Quite happy owner of a Vanguard-R

[Grunde]

Hi!
I'm a fellow from Norway, and a happy new owner of a Buck (my first one)I had to get one, after my old knives got stolen (from my friends backpack, in the middle of the woods - can you believe it?). I use my knife mainly for hunting, scouting, wildlife and such.. So far I haven't used it for more than a day trip in the mountains with our boyscout group. And the knife seems all right. I'm a down right practical guy when it comes to my knives (I mean, who really needs a 10 inch blade??). So therefore I got myself a Vanguard-R, since the clerk was very convincing and it seemed right to me too. The size was right, the grip was tremendously firm, and it had a lifetime guarantee and all. Only one thing is chewing on the back of my brain, and after having tried it a bit, it's still bugging me: Why doesen't the edge go all the way down to the shaft? There's allmost an inch-long room of nothingness right in my favorite spot to cut stuff (ropes, small branches etc.) with on my other knives. Are there a different way of hold this knife, i tried some experimental techniques with holding my index finger there, but it didn't quite seem to fit in there.
Have anybody else mentioned this, or it is just that I'm not acostumed to it yet?
Appart from that the knife seems great. Take it from a guy who have owned, used and eventually lost a vast ammount of knives despite my relatively low age.

It could have had a leather sheat, but it's not very important.

Your's Grunde Grimstad
Norway

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How much would a woodchuck chuckle if.. if... -nah, forget it....

 

[Buckcustom]

Grunde,

Welcome to the forums. It's good to have you aboard! Glad to hear you have bought your first Buck knife. I have a Vanguard that gets occasional use. I like the feel of the knife and like the blade shape. I think you will get used to the blade design.

 

[kevinb17]

The edge doesn't go all the way to the hilt because that's how Americans like their knives. Seriously. It's "what a knife should look like".

If you find that hard to believe, I was browsing through Kellam's table at a gun show looking at all the Scandanavian knives. They were all beautiful and sharp (all the way to the handle). But I can't understand why none of them have any finger guards. If you were a little careless, your hand could slip forward and give yourself quite a cut. I imagine that the canny Scandanavians figure if you are "good with a knife" you are just not going to cut yourself!

Try this: place your index fingertip on the spine up towards the blade tip, curl your middle finger around the blade just in front of the finger guard (on the spot with no edge), and let the rest of your fingers grip the handle. Your middle and ring finger will "clamp" the finger guard between them. Rest your thumb on the side of the blade. Your index finger and thumb will be extended. Your middle finger is "hooked" in front of the finger guard but the fingertip usually rests on or past the fingerguard -- it follows the curvature of your other fingers on the handle. This grip is comfortable on some knives but not on others -- I don't know if it works for the Vanguard.

The effect is the forward curve of the blade is underneath your index fingertip and can be guided like your fingertip. The rest of the hand holds the knife rigid, and having the finger guard "clamped" between your middle and ring finger ensures it will not slip forward or aft. I think some people use this grip for dressing game. I don't shoot enough game to know myself.

 

[Grunde]

Thanks for the responses guys!

I've cut myself a lot of times, but never by my hand slipping from the handle and over the blade. Some of our knives has in fact finger-guards, but many don't, and many of them arn'e so high. I think the reason is that a big finger-guard is in fact an obstruction for some work such as skinning. The knives you've seen kevinb17, are probably the hand made ones for keeping on the shelf or to go with our national suits. The ones meant for heavyer use often have a carvings in the shaft, and they're a little higher by the blade to help keeping a firm grip. To be honest, I don't find it necessary to have so high a finger guard. I find it a little uncomfortable, so if I don't grow accostumed to it in a while, I may want to file a bit on it to suit me better... Now don't y'all collectors start crying! I told you I'm a practical guy. I won't harm the knife, it will only become more my own as I shape it, just like a Harley...
Now, about the room in front of the blade: That's where I usually cut ropes, twigs and do finer work; carving out pieces of wood to little faces and Easter Island type statues when we sit by the fire, carving wooden tools, cutting lighting-wood and when cutting something hard. That space is in fact where you get the greatest force on the cut, any physics professor would back me up here - a firm grip on the handle, the thumb on the back of the blade: and CUT....


But I have some other questions too:
1) What kind of wet-stone should I use for this kind of steel?

2) I have some Japanese cooking knives that are extremely sharp. (Cooking are the other of my hobbies.) These too are made of high carbon steel, so they are easy to sharpen but the edge chips easily if they are not handeled properly.
Will the edge of my Buck knife, made from high carbon steel, chip easier than my old regular 3-layer knives, or can I handle them just as roughly?

Yours

Grunde Grimstad

[This message has been edited by Grunde (edited 04-13-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Grunde (edited 04-13-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Grunde (edited 04-13-2000).]