- Joined
- Dec 7, 2013
- Messages
- 914
For the past few weeks, I have been the recipient of Nathan's (thurin) generous scandi pass-around. Before handling Nathan's scandi Arete, I can't honestly say I'd ever handled any scandi-grind knife--even a Mora. This has truly been an eye-opening experience, and one that has certainly affected future Fiddleback purchases. But more of that in a moment.
Here's the knife (and sheath), as received: 1/8 O1, OD green over natural with a white pinstripe, full (not SFT?) tang. It is a knife that has certainly been used but not abused, and the OD has "patina-ed" quite nicely. For those interested in such things, it balances right at the second row of pins. It also has a more "full" handle than the other Fiddlebacks currently in my possession, though I'm not sure whether or not it qualifies as a "fat" handle, as with some that have been posted.
Here's a couple comparison shots with the other Fiddlebacks currently in my care. From the top: Bushboot (1/8), Kephart (1/8), Bushcrafter (5/32), Arete (1/8). For reasons that defy even my own comprehension, I changed the order for the top-on handle pictures. You can figure it out; they're color coded.
I had one of those really dumb "brilliant" ideas to get familiar with the scandi Arete. I came into possession of a couple chunks of still-green Osage, which I thought might provide a great proving ground for the scandi grind. I had never actually carved a spoon before, but hey--why should that hold me back? The answer--I won't leave you in suspense--is that when you are new at something you are absolute CRAP at anything approaching consistency. Anyway... Here's a couple shots of the spoon I carved with my Bushcrafter and the one done with the scandi Arete.
As you can see, the Arete spoon split. I was interrupted while carving, and was not able to pick up for almost a week. In that time, the wood had dried and shrunk considerably, splitting the entire length of the piece. That is also why I didn't thin out the handle more. So don't judge the scandi's ability by my inabilities. This thing was a monster at carving wood, and tended to leave a smoother surface behind.
The scandi Arete did go on a couple adventures with me, though all but one were short hikes in the nearby wild places. I apparently enjoyed myself so much, I only took one picture with the knife itself. But here are a couple shots of places the knife and I travelled.
This muddy creek is actually pretty interesting, historically. While on their epic journey westward, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark camped pretty close to this exact spot on Independence Day, 1804, naming this waterway "Independence Creek."
My buddy Louie checking out some damage by a recent storm. He was a trooper and climbed up and over so we could continue hiking.
On our way back from a hike here. Too pretty to not share.
And a long-awaited in-action shot.
Much of my regular Fiddleback usage is connected to fire building. So I took the three 4-inch blades and did some side-by-side splitting to get a sense for how the scandi Arete compared.
Some curls were required, of course.
So my thoughts and assessments....
First of all, at no time did I encounter a task the knife could not handle. A knife this size--for my purposes--is a woods knife, so that is how I tested it. Plenty of people use scandi-grind knives for game processing and other purposes too, so I'm sure the scandi Arete would likewise perform excellently there.
Second, there are things that the scandi grind seems to do better. My featherstick curls always seemed longer, thinner, and overall curlier with the scandi Arete than I am able to achieve with the other knives. Also, it just absolutely chews wood up. To be honest, I was rather dubious that the scandi grind would make that much difference--but it does. It's not that I can't do the same thing with my other knives; it just seems to be easier and more natural with the scandi. One other thing I'll add here is that this scandi-grind in 1/8 inch is STOUT. McVeyMac's Kephart (in the pictures above) feels downright delicate compared to my 5/32 Bushcrafter, and the scandi Arete (in 1/8) feels much closer to the Bushcrafter's "bombproof" feel. When it came to gouging out the bowl of the spoon, the scandi Arete was just a monster.
Also, the Arete is a really good platform for the scandi grind. I think a taller blade (like my Bushcrafter) wouldn't make as much sense, but the Arete has a really nice combination of straight blade and belly in its spearpoint blade. Even in Andy's convex grind, the Arete would be a fantastic package for a four inch woods knife.
Along this same not-quite-scandi-related theme, the particular knife Nathan sent out allowed me to "try out" a lot more than the scandi grind. There is the Arete shape, which I've already commented on. There's the OD green, which I like a lot more in person than I did in the pictures. It also has the canvas micarta handle, which I had not previously handled. I can't say any of Andy's knives have really felt slippery in my hands, the canvas micarta has plenty of grip to ensure sure handling.
And the handle... At first grip, the handle of this Arete fits my hand like it was made for it--literally. That it seemed to fit my handle so well was particularly astonishing as my Bushcrafter previously had the record for best feeling handle ever. It has taken some work to determine precisely what makes one better than the other. I've discovered that the Bushcrafter feels thinner, but it isn't--it's taller, which affects my tactile perception. I tried to stack the two up to show the difference. It didn't turn out all that great, but here it is.
So, in conclusion, I need a scandi.
I was willing to believe the hype (meaning there would be SOME improvement), but I didn't honestly believe there would be as much difference as there is.
Unfortunately, I also learned I need something in canvas micarta, and maybe an Arete, too. Thanks Nathan, you conscienceless enabler.
And while this may be beginning to blur this thread with the one I'll be doing (in another month or so) about MVM's Kephart, I'm thinking I might be on the hunt for a scandi Esquire for my girl, whose knife education really began this year (much to the Frau's chagrin). And maybe, if I could find the right one, a scandi bushcraft- or ED-Karda might be the ticket for me.
Looks like I'm going to need some tips on smuggling Fiddlebacks into the house. I don't think "It followed me home" will fly.
Thanks again, Nathan, for your most generous offer. This has truly been an invaluable experience for me.
Michael
Here's the knife (and sheath), as received: 1/8 O1, OD green over natural with a white pinstripe, full (not SFT?) tang. It is a knife that has certainly been used but not abused, and the OD has "patina-ed" quite nicely. For those interested in such things, it balances right at the second row of pins. It also has a more "full" handle than the other Fiddlebacks currently in my possession, though I'm not sure whether or not it qualifies as a "fat" handle, as with some that have been posted.
Here's a couple comparison shots with the other Fiddlebacks currently in my care. From the top: Bushboot (1/8), Kephart (1/8), Bushcrafter (5/32), Arete (1/8). For reasons that defy even my own comprehension, I changed the order for the top-on handle pictures. You can figure it out; they're color coded.
I had one of those really dumb "brilliant" ideas to get familiar with the scandi Arete. I came into possession of a couple chunks of still-green Osage, which I thought might provide a great proving ground for the scandi grind. I had never actually carved a spoon before, but hey--why should that hold me back? The answer--I won't leave you in suspense--is that when you are new at something you are absolute CRAP at anything approaching consistency. Anyway... Here's a couple shots of the spoon I carved with my Bushcrafter and the one done with the scandi Arete.
As you can see, the Arete spoon split. I was interrupted while carving, and was not able to pick up for almost a week. In that time, the wood had dried and shrunk considerably, splitting the entire length of the piece. That is also why I didn't thin out the handle more. So don't judge the scandi's ability by my inabilities. This thing was a monster at carving wood, and tended to leave a smoother surface behind.
The scandi Arete did go on a couple adventures with me, though all but one were short hikes in the nearby wild places. I apparently enjoyed myself so much, I only took one picture with the knife itself. But here are a couple shots of places the knife and I travelled.
This muddy creek is actually pretty interesting, historically. While on their epic journey westward, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark camped pretty close to this exact spot on Independence Day, 1804, naming this waterway "Independence Creek."
My buddy Louie checking out some damage by a recent storm. He was a trooper and climbed up and over so we could continue hiking.
On our way back from a hike here. Too pretty to not share.
And a long-awaited in-action shot.
Much of my regular Fiddleback usage is connected to fire building. So I took the three 4-inch blades and did some side-by-side splitting to get a sense for how the scandi Arete compared.
Some curls were required, of course.
So my thoughts and assessments....
First of all, at no time did I encounter a task the knife could not handle. A knife this size--for my purposes--is a woods knife, so that is how I tested it. Plenty of people use scandi-grind knives for game processing and other purposes too, so I'm sure the scandi Arete would likewise perform excellently there.
Second, there are things that the scandi grind seems to do better. My featherstick curls always seemed longer, thinner, and overall curlier with the scandi Arete than I am able to achieve with the other knives. Also, it just absolutely chews wood up. To be honest, I was rather dubious that the scandi grind would make that much difference--but it does. It's not that I can't do the same thing with my other knives; it just seems to be easier and more natural with the scandi. One other thing I'll add here is that this scandi-grind in 1/8 inch is STOUT. McVeyMac's Kephart (in the pictures above) feels downright delicate compared to my 5/32 Bushcrafter, and the scandi Arete (in 1/8) feels much closer to the Bushcrafter's "bombproof" feel. When it came to gouging out the bowl of the spoon, the scandi Arete was just a monster.
Also, the Arete is a really good platform for the scandi grind. I think a taller blade (like my Bushcrafter) wouldn't make as much sense, but the Arete has a really nice combination of straight blade and belly in its spearpoint blade. Even in Andy's convex grind, the Arete would be a fantastic package for a four inch woods knife.
Along this same not-quite-scandi-related theme, the particular knife Nathan sent out allowed me to "try out" a lot more than the scandi grind. There is the Arete shape, which I've already commented on. There's the OD green, which I like a lot more in person than I did in the pictures. It also has the canvas micarta handle, which I had not previously handled. I can't say any of Andy's knives have really felt slippery in my hands, the canvas micarta has plenty of grip to ensure sure handling.
And the handle... At first grip, the handle of this Arete fits my hand like it was made for it--literally. That it seemed to fit my handle so well was particularly astonishing as my Bushcrafter previously had the record for best feeling handle ever. It has taken some work to determine precisely what makes one better than the other. I've discovered that the Bushcrafter feels thinner, but it isn't--it's taller, which affects my tactile perception. I tried to stack the two up to show the difference. It didn't turn out all that great, but here it is.
So, in conclusion, I need a scandi.
I was willing to believe the hype (meaning there would be SOME improvement), but I didn't honestly believe there would be as much difference as there is.Unfortunately, I also learned I need something in canvas micarta, and maybe an Arete, too. Thanks Nathan, you conscienceless enabler.
And while this may be beginning to blur this thread with the one I'll be doing (in another month or so) about MVM's Kephart, I'm thinking I might be on the hunt for a scandi Esquire for my girl, whose knife education really began this year (much to the Frau's chagrin). And maybe, if I could find the right one, a scandi bushcraft- or ED-Karda might be the ticket for me.
Looks like I'm going to need some tips on smuggling Fiddlebacks into the house. I don't think "It followed me home" will fly.
Thanks again, Nathan, for your most generous offer. This has truly been an invaluable experience for me.
Michael
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