Peasant knife?

J

jackknife

Joined
Oct 2, 2004
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17,499
Okay, on the experience I've had with the Sardinian resolza and the Japanese Higonokami, I am now leaning very much over the tilt line toward getting a Svord peasant knife with the wood scales. How many of you have had or have at present a Svord peasant knife?

If so, how well do you like it?
 
I got one I'll send you if you want to try it out. It has the plastic scales, but it'll be something to try.
 
I too only have the plastic handle versions, a full and mini in blue. I think that for EDC the mini is the better size and would love to have the wooden one myself for the more traditional feel. A very good slicer and all around pleasure to use. Pick one up!
 
I have had a few Svord Peasants. I currently have one with plastic handles and one with wood. Both are full sized. Peasants respond well to a bit of love early on; both of mine needed some work on the edge and I also carved a finger groove into the plastic one for added comfort. The scales were a bit rough on the wood one so I shaped them a little bit before sanding and oiling them. It made a big difference.

Svord Peasants take an excellent edge and hold it very well. They are also very tough and easy to maintain. They make excellent utility knives but may be a bit cumbersome to edc, depending on what else is in your pocket.
 
I adore my fullsize wooden one. Pretty robust lil devil. Awesome, anachronistic design. Painfully simple. Begging for modification/customization. Please buy two
 
Also- I made a kind of hybrid sheath that is 50% dangler, 50% pocket sleeve (its brutally ugly [made from the tongue of an old black leather shoe lol] but I wanted something to slip it into bc the friction-y-ness is not always 100% reliable as far as keeping 'er closed, especially bc the upright tang can act as a lever to open position, even if you don't want it to).

The "cuff" of the sleeve extends just a hair above the upright tang (knife in closed position) which helps reduce the obtuse weirdness of that thing. Once the knife is inside, its just a half-banana-sized black leather package w no metal sticking to and fro (the upright tang ought to chew on clothing/pockets a bit so I made sure the cuff's length superseded it- maybe a quarter inch or so beyond the tip).
 
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I have an Orange Mini... I love the thing. It can be a bit awkward to pocket carry because of the extended tang when closed, but it's definitely EDC-able.
 
pjackst said:
Also- I made a kind of hybrid sheath that is 50% dangler, 50% pocket sleeve (its brutally ugly [made from the tongue of an old black leather shoe lol] but I wanted something to slip it into bc the friction-y-ness is not always 100% reliable as far as keeping 'er closed, especially bc the upright tang can act as a lever to open position, even if you don't want it to).

The "cuff" of the sleeve extends just a hair above the upright tang (knife in closed position) which helps reduce the obtuse weirdness of that thing. Once the knife is inside, its just a half-banana-sized black leather package w no metal sticking to and fro (the upright tang ought to chew on clothing/pockets a bit so I made sure the cuff's length superseded it- maybe a quarter inch or so beyond the tip).
Click to expand...
You know what they say, pics or it didn't happen.

I guess I like frikkies in general, also like stuff to tinker with. So I like my mini-peasants a lot.

It is "all about the blade" again though. The peasant is a more comfortable handle, but cumbersome to carry. I use a pouch and work carry. Plays well with gloves.


The L6 steel takes a nice edge easily and keeps it well.... after you have spent some time evening things up.
 
I love this classic design.
I had a Red one but gave it to a dear friend. I miss it.
rolf
 
svord_butter.jpg


Now you're talking about my favorite knife! Carl, I remember us discussing this about a year ago... if you've still got the itch, scratch it!

I've been carrying the Mini Peasant and Victorinox Classic daily (with scant exceptions) for exactly a year. I have nicer knives, but when I ask myself, "do I need more than this," the answer is NO. I've used the mini for most everything: cutting fruits, vegetables, zip ties, cardboard, bags of cat food and litter, and wood, including some hard work re-shaping a knife handle. When I was bearing down on that knife handle, the plastic scales on my mini flexed, but no harm was done.

Svord_Mini_EDC.jpg


I have a large peasant, too, but the mini is a true pocket knife. The extended tang really isn't felt in the pocket, although the scales are on the thick side. That is the price of a comfortable handle. The steel on my mini seems a little softer than my standard peasant, about the same ballpark as Buck's 420HC or SAK Inox. After a year of carrying the knife, biking to work every day, lifting things at work, I've never ever come close to having the blade open accidentally in my pocket. You need to set the tension on the rear screw correctly, but it's a non-issue as far as I am concerned. I do not oil the blade and it has held up fine, although in summer, when my pockets get sweaty after a bike ride, I do get the start of rust if I don't wipe condensation off the blade.

Svord_Peasant_Dinner.jpg


On the mini, the blade is 1.5mm thick, and cuts very well (not as well as the more precisely ground Opinel). I find the blade shape to be pretty versatile, and at 2.5" long, big enough to handle most jobs. The standard Peasant blade is 2mm thick and a little over 3" long. Needless to say, their very simple design makes them very strong. It is composed of 2 brass Chicago screws, a brass stop pin, 2 scales, and the blade itself. There are no weak springs to complain about, no centering issues, nothing to lube, and if the pivot loosens, it's an easy matter to tighten it up.

Svord_Peasant_disassembled.jpg


I only have the plastic handles, which work well because a) the plastic grips the blade well to pinch it closed, b) they are thick, rounded and comfortable, c) it's easy to cut off the pointy end, which will wear a hole in your pocket and adds excess length. The main bad point about the knife is the blade will touch the rear screw when closed. Both of mine had this issue, although some others' did not. I solved this by buying brass rod of a slightly larger diameter, cutting to size, and replacing the stop pin. With this one fix, I feel the Peasant is a fantastic, utilitarian knife.

Did I mention you can open and close it one-handed? I know it's not a big deal in the Traditional forum, but it is very handy. Here are videos I made about my peasants, showing how to operated with one hand, along with more detail about the inner workings and the stop pin fix. It's nice to see the knife in action. Now I have given you the full-court press; if you don't buy one, I give up!

[video=youtube;tRSFC--GDkI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRSFC--GDkI[/video]

[video=youtube;4Lc0zIUc0Yg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lc0zIUc0Yg[/video]
 
That's a great review and summary dogstar! I can't hold a candle to what you've done there, but here's my efforts on my most recent Peasants (assuming I link the picture correctly...)

pU4fqsW.jpg


The top one in blue plastic has some forefinger contouring cut/sanded in and the point at the base rounded off. It's still a work in progress.

The one in wood has been sanded quite a bit and the edges of the handle have been rounded.

One thing I love about Peasants is the way they reward tinkering.

This reminds me - is there a Peasant tribute thread/group yet? Perhaps The Unwashed Masses?
 
Chris Larrikin said:
The Peasant Revolt?
Don't let a little grime get in the way of a good time!
Click to expand...

OMG! Now THAT is funny!! And I love the slogan. Well since we have the Cult of the peanut, and the Cult of the Texas Jack, I don't see why a peasant revolt is not possible. After all, I was once the Grand High Muckba Of the peanut cult. Now in my 'older years' I am having a very good time with friction folders. I find myself wondering if Ihad come across them in my youth, would I have went for them? They make so much sense if you think about it. They are like the Volkswagon beetle of knives. Simple, reliable, and so low cost you don't worry about using them hard or on the dirty jobs you don't want to use that nice stockman with the jigged bone scales on.
 
i love mine great steel, that being said i dont carry it all that much, but i havent got around to making a belt sheath for it yet...
i always recommend this knife, the sodbuster and an opinel as must haves for simplicity and theyre just cool
Gene
svord.jpg
 
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