Used my Meadowlark Rescue for myself!

I

Itch Blade

Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Messages
206
Somewhat new to posting on the forums, but I thought I'd introduce myself on the Spyderco section with a nice story.

Little preface, I'm a back country skier when the resorts close.

Last week, while ascending for some fun spring snow, I lost my footing on a ridge and fell, something I have done in the exact spot many times. Ordinarily it's just a few feet down and into snow (soft soil in the summer too) but today my pack caught on a tree, and left me suspended by the straps. I did not have the strength to hoist myself up and relieve the pressure on my arms, so I had to resort to cutting my pack. I keep my knife inside the cuff of my sleeve, so I can just shake my hand the handle is placed in my palm. After deploying the blade, I delicately slid the blade under the thinnest part of the strap and upon rotating it to blade-out, it sliced right through the heavy nylon material just from my weight!

Ruined my pack, but not my day because I have a new found love for my $15 Byrd!

I bought the knife just because I was curious about a sheepsfoot knife. I'm sold!

Ted
 
Welcome, Ted! Great anecdote about Byrd knives. I am glad everything turned out OK.
 
Thanks for sharing!!! Few of us can carry everything we might need, but from my perspective, a knife is at the very top of the list!
 
Thank you so much for the kind sentiments guys, it's great to see what a cool community this is!

I'll probably have to buy a 79mm Rescue now, I really enjoy the safety afforded by that blade shape!
 
Hi Itch Blade,

Welcome to the Spyderco forum and thanx for sharing your story.

sal
 
The Meadowlark Rescue got used in the California backcountry once again.

I had a loose ski pole tip (not a huge problem, but annoying) which I quickly resolved. It turns out you can cram the ski pole tip in the opening hole, and use it as a wrench.

Maybe 15 minutes later, I fell and broke my other pole. Doh!

Using my Meadowlark, I cut off a small pine branch, and whittled it down. I very carefully and precisely beat the branch inside the broken pole using my ski boot, and then cinched the whole deal back together with the salvaged nylon strap off my old pack I cut up last week!

The pole has some new found flex, and quite a lot of heft..But it works!

Damn, knives are cool. :D

Ted
 
Just noticed I didn't include my question..

Does it make more sense when I upgrade to get the 79mm Rescue, 93mm Rescue, or one of the sheepsfoot salts?

For legality's sake, I don't want to have a fixed blade I have to open carry, so those are my choices. I'd like plain edge, can someone convince me I need serrations?
 
Itch Blade said:
Just noticed I didn't include my question..

Does it make more sense when I upgrade to get the 79mm Rescue, 93mm Rescue, or one of the sheepsfoot salts?

For legality's sake, I don't want to have a fixed blade I have to open carry, so those are my choices. I'd like plain edge, can someone convince me I need serrations?
Click to expand...

Hello Itch. With regard to serrations, to me it depends on what you plan to use the knife for. If you're buying it with mostly emergency/escape scenarios in mind, a serrated (or combo edge) blade will be more forgiving in cutting fibrous material like rope or pack straps (like you've described). A plain edge, as long as it's kept VERY sharp, will cut these too. But, if a plain edge goes a little bit dull, all of a sudden you might need several sawing strokes to do what a serrated edge can do in one, quick rip. In a situation like you described with your pack, it might be very difficult to 'saw away' at a strap that's got you suspended, especially if you're already injured.

As far as a particular size or model goes, that's pretty much up to your preference I think. For me, I tend to want as large a blade as is practical (& legal). Between the two sizes you mentioned, I'd almost always pick the larger one.

That's my two cents... :p
 
I do like the way my plain edge let me carve down the pine branch (pinky diameter) for my repair, but wood carving is realistically not what I'm looking for. I can just carry my Meadowlark for that! :)

Now among the rescue blades, does it make sense to go for the Salt series, or are there some other benefits of the 79/93mm Rescue series that outweigh the rust resistance?
 
Itch Blade said:
I do like the way my plain edge let me carve down the pine branch (pinky diameter) for my repair, but wood carving is realistically not what I'm looking for. I can just carry my Meadowlark for that! :)

Now among the rescue blades, does it make sense to go for the Salt series, or are there some other benefits of the 79/93mm Rescue series that outweigh the rust resistance?
Click to expand...

I haven't tried any of the Salt knives myself. The H1 steel used in them was engineered primarily for use in saltwater environments (hence the name). If you're not planning on using it much or at all around saltwater, I'd go with the VG-10 blades. I've read (most of it here, BTW) that the H1 steel won't hold an edge as long as other steels. But, there usually is some trade-off between exceptional corrosion resistance and edge-holding.

By the way, VG-10 has a pretty good reputation for rust resistance in more typical use (sweat, freshwater, etc.).

I found a Google reference to an old (dates back to 2003) BladeForums thread about H1 steel. You might find it interesting:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2231171
 
If you go for the Salt line, I would suggest you get Spyder Edge (Serrated edge) for your emergency tool. It will cut like a longer blade and the edge will last longer than a plain edge would. Pairing your Meadowlark PE with a Saver Salt SE seems like a good choice to me.
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
VG-10 has a pretty good reputation for rust resistance in more typical use (sweat, freshwater, etc.).
Click to expand...

When it comes to rust resistance, ALL Spydercos perform well.

I'm sure H1 is the bees knees, but some years back when I still lived in southeast Florida, I carried a "lowly" ATS-55 Endura 3 all over the place. I'd carry it clipped to my shorts when wading in swamps fishing for bass, out on a boat deep sea fishing, and even carried it to the beach where I'd cut up pineapple and other fruit. As for maintenance, I might occasionally run the knife under the tap and rinse it out with fresh water. Rust? Once in awhile I got a few tiny specks and spots, but nothing I couldn't literally scrape off with my thumbnail. :thumbup:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top