- Joined
- Feb 23, 2015
- Messages
- 264
This is my second set of first impressions and mini review for a knife from CPK. My first was a week or so ago and covered the Light Chopper (LC).
Ive been really looking forward to getting out and using the Field Knife (FK) since I tend to use smaller knives and do more fine work than anything else. I got a chance to go out and use the Field Knife in the woods for a while. I was planning to do a lot more work than I did but ended up stopping earlier than I had planned based on what I was seeing and experiencing during use. Not going to spoil it!
Ive written a few reviews for other knives and usually put them through similar tasks to keep things on equal ground. Ive always made sure to be open and honest calling out the negative and positive with equal attention. I may even pay a little more attention to the negative aspects of a knife since those have the potential to make or break a users perspective on a given blade. If you read my LC or other reviews you can see many examples where I point out issues with fit and finish, ergonomics, edge retention, ease of sharpening, etc. Im bringing this up to show that I am NOT a fanboy in any sense.
First Impressions on Unboxing:
When I opened the FK it was about what I expected in size, shape and weight. There were a couple of things I was not expecting.
First, the fit and finish. Ive been using Survive! Knives as a benchmark. Guy puts together a damn fine knife! The Light Chopper I received was put together pretty well but wasnt quite on the same level. No big deal. Its not trying to be that kind of knife. The FK is a different story. It is pretty close to the benchmark. The handle scales and blade are perfectly matched. The texture, besides being awesomely grippy, is extremely well done. I was expecting the fit and finish to be on par with the LC but this is better!
The second unexpected aspect was where the balance point is located. Justin Fournier also noticed this and talked about this in his thread My thoughts on the Field Knife (you should read that if you havent). The knife balances a little further back than any of the other smaller (4 to 6) knives I own and use. It balances just behind the first finger. It makes the knife sit comfortably in the hand. Its not a bad thing, it just feels a little different. It took a little time handling and fondling it, but I actually like it! The blade feels really nimble.
The handle is great. Regardless of how I grip the knife, it feels really locked in. The palm swell never feels too full which I really appreciate! I mentioned the texture earlier and I will say again that it adds a little something to it. Well done!
Speaking of gripping the knife. In my LC review I pointed out the finger guard was unpleasant right from the start. When using hammer grip I the point of the finger guard would gouge into my knuckle and would hurt. A lot. The FK has the same style of finger guard so I fully expected it to stab my knuckle in the same way. Which brings up unexpected item number three. The finger guard is not an issue on the FK at all! The shape of the handle and forward finger placement keeps my knuckle from pressing too hard into the guard (hey, that rhymed!). Even a tight hammer grip is safe and comfortable. Awesome!!!
I love the minimal sheath! It leaves the perfect amount of handle uncovered and the multi-directional clip is sturdy and well made. Fantastic!
I had to laugh at the finger choil on the blade! I know its really a sharpening choil but its shaped like a finger choil...for a spider monkey! Its so small and cute!
My only complaint on unboxing was the pommel. The type of tasks Ive been doing involve a lot of chiseling with the knife. If you read my other threads youll know what I mean. Youll see some examples below as well. This involves firmly tapping the pommel of the knife with my palm to shave layers or remove high spots in the wood. Yeah, NOT comfortable with the FK pommel. Spoiler: After using the knife it remains a complaint. Ive figured out a work around but it isnt as smooth as a flat pommel would be. I wish the knife came with a flat pommel. But that is a personal thing and others may like the shape.
First Use:
I took the FK out to the woods to do some work on a shelter Ive experimenting with. Its the go to project when I get new blades and want to see how well a knife fits me and my style. My companions were my Gomboy saw, my LC and the new FK. My plan was to put some lower cross beams on a frame Id previously started. This would involve creating squared notched sections on each of four posts about 12 off the ground. Then cut the ends of the cross beams to fit in the notches on the posts and also lock over each other. But I never made it to the cross members. I stopped after cutting the squared notched sections and cleaning up some other notches Id previously done with a different knife. What I was seeing during use was completely unexpected and the impact was enough to make me want to write it up and share it sooner rather than later. Its something I think other Blade Forum members would be interested in.
Id usually go through all the details and do a summary at the end. The suspense is too much so Ill summarize first and then show all the photos and go into the details...probably in a follow up post. I may not get to it until tomorrow though.
I first heard about the Delta 3V in a different knife maker forum and was impressed by what I heard and saw in videos. It lead to my order for the Light Chopper. My experiences with the LC were pretty dang good so I thought Id add a Field Knife to my toolbox and see how it fared. The FK is thinner than other knives I have in that size category with a sharper edge angle. Normally, this would be a concern with the types of tasks I do with smaller knives. But hey! This is Delta 3V! Shouldnt it hold up better? Yeah. It should
The tasks are hard on a knife. There is a lot of twisting and prying and chiseling and shaving and scraping. It takes a toll on an edge. The knives Ive reviewed using these tasks in the past usually hold up really well but lose a little of that crisp edge. They will still do the tasks but not as cleanly as when they are freshly sharpened. Theyll still cut paper (maybe not push cut) and they still MIGHT shave arm hair but probably not the full length of the blade. The point at which I stopped with the FK would be consistent with where I might notice other knives losing that crispness. Based on the the videos and such for the Delta 3V I was kind of expecting it to do a little better. Well, it didnt.
It Did So Much Effing Better! Like, holy shiitake mushroom better! I was so surprised and shocked I had to rush home to share my excitement. I was not gentle with the FK! I was twisting the blade to nick out pieces of wood. Id shave off high spots to the edge of the notch and then use the knife edge to scrape sideways to smooth out the angles. I scraped off dirty and/or wet muddy bark. I kept expecting to have to start working a just a little harder and more carefully to get the notches just right. But I never had to! The FK just kept slicing through whatever I needed it to like butter. The tip kept chiseling and shaping effortlessly. I spent a lot of time using the FK like a wood plane and it kept shaving hair thin strips of wood.
The most surprising thing is that the edge appears to be completely unaffected by the use during the work I did. It will shave arm hair the full length of the blade. The tip will even still flick off single hairs. It will still push cut paper the entire length of the blade. I got the pics to prove it (the shaving, not the paper)! When I drag my fingernail or a piece of paper along the blade there isnt a single point at which either catch on the edge.
This is AFTER all the work I did that should have affected the edge at least a little???
Holy. Jeebus. I did not expect it to perform this well and I am duly impressed. If you are looking for a smaller knife for general tasks and you can get your hands on an FK, do it. Seriously, dont think about it. Dont hesitate. Just do it. You will NOT be disappointed. Ive been testing knives in this size range for a while, looking for the right combination of factors that would make a knife the one. I am certain the FK is that knife.
That statement is not given lightly!!!
Nate, Jo, Lorien: The Light Chopper is fantastic and I am glad I ordered one. The FK solidifies CPKs place in my mind as the first place Ill go when looking for outdoor blades. Thank you for making products of this caliber!
Scissors
Ive been really looking forward to getting out and using the Field Knife (FK) since I tend to use smaller knives and do more fine work than anything else. I got a chance to go out and use the Field Knife in the woods for a while. I was planning to do a lot more work than I did but ended up stopping earlier than I had planned based on what I was seeing and experiencing during use. Not going to spoil it!
Ive written a few reviews for other knives and usually put them through similar tasks to keep things on equal ground. Ive always made sure to be open and honest calling out the negative and positive with equal attention. I may even pay a little more attention to the negative aspects of a knife since those have the potential to make or break a users perspective on a given blade. If you read my LC or other reviews you can see many examples where I point out issues with fit and finish, ergonomics, edge retention, ease of sharpening, etc. Im bringing this up to show that I am NOT a fanboy in any sense.
First Impressions on Unboxing:
When I opened the FK it was about what I expected in size, shape and weight. There were a couple of things I was not expecting.
First, the fit and finish. Ive been using Survive! Knives as a benchmark. Guy puts together a damn fine knife! The Light Chopper I received was put together pretty well but wasnt quite on the same level. No big deal. Its not trying to be that kind of knife. The FK is a different story. It is pretty close to the benchmark. The handle scales and blade are perfectly matched. The texture, besides being awesomely grippy, is extremely well done. I was expecting the fit and finish to be on par with the LC but this is better!
The second unexpected aspect was where the balance point is located. Justin Fournier also noticed this and talked about this in his thread My thoughts on the Field Knife (you should read that if you havent). The knife balances a little further back than any of the other smaller (4 to 6) knives I own and use. It balances just behind the first finger. It makes the knife sit comfortably in the hand. Its not a bad thing, it just feels a little different. It took a little time handling and fondling it, but I actually like it! The blade feels really nimble.
The handle is great. Regardless of how I grip the knife, it feels really locked in. The palm swell never feels too full which I really appreciate! I mentioned the texture earlier and I will say again that it adds a little something to it. Well done!
Speaking of gripping the knife. In my LC review I pointed out the finger guard was unpleasant right from the start. When using hammer grip I the point of the finger guard would gouge into my knuckle and would hurt. A lot. The FK has the same style of finger guard so I fully expected it to stab my knuckle in the same way. Which brings up unexpected item number three. The finger guard is not an issue on the FK at all! The shape of the handle and forward finger placement keeps my knuckle from pressing too hard into the guard (hey, that rhymed!). Even a tight hammer grip is safe and comfortable. Awesome!!!
I love the minimal sheath! It leaves the perfect amount of handle uncovered and the multi-directional clip is sturdy and well made. Fantastic!
I had to laugh at the finger choil on the blade! I know its really a sharpening choil but its shaped like a finger choil...for a spider monkey! Its so small and cute!
My only complaint on unboxing was the pommel. The type of tasks Ive been doing involve a lot of chiseling with the knife. If you read my other threads youll know what I mean. Youll see some examples below as well. This involves firmly tapping the pommel of the knife with my palm to shave layers or remove high spots in the wood. Yeah, NOT comfortable with the FK pommel. Spoiler: After using the knife it remains a complaint. Ive figured out a work around but it isnt as smooth as a flat pommel would be. I wish the knife came with a flat pommel. But that is a personal thing and others may like the shape.
First Use:
I took the FK out to the woods to do some work on a shelter Ive experimenting with. Its the go to project when I get new blades and want to see how well a knife fits me and my style. My companions were my Gomboy saw, my LC and the new FK. My plan was to put some lower cross beams on a frame Id previously started. This would involve creating squared notched sections on each of four posts about 12 off the ground. Then cut the ends of the cross beams to fit in the notches on the posts and also lock over each other. But I never made it to the cross members. I stopped after cutting the squared notched sections and cleaning up some other notches Id previously done with a different knife. What I was seeing during use was completely unexpected and the impact was enough to make me want to write it up and share it sooner rather than later. Its something I think other Blade Forum members would be interested in.
Id usually go through all the details and do a summary at the end. The suspense is too much so Ill summarize first and then show all the photos and go into the details...probably in a follow up post. I may not get to it until tomorrow though.
I first heard about the Delta 3V in a different knife maker forum and was impressed by what I heard and saw in videos. It lead to my order for the Light Chopper. My experiences with the LC were pretty dang good so I thought Id add a Field Knife to my toolbox and see how it fared. The FK is thinner than other knives I have in that size category with a sharper edge angle. Normally, this would be a concern with the types of tasks I do with smaller knives. But hey! This is Delta 3V! Shouldnt it hold up better? Yeah. It should
The tasks are hard on a knife. There is a lot of twisting and prying and chiseling and shaving and scraping. It takes a toll on an edge. The knives Ive reviewed using these tasks in the past usually hold up really well but lose a little of that crisp edge. They will still do the tasks but not as cleanly as when they are freshly sharpened. Theyll still cut paper (maybe not push cut) and they still MIGHT shave arm hair but probably not the full length of the blade. The point at which I stopped with the FK would be consistent with where I might notice other knives losing that crispness. Based on the the videos and such for the Delta 3V I was kind of expecting it to do a little better. Well, it didnt.
It Did So Much Effing Better! Like, holy shiitake mushroom better! I was so surprised and shocked I had to rush home to share my excitement. I was not gentle with the FK! I was twisting the blade to nick out pieces of wood. Id shave off high spots to the edge of the notch and then use the knife edge to scrape sideways to smooth out the angles. I scraped off dirty and/or wet muddy bark. I kept expecting to have to start working a just a little harder and more carefully to get the notches just right. But I never had to! The FK just kept slicing through whatever I needed it to like butter. The tip kept chiseling and shaping effortlessly. I spent a lot of time using the FK like a wood plane and it kept shaving hair thin strips of wood.
The most surprising thing is that the edge appears to be completely unaffected by the use during the work I did. It will shave arm hair the full length of the blade. The tip will even still flick off single hairs. It will still push cut paper the entire length of the blade. I got the pics to prove it (the shaving, not the paper)! When I drag my fingernail or a piece of paper along the blade there isnt a single point at which either catch on the edge.
This is AFTER all the work I did that should have affected the edge at least a little???
Holy. Jeebus. I did not expect it to perform this well and I am duly impressed. If you are looking for a smaller knife for general tasks and you can get your hands on an FK, do it. Seriously, dont think about it. Dont hesitate. Just do it. You will NOT be disappointed. Ive been testing knives in this size range for a while, looking for the right combination of factors that would make a knife the one. I am certain the FK is that knife.
That statement is not given lightly!!!
Nate, Jo, Lorien: The Light Chopper is fantastic and I am glad I ordered one. The FK solidifies CPKs place in my mind as the first place Ill go when looking for outdoor blades. Thank you for making products of this caliber!
Scissors
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