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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Trails, Tools and Skills.
- Thread starter Big Mike
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2006
- Messages
- 2,437
Nice stuff Mike but a couple of the links to pictures do not seem to be working.
Yeah, I don't know what's up,
...all loaded on the same host at the same time. Try clicking the links.
Thank you my friend. :thumbup:
:thumbup:Big Mike
Gossman Knives
Edged Toolmaker
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2004
- Messages
- 9,410
Thanks for sharing Big Mike. Nice collection you've got. :thumbup:
Scott
Scott
On this day, cutting green hardwood, some blades did better then others.
The Bark River/KSF Machete (on the right) out chopped the other long blades,
...it's thick blade and convex geometry working well in the green wood.
Of the big knives the BR Rio Grande Bowie with Moran style handle was king.
But Jim Stewart's Custom Kukri ruled at throwing big chips today,
...it's 1/3" thick 50-100B full convex blade was a wood eating machine,
...only my my double bit ax would do more work.
Big Mike
The Bark River/KSF Machete (on the right) out chopped the other long blades,
...it's thick blade and convex geometry working well in the green wood.
Of the big knives the BR Rio Grande Bowie with Moran style handle was king.
But Jim Stewart's Custom Kukri ruled at throwing big chips today,
...it's 1/3" thick 50-100B full convex blade was a wood eating machine,
...only my my double bit ax would do more work.
Big Mike
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Pound for pound, Christof Harper's (Koyote Knives) can't be beat,
...his thin bladed blades chop with the best of them.
And they work well in a variety of woods, both green and seasoned.
Big Mike
Mistwalker
Gold Member
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2007
- Messages
- 19,043
Really nice knives, liking that B.R. Machete and that Kukri a lot.
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2007
- Messages
- 539
Thank you for sharing Mike. :thumbup:
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2005
- Messages
- 7,499
Longer handle? Specs? I like longer handles too, more room for hands in mittens/gloves.
The handle on the Alaskan Camp Knife is about 5 3/4" long,
...and has plenty of room to move around. :thumbup:
Choking up the long handle adds balance,
...but sliding back gives more punch when chopping.
But, just as important to me,
...both knives in the set have very wide (thick) scales,
...leading to a very secure feel in my large hands.
Christof works some sort of magic with his handles.
Big Mike
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- Joined
- Nov 19, 2008
- Messages
- 3,400
dang, how big a truck did you use to haul all that swag to the woods? :thumbup:
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2007
- Messages
- 5,846
That's only about 3/4 inch more than the standard "camp knife challenge" Alaskan, but it's a big difference. I also changed the radius of the drop edge.
This particular one I went as beefy as I could with the handle thickness, Since I know Mike has beefy hands.
I dunno about magic with handles, I just try to hit a maximum simplicity.
I need to take a look at trying some khuks after the move. That one is the first I've seen that made me say "I want to make one" I do have a kopis I'm working on......
I also really like the Rio Grande. I'm honestly not terribly fond of the barkie handles on a lot of the smaller knives - personal preference- but that knife looks like a really nice package. and it chops well enough!
This particular one I went as beefy as I could with the handle thickness, Since I know Mike has beefy hands.
I dunno about magic with handles, I just try to hit a maximum simplicity.
I need to take a look at trying some khuks after the move. That one is the first I've seen that made me say "I want to make one"
I do have a kopis I'm working on......I also really like the Rio Grande. I'm honestly not terribly fond of the barkie handles on a lot of the smaller knives - personal preference- but that knife looks like a really nice package. and it chops well enough!
wow... that's a lot of knives to carry!!!
Yeah, some weight, for sure.
Luckily I found these blown over trees on a section of trail not too far from the trailhead.
I knew right away it was a good spot to test some choppers on green wood.
I returned with a duffel bag over my shoulder and the double-bit in hand.
Nothing like a little quality time in the woods my dogs and a few favorite tools. :thumbup:
:thumbup:Big Mike
This handle does work quite well for me.
To some it might look a bit broom handle like, but the subtle curvature of both the top and bottom of tang gives this knife a very ergonomic feel.
The wide scales are easy in hand when chopping with a relaxed grip.
Christof's "simple" handles are always a pleasure to use, his designs always work well in a variety of grips.
There is some "magic" in his well thought out patterns, and I continue to be impressed as his handles evolve over time.
The handle is the user's interface with the tool, and is the place where the designer/maker and the user meet.
I've come to understand that the handle is the most important part of any tool.
That knife is a one-off that Mike Stewart and his Crew did at my request.
The Moran style handle combined with a Loveless Camp Knife style blade is a real winner in my eyes.
When chopping the big Bowie just floats in my hand, making this a very comfortable tool for extended work.
Here's another extra big handle the Bark River Crew crafted for me.
The thick saber style handle with pronounced birds beak keeps this 1/3" thick blade under control.
The the one thing that these three handles have in common is that they're big,
...as wide as they are tall, not at all 'slab sided".
Of course every user is different, but for me wider handles work, even in smaller knives.
Big Mike