BrotherJim
Gold Member
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2015
- Messages
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Just arrived into my hands Monday afternoon and going through the bonding phase. Totally impressed with this Soddy iteration. I don't usually do much of a review of a new knife but here's an exception.
The RoseCraft Blades Overall Creek Farm Hand Yellow Sandalwood features a 2.9″ D2 drop point blade with a brushed satin finish. It’s 2.7mm thick and has a half stop. This one-bladed traditional slip joint is the first RoseCraft traditional to be bolster free. It has steel liners, nickel silver pins and a birds eye pivot. The covers are genuine Yellow Sandalwood with diamond checkered grip. It’s 4″ closed, 6.9″ overall, and weighs 2.5oz. Based on traditional farm and ranch patterns re-imagined by Andy Armstrong.
That blade design is something I've never seen on a Soddy before and it appeals to me. Oh yeah ...
Asked and Answered: Andy Armstrong answers popular questions about RoseCraft Blades November 2023
One of Andy's design features I noticed, that is much different than something I've seen on a half-stop knife before. Every other half-stop knife I've seen, has a flat area of the tang that engages the spring at the half-stop. Well, the picture isn't the best and the little paintbrush line I drew doesn't represent the tang half-stop area perfectly but as you may be able to see, instead of a flat area of the tang, the half-stop area has two "humps" that contact and balance on the spring when in the half-stop position. Incredibly there is absolutely no blade rock at the half-stop. NOTICE TOO: The spring is absolutely flush with the blade closed.
And the other end of the knife, featuring blade centering ...
Spring is also absolutely flush at the half-stop ...
Not only that, the spring is absolutely flush when the blade is open and the spring to tang transition is quite smooth ...
Blade bevel is very even ...
Even more blade bevel ...
Blade well ...
Nary a gap anywhere around the spring and liners ...
This thing is a production knife folks. Production. Andy Armstrong and his team of designers come up with RoseCraft knives and then have them made in China. Obviously there are some pretty good and consistent worker bees out on the knife farms there in China. Dang. No where on the knife does it say "China", only on the box. Some RoseCraft knives come with a little oval sticker on the pile side of the blade that says "China, but this one didn't even come with that. Andy Armstrong says he will only use removable "China" stickers if on the knife. Never will he stamp or etch "China" on the knife ... so far anyway.
There was a little shop grit in the works but was easily cleaned. Action is smooth. Not ball bearing smooth but smooth. Blade pull is about a 5. About what you'd expect with a Case Soddy ... or Maserin Plow. All pins are flush with the covers. No hot spots on this knife and the Sandalwood checkering gives a hint of grip assist but isn't intrusive. Walk 'n Talk has a "thunk" to it.
There is no blade play whatsoever anywhere and I tried to find some. Additionally, while the tolerances are tight, I could not find any tang marks indicating liner rub when opening and closing and I looked. MAYBE a very slight touch of the tang to the liners because when opening and closing the tang does pull a thin film of lubricant but I don't see typical lines, marks on the tang of metal to metal interference. Not yet anyway.
First impression: This one is a winner if into Soddy type knives
The RoseCraft Blades Overall Creek Farm Hand Yellow Sandalwood features a 2.9″ D2 drop point blade with a brushed satin finish. It’s 2.7mm thick and has a half stop. This one-bladed traditional slip joint is the first RoseCraft traditional to be bolster free. It has steel liners, nickel silver pins and a birds eye pivot. The covers are genuine Yellow Sandalwood with diamond checkered grip. It’s 4″ closed, 6.9″ overall, and weighs 2.5oz. Based on traditional farm and ranch patterns re-imagined by Andy Armstrong.
That blade design is something I've never seen on a Soddy before and it appeals to me. Oh yeah ...
Asked and Answered: Andy Armstrong answers popular questions about RoseCraft Blades November 2023
One of Andy's design features I noticed, that is much different than something I've seen on a half-stop knife before. Every other half-stop knife I've seen, has a flat area of the tang that engages the spring at the half-stop. Well, the picture isn't the best and the little paintbrush line I drew doesn't represent the tang half-stop area perfectly but as you may be able to see, instead of a flat area of the tang, the half-stop area has two "humps" that contact and balance on the spring when in the half-stop position. Incredibly there is absolutely no blade rock at the half-stop. NOTICE TOO: The spring is absolutely flush with the blade closed.
And the other end of the knife, featuring blade centering ...
Spring is also absolutely flush at the half-stop ...
Not only that, the spring is absolutely flush when the blade is open and the spring to tang transition is quite smooth ...
Blade bevel is very even ...
Even more blade bevel ...
Blade well ...
Nary a gap anywhere around the spring and liners ...
This thing is a production knife folks. Production. Andy Armstrong and his team of designers come up with RoseCraft knives and then have them made in China. Obviously there are some pretty good and consistent worker bees out on the knife farms there in China. Dang. No where on the knife does it say "China", only on the box. Some RoseCraft knives come with a little oval sticker on the pile side of the blade that says "China, but this one didn't even come with that. Andy Armstrong says he will only use removable "China" stickers if on the knife. Never will he stamp or etch "China" on the knife ... so far anyway.
There was a little shop grit in the works but was easily cleaned. Action is smooth. Not ball bearing smooth but smooth. Blade pull is about a 5. About what you'd expect with a Case Soddy ... or Maserin Plow. All pins are flush with the covers. No hot spots on this knife and the Sandalwood checkering gives a hint of grip assist but isn't intrusive. Walk 'n Talk has a "thunk" to it.
There is no blade play whatsoever anywhere and I tried to find some. Additionally, while the tolerances are tight, I could not find any tang marks indicating liner rub when opening and closing and I looked. MAYBE a very slight touch of the tang to the liners because when opening and closing the tang does pull a thin film of lubricant but I don't see typical lines, marks on the tang of metal to metal interference. Not yet anyway.
First impression: This one is a winner if into Soddy type knives
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