Proficient in the mail

jacobconroy75

jacobconroy75

"Brain Cloud" is real.
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Hi All,
I've been hanging around in the CRK forum for a year or so, but recently bought a Spyderco Bushcraft while considering a bushcraft hobby...

The knife is awesome. Ugly as all hell...but so comfortable in the hand. And sharp. Never thought I'd like a scandi grind. Been sitting around in my shop making piles of feather sticks. Whittling useless stuff. Took it to 26º inclusive on a Wicked Edge (took three hours). Got bored and put a 30º secondary micro-bevel on it. Got bored again and stropped it to a micro-convex.... This knife has been a lot of fun and I haven't even made a fire with it yet.

So, I ordered a Proficient today and am waiting for it. Anybody have any pics of theirs? Perhaps some discussion as to it's merits? A review? While backpacking I use one knife to do light battoning, feather sticks, opening meals. The handle is of course going to be awesome, but is the S90V going to be a good fit? The idea of an edge that will stay very sharp throughout the weekend is appealing, but the idea of battonning with S90V makes me a bit nervous at $300.00.

S90V + hatchet? S90V + Bushcraft? S90V all by it's lonesome?

I might be a new Spyderco nut.
 
Patience grasshopper, the knife just got released. I opened mine up today.
My first impressions:
Excellent ergonomic handle
Balanced on the second finger making it slightly handle heavy, but it still balanced fairly well in hand
Nice taper to the tip

Up here in Alaska there is no hardwood for the most part. The main issue batoning would be knots and I would avoid those as they make carving difficult. If I needed to then I would make some wedges. For the light batoning in softwood that I do the Proficient would be more than adequate.

Proficient + saw
 
I haven't really had a chance to use it much yet, but I love this knife. You won't be disappointed.
362a298667b61ecccefdf86d79884ada.jpg
 
I need to buy one of these...

I loved the bushcraft but I never was a fan of o1
 
I want one but haven't gotten one yet. Let us know how it works for you. It is new so there isn't much out there for stories about usage.
 
Well I got it and really like it.

After a lot of whittling in the shop I've decided to use the Proficient and a Small Forest Axe for fire making. In real life I find battoning to be a lot of sitting around on your knees in a dirty camp site. :) The blade geometry makes it cut much differently than the bushcraft and it is noticeably lighter. I think it's a winner. I'll be taking it out for an overnight in about a week to see how it does.

I put a 32º inclusive edge on it using a wicked edge (compared to the 26º inclusive I put on the Bushcraft) and this thing is wicked sharp (pun intended). I've been making feather sticks and whittling for weeks and it has not dulled enough to notice. Great steal. Might be awesome for filleting too.
 
Well, never mind. Took the Proficient out on one backpacking trip. Used it to open up a couple of dehydrated meals and lightly baton small kindling less than 1.5 inches thick (gently). The tip is bent. Can't get it straight. A $300.00 paperweight. How do you "bend" a super steel? Very damned disappointed.

I suppose I'll buy a Becker next. Hate coated blades though. If you are planning to make a fire, don't purchase a Proficient.
 
jacobconroy75 said:
Well, never mind. Took the Proficient out on one backpacking trip. Used it to open up a couple of dehydrated meals and lightly baton small kindling less than 1.5 inches thick (gently). The tip is bent. Can't get it straight. A $300.00 paperweight. How do you "bend" a super steel? Very damned disappointed.

I suppose I'll buy a Becker next. Hate coated blades though. If you are planning to make a fire, don't purchase a Proficient.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear about your disappointment, and the bent blade tip. I have both, and this new S90V blade is really a great slicer, but not a blade to baton with. The tip on the bushcraft is one you won't bend.
 
Wow ! Sorry to hear that. I would have bet money on this knife.

I have Bushcraft UK and I intentionally jammed in in to knots, twisted, and pried I wasn't trying to break it. But I test real world work if I believe it may be the only knife on me out in the field at some point. The thing is a tank.

Is this a potential design issue or pushing a knife beyond its intended use? Not trolling guys. Just trying to learn something.
 
Well, never mind. Took the Proficient out on one backpacking trip. Used it to open up a couple of dehydrated meals and lightly baton small kindling less than 1.5 inches thick (gently). The tip is bent. Can't get it straight. A $300.00 paperweight. How do you "bend" a super steel? Very damned disappointed.

I suppose I'll buy a Becker next. Hate coated blades though. If you are planning to make a fire, don't purchase a Proficient.
Click to expand...
I like the tip on the proficient, it tapers down to a nice thin point. Great tip for cutting and detail work, not for batoning. The spine is thick enough for about 3/4 of the blade to baton with, but the edge is still pretty thin; so I wouldn't apply a lot of lateral force on the knife.
Is this a potential design issue or pushing a knife beyond its intended use?
Click to expand...
It's a flat grind that is ground thin. Batoning favors thicker bevels, because they are more stout to avoid damage.
 
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The tip broke off when attempting to straighten it, so I'm putting a chisel end on it. We will see if it is useful for carving. There is still a lot of useful blade left. I'll post a pic for the heck of it when I get the edge put on it.

Ordered a Bark River Battle Cleaver. We will see if I can baton with that . :)
 
Very sorry to hear that Jacob. How far back from the tip did the break happen? How wide a chisel edge results?

Chris
 
I lost about 5/8 in. of blade length and the new "edge" looks like it's about 5/8 in. long. The new edge isn't quite 90º to the spine though. I kept it swept a little (kinda like a tanto). Once I get it in the wicked edge to sharpen I'll measure it more carefully.
 
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