Wingman continued: Florida
After reading the reviews and seeing the pictures thus far, I was anxious to get my hands on this little knife as it was starting to grow on me. Like others, the initial design of the latest models honestly did not speak to me. The trailing point and Khukuri shaped handles just didn't seem to correspond with my personal knife needs or tastes. But, as I said, something had begun to peak my curiosity.
The package containing the knife arrived last week. Without fail, I received the usual snarky response from my wife..."Let me guess, another knife?" After our quick friendly jabs and an explanation of what this was, she actually wanted to see what all the hype was about. Pulling the knife out of the box, I quickly gripped the knife in my hand. Hmm, I said. She said "what?" so, I handed her the knife and she said "this is Andy's?, huh, that's odd." I had to laugh. Then when she held the knife, I heard, "Surprisingly comfortable." I figured that I would mention this considering that this response seems to be a reoccurring theme. Sorry Andy, no disrespect. Just kind of funny in an ironic way.
As like most of you, I carry a blade with me on a daily basis. Most often it is a small folder clipped to the inside of my pocket or my unobtrusive fixed EDC Esquire with an ISP sheath. Considering that I had not sought out this design as a purchase for a specific use, I figured that I would just go ahead and carry this knife on my belt for a few days and see how it would perform as my primary cutting tool.
The following is a brief overview of me using the knife for various tasks. Luckily, Phil was the first to review this knife, so listing all of the "comprehensive" details again in this review would be redundant. Thank you Phil!
Towards the end, I will recap and share my final thoughts of the Wingman.
First things first. I needed a sheath. Luckily, the one and only sheath I've ever made fit it fairly well considering that I didn't want to pierce a hole through it with the trailing point.
On the first day of carry, it only seemed fitting to use the Wingman to slice up some fruit for breakfast. I can honestly say that the most repetitive task I use any knife for period is slicing small fruits and vegetables for smoothies. For this reason, I have many paring knives. My favorite being the least expensive I own. Go figure.
On Saturdays, I usually do yard work. Pruning bushes and clearing limbs often gives me a chance to use a blade or just play around a bit with some soft bark:
Inspired by the Wingman, this past Sunday I took a long overdue drive to a local state park to get in a couple hours of fishing. To me, the Wingman slightly resembles a fillet knife. Mostly because of the blade shape, but of course smaller. So, without having an opportunity to skin an animal as I am sure most here are all waiting to see this knife do, I figured that I'd do the next best thing, try to fillet a fish!
Now the hard part: Catch one. Oh wait, it's Florida and the tide is going out. Shouldn't be too difficult.
First up, some glamour shots:
Here, I was only able to capture one of them coming up for air, but this was actually a pair of manatee grazing just off the shore.
Passing the time waiting for a bite.
Bingo! First in, an average sized sheepshead. Caught two of these for the day.
Next up, a mature Mangrove Snapper. At 12" it put up a fight like a 20"
Okay, back to the knife. So, considering that the Wingman's blade length is shorter than the average fillet knife, I didn't attempt to use a single cut to fillet the fish. Instead I worked at removing the flesh in more of a skinning manner. Pulling away and slicing the flesh from the skeleton of the fish. I really wanted to see how the knife performed in this task.
Over the course of the weekend, I was able to use the Wingman in many different ways. From mundane tasks such as opening mail and plastic bags to feathering sticks and filleting fish. Here are my humble opinions on how the knife performed.
Ergonomics:
Pros:
Although the blade and handle shape were not initially appealing to me, having the knife in hand and using it for some time has given me a new perspective. As previously discussed in earlier reviews, the humps and swells in the handle seem to fit snug in all the right areas of your hand to "lock-in" a firm grip while still being very comfortable. This is mostly felt in the standard forward grip.
Cons:
Choking up on the knife or twisting your grip around the handle was a bit challenging. Once the handle's shape left the seated mold of your palm, those humps and swells didn't allow me to be as nimble with the knife as I would have liked. However, as with most things, in time I got used to it.
Cutting/Slicing:
Pros:
The knife arrived to me with a sharp edge. I am unsure if any of the prior reviewers sharpened the knife. Forgive me if I overlooked a mention of this. Out of the packaging, it sliced paper and plastic with ease. In the kitchen, the Wingman excelled in certain areas. I particularly liked the skinny trailing point of the blade when it came time to core out a pit or seeds. It also peeled fruit with ease using a reverse grip - a benefit of the blade shape.
While feathering a stick, the blade performed well. Not biting too aggressively into the wood and with a standard grip, it was a comfortable action.
Filleting/skinning a fish was effortless. I can see how an avid hunter might gravitate heavily towards this knife and I would greatly like to see it it in action.
Cons:
On the downside, due to the upswept blade shape, you loose direct surface cutting area. It is especially noticed when slicing foods on the cutting board.
And, although this particular knife has 1/8" blade stock, I would certainly see the benefit of owning one in 3/32"
Carry:
Pros:
At roughly the size of a Hiking Buddy and weighing 4.2oz, this knife could easily fit within the EDC category. The swell at the butt of the handle allows for a quick and easy draw from a sheath.
Cons:
1) I would definitely recommend a sheath specifically made for this model. The sharp, sweeping tip and its angle forced me to carefully holster the knife every time so that I don't accidentally pierce the sheath.
2) Drawing the knife in public may draw some ire from Pirate haters
Thoughts:
Initially, not being in awe with the Wingman design, I already had my prejudices in place. I feel that a lot of us shook our heads when the sketches hit forum. With the knife in hand though, I was able to study the unique lines of this design and gradually began to appreciate many things. First, I appreciate and commend Andy for stepping out of his comfort zone with these new designs and creating something fresh. I always use the age old adage: Variety is the Spice of Life. I get the feeling that with the sheer number of models in Andy's lineup, he doesn't like doing the same thing over and over either. Secondly, this is no boring knife! Each time I set it down on a surface, hold it a different way, take a picture of it, I see a new shape take form and it's getting cooler and cooler.
Finally:
In all I have to ask myself. Would I want to own and use this knife on a regular basis. The answer to that is........ Probably. I know, not a definitive yes, but there's a reason. I think for me to really want to own this model and for what I would intend to use it for, it would likely have to have three criteria:
1) Stainless
2) 3/32"
3) Shadetree Burlap scales.
With these attributes, I could definitely see myself purchasing a Wingman to use as my full time fishing knife!
If you hadn't noticed, the knife arrived to me in like new condition. Sharp edge, no scratches and no patina. Sorry Phillip, but I put some mileage on it:
Now, I would hate to send it along in worse shape than received, so the Wingman went through a mini-spa service here in Florida. Nothing drastic, just a good cleaning and patina removal.
Thank you Phillip for initiating this pass-around and allowing me to use your Wingman for a bit!
:thumbup: :thumbup: