Todd Begg Tree Frog - pics and mini review

[jujigatame]

Thanks to the generosity of Todd and Tanya Begg making some of their knives available for a passaround, I had the chance to use a Tree Frog neck knife for 5 days. I did a few cutting exercises and took some pictures which are shown below along with some of my thoughts on the knife.

First, we take a measurement. The blade is bit over 2” and overall the knife measures about 4 5/8”.




Now some shots to show the clean lines and grinds on the knife. If you own or have seen a Begg knife in person you know how well done and well finished they are.




Moving on to the handle and how it fits when you hold the knife.




Your fingers settle in, the thumb rests on top and immediately you have a solid grip. The thumb grooves help a lot with the grip. Really, I like to have those grooves for the thumb on any necker.




The peak (almost like a trigger) between the middle and index finger really adds to the grip. It’s big enough to give very solid purchase but not so big that it feels obtrusive or uncomfortable.




If you want to hold the knife in reverse grip it’s pretty good in that position too.

 

[jujigatame]

Okay, on to everyone’s favorite activity – cutting stuff. I grabbed four items within arm’s reach of my desk and put the edge to use. First was a page out of an AG Russell catalog, which is very thin paper. I made cuts into the edge at about 45 degrees using the tip, then the middle and back end of the blade. All parts bit and cut into the paper equally well.




Next we had a small box made of corrugated cardboard. (I’m sure some folks will recognize the size and shape of the box as being from a certain knife selling pharmacy in Virginia )




The first cut was vertically down one of the corners,




After that I separated all sections of the box. This took about 40 seconds. Cutting against the grain, as it were, provided no impediments. Also, the tip of the knife fully penetrated the cardboard with little force needed, no matter if it was one layer or three stacked together. Although the time spent cutting in this case was quite short, what I noticed about the knife was that I didn’t really notice it all. By that I mean the knife feels very natural in hand, like an integral part. You just grip it and go. No fiddling or readjusting. It’s ready to cut without delay.




Next was a section of heavy boot lace about 6 inches long.




I set the lace on the cardboard back of a legal pad. When I cut I set the knife on top of the lace anywhere from 1/3rd to 1/2 of the way back from the tip and then pulled back while pressing down with light pressure. The knife easily drew through and I quickly had about 20 little pieces.

 

[jujigatame]

The last item was on old long-sleeved cotton polo shirt. The fabric was medium weight.




First thing was to make downward slashes with moderate force using just my forearm (all motion was at the elbow, nothing with the shoulder) at the front on the shirt. Again, the tip penetrated very easily and we soon had a shirt that looked like it’d been worn by a victim in a Nightmare on Elm Street movie, minus the blood.




Next was a horizontal cut of the collar, probably 8” or so.




After that I twisted up one of the sleeves and held both ends in my fist, leaving a thick loop of multiple layers.




I put the blade in the loop and held it up snug against the inside, then pulled through in one quick stroke, going upwards and outwards.




This cut was no problem at all, though I probably used more force than was needed, just to make sure I didn’t get stuck halfway through and tweak my wrist.

Conclusions? I love this knife, though that was pretty much a given since it’s a Begg necker. It feels great and cuts great. The tip can do small detailed cutting if you need it to or it can punch through tougher material with ease. The knife’s small size makes it very easy to carry, but it also belies the knife’s cutting ability. For all the other things I cut around the house with the Tree Frog that weren’t pictured above, it was flawless. Don’t sleep on this one, it’s a champ.

Thanks again to Todd and Tanya for the chance to use the knife. I’ll definitely be on the lookout to get my own, hopefully in the not too distant future if availability and finances allow.

 

[Broos]

Nice review - Thanks!

 

[ilbruche]

Sweet little blade. Great review, good job on listing the features of the blade. Your cutting demos are also excellent real world comparisons.

 

[tntbegg]

Thanks for the detailed and great review!!! Its one of those neckers that has a cool look as well as excellent utilitarian function, on this next batch, I am snagging one for myself.......when Todd isn't looking!!


So that T-shirt was within arms reach of the desk huh?? hate to think about what escaped your reach!