Recluse v2...this IS a hobby, right??

LightGuy

LightGuy

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Sep 12, 2010
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So, maybe I have too much time on my hands, but when I do I find myself fiddling with, finding a reason to use, and thinking about my favorite knives - which of course are Fiddlebacks. My other hobby is Flashlights which typically involves leaving nothing as is, and modifications that meet exactly your personal preference. So, I guess this is bleeding over a little bit in my thinking...

I absolutely love one of my latest acquisions - the Recluse. The handle-shape is amazing and fits me like a glove, and I love the blade width as well as the overall feel of this knife. But, I've always liked a little bit of a dropped point on my fixed blades, and have been wondering what this one would look like with just a tad of a dropped point - nothing major.

So, I very crudely mocked it up in a photo shop app just to get an idea. With the slight shortening of the blade, it seemed like the handle of the knife needed to be somewhat shortened, so I mocked up what that may look like to. It makes it look a little more "bushcrafty", which is pretty much what I do with my knives.

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Here's a pic with a couple of lines to give some perspective on how much the blade and handle length would be reduced. Looks like about 3mm on the blade and 2mm on the handle.

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I know, why mess with perfection? Because I like fiddling with stuff, that's why.

So what do you guys think??
 
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That's pretty cool! With just a bit more drop on the blade, you'd have yourself a Hiking Buddy on steroids! Or an Arete. I think the striaght spine on the Recluse is what sets it apart from the others as far as aesthetics and function. It's a rather interesting blade. Seems to fit the bill for many uses. I have one that's
5/32". I haven't done so, but the flat spine probably makes it a nice little knife to stike it with a baton. For my purposes, I think I really want one in 1/8"

Anyways, good stuff.

Sergio
 
Drop it a bit more and you have an Arete I'd say too!
 
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Hmmm...I don't really think it looks like a large Hiking Buddy, but the handle definitely resembles the Arete. But, the blade shape is much less of a spear point, and to me it looks much less purpose-built bushcraft and more like a general utility blade than the the Arete.

So I guess it's a little similar, but still looks quite a bit different than these two blades IMO.

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Am i the only one who thinks a larger version of the Hiking Buddy would be a great addition to the Fiddleback line??

LightGuy, i really like the look of that recluse you came up with.
 
WOW LG that is some pretty fancy photo shop work. It sure makes for a hybrid of the Terrassaur-Arete-Hiking Buddy. But of all of those, it mostly reminds me of a shortened Terrassaur which is another of Andy's beautiful blades and a little of Rod Garcia's Skookum Bush Tool (SBT).

Mark
 
Thanks guys! I changed the handle just a bit to taper a little more toward the tail like the Arete does. This really suites the slight drop on this blade. To me it's starting to look like a cross between the Arete, the Bushcrafter, and the Recluse. It's really starting to grow on me....
 
Like your transformed Recluse.
I literally head the same issue with a Bravo-1... did the photoshop thing as well.... Now they came out with a spear point model.
 
Its funny how many knives I make with a 4" blade and a 4.5" handle. Its my favorite user size to carry by far, and its the same with so many of y'all. I could do variations of each one, and they'd all be great knives. Its just the right size for outdoor carry and use. I was told for a long time that the Recluse just looked like a shorter Terassaur. True. They all look a lot a like.

Neato work. Love the thread.

sisk61 said:
Am i the only one who thinks a larger version of the Hiking Buddy would be a great addition to the Fiddleback line??

LightGuy, i really like the look of that recluse you came up with.
Click to expand...

That would be a Bushfinger. I already make it! Woot.
 
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