Some new knives this week - Blackwood Mini Skirmish and a Hinderer XM-18

M

misterjuiceman

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Sep 19, 2009
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Just got this one in this week from Neil Blackwood. It's ridiculous how smooth this folder is. I was actually shocked when I first handled it!

The Blackwood has a unique backspacer, grind and two silver-twill G10 stripes. I photoshopped in the stripe, in a mock-up picture, and Neil put it in absolutely perfectly. I can't even tell that two different materials are used.

The pics don't really do the knife justice, but I might try to get better ones later.
 
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Awesome knives! I love how the pocket clip is the same shape as the blade. I also love the grind on that Hinderer, it looks much better than the regular grind.
 
bd51 said:
Awesome knives! I love how the pocket clip is the same shape as the blade. I also love the grind on that Hinderer, it looks much better than the regular grind.
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thanks! his hand-ground spanto grind is actually pretty cool looking, too. I prefer the look of the hand-ground spanto to the flat-ground CNC'd spanto (that's the usual Hinderer), but performance wise, the latter grind is probably the best overall
 
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Very nice pick up. :thumbup: I really like the Blackwood, love the way he makes the clip the shape of the knife. Do those dots on the handle glow in the dark ?
 
Beautiful knives -- congratulations! If you don't mind me asking, how much did the Blackwood run you? (Feel free to PM me if you don't want to post it on the open forum.) And is he currently taking orders?
 
ROBB said:
Very nice pick up. :thumbup: I really like the Blackwood, love the way he makes the clip the shape of the knife. Do those dots on the handle glow in the dark ?
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neuron said:
Beautiful knives -- congratulations! If you don't mind me asking, how much did the Blackwood run you? (Feel free to PM me if you don't want to post it on the open forum.) And is he currently taking orders?
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Thanks! Those are moon-glow dots. He actually fills them with goo that hardens. Here are some WIP pics, showing how it's made: http://blackwoodcustomknives.blogspot.com/2011/04/leftyllinerlock-mini-skirmish-wip-pics.html

Neil doesn't currently take orders. This was a rare chance, since he was making a batch of lefties.
 
Love that Blackwood!

And the spear-point on that XM-18 is much nicer than the regular? blade I usually see.
 
Nice XM-18! 3 inch, Spearpoint hand ground, Non-Flipper..., that is one rare XM. Enjoy it and Congratulations.

cheers
 
I think I need to send one of my XM-18s off for a regrind soon. They look like they would work so much better with that hollow grind.
 
Seven1Niner said:
Nice XM-18! 3 inch, Spearpoint hand ground, Non-Flipper..., that is one rare XM. Enjoy it and Congratulations.

cheers
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thanks! I prefer non-flipper for the 3", since I find that the flipper gets in the way a little bit when you're gripping the knife. I've had some of the production flippers/non-flippers, and on the 3.5" the flipper is nice enough, but the thumb stud is always the principle deployment method.
 
Nice scores! I'm curious though, I notice the Blackwood is configured for tip-up and the XM-18 for tip-down. Do you prefer one carry style over the other or have you just not swapped the XM to tip-up? I'm guessing you prefer tip-up.
 
NaturalMystic said:
Nice scores! I'm curious though, I notice the Blackwood is configured for tip-up and the XM-18 for tip-down. Do you prefer one carry style over the other or have you just not swapped the XM to tip-up? I'm guessing you prefer tip-up.
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thanks! good observation. XM-18s always come tip-down, and I've always left them that way. I'd say it depends on the knife. the MS is usually tip-up carry, just because then the clip flows better with the knife. for tip-down, it'd be backwards!
 
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misterjuiceman said:
thanks! good observation. XM-18s always come tip-down, and I've always left them that way. I'd say it depends on the knife. the MS is usually tip-up carry, just because then the clip flows better with the knife. for tip-down, it'd be backwards!
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I figured you'd prefer tip up. I'm not familiar with the Blackwood or the configuration options when ordering but figured since it was a custom you would have requested your preference (tip up/down). Since it is tip up that's why I assumed you prefer tip up but just hadn't changed the XM-18 to the same configuration. I didn't realize the XMs come tip down.

Enjoy your knives, they're beauties for sure!
 
NaturalMystic said:
I figured you'd prefer tip up. I'm not familiar with the Blackwood or the configuration options when ordering but figured since it was a custom you would have requested your preference (tip up/down). Since it is tip up that's why I assumed you prefer tip up but just hadn't changed the XM-18 to the same configuration. I didn't realize the XMs come tip down.

Enjoy your knives, they're beauties for sure!
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I'm actually not sure which I prefer. All of the custom ordered knives I've had are tip-up, like my Lambert Inferno, and the Inferno I have on order, and my Lochsa I have on order is also tip-up. But my XM-18 and Sibert MPR are tip-down, and I like them that way. I think it just depends on the knife. I think the maker knows best sometimes. I usually just go with whatever they usually do. I did actually have Kirby Lambert drill and tap both sides of my Inferno for tip-up carry, so I could do lefty or righty, but I never bothered with the tip-down. Charles Marlowe usually drills and taps his knives for both tip-up and tip-down, but never both sides for lefty carry.
 
I've been wanting a Blackwood ever since I got my Rukus. This thread got my hopes up that Mr. Blackwood was possibly taking orders again. :(

Great knives! :)
 
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