Woodsman's Pal mod?

Murphnuge

Murphnuge

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Not sure if this is the right area for this post, but it seemed the best fit. I have a Woodsman's Pal that I can't seem to keep in the sheath, I'm addicted to it, there I've said. Anyway, the only thing I don't really care for is the grips. Anyone here ever change the handles on one? I thought of sending it back to pro-tool for a military upgrade, if they'd even do that. My other option is swapping the handles out with Becker grips, I love Grivory.
 
They seem like they could be a usefull tool. IMHO, they should be sharpened all the way to the tip & the end as well (like the OKC SP8 Spec-Plus machete). Interesting choice of handle. A BK&T-WP.
 
TwinStick said:
They seem like they could be a usefull tool. IMHO, they should be sharpened all the way to the tip & the end as well (like the OKC SP8 Spec-Plus machete). Interesting choice of handle. A BK&T-WP.
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Very useful, I get mine out of the sheath and lose all track of time. I agree with you on the sharpening to the tip. I'm not sure what the purpose of the blunt end is, but it doesn't hinder function. Gerber is making a version of this tool also, although I've only seen/heard about it.
 
The blunt tip is supposed to be protection against striking rocks etc...which I never understood. The way to prevent dullness from hitting rocks is...by having the tip dull in the first place??? :confused: :p
 
Woodmans Pal and Silky Ibuki 390 003.jpgWoodmans Pal and Silky Ibuki 390 007.jpgI have one of The Woodmans Pals with the D guard and leather washer handle. I spent a good bit of time sanding the handle smooth and then treating with BLO. I also hated the blunt end and the rather obtuse edge. I sharpened it to the end and made the edge a little higher up, thinning it a little. It is now an awesome chopper and a joy to use. I keep it on a belt with my Silky Ibuki. With those two together I can do a great job pruning trees in the yard and such.
 

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Very nice ArchAngel! Mine was a gift from my Dad a few years back, but if I were to buy one myself that's the model I'd have chosen.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
The blunt tip is supposed to be protection against striking rocks etc...which I never understood. The way to prevent dullness from hitting rocks is...by having the tip dull in the first place??? :confused: :p
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Yeah, makes tons of sense if you don't really stop to think about it.
 
leaving it blunt makes it less likely to chip or crack.
that said, I can't count the number of times I've been out using mine (d-guard model) and swore i was going to regrind it out to the tip when I got home.

as to the gerber version - I've seen one and wasn't impressed.
 
I use it to snag branches and drag them out of the stuff i'm trying to get to.
hook is also good for ripping vines down when there's no room to swing the blade.
 
Yeah the hook is a lot more useful than I thought when I got it. 1066Vik beat me to it, but just like he said and I've also used it to cut smaller limbs I couldn't reach to swing at when Im up in a tree.
 
Is'nt it hard to use the hook & swing it backwards (i mean with a reverse grip) with the steel handguard on ? Seems as a regular WP would be better/easier to use or get the full use out of the tool ???
 
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:D
 
1066vik said:
leaving it blunt makes it less likely to chip or crack.
that said, I can't count the number of times I've been out using mine (d-guard model) and swore i was going to regrind it out to the tip when I got home.

as to the gerber version - I've seen one and wasn't impressed.
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I think chipping and cracking aren't likely to be a problem--denting or rolling would be, and the result would be similar to leaving the tip dull. Maybe they should put a more broad edge on that section for hacking at roots and the like. Still usable, but more durable?
 
Something like that. :D

It was primarily influenced by my experiences with the Bush Knife (which I LOVE) and wanting something longer with the hook as a secondary. Also as an improvement to the tasks the Woodman's Pal tries to handle. These pieces are a little thick (1/8", rather than the 2mm I'd prefer) so they'll be great for folks who love massive heavy blades. Even without a handle or an edge it'll blast deep gouges into wood.

Two of the blanks have already found homes, but the other two are on their way to Darrin Sanders for scales and edges. One will be mine personally, but the other will be up for grabs. It's called the Baryonyx (which means "heavy claw") and actually served as the inspiration for the name of my store.

The spine forward of the hook can be grasped for draw-knifing or batoning, the point of the hook can be used as a pick, and the open shape of the hook makes cutting grasses and brambles and snedding easy without sacrificing the advantage of a forward curve. When held with the hook forward the balance shifts so it's faster in the hand, which is good for when you need tip velocity for light targets, and the sweet spot of the primary edge is HUGE. The cusp between the two points can be used to push branches and the like out of the way. There are a few other tricks up its sleeve as well, but I'll do a thread on it when I get them back. :)

You may now return to your regularly scheduled programming. :D:D:D
 
I completed ONE for a friend of mine to help recoup the cost of getting the blanks done up--it took me forever and was a pain in the butt with my limited experience/tools which is why I'm farming out the handle-fitting and rough grinding on them.

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Very robust looking blade, I like! Is it an original design? It almost looks like some kind of medieval European harvesting tool/weapon.
 
It's a piece of my own design, yes. About a year and a half in development, plus more to bring it to life. It's partially inspired by a "block" pattern billhook, so European in influence, yes. :D
 
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