- Joined
- Apr 7, 2014
- Messages
- 866
I've been waiting quite some time to get my hands on a Fiddleback, so first off, thank you for the chance to do so!
Now, on to the good stuff.
First Impressions
One of the most common remarks I've heard about Fiddlebacks is that they are very comfortable in the hand. As such, it was the first thing I looked for when I took it out of its box. Right off the bat I noticed its nice palm swell and great balance. Regarding the canvas micarta, at first glance it has a nice woven texture like the canvas micarta of the Survive! GSO:
And upon running your fingers along it, you'll also notice its wonderfully shaped grooves like the canvas micarta of the Swamp Rat Ratmandu:
Another common remark is how their edge geometries are optimized for cutting. After breaking out the digital calipers, I was pleasantly surprised. If I remember correctly, this knife has been sharpened before, so I don't think it would exactly be forthright to give out the exact measurements since they would not accurately represent the stock edge. That said, I will mention that it's thinner behind the edge than both the Ratmandu (of course) and the GSO 3.5, and in fact can compete with many folders. Not only does this mean it will cut well, but it also makes sharpening much easier, so I am quite content with it.
Regarding the sheath, what can I say? It fits well. So well, in fact, that it has won me over permanently. I've never been too enamored with leather sheaths other than for nostalgia's sake, but this fits so snugly and wears so comfortably on the belt (nothing significantly sticks out over the belt line) that I might actually seek them out in the future. On top of that, the firesteel made by schmittie fits perfectly, it makes a great addition to the setup.
Kitchen Duty
Kitchen work is an extremely important aspect to me on just about any knife, regardless of whether it's designed for it or not. It's an easy way for me to determine my comfort level with it, and in my mind, it just plain adds to the knife's value.
I started off by cutting apples. The edge bit into the skin very easily and although it didn't slice through its full height as easily as, say, a full flat ground kitchen knife, it still made respectably clean cuts:
One concern I had about the micarta was its level of polish. It's not smooth, but it's not overly rough, either. Additionally, the grooves in it are subtle. So I decided to use it to cut something that was sure to be a bit slippery, a rotisserie chicken:
And would you believe it, the handle seemed to get grippier when moist. When using a typical kitchen knife my hands slide all over the place when working with a rotisserie chicken, but not the Bushfinger - perfect grip the whole way through. It wasn't too rough and it wasn't too slick, great at every stage of the process. Very, very happy with this aspect of the knife.
Out on the Trail
I decided to hit the trail with my hiking buddy, who was rather curious about the Bushfinger as well:
Once we reached a lake, I stopped to let her run around while I thought a bit more about the knife:
Still very impressed with the sheath. No hot spots while hiking with it on my belt, and as you can see, still snugly in place:
After some thought, I realized why the blade shape initially (albeit briefly) seemed strange to me. I'm used to drop point fixed blades, whereas this one has a more gradual and smooth upsweep. But I might actually prefer this blade shape - in fact, it vaguely reminds me of my favorite folder's blade shape:
The cutting ability of this knife is quite nice, especially for a fixed blade. It has no trouble biting into the wood and producing some nice curls:
Enjoying that, I decided to make a few more for a little fire to make some tea with:
Confession time... I'm a little lazy when it comes to using firesteels, so I cheated. I guess I just can't shake the Boy Scout in me when it comes to using dryer lint to start fires:
Can't argue with the results, though. The firesteel worked perfectly on the knife's spine (again, thanks schmittie!) and I had a nice fire going in no time after feeding it a few old leaves after the lint burned up:
Sterno folding stoves can be found for well under $10 and are a nifty piece of kit. (Sidenote: I typically use a backpacking stove if I'm hiking, but just try balancing a larger pot or pan on it.) After attending to the fire for a bit and feeding a few more twigs into it, I start to see bubbles:
Time to unpack that loose leaf I brought with (it's no dandelion root, but hey, gotta bring some comforts with):
And there we go, a great cup of tea ready to enjoy:
Verdict
I very much enjoyed my time with this knife, and it definitely lived up to my high expectations. Well worth the wait. Any initial concerns I had with the knife were quickly and completely alleviated within minutes of working with it. It's a very well thought out design, as well as a good looking one. It's a shame this has to be passed on to the next person, but I suppose all good things must come to an end. I will say this, though: it's only a matter of time before I snag one of my own.
Thanks for reading, and thank you again for the chance to participate!
Now, on to the good stuff.
First Impressions
One of the most common remarks I've heard about Fiddlebacks is that they are very comfortable in the hand. As such, it was the first thing I looked for when I took it out of its box. Right off the bat I noticed its nice palm swell and great balance. Regarding the canvas micarta, at first glance it has a nice woven texture like the canvas micarta of the Survive! GSO:
And upon running your fingers along it, you'll also notice its wonderfully shaped grooves like the canvas micarta of the Swamp Rat Ratmandu:
Another common remark is how their edge geometries are optimized for cutting. After breaking out the digital calipers, I was pleasantly surprised. If I remember correctly, this knife has been sharpened before, so I don't think it would exactly be forthright to give out the exact measurements since they would not accurately represent the stock edge. That said, I will mention that it's thinner behind the edge than both the Ratmandu (of course) and the GSO 3.5, and in fact can compete with many folders. Not only does this mean it will cut well, but it also makes sharpening much easier, so I am quite content with it.
Regarding the sheath, what can I say? It fits well. So well, in fact, that it has won me over permanently. I've never been too enamored with leather sheaths other than for nostalgia's sake, but this fits so snugly and wears so comfortably on the belt (nothing significantly sticks out over the belt line) that I might actually seek them out in the future. On top of that, the firesteel made by schmittie fits perfectly, it makes a great addition to the setup.
Kitchen Duty
Kitchen work is an extremely important aspect to me on just about any knife, regardless of whether it's designed for it or not. It's an easy way for me to determine my comfort level with it, and in my mind, it just plain adds to the knife's value.
I started off by cutting apples. The edge bit into the skin very easily and although it didn't slice through its full height as easily as, say, a full flat ground kitchen knife, it still made respectably clean cuts:
One concern I had about the micarta was its level of polish. It's not smooth, but it's not overly rough, either. Additionally, the grooves in it are subtle. So I decided to use it to cut something that was sure to be a bit slippery, a rotisserie chicken:
And would you believe it, the handle seemed to get grippier when moist. When using a typical kitchen knife my hands slide all over the place when working with a rotisserie chicken, but not the Bushfinger - perfect grip the whole way through. It wasn't too rough and it wasn't too slick, great at every stage of the process. Very, very happy with this aspect of the knife.
Out on the Trail
I decided to hit the trail with my hiking buddy, who was rather curious about the Bushfinger as well:
Once we reached a lake, I stopped to let her run around while I thought a bit more about the knife:
Still very impressed with the sheath. No hot spots while hiking with it on my belt, and as you can see, still snugly in place:
After some thought, I realized why the blade shape initially (albeit briefly) seemed strange to me. I'm used to drop point fixed blades, whereas this one has a more gradual and smooth upsweep. But I might actually prefer this blade shape - in fact, it vaguely reminds me of my favorite folder's blade shape:
The cutting ability of this knife is quite nice, especially for a fixed blade. It has no trouble biting into the wood and producing some nice curls:
Enjoying that, I decided to make a few more for a little fire to make some tea with:
Confession time... I'm a little lazy when it comes to using firesteels, so I cheated. I guess I just can't shake the Boy Scout in me when it comes to using dryer lint to start fires:
Can't argue with the results, though. The firesteel worked perfectly on the knife's spine (again, thanks schmittie!) and I had a nice fire going in no time after feeding it a few old leaves after the lint burned up:
Sterno folding stoves can be found for well under $10 and are a nifty piece of kit. (Sidenote: I typically use a backpacking stove if I'm hiking, but just try balancing a larger pot or pan on it.) After attending to the fire for a bit and feeding a few more twigs into it, I start to see bubbles:
Time to unpack that loose leaf I brought with (it's no dandelion root, but hey, gotta bring some comforts with):
And there we go, a great cup of tea ready to enjoy:
Verdict
I very much enjoyed my time with this knife, and it definitely lived up to my high expectations. Well worth the wait. Any initial concerns I had with the knife were quickly and completely alleviated within minutes of working with it. It's a very well thought out design, as well as a good looking one. It's a shame this has to be passed on to the next person, but I suppose all good things must come to an end. I will say this, though: it's only a matter of time before I snag one of my own.
Thanks for reading, and thank you again for the chance to participate!
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