Small EDC Fixed Blade

A

Ale Golem

Joined
Dec 18, 2013
Messages
20
Hello all, I'm brand new around here so I'll first give a brief introduction. I collected knives, many knives, when I was in my late teens and very early twenties. I thought I knew what I was doing however after a few years realized I had a substantial collection of crap "fantasy" blades, cheaply made folders and various "hunting"/"tactical" knives of all stripes. Due to the line of work I was entering after college I realized I would be unable to carry on a daily basis and gave/threw away all but one decent Ka-Bar folder that has since been lost. I'll be hitting my 30th birthday tomorrow and have decided that while I may have collected junk I still very much enjoyed collecting knives and it's time to start back into my old hobby. This time however I'll have an eye toward quality as opposed to quantity. I'll start by picking up a small Sebenza 21. Spyderco Sage4 and a Strider SMF (Aluminum) over the course of the next year but also wanted a small fixed blade to switch out as well.
I fell in love with the BRKT IMP in spalted maple burl or birdseye maple when I saw it however it appears to be out of production. Does anyone know if and when these may be back on the market or can you direct me to another quality company with a similar offering? I've looked at a lot of 2"-3" fixed blades and I've decided that a wood handle is a deal breaker for me otherwise I'd jump at an Izula. I'm not above looking into custom knife makers however I don't know enough about knives in general to feel comfortable picking one on my own so suggestions would be appreciated if people feel like throwing them out there. I have $200-$300 to spend and am looking for a 2"-3" blade, due to work restrictions, with a wood handle and brass pins. An included leather sheath would be nice but is not a deal breaker.
 
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+1 on Bark River Knives. Great quality for the price. I own a Bark River PSK and a Bark River Pocket Bravo (both purchased from Knivesshipfree.com by the way...great company) and love them. Both would fit your criteria and they are offered in a ton of differant handle options.
 
arizonaranchman said:
Something along these lines? Not brass pins, but sort of in the category you describe.
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The Mini-Fox River was a close second however I'm not a huge fan of the lanyard loop on the handle and I was really hoping to get something in spalted maple or birdseye maple, neither of which is offered on the Mini-Fox River. The brass pins are not a huge deal to me.
 
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Murray Carter has some great pieces that fit your bill although they are on the edge of your price range and a little over in some cases... The one in this picture is a bit over your budget, but you're not a true knife nut until you've spent more than you should on something extra special.
 
Ale Golem said:
...I was really hoping to get something in spalted maple or birdseye maple, neither of which is offered on the Mini-Fox River. The brass pins are not a huge deal to me.
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I've had a number of Bark River knives over the years, and can highly recommend them. They are exceptional knives for the money.

Given your criteria, I would imagine you will have a hard time finding the knife you want off the shelf. Go custom and pay at the high end or over of your price range, or wait for Bark River to do another run of the knife you want and see if one can be included with the handle material you want. Derrick at KSF should be able to assist you with that, and can direct you to a listing of their production schedule to give you a rough idea of when they will be building what.

Good luck!
 
The blind horse patch knives were just about perfect, but that ship has sailed. I'm also on this quest.
 
Ale I sent you a visitor message
 
What materials will you be cutting?

Will you be using the knife for food prep or wood work/processing?

Will you be cleaning game with it?

Do you have a strong preference in blade grind, blade shape or handle material?

Have you thought about carry options like cross draw or neck sheath?
 
I received a response to an email I sent to BRKT. It'll be interesting to anyone else looking for an IMP.

Michelle from BRKT said:
The IMP doesn't have it's own run, normally we cut the IMP from Fox River's. When the 2014 Production Schedule comes out you can find the Fox River and contact one of our Major Distributors to make a Special Order. With a Special Order, you will have the opportunity to customize it to your liking.

Your best best would to give Jason at DLT Trading a call to make your Special Order.
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pinnah said:
Some questions about intended use.
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Typical use would be 99% office life needs. Opening packages, small envelopes, maybe some lunch prep and other misc. everyday uses for a knife. The other 1% would be for the odd camping trip where it would be used for light woodwork. and food prep but not dressing game. I have no preference on blade grind and would much prefer a lighter colored wood, as close to white as possible. Carry would typically be a front pocket as my work environment and typical dress clothing would prevent neck holsters and torso sheaths.
 
I have a Bark River Mini Fox River that I really like. Mine's in Dessert Ironwood Burl, but the overall size makes it very carry friendly, and it feels good in the hand when using.

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Ale Golem said:
I've decided that a wood handle is a deal breaker for me otherwise I'd jump at an Izula.
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If wood is an option then consider "Wayne Childress" in the custom fixed blade section of the forum. Pretty sure he offers other handles covers as well. Kydex sheaths though :o

So far the steel he offers is 440C and D2---he makes a high quality knife for well under your budget---so basically you could get a few :thumbup:;)

Here's a couple I've purchased from Wayne...

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Also check out Alan Davis, his work is outstanding as well, beautiful leather sheaths and his blades are of all sizes...

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Paul
 
Blind Horsefrontier first patch knife that was mentioned above. These are still out there. I found this in the exchange.

Here's a one off custom by no longer active Mark Wohlwend.

Here is my current favorite. A Matthew Bailey that I traded for with one of our great regulars here on the traditional forum.



There are many small blades on the makers forum for well under your budget. Just look for a few days and you'll see what's out there.
 
I find the BR 'Little Carver' to be an extremely useful EDC. 5.7" overall, with a 2.5" blade:

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check fiddleback forge under the makers section on fridays & see if you can snag one of andy's runts
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i carry mine everyday & love it
 
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