assessment. The one thing that I would like to modify on the stock model are the sights.

Thanks for the thorough reveiw !

Peter

Thanks Peter for the acknowledgement. Making judgement calls is hard sometimes, but it needs to get done.

In regards to my Ruger SP 101, it is a standard 3-1/16" factory barrel. Six or seven years ago, I sent it to Marc Morganti at Gemini Customs for one of his "basic" packages. Marc is the THE guy in the country to go to for Ruger double-action tune-up packages. He replaces all the factory pins and tunes everything to perfection. He glass bead blasts the external surface for no glare and leaves the exposed pins and trigger polished for a nice contrasting effect, sort of like my diffused patio table glass with a Fiddleback knife on top. Marc has been the American Pistolsmith Guild "Gunsmith of the Year" at least once that I know of and probably more since then. If you want to upgrade your factory front sight to a high visibility version, Gemini Customs offers replacement sights called "Small Wonder" sights in fiber optic, tritium night sight, or straight black Patridge style. I cannot recommend Gemini's work highly enough. His prices are very fair for the exceptional quality of work he provides.

The adjustable sights were a later addition. About a year after I got this revolver back from Gemini, I read an article in a gun magazine about Jim Stroh at Alpha Precision installing adjustable Smith & Wesson J-Frame sights on SP 101's. This was years before Ruger offered true adjustable sights on Sp 101's. I decided that I had to have Alpha Precision install these sights on my gun. Honestly, it was quite expensive but beautifully done.

If you have a fixed sight gun now and really want adjustable sights, I recommend selling your current gun and buying a replacement new factory gun with adjustable sights. If you just want a better fixed sight, order one of Gemini Custom's Small Wonder front sights of your choice. Whichever sight option you choose., I would still send it to Gemini for one of their custom packages.

You all need to stop! You guys make us all 'need' every knife coming out of FF Seriously though, great informative review.

Imari55, "Needs" are just "wants" with justifications attached. Thanks for your affirmation.

Thanks for the review. Love the pics. I wonder how this compares to Andy other recent release; the clip point hiking Bowie? That has me interested as well.

Thanks for the comments and the question. I don't own a Hiking Bowie, but based on the pictures I have seen I suspect that it is just a cosmetic difference rather than a performance difference with the Hiking Buddy.

Thanks Phil for the great review on the Patch Knife. I have one on the way to OZ now . I can't wait to put it through its paces.
By the way nice saddle.

Cheers Mick

Hey Mick. I think that you are going to like the Patch when you get it. Congratulations on that one. I knew that you would appreciate the Australian saddle. It is my wife's saddle. It looks kind of funky by American standards, buy damn if it isn't really comfortable.

Nice review bother, very thorough. Excellent pics. I've been wondering how a patch knife compared to a hiking buddy.

Love the pics of J-dog! In the pics it looks like she has steak on her mind. The first pic looks like she's sniffing for steak and the second looks like she's asking- " Did you say steak?" Hahahah. She made my day.

Good job buddy:thumbup:

Jessie and I appreciate your comments Josiah. I want to acknowledge you as one of my influencers on the forum. You always have a unique outlook on things.

I know that you like "user" knives. I want you to understand that, over time, all of the knives that I keep will become users. As you see in this review, my method of operation is to thoroughly use one and evaluate it before I move on to the next one. I have a backlog of knives to test, but it will take a while. Please have patience until I get there.

Very nicely done, Phil. I echo the sentiments others have shared: great knife, review, guns, and companion. Since I first saw the patch knife, something clicked and I thought that for a lot of people, Andy just came out with a better hiking buddy, so to speak. Sounds like that thought has proved true in your situation and uses. It's pretty amazing how the shop keeps turning out such awesome new knives that we didn't even know we needed. 

Again, great job Phil, and great job Andy & Co.


Michael

Thanks Michael. Your story and excellent posts continue to inspire me. I appreciate your kind words also.

Thanks Phil! Great review. Who made the holster for the revolver?

I double-checked the holster make when I got home. It is a Bianchi Model #5BHL.


Thanks again to all of you for your supportive comments. Critical suggestions for improvement are welcome also.

Phil

 

[wbaxley]

Nicely done Phil! Now I need a new knife, a new gun, a dog...

 

[pistonsandgears]

Awesome review Phil, thanks for taking the time to post it. Looks like another great Fiddleback model.

 

[Mistwalker]

Thank you Phil! While I still haven't quite forgiven you for snagging that particular Leuku... your photo of the Patch Knife with it, and then with a Hiking Buddy puts both in a better perspective for me. I really love all the photos you have taken for this. I still want a Leuku first I think, but man a Leuku & Patch Knife combo would be amazingly sweet!!!

 

[Joe Duder]

Jessie and I appreciate your comments Josiah. I want to acknowledge you as one of my influencers on the forum. You always have a unique outlook on things.

I know that you like "user" knives. I want you to understand that, over time, all of the knives that I keep will become users. As you see in this review, my method of operation is to thoroughly use one and evaluate it before I move on to the next one. I have a backlog of knives to test, but it will take a while. Please have patience until I get there.

Thanks for the kind words.

You have a beautiful collection man. I appreciate users, yes. However, I have always said that I very much like when people buy Fiddlebacks and keep them preserved and unused. It's like a time machine, you get a glimpse of what was going on in the Fiddleback forge team's mind during a particular era.

 

[willic]

Great review, Phil! That sure makes me want a Patch Knife!!! GREAT PICTURES!

 

[Comprehensivist]

Nicely done Phil! Now I need a new knife, a new gun, a dog...

Start with the dog!! Thanks for the comment.

Awesome review Phil, thanks for taking the time to post it. Looks like another great Fiddleback model.

Thanks for the acknowledgement. Reviews do take a lot of time, effort, and thought. Doing something worthwhile that people appreciate makes the effort worth it.

Thank you Phil! While I still haven't quite forgiven you for snagging that particular Leuku... your photo of the Patch Knife with it, and then with a Hiking Buddy puts both in a better perspective for me. I really love all the photos you have taken for this. I still want a Leuku first I think, but man a Leuku & Patch Knife combo would be amazingly sweet!!!

Thanks Brian! I am sorry that I stole "your" Leuku. Both the Patch and the Leuku are great knives. I agree that of the two, the Leuku should be the first priority for your situation and current collection. I really appreciate the compliment on the photos considering that you are the Grand Master of knife photography on this forum. I am sure that you recognize your influence on the in-hand photos. I acknowledge you as one of my mentors around here. I can't get better without learning from the best.

Thanks for the kind words.

You have a beautiful collection man. I appreciate users, yes. However, I have always said that I very much like when people buy Fiddlebacks and keep them preserved and unused. It's like a time machine, you get a glimpse of what was going on in the Fiddleback forge team's mind during a particular era.

Thanks Josiah! I'll try to keep a nice balance of users and pristine time-capsule caches. Over time, it is so darn hard to not break out something new and start cutting stuff with it.

Great review, Phil! That sure makes me want a Patch Knife!!! GREAT PICTURES!

Thanks Will! I can't believe that I have a model that you don't have six of in your collection. I imagine that there is still room in your secret shoe box for a few Patch knives.

Phil

 

[xxkcxx]

Willic's shoebox must be like Dr. Who's phone box!

 

[willic]

Now guys, a Patch Knife would not take much room at all in the shoe box! Allen Surls saw my shoe box, he can attest, all you have to do is arrange them very neatly in opposing directions and you can fit quite a few in!

The Patch Knife does look really fun and useful! I just spent 2 of the past 3 weeks in the woods at various Scout camps, I had LOTS of time to whittle and carve. I used a Hiking Buddy and Allen's Patriot and a small folder. Doing detail work, the Hiking Buddy in 01 and the Patriot in CPM154 held an amazing edge. Other people could not believe the amount of cutting I had done and how sharp they both remained! Both had a nice convexed edge and were stropped and were amazingly sharp. The Patriot cleaned some trout, prepped some food and did lots of detailed wood cutting. Anyway.... I want a Patch Knife to play with!

-Will

 

[Mistwalker]

Thanks Brian! I am sorry that I stole "your" Leuku. Both the Patch and the Leuku are great knives. I agree that of the two, the Leuku should be the first priority for your situation and current collection. I really appreciate the compliment on the photos considering that you are the Grand Master of knife photography on this forum. I am sure that you recognize your influence on the in-hand photos. I acknowledge you as one of my mentors around here. I can't get better without learning from the best.

Phil

Lol, no worries Phil, but man that is one beautiful knife. Since that one showed up the Fiddleback crew has introduced the new Coconut Burlap, and I am at this point utterly smitten buy it. I seldom have time for sharking much of anything these days, with trying to play catch up since spring finally arrived here...and here we are almost through summer already. Plus with all of the reinvesting I have been having to do to make improvemnts, I haven't really had the money for it anyway. At least with you doing posts like this I do get to visit it vicariously through you Hopefully soon, the the 18 and 20 hour days, and 7 day work weeks will pay off and I can slow down a little, but I am not getting any younger, and only have so many more years that I can work this hard without paying a high price for it. I've been having my Fiddleback fun out and about working with the new Hiking Buddy on the project, and with Allen's Patriot. Though I do more reading than posting here lately, I'm still around on a regular basis.

I really like your photos man, the balance and the composition, and especially the subject matter and the clarity! If I am an influence and inspiration for that, man that makes me happy and proud!

 

[Comprehensivist]

Lol, no worries Phil, but man that is one beautiful knife. Since that one showed up the Fiddleback crew has introduced the new Coconut Burlap, and I am at this point utterly smitten buy it. I seldom have time for sharking much of anything these days, with trying to play catch up since spring finally arrived here...and here we are almost through summer already. Plus with all of the reinvesting I have been having to do to make improvemnts, I haven't really had the money for it anyway. At least with you doing posts like this I do get to visit it vicariously through you Hopefully soon, the the 18 and 20 hour days, and 7 day work weeks will pay off and I can slow down a little, but I am not getting any younger, and only have so many more years that I can work this hard without paying a high price for it. I've been having my Fiddleback fun out and about working with the new Hiking Buddy on the project, and with Allen's Patriot. Though I do more reading than posting here lately, I'm still around on a regular basis.

I really like your photos man, the balance and the composition, and especially the subject matter and the clarity! If I am an influence and inspiration for that, man that makes me happy and proud!

Hey Brian,

Thanks for the feedback. I understand that a man has to do what a man has to do to take care of his family. Sometimes you control the agenda and sometimes you don't. I respect you for honoring your priorities. We all appreciate your contributions here when you can make them. Even if you can't contribute much at this time, you have established a rich legacy of pearls of wisdom for us to draw from if we are willing to do a little research to find them.

Thanks man! You are an inspiration to us aspiring knife reviewers and photography nimrods.

Best regards,

Phil

 

[knutelut]

Thank you for a great review.

 

[NUTRAMAC]

Phil fantastic review! Your knowledge of knives and there functionality came shining through in your review. The patch knife is going to be on my radar now that I have finally scored a bushcrafter! The patch knife is going to be replacing those hiking buddy's I just released!
Thank you for your dedication to superb reviews filled with truthful data and your own subjective opinion.
Rob

 

[Fiddleback]

This is an excellent review. Thanks Phil.

 

[bladeco]

Awesome review! Maybe I should have pocketed the one we sold instead of letting her swim in the tank lol.

Really though, that was a great review. Good pics, excellent info........all around complete!

 

[emoney2277]

Very well done, I thoroughly enjoyed your review. Thank you.

 

[Comprehensivist]

Thank you for a great review.

I am glad that you enjoyed reading it.

Phil fantastic review! Your knowledge of knives and there functionality came shining through in your review. The patch knife is going to be on my radar now that I have finally scored a bushcrafter! The patch knife is going to be replacing those hiking buddy's I just released!
Thank you for your dedication to superb reviews filled with truthful data and your own subjective opinion.
Rob

Thanks Rob! I appreciate the feedback. I try to include as much objective measurable data as possible to explain how I reached my subjective conclusion.

This is an excellent review. Thanks Phil.

Thanks Andy! It means a lot to me to have your seal of approval on the review. You put your heart and soul into designing and making these knives, so I tried to put that same level of effort into the review.

Awesome review! Maybe I should have pocketed the one we sold instead of letting her swim in the tank lol.

Really though, that was a great review. Good pics, excellent info........all around complete!

Thanks Tony and/or Scott! I appreciate the kind words, especially coming from guys that work full time in the knife business.

You guys do an excellent job also. You were very helpful with my first purchase experience and I am looking forward to doing more business with you.

**Attn: Andy or Ken: Please amend the Fiddleback Intro thread to add the Bladeco link to the dealer section. Thanks!!**

Very well done, I thoroughly enjoyed your review. Thank you.

Thanks emoney! I appreciate the comment.


Sheath Update:

After this review was posted, I contacted Rick Lowe about ordering a sheath for my Patch. Since this is a new model, he didn’t have a template specifically for it. I sent him some photos and exact dimensions at various points along the blade. He used this info to scale down his Recluse sheath template to be a proper fit for the Patch. The sheath arrived last week and the fit and retention is perfect. Thanks Rick!

Here are a few cell phone photos of the sheath:









Thanks again everyone!

Phil

 

[McVeyMac]

Thanks for doing this Phil, now I can order this sheath from Rick!

 

[bonafide]

I was finally able to stop by Fiddleback HQ today and pick up my Ironwood Patch. Well worth the wait and there's nothing really I can say about it that Phil hasnt already covered.

Great design in an awesome size. To quote my wife and daughter when I let them hold/inspect it, 'ooooohhhh' and 'ahhhhh'. My daughter has already asked, 'when you get tired of it can I have it?'. To which my wife replied, 'get in line behind me! I'm calling dibs right now!'

Picture time - and for those who may be new to the Fiddleback world - First pic is Top to Bottom; Bushboot in Osage Orange, Patch in Arizona Ironwood, Hiking Buddy in Box Elder Burl