So There I Was, or: Share your Fiddleback Forge Knives

[pertinux]

... So there I was, happily puttering along in the Bladeforums haunts-- speakable and less so -- that have become home to me in my almost 5 years here, when in early September someone posted up a picture of a knife he had just secured:

Photograph by Vance (I think), reposted by SpyderPhreak

And didn't my ever-lovin', blue-lovin' heart suffer what can best be described as an "episode," and it's been all kancamungus and Fiddleback for me ever since.

I am captivated by the knives and their creation, the hearts that inspire not only the FF folks but their co-creators and supporting dealers, this new-to-me 'world' and the fantastic knives at its center.

In delving into Fiddleback Forge's subforum (so that my brain could start catching up to whatever just happened to my heart), I quickly recognized a spirit of consideration and generosity, manifest throughout many different threads and real-life exchanges, kindred to that which I treasure here in the midst of our Traditional subforum. And ooh la, the knives.

One never knows what will spark, when, and I am only now realizing that some of you have been posting your Fiddleback Forge knives throughout this subforum all along (waves at Gevonovich). I just never 'saw' them before.

Who knew.

So: I am now asking you to please share your Fiddleback Forge knives here in this thread, as will I. Pictures and comparisons with other traditional fixed blade knives, as well as with traditional folding pocket knives, are of course welcome.


SHORT VERSION:

So this happened...

... and then this happened(!)...

... and now I'd love to see what other Fiddleback Forge knives are here in our traditional-lovin' midst.

~ P.

 

[Jack Black]

Wow! Those are NICE (I particularly like Vance's)!! Nice post and thread idea too P (and I like yourr basket of Goodness! ) :thumbup: I rarely get a chance to wander elsewhere these days, but may just have to check out the FF forum :thumbup:

 

[CrowCounty]

I know that you have seen this picture but I love my runt and the color orange (almost as much as I love the color blue).

 

[pertinux]

Wow! Those are NICE (I particularly like Vance's)!! Nice post and thread idea too P (and I like yourr basket of Goodness! ) :thumbup: I rarely get a chance to wander elsewhere these days, but may just have to check out the FF forum :thumbup:

I'm still finding my own way, but for me this thread goes right to the heart of things:

The Road to Fiddleback Friday: How The Knives Are Made

It turns out that the handle material that first riveted my attention is made by Shadetree CC-- and those familiar with Jared Oeser's extraordinary traditional folding knives may just recognize that we've been seeing some of this burlap micarta for some time now! [As much as I love Oeser's work and have ooohed and aaahed at his creations, I missed the Shadetree connection. Until there was Blue.]

There are also many other colors; the form factor of the Fiddleback knives plus the vibrant colors puts me in mind of Fiestaware (in a good way.)

From Let's See your Shadetree:

Sometimes Sticky threads are actually way helpful (ahem), like this one; the links therein proved invaluable when trying to determine the various knives' relative size and presence.

... All of which led to this, er, first:

Fiddleback Forge Patch Knife, 7.25"

The handles tend to become scuffed in use and (un)sheathing...

...but are quickly restored when I lick them with a little TLC.

One has to have one of these knives in-hand to understand how extraordinarily comfortable they are to hold and use. As much as I am smitten by the Shadetree burlap and wouldn't be 'here' without it, I can only imagine how great a hardwood handle would feel, contoured similarly. Maybe someday.

I know that you have seen this picture but I love my runt and the color orange (almost as much as I love the color blue).

I love this picture! And I don't even love orange(!). Those knives bring out the best in one another.

My Esquire has blue and orange-- which, by total coincidence, happen to be my alma mater's colors:

~ P.

 

[GooberBoober]

Wait, these are considered traditionals as well? I had no idea.

My edc for the last year and a half when it was still shinny and new:

 

[Jack Black]

I'm still finding my own way, but for me this thread goes right to the heart of things:

The Road to Fiddleback Friday: How The Knives Are Made

Thanks for the links P, that's a great write-up by Mistwalker :thumbup:

 

[MT Damascus]

Great looking knives, Sarah, thanks for sharing. Very cool to see your interest in traditional fixed blades, as I am certainly a fan. I do not have any FF blades, but spoke with the owner in KC at the ICCE, nice guy who has an incredible following.

 

[VANCE]

very nice ~P.


Crow County that is a fantastic duo!

I'll play too

 

[Gevonovich]

Waves back at ~P

 

[Steely_Gunz]

I'm lucky enough to be able to call Andy Roy a friend of mine. We met here on BFC way back in the day on the Himalayan Imports board. Back then he was dabbling with bending leather, but that soon blossomed into knife making. It's a talent that he is extraordinarily gifted with.

I'll need to get a couple of pics taken. I only have two of his knives, but it's only because they both feel SO PERFECT in my hand that I really don't feel the need to try another to fit the role of a hiking knife. That's saying something. I have a drawer full of SAKs that are "close", 15 or 20 multi-tools that are "OK enough", 20 slip joints that get rotated the same way my wife picks out a pair of shoes, and God knows how many modern folders that we purchased for any number of invented reasons as to why I "needed" them. Even as a Khukuri guy who has been collecting and using HI blades for nearly 15 years, I have a literal TRUNK full of them. All precious, but none "the one".

The second knife Andy made for me is called a Hiking Buddy. Sweet little sub 3" blade, lovely white handle with green spacers and wood pins. It really is my hiking buddy. I bought it as a knife to carry while walking the heavily traveled local trails with my then very young daughter. She was all of about 3 (now a sassy 6 year old), but her FAVORITE thing in the world was to go on a "bug hunt" with dad. We'd lift up rotten logs or stones or look in the crannies of trees. We never hurt the bugs. It was all about learning about little critters and respecting them. We ran across a couple of "bad" ones like the occasional Black Widow or a spastic centipede. Having a bit of steel where I could point out the body segments, the fangs, and the markings of such animals made the education safe for my little one, and I didn't have to smoosh the bug

Andy is a family man himself, he got my "need" and crafted me the little Hiking Buddy, and I have carried it on every leisurely woods-walk since.


As much as I adore my little HB, my absolute favorite knife in my collection is my early Fiddleback Forge Woodsman. Oh my, what a "handshake" on a knife. This was one that Andy was doing back when he first got into offering his knives for sale. The grip is simple. Nothing exotic nothing that one could call "flashy". It's osage orange over walnut spacers. There aren't any decorative pins. Just some simple ones holding the grips to the tang with a "bullseye" at the lanyard hole. It came with a satin finish and an etch of Andy's name on the tang. Humble, true, loyal, and capable. It personified to absolute perfection how I think of Andy as a person.

Every single camping or hiking trip I have taken, that Woodsman has been on my hip. It sports over 5" of blade with a grip that has to be felt to believe. Seriously, no one does a handle like Andy. The profile is almost kitchen knife-esque. Truth be told, for several years my Woodsman WAS my go-to kitchen knife, and still is. No less than 5 thanksgiving turkeys have been carved up with it over the years

My Woodsman's satin finish is gone. Etched to a deep gray patina from years of use. Andy's signature...lol it's nowhere to be seen. Eaten away by earnest use. But I don't need his name on it to remember who crafted it for me.

I don't get a chance to talk to Andy much these days. I see that his company has grown leaps and bounds and that he has a very loyal following of folks...well deserved. He's a true artist, an upright gentleman, and one of the nicest guys I have had the privilege of meeting on these boards. One can buy a Fiddleback Forge in confidence. It's the real McCoy, a hard use traditional blade that will have your back as long as you have it strapped to your side. Through the wilds, or the urban jungle, or even just trimming the drinking straw down for you little girl's soft drink at Dairy Queen, a loyal and robust Fiddleback will serve you well

 

[Halfneck]

Andy is good people, I've watched his progress here on Bladeforums and at BLADE shows over the years. One of his Hiking Buddys is on my short list. He's given me an open invite to swing by his shop and life just keep getting in the way.

 

[traumkommode]

...but are quickly restored when I lick them with a little TLC.

The man with the micarta tongue

 

[pertinux]

Quoting this one again, because I'm suddenly curious: what sheath do you carry your Runt in?

Wait, these are considered traditionals as well? I had no idea.

It never occurred to me that they might not be!

My edc for the last year and a half when it was still shinny and new:

Ohhhhh-- looka that blue. Is that an earlier O1 model? Very nice!

And:

Waves back at ~P

Your knife, and GooberBoober's above it, are both... Bushboots. Yes?

(Side note: it's very fun to write out "GooberBoober". Try it!)

Great looking knives, Sarah, thanks for sharing. Very cool to see your interest in traditional fixed blades, as I am certainly a fan. I do not have any FF blades, but spoke with the owner in KC at the ICCE, nice guy who has an incredible following.

Thanks much, Kris! I've actually been at this for a little while, if on a very small scale-- literally and figuratively.

(Note the 3.5" TC Barlow in the mix, for scale)

Also, James Terrio designed his Strix for me in 2013. Here are my FF Patch, Redmeadow Grittler, and THK Strix:

Similar size, complementary blade shapes, very different knives.


I've come to the point where I am, if possible, more discriminating than ever (which sounds better than, "pickier," yes?), and as I continually cull and streamline my life's accessories I want everything to come together.

Meaning, an item of course has to stand alone on its own merits, but with so many worthy offerings I want the knife that wins my hand to have quality hearts behind it.

[For some reason, this feels more directly important to me with a fixed blade knife than with a folder, although I'm not sure why.]

One cannot always glean the integrity behind a given knife, but my current crash-course in FF knives has led to me communicating with vendors, creators, and enthusiasts alike, and I am loving what I am finding.

So many intangibles, difficult decisions, and a metric ton of careful hard work add up to way more than metal and micarta in my hand.

But ooooh, this metal and micarta:

Thanks for playing. Is the above knife a Sylverfalcen...? What's its size relative to a Patch knife?

...[they] are quickly restored when I lick them with a little TLC.

The man with the micarta tongue

In the interests of full disclosure, if I know I'm going to be taking a Purty picture I try to avail myself of a light swipe with Howard's Feed 'n Wax or mineral oil, but those aren't always at hand. ;-)

~ P.

 

[GooberBoober]

Yes on the Bushboots, mine is a scandi (not too many around of those, took me about a year to find one) & Gevonovich's has a convexed ground one. Both in 1/8th O1 as far as I can tell. The blue on mine is dyed curly mango by the way.

They're not all that early though, mine came up in a Fiddleback Friday thread in February 2015. It was offered to me a few months later by the guy who sharked it (thanks again AVG!).

Haha, have fun with my user name. I'm not sure if it means anything in English. I always feel a bit like I'm put on the spot when asked to submit a username so I usually end up with something silly I make up in a hurry when joining a new forum.

 

[pertinux]

I'm lucky enough to be able to call Andy Roy a friend of mine. We met here on BFC way back in the day on the Himalayan Imports board. Back then he was dabbling with bending leather, but that soon blossomed into knife making. It's a talent that he is extraordinarily gifted with....

...I don't get a chance to talk to Andy much these days. I see that his company has grown leaps and bounds and that he has a very loyal following of folks...well deserved. He's a true artist, an upright gentleman, and one of the nicest guys I have had the privilege of meeting on these boards. One can buy a Fiddleback Forge in confidence. It's the real McCoy, a hard use traditional blade that will have your back as long as you have it strapped to your side. Through the wilds, or the urban jungle, or even just trimming the drinking straw down for you little girl's soft drink at Dairy Queen, a loyal and robust Fiddleback will serve you well

Thanks so much for sharing all that you have, here. Insights and experiences such as yours are definitely part of the "loving what I'm finding" regarding these knives and their maker.

This also resonates with me:

I only have two of his knives, but it's only because they both feel SO PERFECT in my hand that I really don't feel the need to try another to fit the role of a hiking knife. That's saying something.

I may have preempted further Hunts by acquiring the Esquire so quickly-- I can't imagine anything better suited for my daily goings-alongs. It ticks all the boxes, including the Smile ones.*

Here's me with my Esquire today, in a pocket sheath from Diomedes Industries:

~ P.

*Does Not Mean I Do Not Want, Oh, One'r Two More.

 

[VANCE]

~P.
It's about the same OAL as the Patch.

For some reason I don't own a Patch, here is it compared to similar sized knives though...
Top - Bottom
Bushcrafter Jr.
Hiking Buddy
Sylvrfalcen
EDKarda
W.A. Surls Mini Dropped Hunter
W.A. Surls Patch

 

[Fiddleback]

... So there I was, happily puttering along in the Bladeforums haunts-- speakable and less so -- that have become home to me in my almost 5 years here, when in early September someone posted up a picture of a knife he had just secured:

Photograph by Vance (I think), reposted by SpyderPhreak

And didn't my ever-lovin', blue-lovin' heart suffer what can best be described as an "episode," and it's been all kancamungus and Fiddleback for me ever since.

~ P.

WOW! Thank you for these words, and for this thread. Please let us know if we can do anything for you. This enthusiasm is what keeps the six jobs here going. I personally, and we as a company cannot thank you enough.

I'm lucky enough to be able to call Andy Roy a friend of mine. We met here on BFC way back in the day on the Himalayan Imports board. Back then he was dabbling with bending leather, but that soon blossomed into knife making. It's a talent that he is extraordinarily gifted with.


I don't get a chance to talk to Andy much these days. I see that his company has grown leaps and bounds and that he has a very loyal following of folks...well deserved. He's a true artist, an upright gentleman, and one of the nicest guys I have had the privilege of meeting on these boards. One can buy a Fiddleback Forge in confidence. It's the real McCoy, a hard use traditional blade that will have your back as long as you have it strapped to your side. Through the wilds, or the urban jungle, or even just trimming the drinking straw down for you little girl's soft drink at Dairy Queen, a loyal and robust Fiddleback will serve you well

Hi Jake. I sure have been blessed with good friends here on the boards. I hope you know the days at the Himalayan Imports board changed my life. I will never stop being grateful.

 

[neal70]

I really had convinced myself that the lest thing in life I need was an over priced knife with pretty handles. I'm po', have a wife in school (nursing), and since I'm on disability I take care of our just turned 2 year old. ....But...then this thread shows up, by Pertinux. Who's writing, photography, and storytelling ability I truly enjoy and respect. I was contemplating a blue lambsfoot simply to be able to post in her "Blue" thread. ....Now this. Thanks. A lot. Can I call you to explain to my wife why I "need" this piece of steel? 'Cause now you have me. I want one. Badly. Someone else said "bunch of enablers" around here. G@!?#%*%t ! Pardon my symbolspeak. Although I might have to look at some of the Ospreys. I like the steels he's using. I have a number of old planes with O1 steel. They cut well, take a sharp edge. But they also require a lot of maintenance and love. And oil. Anyways I suppose it's just another hunt now. Thanks!!!
Thanks, Neal

 

[VANCE]

I really had convinced myself that the lest thing in life I need was an over priced knife with pretty handles. I'm po', have a wife in school (nursing), and since I'm on disability I take care of our just turned 2 year old. ....But...then this thread shows up, by Pertinux. Who's writing, photography, and storytelling ability I truly enjoy and respect. I was contemplating a blue lambsfoot simply to be able to post in her "Blue" thread. ....Now this. Thanks. A lot. Can I call you to explain to my wife why I "need" this piece of steel? 'Cause now you have me. I want one. Badly. Someone else said "bunch of enablers" around here. G@!?#%*%t ! Pardon my symbolspeak. Although I might have to look at some of the Ospreys. I like the steels he's using. I have a number of old planes with O1 steel. They cut well, take a sharp edge. But they also require a lot of maintenance and love. And oil. Anyways I suppose it's just another hunt now. Thanks!!!
Thanks, Neal

Neal
We are making most of our knives out of A2 now. It has better corrosion resistance than O1.

just sayin

 

[Tim the Wizard]

L to R: Case Peanut, Jarrett Fleming Itty Bitty Brontosaurus, Benchmade Sequel 707, JD Ware Slipjoint, Fiddleback BC Jr., Osprey Knife and Tool Hunter, Forty Point Jack