To quote the Greatful Dead; "What a long, strange trip it's been" I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for their input on this topic of choosing a field knife. I commited the cardinal sin of ordering a knife without handling one first. I ordered an SOG Recon Government with the blued carbon steel blade. The fellow who sold it to me gave me a great price. When I received the box I performed the ritual of dragging out the opening and removal of the knife as long as possible. This is kind of the adult version of Christmas morning. What I found truely dissapointed me.
The knife just plain felt small. I was expecting a true Bowie style knife with a little weight to it at least. What it was, was very skinny. This knife was thin enough to fit well in the left over sheath from my lost Gerber Mk II. It just didn't feel like much of a knife at all. On top of that, it had about a 20degree bend at the blade to handle juncture.
I don't understand how this knife ever made it off the inspection line in Washington.
The saving grace of this ordeal came when I called a friend at my local knife shop. I don't usually do a lot of business there due to their rather proudly inflated prices. He was able to help me on this one and instill in me a sense of why it can pay at times to pay a little more at a local business. He offered to exchange the knife with me for a CS Bush Ranger for a 10 dollar difference. As I have a training mission going out this week, It sounded like the best deal I'd heard all year.
The CS is just what this Doc ordered.
It is light in weight at 8.8oz but feels much heftier.(is that an actual word?) The old Paul Hogan quote ran through my head "Now that's a knife". There is really nothing fancy about this knife. It just says "all business". The grip fits my hand perfectly and stays there. The epoxy powder coat on the Carbon V blade is rugged, and the edge is shaving sharp.(My wife gave me a rather strange look after seeing my forarms).
I took the CS home and of course, had to play with it a little. I wanted a knife that can take abuse well, and I think I found it. On my honey do list at home, was the removal of a sapling that died during the summer draught. Say no more.
I promptly took the BR out to see how it would do. The dead tree was about 21/2" in diameter. I started with some of the smaller branches and the severed clean without a rustle of the rest of the tree. I then finished the job as I whacked away foot long sections until I reached the base. This knife felt great for chopping and bit deep into the thick stuff well.
After I finished the job, I wiped the blade clean with a damp cloth and it showed no signs of use. I then went to the other forearm without sharpening the knife and it shaved a patch clean with one stroke.
I had always been a bit leary of Lynn Thompson's claims about CS knives but this has changed my mind.
Thanks again to all who put their proverbial two cents worth in. I'll update next week when I get back from this OP.
recondoc
Corpsman Up!! Answering the call for 120years. Semper Fidelis
