GigOne
Gold Member
- Joined
- Nov 27, 1999
- Messages
- 15,783
Was under lock-down recently. . .studying for a promotion test. Generally, most reward themselves (with something special) after theyve received word that they've "passed" or have been promoted. Not me. . .at least not this time around ! 
I've been studying for the past 6+ months and this was "the final study" session. T his is an very important promotion and this study period left me spent. I owed me damn-it ! lol
The big question. . . "What do I "reward myself with ?" Im into high-end productions, customs and handmades. . .and autos make me drool ! Pretty much narrows the playing field. . .dont ya think ?
Test date = 6 Sep. And the "new addition" needs to arrive on or shortly after 6 Sep !
So hard to decide with all of that eye candy out there.
Contemplation sets in. . . Who will it be ? Or is it more like what will it be ? Several days roll by. . .and I'm unable to narrow my search down. Between studying ( 15 minute rest cycles every 45 minutes ) I'm on the computer ~ ~ searching. Then it hit me like a ton of damascus. Why dont I look at my "want list !" Am I smart or what ? ~ ~ OK, dont answer that ! I pulled out, and dusted off, my "want list." Lets see. . .there was Brend, Mayo, Chamblin, Terzuola, Carson, Boguszewski, Chew. . .and the list went on ~ ~ ~ seemed like forever ! Man, everyone on the list has wait-times. And a few will probably put me in the poor house. Then. . .the bulb, above my head, illuminates. Go to page 2 (of the "want" list) ~ see. . .I told you that I was smart. There it was. . .at the bottom. . .(please, nuttin wrong with bein at the bottom of my "want" list !). . .
Lately, Ive been watching some of the "new" talent out there. Why ? Simply. . .exciting designs, exceptionally clean work and superb prices !
Well. . .this is a name thats been floatin around the forums and poppin up on some of the well known dealer lists. But, when available, his pieces dont last on the market very long. Now the hunt is intensified ~ hell, Ive got a maker. . .all I need now is one of his blades. I check the dealers out ~ nada. 
None of the Knife Knuts, on any of the forums, have ads up trying to sell this makers goods ! It's lookin' very grim and pretty futile !
Then. . . out of no where Im looking at a certain dealers web site (for pics of another makers works) and BAM there are 3 of them. A large and two smalls. Some e-mails back and forth and its done ~ the order on the small is completed on 2 Sep ( to be exact ~ 1 hour and 47 minutes and 8 e-mails ) . But, the knife won't ship until the 4th ( 3 Sep was Labor Day ). Here is whats really cool. . .on 6 Sep I walk out of the testing room at 0930, I walk through the front door of the abode at 0950 and at 1140 I have a box in my hands ~ which has my new knife in it. Brain still reeling from the test. . .I carefully open the box. Heart racin with anticipation I remove a plastic bag from the box. Open the plastic bag ~ ~ MAN ! So this is what a Mike Obenauf small Model 1 looks like ( they always look better in person than they do in a pic ~ don't ya think ) ? AWESOME !
This thing screams to be held and an extremely comfortable knife to hold. What a fantastic and cleaver way to design a folder. lol With the limited use that this knife has had ( short time that I've possessed it ). . .I can honestly say that you'll never complain when using the Model 1 for a long cutting chore ! One of the things that I find puzzling about the knife is that It's called a "small." This description will definitely mislead most knife knuts once they get their hands on one ( personally, I feel that it falls in the "mid-size" category ). But any whooo. . . The blade is 3 1/2" X 1/8" D2 in the "drop point" style. Bolsters are titanium, as are the liners, and clip. This knife also features ambidextrous thumb studs, a serrated thumb ramp and a black micarta backspacer. Scales are carbon fiber. The blade arrived at the house with a perfectly executed hand-rubbed satin finish. The blade even has a slight "swedge" on the spine ~ which runs from the tip and gradually terminates approx. 1/8" from the thumb ramp. The bolsters, clip and liners have a bead blasted matte finish. And to top it off. . .it's all held together with Torx screws ( prefer Torx over allen ).
The Model 1 rides very well in the pocket. The clip is set high on the bolster to allow the knife adequate pocket concealment and makes it easy to remove and place back into the pocket. To ease the minds of those who fret over the type of carry. . .this knife is a "tip-down" carry. Opening the blade is a shear joy. Smooth as butter doesn't even come close to describing the action. In fact, the action was so smooth it had me worried. I had to check the blade for side-play, with the lock disengaged, to see if it needed to be tightened. It didn't. And with the lock disengaged ~ absolutely no side play of the blade. Talk about extremely tight clearances and tolerances ! Along with the smoothness, the location of the thumbs studs dramatically enhances the blade opening action. In fact. . .this is the first knife, with dual thumbs studs, that I've been able to open with my left hand without struggling ( I'm a righty ). The makers stamp is located on the flat on left side of the blade just forward of the thumb stud.
If there is one thing that I would change on the Model 1. . . Hell, I can't think of anything ! The Model 1 is an extremely well executed and first class custom folder. Great job Mike !
Oh. . .I almost didn't forget. . . I'd like to send a very special thanks to Dennis Bible ! He's the one who played a huge roll in helping me reward myself with this very cool knife !
*note: did the edit thing to corrects minor spelling errors
I've been studying for the past 6+ months and this was "the final study" session. T his is an very important promotion and this study period left me spent. I owed me damn-it ! lolThe big question. . . "What do I "reward myself with ?" Im into high-end productions, customs and handmades. . .and autos make me drool ! Pretty much narrows the playing field. . .dont ya think ?
Test date = 6 Sep. And the "new addition" needs to arrive on or shortly after 6 Sep !
So hard to decide with all of that eye candy out there.
Contemplation sets in. . . Who will it be ? Or is it more like what will it be ? Several days roll by. . .and I'm unable to narrow my search down. Between studying ( 15 minute rest cycles every 45 minutes ) I'm on the computer ~ ~ searching. Then it hit me like a ton of damascus. Why dont I look at my "want list !" Am I smart or what ? ~ ~ OK, dont answer that ! I pulled out, and dusted off, my "want list." Lets see. . .there was Brend, Mayo, Chamblin, Terzuola, Carson, Boguszewski, Chew. . .and the list went on ~ ~ ~ seemed like forever ! Man, everyone on the list has wait-times. And a few will probably put me in the poor house. Then. . .the bulb, above my head, illuminates. Go to page 2 (of the "want" list) ~ see. . .I told you that I was smart. There it was. . .at the bottom. . .(please, nuttin wrong with bein at the bottom of my "want" list !). . .
Lately, Ive been watching some of the "new" talent out there. Why ? Simply. . .exciting designs, exceptionally clean work and superb prices !
Well. . .this is a name thats been floatin around the forums and poppin up on some of the well known dealer lists. But, when available, his pieces dont last on the market very long. Now the hunt is intensified ~ hell, Ive got a maker. . .all I need now is one of his blades. I check the dealers out ~ nada. None of the Knife Knuts, on any of the forums, have ads up trying to sell this makers goods ! It's lookin' very grim and pretty futile !Then. . . out of no where Im looking at a certain dealers web site (for pics of another makers works) and BAM there are 3 of them. A large and two smalls. Some e-mails back and forth and its done ~ the order on the small is completed on 2 Sep ( to be exact ~ 1 hour and 47 minutes and 8 e-mails ) . But, the knife won't ship until the 4th ( 3 Sep was Labor Day ). Here is whats really cool. . .on 6 Sep I walk out of the testing room at 0930, I walk through the front door of the abode at 0950 and at 1140 I have a box in my hands ~ which has my new knife in it.
Brain still reeling from the test. . .I carefully open the box. Heart racin with anticipation I remove a plastic bag from the box. Open the plastic bag ~ ~ MAN ! So this is what a Mike Obenauf small Model 1 looks like ( they always look better in person than they do in a pic ~ don't ya think ) ? AWESOME !This thing screams to be held and an extremely comfortable knife to hold.
What a fantastic and cleaver way to design a folder. lol With the limited use that this knife has had ( short time that I've possessed it ). . .I can honestly say that you'll never complain when using the Model 1 for a long cutting chore ! One of the things that I find puzzling about the knife is that It's called a "small." This description will definitely mislead most knife knuts once they get their hands on one ( personally, I feel that it falls in the "mid-size" category ). But any whooo. . . The blade is 3 1/2" X 1/8" D2 in the "drop point" style. Bolsters are titanium, as are the liners, and clip. This knife also features ambidextrous thumb studs, a serrated thumb ramp and a black micarta backspacer. Scales are carbon fiber. The blade arrived at the house with a perfectly executed hand-rubbed satin finish. The blade even has a slight "swedge" on the spine ~ which runs from the tip and gradually terminates approx. 1/8" from the thumb ramp. The bolsters, clip and liners have a bead blasted matte finish. And to top it off. . .it's all held together with Torx screws ( prefer Torx over allen ).The Model 1 rides very well in the pocket. The clip is set high on the bolster to allow the knife adequate pocket concealment and makes it easy to remove and place back into the pocket. To ease the minds of those who fret over the type of carry. . .this knife is a "tip-down" carry. Opening the blade is a shear joy. Smooth as butter doesn't even come close to describing the action. In fact, the action was so smooth it had me worried. I had to check the blade for side-play, with the lock disengaged, to see if it needed to be tightened. It didn't.
And with the lock disengaged ~ absolutely no side play of the blade. Talk about extremely tight clearances and tolerances ! Along with the smoothness, the location of the thumbs studs dramatically enhances the blade opening action. In fact. . .this is the first knife, with dual thumbs studs, that I've been able to open with my left hand without struggling ( I'm a righty ). The makers stamp is located on the flat on left side of the blade just forward of the thumb stud. If there is one thing that I would change on the Model 1. . . Hell, I can't think of anything !
The Model 1 is an extremely well executed and first class custom folder. Great job Mike !Oh. . .I almost didn't forget. . . I'd like to send a very special thanks to Dennis Bible ! He's the one who played a huge roll in helping me reward myself with this very cool knife !
*note: did the edit thing to corrects minor spelling errors
