What's the appeal of bare steel handle fixed blades ?

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I like them for mushrooming. Thin, light, and you don't need to grip hard and bear down when you are slicing mushroom stems. Mushrooming is a dirty slimy business, but the one piece nature of the knife makes it an absolute breeze to clean up. No gaps, grooves or screw holes to scrub out, just some hot water, soap and a couple seconds.

Had the Camillus ArcLite for awhile, and it was great. My young son tried his hand at a paracord wrap, which was fun but helped little for grip.

Traded it for a KaBar skeleton which was lighter, but sacrificed grip area, so I gave that to father in law, who loves it.

Next up for me is the White River Knucklehead. Gonna run over to USA Made Blade and get one from Whitty.
 
Velitrius said:
I like them for mushrooming. Thin, light, and you don't need to grip hard and bear down when you are slicing mushroom stems. Mushrooming is a dirty slimy business, but the one piece nature of the knife makes it an absolute breeze to clean up. No gaps, grooves or screw holes to scrub out, just some hot water, soap and a couple seconds.

Had the Camillus ArcLite for awhile, and it was great. My young son tried his hand at a paracord wrap, which was fun but helped little for grip.

Traded it for a KaBar skeleton which was lighter, but sacrificed grip area, so I gave that to father in law, who loves it.

Next up for me is the White River Knucklehead. Gonna run over to USA Made Blade and get one from Whitty.
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Love my Knucklehead, it is very comfortable in hand. As others have said it works well for light EDC type of tasks.
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I EDCed one of my own in a horizontal crossdraw sheath for a couple of years before I built another. As a prototype. They are extremely lightweight, compact and flat so they carry very well. You simply don't know its there. The lack of a handle is simply a non issue, even with my big ol meat hooks and this knife is only 5.25" oal. In an EDC situation you simply aren't using the knife for hours at a time. Ya open the package, ya put it away, ya open the letter, ya put it away, and as a rancher too ya open the hay bale, and put it away, ya open the feed sack ya put it away, ya castrate the calf etc..... Whatever the daily tasks might be for you, these little guys work for what ya need doing. Certainly not my first choice if I had an elk down, but I have other knives for that.

Pluses: compact, lightweight extremely easy to carry and in the case of mine a certain wow factor if you are into dammy (not everyone is). You will simply have it with you all the time.

My original one:

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A friend modelling one for us on his new belt we'd carved for him:

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A couple more. I call this model the Vaquero Ultralite:

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I do round all the edges some for comfort:

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The wife attended a ranch roping clinic in July and this young lady in the clinic had one on:

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While not the most popular knife model I make, I do sell a lot of them. Its also the least expensive knife I make simply because of the lack of a handle, so might be an entry level custom for some, don't know. Lots of pluses, can't think of many negatives.
 
Yep definitely one of the differences between handmade and not. All of my knives only have one sharp edge.
 
In many cases, you can add handle scales to the skeletonized tang if you your experience with the knife indicates you need a more comfortable or more secure grip. It's an easy DIY and you have lots of different options for handle material and you can shape it to whatever shape is best for you.
 
If you like a knife that does not, or can not have scales put on, just dip it in some tough "rubberizing" liquid. I have done that with a slimline machete and it has performed amazingly well!!
 
Horsewright said:
Yep definitely one of the differences between handmade and not. All of my knives only have one sharp edge.
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Absolutely a benefit to have only one sharp edge.

Another benefit appears in your photos there, Horsewright... The piece allows you to show off all of the Damascus, without covering a bunch of it up with the handle materials.

I really like the look of that Vaquero Ultralight. I need to add one to my stable, so to speak.;)
 
A skeletonized handle is great for custom scales. I got some nice cocobolo scales put on my Swick 3 from Brian over at Haw Creek Blades. I have Halpern G-10 scales on my Swick 4, and my Swick 1st gen I wrapped in microcord.
 
QAJAQ said:
In many cases, you can add handle scales to the skeletonized tang if you your experience with the knife indicates you need a more comfortable or more secure grip. It's an easy DIY and you have lots of different options for handle material and you can shape it to whatever shape is best for you.
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Also people can and will wrap bare handle knives in paracord and then have it as a survival knife with emergency use paracord conveniently located as the handle.
 
Im a fan of integral knives, as evidenced by my post above.

Here are two favorites.

Both offer an excellent hand hold. Both excellent working knives.

German Expedition Knife

and

MISSION MPS in Beta Ti.

Even though this thread is about 'bare steel knives,' I took the liberty of including one of my favorite and most used knives though its made of titanium.

The MPS is an excellent work knife. Lies good in the hand, holds a good working edge, is a breeze to work with and is of course impervious to rust.

Ive skinned deer with it (have posted pics of the MPS being used for that particular task) and it doubles s a camp knife.

The MPS was designed to be used without handle scales but I bought the optional G10 scales (knife shown here without scales, as its thread about integral knives) and the knife works great with the beefy factory scales as well.

I have several other MISSION knives. They were bought without handle scales.

One is cord wrapped - I vehemently advise against cord wrapping a hunting knife, as you dont want chunks of organic matter trapped and rotting in the cord - the other (MISSION Ti MPD), I made some carbon fibre scales held with Ti chain ring bolts for and it works fine in either configuration (either with or without scales).

The MPD has a place in my kayaking vest and is only ever rinsed in its homemade kydex sheath in its position in the vest to get rid of the salt on the vest.

Ive used it for kayaking for many years and even though exposed to and drenched in salt water on many occasions, it doesnt have any spots of rust or any patina from salt water on it. At all.
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Thin profile, easy EDC. I wanted an EDC fixed blade after a SOG trindent closed on my finger. A cord wrapped BK14 sits in my right pocket now.

I also have used the Buck paklights, great value blades.
 
I get it.... So, I had to try a few out. My first was a Condor "something or other" wharncliffe design neck knife. Liked the little thang, except for the fact that I couldn't ever get it sharp. I suspect there is a heat treat issue with this one. This thread has reminded me that it was in fact of the reasons I got a Ken Onion Worksharp.

Next was the BK-14 and BK-24. Bought both on the same day. Could never really get the BK-24 as sharp as I like but the BK-14 was a breeze to sharpen. I put micrata handles on the BK-24. Probably need to do the same with the BK-14. Ultimately, I have little need for a neck knife and find them a little uncomfortable (using) for regular carry. But on a kayak or boat where dropping the knife in the water might be an issue, it or they work.

Last one was a clip point design handmade knife I got through a group buy on the THR forum from a maker around Knoxville TN. It is razor sharp, but a bit chunky. To me it just looks like an unfinished knife.

Their primary advantage to me is being thin on a light use fixed blade (either pocket or neck carry). I don't find them comfortable to use at all for anything close to heavy use. But I have enjoyed at least using a few of these and seeing what other folks like about them. At this point, I doubt I will buy another unless the knife is very small.
 
Welp , due the nefarious unintended consequences of this thread upon my uncontrollable appetites : I just ordered the Cold Steel Drop Forged Bowie . Monolithic one-piece all steel knife . So we'll just see !
 
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