ETS-induced knife addiction

Prior to ETS, I was content with cheap folders. Cheaper the better. And I didn't know to call them "folders." They were simply: knives.

Didn't know about the various steels. A2-D2: C3PO's sidekick?

Thought "tang" was Apollo's faux orange juice invention.

And then ETS came into my life. And within a few months I'd ordered a knife: Doug Ritter's Mk3. Huge, to me. A small machete. Yet it fits my hand, so delicately balanced it hovers on the edge of a finger. I lovingly caress the drop-point S30V fixed-bladed full-tanginess of it.

Next to arrive is the Doug Ritter Mk4 "Gentleman's Folder." Although I am a gentlewoman, or perhaps because I am a gentlewoman, the sleekness and the efficient opening mechanism which does not endanger one's nails, seems custom-designed.

While perusing rei.com a discounted CRKT M4-03 catches my eye. I'm curious so it now resides next to the Ritter Mk4 in its own zippered pocket in an unused leather cosmetic bag given to me at Christmas.

Then AG Russell. In route now is a Bark River "Gameskeeper." One of 250 with an "unusual bronze Maple Burl" handle that proved too alluring to resist. It's tang is tapered and I don't know if that is a fault. But it's beneath the unusual bronze maple burl so I gamble that I won't care.

Next I wonder: when and what's the best knife show in this area?

"Functional sculpture," I've concluded. Beautiful knives will compliment my art collection which is currently dominated by wood sculptures, glass and metal. Favorites will become talismans worthy of inclusion in the shoulder bag that carries books and my journal on roadtrips and camping.

I have a lot of camping and hiking gear and there is no aesthetic appeal to it, except perhaps for the stainless Colemen cooler and the functional beauty of cast iron. Until discovering the world of knives -- handsome and refined -- I did not know that art and survival gear could go, literally, hand-in-hand.

This discovery is going to cost me.

This is the first post I have seen by you. So, a belated welcome.

It is good to see you realize you "have a problem and admit it". I wish you the best in building your "art" collection with the fanciful bits of steel and wood married together for blissful aesthetics.

Have fun and post often.

I don't know about up in your area but if you're ever down this way stop by Smoky Mountain Knife Works. They've got a decent selection of the major brands and every size from Vic Classics to large kitchen knives.

P.S. They've even got a knifemaker's workshop in the parking lot w/ a "make your own class" (IIRC from a section of band saw blade)

Your post makes me want to ask if you were happy and did the knifes you were using before your enlightenment work for you?

Uhm....

You're welcome?

Several hours have elapsed and I haven't purchased more knives.

Been busy re-packing camping gear. First weekender of '08 in a couple weeks.

Ignorance is bliss. With brief interludes often having to do with traffic jams, I've always been happy.

I have no recollection of the dearth of quality knives being a problem.

I'm reminded of an interview with a famous knife maker. He said that he went through a phase where he made 'museum quality' knives with exotic woods and exacting finishes. Pretty things that were functional enough but destine for high-end collectors and to stay under glass unused.

He said it dawned on him that knives were tools and that he was a toolmaker. That a tool that sits under glass is wasted. The greatest compliment would be that his knives get used and used up doing real work. He told of an encounter with a rancher. The man showed up with a knife he made a long time ago. He could tell it had been used but not abused. It had been well used and resharpened as needed. Over time the blade had been sharpened down to a fraction of its original size.

The rancher had been a little sheepish. Somewhat ashamed that what so many had considered a museum quality knife from a famous knife maker had been put through the wringer. He wanted to know if he could get another one. It was his favorite knife. Instead of being put out that the knife had been used up the knife maker felt complimented. He kept that worn out knife and replaced it with another for free.

After that the knife maker switched his production away from exotic steels and fancy materials to purely practical ones. His knives are at least, if not more, practical but he doesn't sell as many to collectors. More of his knives get used. As they should be.

The primary purpose of a knife is to cut. Everything else is secondary. A knife that doesn't cut is a tent stake.

If a knife does the job you want it to do it is, by definition, a 'good' knife. Doesn't matter if it is a $2000 dollar masterpiece or a $10 unit made in China you got at a discount store. If it works it is 'good'.

The general quality of steel and manufacturing has, and is, improving. Twenty years ago a $10 knife was a glorified tent stake. I recently used a $10 discount store model that was pretty good. Sliced through a mess of corrugated cardboard, notoriously abrasive to blades, it held an edge but wasn't brittle. While it wouldn't be my first choice as my one and only blade you would have to be pretty inept not to be able to get a good amount of useful work out of it. Our ancestors did much more with much less.

There are limits to how many knives a person needs and can practically carry. Three or four is about the practical limit even far from civilization. On the streets a single moderately sized folder or combination tool is quite enough.

For camping a fixed blade with a 5" or 6" blade, a folder, SAK or combination tool and a second, smaller but very sharp, folder in your first-aid kit are IMO about all anyone needs. Maybe add a good quality machete, better for softwood and undergrowth, or an ax, better for hardwood and larger timber, if you feel the need to fight the vegetation.

I'm not a collector. I might have a dozen or more knives of various description. Mostly the number grew as I found ones that served my purposes better and older ones got tired. For me knives are just tools. They just have to cut.

If you want to collect knives that is okay by me. Everyone needs a hobby. But I don't consider collecting knives, particularly collecting museum pieces, as any advantage for survival.

You think we should tell her about bladefourms.com or worse www.knifeart.com

Hi TS_Shawn,





Fallkniven NL5 IDUN and NL5cx IDUN (Cowry X Damascus Steel)

Perhaps a classic Scandinavian for the collection.

I use guns like that; I have an Anschutz 22 rifle that is a little abused as I hunt with it. My friend thinks I’m nuts (he takes an old Marlin 22) to take an $800.00 22 out in the field to get banged around. But that’s what I bought it for, to hunt with. It works great and I score a lot of hits with it.

Over at the Bark River forum on Knifeforums, the old hands warn against the possibility of contracting Barkaholism. I've only got one knife from them so far(a Bravo-1), but I WANT about a dozen others. Unfortunately, knife collecting is an expensive hobby. Sigh.

Welcome TS Shawn,

Take a step into the bladeforums as someone else said.

My guess is, if history proves true, your Bark River Gameskeeper is going to lead to an expensive Bark River and convex-ground edge habit. COnvex is relatively easy to sharpen and a good one is the Falknivven like Am-Fear posted. Next up? Some Scandinavian grinds!

Take a look here at the Helle, Brusletto, Roselli, EKA, and Karesuandio knives: http://www.ragweedforge.com/

You're not done yet............ ((( )))

Those Anschutz rifles are incredable, the best I've ever shot. Their target rifles with the 54 action are simply amazing. They'll put a bullet through the same hole all day long. They aren't cheap, but they're worth it.

Good knives, good guns, and a woman to boot. Good thing my wife's not in the room or I'd be grounded off the forum for a bit, heh heh heh...

What she doesn't know can't hurt you...

Well, when you fall off the wagon again, take a look at the Gene Ingram Knives website. I'll vouch for the quality of his creations.

Thank you all for suggestions on other knives and forums. I'm checking them out. The Bark River "Gameskeeper" arrived today from A.G. Russell (excellent service!). It's more substantial than I expected as the steel is quite thick (.215"). Ritter's MK3 is my basis for comparison. They are virtually the same length. The Ritter's blade is bigger and just feels more like a tool. While handsome, the Gameskeeper is not so expensive that I'd be scared to use it. It came with a nice leather sheath. Obviously I'm new at this but it strikes me as a good value and I'm pleased with the purchase. When I figure out how to post pics I will do so.

This is an interesting blade from Bark River. I have no idea how much it is but it intrigues me. I'm hooked.

Golock

http://www.barkriverknifetool.com/bushcraft/golok/index.html

"The Bark River Golok has it's Roots in the Traditional Tools of the Region of Indonesia. This Type of Tool has been used for Centuries and has proven to be one of the most useful for Bushcraft. The Golok is Light and Compact and is easy fo carry for a large knife. It Excels at Trail Clearing, Chopping, Shelter Building, Notching and Spliting Firewood. The large knife will take Batoning without a Complaint and it great for use as a Draw Knife for Stripping Bark or Creating a Flat Area of a log. We feel it is one of the Best Bushcraft Tools avalible on Today's Market."

Blade Steel:
Hardness:
Thickness:
Blade Length:
Overall Length:
Weight:
0170-6
58RC Blade
.210 inches
11 inches
17 inches
16 ounces

I've come over to the "bark" side myself. I have a mini canadian, which is the most beautiful and functional fixed blade I have seen! I have spent way too much time perusing the bark river section of the interstores and have an edk seax on it's way to me, in blue maple burl! It should work well in the kitchen as well as outdoors, or slicing stuff up when cooking with the neighbors.

I still want a canadian special. At first I thought the blade shape odd but now I see how handy and useful it is. It should be very sturdy for rugged outdoor use. And the convex edge is easy to keep sharp.







Oh I still like my swamp rats but they are not nearly as portable or pretty to look at. I think the lack of coating on the barks makes it slice food better. The little mini seems to just "scare" my vegies to pieces.

I don't think any knife collection, or life, is complete without owning and operating a Gerber Mark 2.

Why they discontinued that blade will forever confuse me. Why I ever traded three of them away alway thinking I'd get a new one at the PX will haunt me.

From one ETS knife addict (I have the mini-Mk1, the Mk1, the Mk3, and the Mk4) to another I have one thing to say:

Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1 Mk1

http://www.equipped.org/rsk_mk1.htm

One really REEEEAAAALLLLY sweet folder. Come on, you know you want it.


Oh, and you don't need to baby the Mk3. It is one tough knife. Just clean the blade soon after each use. That goes for any blade.

Ken K.

P.S. Next comes the desire for a reeeeaaaallly nice axe.

If I haven't said so previously...

Welcome Aboard TS!

Regarding knives and ETS, I understand where you're coming from. THough I've always had one knife or another throughout my life, I didn't know what was out there until I came across ETS and branched out.

I have more knives than I can carry now, and I don't know how that's helpful. LOL

Funny, I have looked at axes for quite a while now. I wasn't sure if my desire was an extension of knife collecting, homage to my dad who carried a Ranger Tomahawk in Vietnam or drawn from the Bad ass factor.

I figured none of them met my cost vs. utility for prepardedness so have held back.

Didn't mean to hijack the thread, please continue...

Oh my, I'd forgotten about this thread. In these intervening months I've become a Barkie afficianado, having acquired the following:

Two Bravo Ones

Gameskeeper

Gameskeeper II

Golok

Little Creek

Am currently mulling the Glen Eagle II axe.

http://www.dlttradingcompany.com/index.php?cPath=24_424&osCsid=ea35cb43a251d6d4eb4d45c4a0222c72


Also purchased a rugged German hatchet from a woodworking supply catalogue but can't remember the name of it.

How can one resist these beauties?

http://www.dlttradingcompany.com/index.php?cPath=24&osCsid=ea35cb43a251d6d4eb4d45c4a0222c72

I'll never be the same again.

Welp, I've aquired a couple more barkies since my last post. I am anxiously awaiting a bravo with bocote handles. I have quite a few knives but now that I've been using convexed blades I've gotten spoiled. So tough and easy to keep sharp.