Turning traditional

Here's a knife belonging to another forum member


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Apart from gutting small game I can't think of any uses to this hook. Well, rug making is out so please

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HFinn said:
Apart from gutting small game I can't think of any uses to this hook. Well, rug making is out so please
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I think it's actually designed for picking up spent shotgun cartridges or maybe for extracting those that don't eject :)
 
Jack Black said:
I think it's actually designed for picking up spent shotgun cartridges or maybe for extracting those that don't eject :)
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The hooks in the "handguard" are for that. Anyway, I had a thought of grinding a new nail nick with a Dremel cutting disk and shortening the hook anyway. I quess it could work as a bottle opener - spike combo :)

Oh, and my modified drop-point Opinel is just about ready. Will post a picture later.
 
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This is how my small collection of traditional folders looks now. I am not showing the Opi nr 12, because it is not ready for that. That one is by the way my nicest working Opinel so far, it locks early, the collar and blade turn smoothly.

In their box, which used to contain a silk necktie I got as a present from a chinese collegue.

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And blades out.

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There is still room for a nice lockback with a stag handle, blade lenght about 3 inches. The search is on.
 
Jack Black said:
I think it's actually designed for picking up spent shotgun cartridges or maybe for extracting those that don't eject :)
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A bird hook. Don't seem to be as common as they once were.
 
Jack Black said:
A bird hook. Don't seem to be as common as they once were.
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Yes. I have used a small branch from a tree shaped so that there is a "hook" to pull the intestines out of a pheasant I shot with a bow. Not from flight, mind you, but from a tree at 25 metres. Ah, those were the days.
 
HFinn said:
Yes. I have used a small branch from a tree shaped so that there is a "hook" to pull the intestines out of a pheasant I shot with a bow. Not from flight, mind you, but from a tree at 25 metres. Ah, those were the days.
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Good going :thumbup:
 
Jack Black said:
Good going :thumbup:
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Thank's. It was a compound, not a traditional bow so that helped.

Any suggestions for a stag handle folder with 3 inch blade? A.G.Russel has some on their website. Queen cutlery has some, so does Boker.
 
I did some cutting with those knives. The Fox, after a short stropping session, is now very sharp. It cuts meat and handles other food preparation duties quite well. A good knife that one and stylish.

But then I took out this new drop-pointed Opinel and the nr 12. Some sharpening and they perform beautifully. I say they outcut any knife I have. The drop-point is just the right size for a general use pocketknife, 80 mm blade. Enough reach to do most jobs but not too much. And whoa, the nr 12!! What a cutter!

I got almost poetic when handling them. Opinels are like down to earth ladies, strong and reliable and they enjoy life with you. But be carefull and treat them well, they cut. :) The more I use my Opinels, the more I fall in love...
 
HFinn said:
Opinels are like down to earth ladies, strong and reliable and they enjoy life with you. But be carefull and treat them well, they cut. :) The more I use my Opinels, the more I fall in love...
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Well put. I concur!
 
I got now both the Mercator and the Douk-douk. I like both! The Douk-douk has a rough finish and a very strong spring. It was almost sharp, I could cut with it but it needed more sharpening. The tip is blunt so I will file it in to a needle sharpness. Very 19th century colonial pocketknife.

The Mercator was a surprise, it was not shawing sharp but still quite sharp out of box. Fit and finish is surprisingly good considering the price. It opens smoothly and locks tight.

So I am pleased with my new knives.
 
HFinn said:
I did some cutting with those knives. The Fox, after a short stropping session, is now very sharp. It cuts meat and handles other food preparation duties quite well. A good knife that one and stylish.

But then I took out this new drop-pointed Opinel and the nr 12. Some sharpening and they perform beautifully. I say they outcut any knife I have. The drop-point is just the right size for a general use pocketknife, 80 mm blade. Enough reach to do most jobs but not too much. And whoa, the nr 12!! What a cutter!

I got almost poetic when handling them. Opinels are like down to earth ladies, strong and reliable and they enjoy life with you. But be carefull and treat them well, they cut. :) The more I use my Opinels, the more I fall in love...
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It's very easy to fall in love with Opinel's. They are like the plain jane girls that don't get asked to the dance, because everyone is looking at the more glamorous girls. But once you get to know the plain jane, she's so darn nice that the glamorous one falls by the wayside.

I've been using my Opinels like friction folders, and I think I may be falling for the breed. And you're right; they are stupendous cutters.

Carl.
 
Strangely enough, after some sharpening the Douk-douk turned scary sharp. I have trouble getting the Mercator in to same kind of sharpness. Different steel, different blade geometry?
 
I finally got a sharp edge on the Mercator and proceeded to make some food with my new knives. Both have a good slicing blade geometry. The lock in the Mercator has some "rock" in it, but it does not affect it functionally. The Douk-douk is a surpricing knife, the handle is fairly uncomfortable but the blade works well in light jobs because it is very sharp and thin. The spring in the Douk is so strong that there is no movement in the blade when open.
 
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