Why we do it...

[stabman]

Some people wonder "Why Knife?"
Well, this boat adventure is a great example of why for me.

Taking pictures while you float down the river:

At the site we were boating to, after getting fire established:

It was really easy getting fire going this time.
The ground was dry (rare for the area), likely due to less rain and a slightly higher elevation that the site we often go to.
Plus, there was tons of deadwood (literally) just laying around, bone dry for a change.

 

[stabman]

Found this metal grill laying less than 8 feet from where my brother and I agreed was the perfect spot for a fire:

Guess previous humans that visited the area thought it was a great spot for fire as well.

Fire!

View of just a bit of the deadwood:

Big trees were cut down here in the past. Found about a dozen very large stumps from mature trees quite close to where we set up. Some are newer; this one is old:

Beavers are active in the area, due to it being close to the water:

This pre-existing stump made a great machete sheath.

My brother lugged this metal tripod along with us; it made cooking WAY easier.

 

[stabman]

The steak cooked first:

So much deadwood!

Knives we brought:

The machete was the only blade I used, really. It was handy for clearing a trail in some spots.

I did trade the Sheffield Bowie and the Boker Beer Barrel Congress for the curved Tramontina knife.
The knives I traded are worth more money, but the Tramontina has sentimental value. A childhood friend had it, then traded it to me when I was 12. He got it at a used furniture store all us kids bought our knives from, because they did not ask questions.

So then I traded it to my brother when he was a young teen, then it sat in a box for a couple of decades.
Now it is mine yet again.

Our mighty vessel, with the plank "dock" we brought with us:

And then a bunch of pics on the water of the Tramontina blade I got, because it was new and fun to me yet again:

 

[drawkcaB]

Great shots, thanks for sharing

 

[1911bphil]

Awesome pictures. Thanks for sharing.

 

[MolokaiRider]

Looks like a good reason to haul a bunch of steel around to me!

 

[Hackenslash]

I love your photo-essays!

 

[jbmonkey]

nice. trip to the woods on a boat, steak over fire..what else could ya ask for.

what's that bowie with......is it faux stag, mirror polish knife with the b51 or 851 on it?

 

[stabman]

Looks like a good reason to haul a bunch of steel around to me!

Indeed.

I love your photo-essays!

Thanks!

nice. trip to the woods on a boat, steak over fire..what else could ya ask for.

what's that bowie with......is it faux stag, mirror polish knife with the b51 or 851 on it?

Says 851 on one side.
Company name is Compass. Made in Solingen, Germany.
Actual stag, 440 steel of some grade. My dad got it in 1987, I believe it was.
The stag scales have shrunk a slight tad over the years. I was able to get them to go back to where they were a certain amount by soaking the handle in mineral oil.

 

[jbmonkey]

Says 851 on one side.
Company name is Compass. Made in Solingen, Germany.
Actual stag, 440 steel of some grade. My dad got it in 1987, I believe it was.
The stag scales have shrunk a slight tad over the years. I was able to get them to go back to where they were a certain amount by soaking the handle in mineral oil.

gotcha. thanks. real stag...so nice its looks faux......whenever i see about perfect stag i always think faux cause it seems too nice to be real. anyways looks like thick stock on the blade too...great lookin knife...really dig it.

 

[stabman]

gotcha. thanks. real stag...so nice its looks faux......whenever i see about perfect stag i always think faux cause it seems too nice to be real. anyways looks like thick stock on the blade too...great lookin knife...really dig it.

0.240" stock thickness.
I like it quite a bit too.
I remember seeing it in person at the gun store when my dad bought it. It was like seeing Excalibur at that age.