- Joined
- Dec 15, 1999
- Messages
- 213
In my quest to find light, fast, fixed-blade knives, I found Hossom Knives. Well, Jerry mentioned to me that hed found another maker who had the same goals for knives, yet very different methods of construction. I finally got to meet this gentleman, Rob Patton, at the Blade show. Although getting to know Rob was great, my wife really topped a great weekend off by buying me a Patton knife for Fathers Day!
Well, Ive been playing with it ever since I got back. My wife really could not have gotten me a better gift. Heres my review:
Review
Blade: 9.5 inches
Handle: 5 inches, stabilized caribou and leather washers
Pommel & Guard: Brass
OAL: 14.5 inches
Weight: 13 oz
Blade Steel: 1080 high carbon
General aesthetic impressions: This knife immediately appealed to me because it has an "old fashioned" feel to it. Rob put an etch in the blade which really brings out the temper line, and the blade design itself is remarkable. When I first picked it up, I was amazed at how light and fast the whole setup felt. The point of balance was right at the guard, and the blade floats. The guard is wide, and comfortable, offering plenty of protection for the hand. The handle, as you're looking at it edge-down, subtly curves to the left. When I looked at the knife on the table, I thought that maybe my eyes were deceiving me. But, I picked it up and immediately understood why the handle was shaped the way it was. The wrist is put on a far more natural angle during cutting and thrusting moves, and I think that would promote both better accuracy and power. I'll have to keep playing with the knife to test this hypothesis, but my preliminary tests bear it out. I couldn't wait to play with it when I got home, so I went out and did a few tests over the past couple of days.
Picture of the Knife:
Close Up of the Handle:
First: The "whack test". This is the test I use to see how resilient the knife is against lateral shock. I took the knife, and whacked the flat of it, HARD, repeatedly against a solid desk. The knife didn't care. It didn't bend, break, or complain.
Second: The "point test". The effort here isn't to break the point, but to see if it can withstand thrusts into semi-hard surfaces. I took the knife and stabbed it repeatedly into a pine board. Not only did the point thrust in well, but also it showed ZERO deformation, despite the fact that some of the thrusts were off-center. Due to the contours of the handle, it was very easy to hit dime-sized targets in the wood with straight, flat, and reverse thrusts. The point is still needle sharp.
Third: The "cuttin' dummy test". My cutting dummy is wrapped in carpet padding and duct tape. I sliced into that sucker with abandon. It bit clear through the tape and the padding, and bit into the wood. This knife cut better than knives even 2 4 inches longer. The only knives I own that cut better have blades 2 and 3 inches longer respectively.
Fourth: The "empty can" test. This is the test where I try to cut into an empty coke can with the knife. It took me about four cans to get the cuts right (I'm out of practice), but once I did I could cut almost halfway through an empty can (between 1/3 and 1/2 through). For a knife with a 9.5-inch blade, that's amazing. What was even more fun was doing a series of back cuts against the can. I could cut just as deep into the can with a back cut as I could with a forward cut! This knife performed better than just about any knife I own. Only two can match this feat.
Fifth: The "hanging paper" test. Snap-cutting hanging paper has never been my strong suit, so Im going to skip that part of the review. I'm pretty sure that Gaucho could perform snap cuts into hanging paper with this blade, even if I cant. So, realizing my limitation I went on to back cuts into hanging paper to see if that would work. Well, I quickly shredded the paper with a series of back cuts from each side. Keep in mind that the paper was hanging from a mere paper clip at the time.
Sixth: The "wearing the sheath test". This sheath is very utilitarian and straightforward stud sheath in the pouch configuration. I tried wearing the sheath around, and found that I couldn't do so and still draw the knife. Not a fault of the sheath, but in order to keep my pants up around my ample midsection, my belt is too tight to allow me to effectively draw the knife. So, I went upstairs and grabbed a gun belt, then tried it again. This time, it worked much better. There's more of a chance with sheath migration with the sheath held loosely in the gun belt, but it wouldn't fall out and I could get it out of the sheath much faster. What Im probably going to do is make a back rig for this knife, in anticipation for the day when I move back to a state that allows for concealed-carry of blades. One thing to look at (if you can) is a sample of Robs wooden sheaths. Excellent.
Bottom line: For those interested in a workhorse utilitarian knife, this knife would work fine, but is not a heavy chopper. The edge was still hair leapin' sharp after these tests. For those who are interested in more martial application of blade work, they are going to be delighted if they get one of these knives. Be warned: As people in the American Bowie crowd start catching on to the quality of Rob's knives, they're going to be harder to come by. Word is already starting to get out, however, so get one while you can!
Rob Pattons Web Page: Patton Knives
------------------
Waxes Eloquent, Leader of the Terrible Ironic Horde and Mighty Brain Spewer
Waxy's Custom Concealex Page
[This message has been edited by Waxes Eloquent (edited 06-17-2001).]
[This message has been edited by Waxes Eloquent (edited 06-27-2001).]
Well, Ive been playing with it ever since I got back. My wife really could not have gotten me a better gift. Heres my review:
Review
Blade: 9.5 inches
Handle: 5 inches, stabilized caribou and leather washers
Pommel & Guard: Brass
OAL: 14.5 inches
Weight: 13 oz
Blade Steel: 1080 high carbon
General aesthetic impressions: This knife immediately appealed to me because it has an "old fashioned" feel to it. Rob put an etch in the blade which really brings out the temper line, and the blade design itself is remarkable. When I first picked it up, I was amazed at how light and fast the whole setup felt. The point of balance was right at the guard, and the blade floats. The guard is wide, and comfortable, offering plenty of protection for the hand. The handle, as you're looking at it edge-down, subtly curves to the left. When I looked at the knife on the table, I thought that maybe my eyes were deceiving me. But, I picked it up and immediately understood why the handle was shaped the way it was. The wrist is put on a far more natural angle during cutting and thrusting moves, and I think that would promote both better accuracy and power. I'll have to keep playing with the knife to test this hypothesis, but my preliminary tests bear it out. I couldn't wait to play with it when I got home, so I went out and did a few tests over the past couple of days.
Picture of the Knife:
Close Up of the Handle:
First: The "whack test". This is the test I use to see how resilient the knife is against lateral shock. I took the knife, and whacked the flat of it, HARD, repeatedly against a solid desk. The knife didn't care. It didn't bend, break, or complain.
Second: The "point test". The effort here isn't to break the point, but to see if it can withstand thrusts into semi-hard surfaces. I took the knife and stabbed it repeatedly into a pine board. Not only did the point thrust in well, but also it showed ZERO deformation, despite the fact that some of the thrusts were off-center. Due to the contours of the handle, it was very easy to hit dime-sized targets in the wood with straight, flat, and reverse thrusts. The point is still needle sharp.
Third: The "cuttin' dummy test". My cutting dummy is wrapped in carpet padding and duct tape. I sliced into that sucker with abandon. It bit clear through the tape and the padding, and bit into the wood. This knife cut better than knives even 2 4 inches longer. The only knives I own that cut better have blades 2 and 3 inches longer respectively.
Fourth: The "empty can" test. This is the test where I try to cut into an empty coke can with the knife. It took me about four cans to get the cuts right (I'm out of practice), but once I did I could cut almost halfway through an empty can (between 1/3 and 1/2 through). For a knife with a 9.5-inch blade, that's amazing. What was even more fun was doing a series of back cuts against the can. I could cut just as deep into the can with a back cut as I could with a forward cut! This knife performed better than just about any knife I own. Only two can match this feat.
Fifth: The "hanging paper" test. Snap-cutting hanging paper has never been my strong suit, so Im going to skip that part of the review. I'm pretty sure that Gaucho could perform snap cuts into hanging paper with this blade, even if I cant. So, realizing my limitation I went on to back cuts into hanging paper to see if that would work. Well, I quickly shredded the paper with a series of back cuts from each side. Keep in mind that the paper was hanging from a mere paper clip at the time.
Sixth: The "wearing the sheath test". This sheath is very utilitarian and straightforward stud sheath in the pouch configuration. I tried wearing the sheath around, and found that I couldn't do so and still draw the knife. Not a fault of the sheath, but in order to keep my pants up around my ample midsection, my belt is too tight to allow me to effectively draw the knife. So, I went upstairs and grabbed a gun belt, then tried it again. This time, it worked much better. There's more of a chance with sheath migration with the sheath held loosely in the gun belt, but it wouldn't fall out and I could get it out of the sheath much faster. What Im probably going to do is make a back rig for this knife, in anticipation for the day when I move back to a state that allows for concealed-carry of blades. One thing to look at (if you can) is a sample of Robs wooden sheaths. Excellent.
Bottom line: For those interested in a workhorse utilitarian knife, this knife would work fine, but is not a heavy chopper. The edge was still hair leapin' sharp after these tests. For those who are interested in more martial application of blade work, they are going to be delighted if they get one of these knives. Be warned: As people in the American Bowie crowd start catching on to the quality of Rob's knives, they're going to be harder to come by. Word is already starting to get out, however, so get one while you can!
Rob Pattons Web Page: Patton Knives
------------------
Waxes Eloquent, Leader of the Terrible Ironic Horde and Mighty Brain Spewer
Waxy's Custom Concealex Page
[This message has been edited by Waxes Eloquent (edited 06-17-2001).]
[This message has been edited by Waxes Eloquent (edited 06-27-2001).]
