Thanks again, everyone, for all your kind words and comments. I really appreciate them.
Now THAT'S a Stuff cuttin knife
Look forward to seeing that patina form over summer :thumbup:
Yep! Bring on the Stuff, and consequent patina!
I love how Canal Street describes their knives as "outdoor cutlery." As much as I enjoy using this knife on Stuff indoors, I can't wait for consistent good weather and more outside adventures. I excel at turning larger sticks into smaller ones, and-- while I consider "marshmallows" to be an inedible evil (though they do burn well, and almost forever!), I might even attempt some of these, in the best Modoc ED tradition:
I know - it's hard to believe but I swear, I really did whittle this Marshmallow Stick after much planning and effort.
The patina has already changed and grown more colorful since I started this thread at the beginning of the week. I can't wait to see how it looks by the end of the summer.
Sarah, that was one of the most enjoyable write ups I've ever read on any knife forum:thumbup: Your unique way to articulate and your sense of humor must have made the whole process with James a blast!!!
Wow, thanks Paul.
And you're right, against the backdrop of James's expertise it was great fun to write to him to make sure he knew that I wanted
my knife to have "heat treat 'n everything," or to have him clarify a sheath feature by identifying it as being oriented toward the "cutty" or "non-cutty" side of the knife.
Be ye warned, however-- or rather, deeply encouraged: when it comes to his actual work, James does not, er, "mess" around. Because James clearly knew what he was doing, I never felt that I had to know, learn about, or specify things outside my experience or established preferences. It was great being able to trust him to make me an excellent knife.
Great post and run-down of the process! :thumbup:
The other Strix on the Table o' Joy now has a prospective home.
Hurrah! ... Uh, hope you like it.
I like the blue paperstone... The only experience I have with the material is briefly handling a Buck Vantage scaled in blue. How is it holding up during use?
So far so good, although in the interests of full disclosure I will confess that, fresh from my birthday dinner (and its first use) I dropped the knife head-first (or rather, onto its nether regions) onto the asphalt in my driveway as I got out of the car.
It was entirely my fault, as I was trying to carry too much, didn't have it pocketed (I'd been admiring it AGAIN during the drive home) and lost track of it in my pile of stuff.
Of all the things to drop!
The knife was in its sheath, but fell exactly on its butt end and incurred a tiny divot. I believe this is called, "Making it one's own." Ah, me. The divot is entirely self-contained and not immediately apparent, and there are other materials that would have suffered as much or likely worse, so it's mostly just... mine.
I've seen how some of the other Buck knives, including my kitchen set, can start to look a little ratty-tatty (faded) or fuzzy-rough, especially at (sharper) edges or contour lines. Here's this picture, again:
I haven't seen anything like that yet with the handle on my Strix, possibly due to its (more) rounded edges and better-developed finish. I look forward to seeing how the handle might change over time and use-- apart from further
dropping-on-asphalt. 'gads. If anything, I believe it might darken?
I'll let you know in a year.
Now, back to getting it to levitate. Almost there....
~ P.
