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Texas Camp Knife!
- Thread starter waynorth
- Start date
So I was using my awl on my Texas Camp Knife to break apart some ice, and the tip bent pretty significantly. I was honestly pretty darn surprised. It was bent more than 90°, but I bent it back carefully. It still has a crink in it though. I was wondering if any of you good and knowledgeable people know a good way to fix this, or at least the best way to sharpen it.
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Buzzbait
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I spent the weekend in the Adirondack Mountains, and use the heck out of my #98. No tool went unused. The main blade did a ton of food prep, fish cleaning and rope cutting. The sheepsfoot cut leather strips. The punch was used a fid for loosening knots in cotton cord, and for poking paracord through drilled holes in wood. The can opener lifted the caps from a number of bottles of IPA. I'm still working on the best carry method for such a heavy slipjoint, but the utility of knife itself is winning me over quickly. I left my #77 Barlow at my father-in-law's, on the way back home, so I'll be EDC'ing the Texas Camp Knife all week long.
waynorth
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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So I was using my awl on my Texas Camp Knife to break apart some ice, and the tip bent pretty significantly. I was honestly pretty darn surprised. It was bent more than 90°, but I bent it back carefully. It still has a crink in it though. I was wondering if any of you good and knowledgeable people know a good way to fix this, or at least the best way to sharpen it.
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If the kink is that small corner I see, regrinding the tip is recommended. It will fold again , hampering use if you leave it, IMO. Punches are a little less hardened to make them tougher in twisting motions, making them less than ideal for picking ice.
I spent the weekend in the Adirondack Mountains, and use the heck out of my #98. No tool went unused. The main blade did a ton of food prep, fish cleaning and rope cutting. The sheepsfoot cut leather strips. The punch was used a fid for loosening knots in cotton cord, and for poking paracord through drilled holes in wood. The can opener lifted the caps from a number of bottles of IPA. I'm still working on the best carry method for such a heavy slipjoint, but the utility of knife itself is winning me over quickly. I left my #77 Barlow at my father-in-law's, on the way back home, so I'll be EDC'ing the Texas Camp Knife all week long.
Nice to see both of you using those Camp knives - that's what they are for. I am still waiting for the right time to make Chicken soup - I'll have time soon I hope!
Thanks for the response Charlie! Yes, it bent back almost straight, but left that ripple. Is a regrind something that GEC could do, or do you mean a simple thinning of the tip to get rid of the crink? I shouldn't have used it to break up ice, with the tip so thin. I hurt my ankle and needed ice, but the ice from the local gas station was like a block. I could barely break it with a full swing onto the porch railing.
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Buzzbait
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Charlie - Question for you. It looks like the punch blade has a hamon line on it. Are the punches the same steel as the other blades, but with differential tempering to keep the punches from snappping too easily? Being a collector a scout knives, I often run across knives with broken punch blades.
waynorth
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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ALLHS, seems like you could reshape the tip a tiny bit to get rid of the now-weak spot. I can't be more precise, but maybe a knife maker could help. You would have to ask GEC if they'd do it. I'm sure it wouldn't be under warranty.
Buzz, I know it is scale from heat-treat. I have minty, old Schrades and Remingtons with similar discoloration. It's a losing battle to try and clean/polish the inside of a punch channel, so they leave it as-treated, I understand.
Buzz, I know it is scale from heat-treat. I have minty, old Schrades and Remingtons with similar discoloration. It's a losing battle to try and clean/polish the inside of a punch channel, so they leave it as-treated, I understand.
Buzzbait
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Thanks for the clarification on the manufacturing. For the record, I like the look.
Has GEC forged the punches previously, or this their first try? Any idea on the RC of the Camp Knife punch?
I also think it looks cool.Thanks for the clarification on the manufacturing. For the record, I like the look.
Has GEC forged the punches previously, or this their first try? Any idea on the RC of the Camp Knife punch?
I used my TCK for all the preparation (and the eating) of my dinner at work today, baked chicken and onions.
It slices so well.
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Cory Hess
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+1
I'm hoping that this thread stays near the top as more people post pictures of their camp knives in action.
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Mine arrived today - a northfield kingwood texas camp knife. I bought this as a second/user at a discounted price. The knife has a few issues, the bail rubs against the covers on both sides leaving quite a marked indentation, one bolster has a mark on it, and the backsprings have a very tiny gap between them at one end. I wouldn't be surprised if others have the same issue with the bail rubbing the covers, but surprisingly, I dont have any bail marks on the bolsters - maybe its a case of one or the other?
Anyway, my impressions of the knife. Its BIG! But the big clip blade compensates for this by being well proportioned and nicely weighted in the hand. Its the sort of knife you would reach for, for kitchen food processing work, or some medium duty camp chores - like a Buck 110. The handle is well proportioned and the kingwood has a really practical 'user' feel to it. Unlike some of my more delicate GECs, this one feels tougher and ready for work. I may end up using it - for what its intended for! 🙃😃
The secondary blades are generally good, but not exactly what I would have chosen. I dont think I will ever use the can opener for cans, but it may be of use as a general purpose tool/box opener because it is so sharp. Despite its size, the awl feels very delicate because it has such a thin edge, which will limit its utility to only its intended function i.e. fabric and leather work. The sheepsfoot blade is practical but uninspiring. Given the likely general usefulness of the can opener, I would have preferred another tool insead of a secondary blade, such as the ubiquitous can opener/screwdriver from the beerscout/15's. (Now THAT would be a knife). I guess you cant be both totally traditional and practical at once, which applies to my preference for a lanyard hole over a bail.
Function wise, the walk and talk is exceptional, and each blade clicks in and out like a swiss watch, on a nice 7 pull. Its another reason to want to use the knife. As Apostle P pointed out in his youtube review, the main blade is well kinked so that its tip falls in the centre of the knife when it's closed. Mine is perfectly centred when closed, but I noticed a slight trace of a rub against the can opener on the main blade. So being centred true may not be the ideal position for the main blade.
Another issue I have noticed is the bail arm is tight, and doesnt swing out of the way of the sheepsfoot blade when I am opening it. Its a little annoying when you are trying not to move the bail to avoid scratches. (If the knife becomes a user, this issue will get resolved!)
Finally, I really like what GEC have done here, a bit like the 'beer scout knife', its a little 'different' but a real winner at the same time. Its not a knife for EDC, but nor is it a knife that you would regret taking due to lack of practical applications (like some of those massive modern fixed blades people take camping in case they need to fell a whole tree).
Although there may have been some quirky knives that didn't work out as well as this, I hope we see a lot more of these interesting knives from GEC in future.
Anyway, my impressions of the knife. Its BIG! But the big clip blade compensates for this by being well proportioned and nicely weighted in the hand. Its the sort of knife you would reach for, for kitchen food processing work, or some medium duty camp chores - like a Buck 110. The handle is well proportioned and the kingwood has a really practical 'user' feel to it. Unlike some of my more delicate GECs, this one feels tougher and ready for work. I may end up using it - for what its intended for! 🙃😃
The secondary blades are generally good, but not exactly what I would have chosen. I dont think I will ever use the can opener for cans, but it may be of use as a general purpose tool/box opener because it is so sharp. Despite its size, the awl feels very delicate because it has such a thin edge, which will limit its utility to only its intended function i.e. fabric and leather work. The sheepsfoot blade is practical but uninspiring. Given the likely general usefulness of the can opener, I would have preferred another tool insead of a secondary blade, such as the ubiquitous can opener/screwdriver from the beerscout/15's. (Now THAT would be a knife). I guess you cant be both totally traditional and practical at once, which applies to my preference for a lanyard hole over a bail.
Function wise, the walk and talk is exceptional, and each blade clicks in and out like a swiss watch, on a nice 7 pull. Its another reason to want to use the knife. As Apostle P pointed out in his youtube review, the main blade is well kinked so that its tip falls in the centre of the knife when it's closed. Mine is perfectly centred when closed, but I noticed a slight trace of a rub against the can opener on the main blade. So being centred true may not be the ideal position for the main blade.
Another issue I have noticed is the bail arm is tight, and doesnt swing out of the way of the sheepsfoot blade when I am opening it. Its a little annoying when you are trying not to move the bail to avoid scratches. (If the knife becomes a user, this issue will get resolved!)
Finally, I really like what GEC have done here, a bit like the 'beer scout knife', its a little 'different' but a real winner at the same time. Its not a knife for EDC, but nor is it a knife that you would regret taking due to lack of practical applications (like some of those massive modern fixed blades people take camping in case they need to fell a whole tree).
Although there may have been some quirky knives that didn't work out as well as this, I hope we see a lot more of these interesting knives from GEC in future.
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Buzzbait
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I think that this is a limitation of the bail design. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but because the pin on the bail is actually the pivot pin for the sheepsfoot and can opener, it needs to be tight, or else you end up with blade wobble. Better tight than loose, IMHO.
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A Texas wheel
[/QUOTE
:thumbup: very impressive Texas wheel you've got there bozack!
Buzz, you are absolutely correct about the bail being intentionally tight as a structural component helping to hold the knife together. That info came straight from Chris at GEC. My #98 is a user and I personally don't mind the marks, but I was reading elsewhere that if the marks do bother you they can be easily buffed out with some green polishing compound. The caveat to that was with more use they will return. Hope this is helpful.
These ebony knives tend to all look the same, but here's my whittler anyway:
It has a real interesting swirl pattern on the pile side I just couldn't capture. Either way, it's a gorgeous cover material and it seems appropriate to have a wooden whittlin' knife.
And here's where she bit me (twice in two days! Apparently I need to be more careful...):
It has a real interesting swirl pattern on the pile side I just couldn't capture. Either way, it's a gorgeous cover material and it seems appropriate to have a wooden whittlin' knife.
And here's where she bit me (twice in two days! Apparently I need to be more careful...):
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In the end, the 98 was a bit big for me, but had they released one w/ the Lumberjack saw/flat blade, sheepsfoot, and punch, that would be a heck of a bushcrafting knife.