• The Wait Is Over. From this thread, orders for the 2023 BladeForums Traditional Knife are open & here's your handy order button.
    OPEN TO ALL MEMBERS WITH GOLD OR HIGHER PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS OR have 25+ posts in the Traditional Forum Preorder price is $160 shipped CONUS, price increase on 9/25 11:59PM when ordering opens to anyone on the forums
    User Name

Sold old motorcycle....

C

chet

Joined
Jan 21, 1999
Messages
167
...buying new knife. Its made by Ricky Fowler from Mississippi. A 4-1/4 inch drop point full tang blade of 01 steel with finger grooved Sambar stag handles, brass pins and ferrule. Bead blast finish and a OAL of 8-1/4 inches. I'm still undecided about the stock thickness but it will either be 3/16 or 1/4 inch. Man I love these knives.
chet
 
Bead-blasted O-1? Yikes, rust-o-rama. You going to have that coated with something?

Harv
 
Yes, in fact, I did go with a black finish on the advice of the maker. I'm not sure of its composition but I have one knife from Ricky with it on it already and it seems to wear well and protect the blade and exposed tang from rust. I think that it is a powder coat of some kind. I wish that I had more info to post. I'll find out tomorrow exactly what it is.
chet
 
The black finsish is a phosphate wash. It seems to resist rust a little better than bare 0-1.

On stock thickness i would go with 3/16, less metal getting in the way when cutting!
 
It is 3/16". Ricky recomended 1/8" for skinning but I wanted something heavier for general camp/utillity use. And the finish is called black oxide?? Same as phosphate? It is flat black finish that wears thin with use but seems to still protect from rust reasonably well. At least I've never had a problem with rust on the two knives that I have with that finish. One is well cared for but the second is an old Imperial knife that I found and now keep in my truck. I've cleaned it with a wet rag and stuffed it back in its sheath with out a problem.
If someone has a link to a FAQ sheet with info on oxide or phosphate blade finishes please post. I think I heard it described as something similar to blueing but I'm not sure and now I'm curious.
chet
 
I have one of Rickys knives, it is 3/16 stock 5" blade. Very tough, sharpens easily, and with proper care there it will stay in good shape.

I kinda like my carbon steel blades to have a polished or hand rubbed finish. They get a really nice "patina" after a while and it looks nice to me.

So i am not real high on any "finish". As to me the real beaty is in the story the stains tell!!!

 
Ricky wants fifteen dollars an inch for satin finish and twentyfive for polished. Black oxide is fifteen and bead blast is stock. Having no experience with bead blasted 01 I decided to get the black oxide because I know how it performs and I don't think that for what I want the knife for 60 - 100$ for a blade finish is worth it.
chet
 
There might be something on parkerizing in the rec.guns FAQ at http://www.recguns.com

If not go to www.dejanews.com and search rec.guns for parkerizing.

It's a variation on bluing that gives a little more resistance to corrosion and abrasion. Traditional parkerizing is kind of greenish and most people consider it not very attractive, but some people are doing variations on the process now that look better.

-Cougar Allen :{)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top