Pocketknives/Kitchen Knives/Fixed Blades
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Wanted to contribute a blade that I've carried on and off since acquiring it around 2006/2007. Made my a master blade maker out of Southern California, the knife's blade is forged out of A2 tool steel by hand. He didn't make many of these folders (maybe 50 all told) as he believed that fixed blades were tougher and less likely to fail. His name was Phill Hartsfield, Sr. He passed in 2010 however much of his work can be had second hand from retailers like Nordic Knives.
This one has a 2 7/8" blade and is 7 3/8" long when opened. Idk if this is exactly the sorta thing you're looking for @neph93 (most of his blades are also single bevel like this and in a tanto style). Either way, I wanted to share one of his blades as I deeply admired the man and still appreciate his work.
Quick story for context: Phill used to make a lot of blades for special forces (he himself served in the Korean War). One of the men whom he made a short sword for was on a covert mission in El Salvador. Slung over his shoulder was one of Phill's swords (I think an 11" or 12" blade, but not sure). A sharpshooter took a shot at the man using a rifle that shot 30-06 ammo. The sword took a direct hit and it snapped the handle off of it, but the blade stopped the bullet. Once Phill shined up the blade after it had been brought in for possible repair, all that remained showing that it had been struck by a bullet was a small pit in the A2 tool steel. Phill looked proudly at the sword as he told me that, after that incident, he had learned how to make a sword that would no longer break as this one had if shot with a high-power rifle. Dude was EPIC.
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Excellent post @henry_david and that knife looks stunning. The lines of that blade are really something.
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Excellent post @henry_david and that knife looks stunning. The lines of that blade are really something.
Thanks much, @neph93! Yeah, he really knew how to forge some amazing tools.
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This is my modest collection. Good thing I'm a lefty or this would have gotten out of controle
Chris Reeve Inkosi Tanto Large
Emerson Knives Sheepdog
Spyderco Paramilitary 2Love each one for different reasons. The CRK gets most of my pocket time now because it's just so sexy
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@motojobobo that is a beautiful looking knife. Given it's age it is almost certainly some kind of rustrestient tool steel. It looks in great shape and if the mechanism is still working and the blade is sharp I'd say you're good to go. As for cleaning try a vinegar/flour water mix, or baking soda and lemon juice. Leave it on for 10 mins then scrub with a toothbrush. I would tape up the wooden part first to avoid staining it.
Thank you @neph93 for your suggestions. Locking mechanism is in fine working order and blade is still quite sharp. I’ll have a go at cleaning it up some more and report back
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New Microtech with an old N1 background for reference.
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Idk what it is, but no matter how much $$ I spend on knives, I'll always adore and revere Spyderco. Lovely piece @scarfmace. Always so much fun to flip those things open, too
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@Oaktavia I don't know how but I missed that story about your neighbour. I snort laughed, sorry
@scarfmace that tango is exactly the sort of thing I had in mind for my new knife. Lovely looking piece.
@Sage954 that looks to a wicked EDC job.
I made my purchase of a new knife that should meet the my desired specs of being corrosion resistant, outdoor friendly, robust, hardworking and heavyweight. The blade shape should work for both prying, chopping and slicing, food prep etc. Stabbing is at the bottom of the list, but it will do that too in a pinch.
I'm not letting on what it is until I have it in hand and can show some pics…
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So as I discussed a while back, while I love my Spyderco Para 3 it doesn’t do what I need it to in some areas of my life. Norway is wet a lot so keeping a steel vulnerable to corrosion dry when near lakes, the sea or under a seilene grey sky can be tricky. In addition when at the cabin or out in the sticks the Spidey comes up a bit lightweight. I also do rough food prep in these situations. When doing building or labour it is useful for a lot of things but there is a heavy duty work I need a knife for where I fear for the Para’s super hard bilde.
Finding one knife to meet all those needs would of course be tricky. I have some inexpensive hardware store blades for fishing, and one mid range fixed blade hunting knife too, so what I was after was something that could do heavy work, something I could take on my house renovation tasks, but also to the cabin. Chopping, hacking, slicing and prying were prioritised. Stabbing, not so much. I felt like a Sheepsfoot, Warncliffe or possibly a reverse tanto would work. Alternatively a heavy, broad blades drop point.
After a lot of research I went with a knife made by Fox called the Pelican. It is a fucking beast [emoji1] It is designed for heavy work, especially outdoors. It will manage a lot of tasks in my house reno work too.
The blade is a thick sheepsfoot that tapers late to a broad point. Great for chopping, prying and hacking, as well as heavy slicing. The long curved belly will mean it works for rustic food prep too. The steel is N690Co which has a suitable profile, not to hard, meaning not brittle either, decent corrosion resistance. I’m very pleased.
Poorly lit photos:
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That's such an awesome knife
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That’s a nice knife!
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Thanks guys.
It isn’t super flashy or elegant but it is a design suited to its purpose as a folder for heavy work. It comes in at twice the weight of my Para 3 with a blade nearly twice as long and almost half as thick.
I’m now looking forward to cleaning up and sharpening my Para 3 and giving it the gentler life for which it was designed. In the meantime I’m off to the woods with the Pelican [emoji1]
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Thanks guys.
It isn’t super flashy or elegant but it is a design suited to its purpose as a folder for heavy work. It comes in at twice the weight of my Para 3 with a blade nearly twice as long and almost half as thick.
I’m now looking forward to cleaning up and sharpening my Para 3 and giving it the gentler life for which it was designed. In the meantime I’m off to the woods with the Pelican [emoji1]
sounds like you could build your own cabin with that thing !!
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@neph93 that picture definitely makes me wish I had a kid. But they would definitely be batshit crazy if they were mine. Wed be out in the woods shooting guns right now.
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That's great!
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@neph93 That is one beautifull EDC!
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@neph93 That is one beautifull EDC!
Thank you!
Probably not an EDC in the true sense of the acronym. It is big and heavy and too chunky for a lot of small scale everyday tasks. But as an edc for those days I’m outdoors or working on the house it is perfect. I could hack through inch thick birch branches in seconds with minimal effort.
That being said it sat comfortably in the righthand back pocket of my IH-555-SST and was quick and easy to deploy from there.
