Today i got one of the most unpleasant, but at same time glorious phone calls ever - my brother calling to tell me an odd, triangular shaped package had arrived. Which meant I spent the rest of my day anxiously awaiting the return home to see the Tamang ordered off the 3/2 DOTD (i think).
So first the bad news... I can't upload pictures.
But here, none-the-less, is my current impression of the knife.
I love it. So far, I have a 15" BAS. This knife is significantly lighter, the blade not as aggressively forward curved, and longer. The weight makes it alot easier to control than the BAS, though you can still feel there's a lot of weight waiting to connect with something.
While i haven't had a chance to chop anything yet, the blade looks solid. The blackened finish fits the knife quite well, and it looks like i'll have to invest in some oil to make sure it doesn't rust on me.
The only potential problem i see is the handle. The length is good,but the diameter is alot less than the BAS. While i don't have big hands, i do have long fingers, and the handle may almost be too narrow for me. I expect i will be wrapping it with leather to get an extra milimeter or two for comfort. To be more specific, the front of the handle near the bolster is fine. But as you work back toward the butt-cap, the handle narrows. The result is an even greater tendency for the knife to jump away from you, and as a result the side of the butt cap are very quickly in a rather uncomfortable position.
The sheath is... different. The leather is alot softer than I was expecting, and their appears to be tinder pouch on the inside of the sheath. Which confuses me. I fully understand the presence of a tinder pouch. I'm unsure why it is on the inside of the sheath, as the position forces the pouch to be between your hip and the belt. Not only does this make it near impossible to get to, but i can only imagine it being rather uncomforbale and difficult to wear. Can someone enlighten me on this? My current thought is that it was not made to be word on a belt (such as the BAS), but rather be tucked into a sash or some such. In which case I may need to figure out a new rig...
I imagine that isn't the detail some of you were hoping for, but it's late, and i am going to bed. Overall, the knife looks fantastic, and given the feel of it, i expect it to become my fast favorite due to its lower weight and nice length, once i address the narrow handle issue. The sheat quality is fantastic, and I am interested in anyones thoughts on the tinder pouch, and the logistics of the different sheath design.
So first the bad news... I can't upload pictures.
But here, none-the-less, is my current impression of the knife.
I love it. So far, I have a 15" BAS. This knife is significantly lighter, the blade not as aggressively forward curved, and longer. The weight makes it alot easier to control than the BAS, though you can still feel there's a lot of weight waiting to connect with something.
While i haven't had a chance to chop anything yet, the blade looks solid. The blackened finish fits the knife quite well, and it looks like i'll have to invest in some oil to make sure it doesn't rust on me.
The only potential problem i see is the handle. The length is good,but the diameter is alot less than the BAS. While i don't have big hands, i do have long fingers, and the handle may almost be too narrow for me. I expect i will be wrapping it with leather to get an extra milimeter or two for comfort. To be more specific, the front of the handle near the bolster is fine. But as you work back toward the butt-cap, the handle narrows. The result is an even greater tendency for the knife to jump away from you, and as a result the side of the butt cap are very quickly in a rather uncomfortable position.
The sheath is... different. The leather is alot softer than I was expecting, and their appears to be tinder pouch on the inside of the sheath. Which confuses me. I fully understand the presence of a tinder pouch. I'm unsure why it is on the inside of the sheath, as the position forces the pouch to be between your hip and the belt. Not only does this make it near impossible to get to, but i can only imagine it being rather uncomforbale and difficult to wear. Can someone enlighten me on this? My current thought is that it was not made to be word on a belt (such as the BAS), but rather be tucked into a sash or some such. In which case I may need to figure out a new rig...
I imagine that isn't the detail some of you were hoping for, but it's late, and i am going to bed. Overall, the knife looks fantastic, and given the feel of it, i expect it to become my fast favorite due to its lower weight and nice length, once i address the narrow handle issue. The sheat quality is fantastic, and I am interested in anyones thoughts on the tinder pouch, and the logistics of the different sheath design.
