My Customized knife came from Grohmann Knives

You may remember in a recent post that I special ordered a DH Russel #1 belt knife from Grohmann knives. If you didn't, then I'll catch you up. It's basically the original #1 style knife in Carbon steel but with a flat Scandinavian grind and in a left handed belt sheath.

The whole process including explaining what I wanted, having the knife made, and shipping took just over a week...and that was including a long weekend.

The knife arrived in a nice gold leaf lettered box. I imagine that all their blades are this way.


The blade was very well oiled, wrapped in wax paper, and shipped in the sheath. The sheath is firm and the leather thick but it's going to need a bit of work to toughen it up so that it lasts...I'm thinking about giving it the old wax treatment. The knife also shipped with a lanyard...a feature I like since I use lanyards with my knives.


The handle is rosewood. It looks very good and should stay nice for a long time as long as it's oiled once in a while just like the blade. I've heard that the handles crack but I suspect those handles were not oiled often or at all.

I was told that the production manager at Grohmann took this request on himself to grind the knife. The grind goes higher up the blade than I was expecting but aside from a tiny bit of uneven grind near the handle, the job appears to have been done expertly. I haven't measured the angles yet and I'm hoping that the edge isn't too narrow. Time will tell if it's and issue as I'll be testing it out this weekend on a camping trip. I did measure the grind on a straight edge and it's very very flat. It is so broad that at first it looked hollow ground but it's not the case.


The unique handle feels VERY good in my hand. I can see why this knife is famed as a hunting knife. Everything about the shape of the handle, angle of the blade, and the sweep of the edge screams slice slice slice! It's no surprise to me that this knife has been featured in New Yorks Museum of Modern Art.


I tested the blade on a scrap of receipt paper. There wasn't an angle it wouldn't push through the paper and no sliver of paper was too thin to cut even thinner...I have some sharp knives but I don't think I've ever had a knife that will cut so effortlessly.


This is my first experience ordering something customized and I think I survived alright. It's not exactly what I had in my minds eye but it's close and pending how it performs I think it was well worth the leap of faith.

Grohmann's customer service was tops. They made every effort to cater to my request and the turn around time was amazing. My only regret is that I didn't have a more challenging request for them as they didn't even blink at this one.

Very nice looking knife, let us know how it works out in the field.

It's nice to hear about companies that are willing to work with the customer and seem to care. Most companies just churn out product and could care less about it, as long as it meets their specs and safety standards.

I don't own any Grohmann knives currently, but after hearing about this I think I'm going to pick one or two up for my collection. Even if I don't really need another knife, I don't have a problem with supporting companies who care.

That one did turn on very nice. I have a couple of their knives but not the original #1.

I just may have to give them a call and see about one similar to yours...righthanded...otherwise the same. I like the high scandi grind. That should be a very nice slicer.

I got one directly from Grohmann a few of years ago. I had attended Blade in Atlanta and stopped by their booth. They had the Boat Knife I wanted but not the Canadian Armed Forces sheath that went with it. They were very accomodating and shipped it just a couple of days later from their offices.

That one is very nice.

This morning I hit the blade and handle with Fluid Film. I use it on all my blades stainless or not just in case but I've never used it on a wood handle like this before. It's recommended for conditioning gun stocks so this should work out fine.

I've decided that tonight I'm going to wax/boil the sheath to harden and preserve it. First time for that so I've found a Canadian source for a Concealex sheath. Then if I botch it I can get a backup. I'd rather keep the original though for traditions sake. I talked to a friend of mine who has a few army issue Grohmanns and his biggest complaint is the knife slicing into the sheath or the tie down (which this one doesn't have). It's such a good slicer that you can do it without noticing. It should make it just a little more secure and less likely to come loose too.

Dude, that is one fine blade. I really like that deep grind -- a real slicer, for people who use a knife to cut rather than pry.

I agree with the qualms about the sheath. I love the look of it, but I want a hard liner and rivets in case Murphy comes calling.

Gotta ask -- how much did this set you back?

And does this grind have a name? How 'bout "The Alberta Clipper"?

I love the Grohmann knives and have been wanting a #1 and survival blade for some time. Your post seals the deal now! Very nice!

A good hot wax dip should set that sheath up nicely I think. Both of my Grohmann's could use that treatment.

The rosewood on both of mine is just fine. I have not done anything special to them. These are good knives and I think the scandi grind may be just the way to go. I was going to order the flat ground camper but I may do this scandi grind instead.

They rounded it off to an even $110. I think it was +$25 over retail. The lefty sheath wasn't extra.

I just finished waxing the sheath. After reading a few how-tos on the internet I went out and bought a few bees wax tea lights and winged it by the seat of my pants as usual.

I'm sure I could have gotten the leather harder but I think I did pretty good for my first attempt. It's holding it's shape so there must be a fair bit of wax in there.


I spared the thong belt loop the treatment to keep it soft. You can really see the color change:

That's beautiful! I can't wait to hear how it performs for you. I'm especially interested in the handle "angle", if it's comfortable.

that knife looks awesome keep us updated on its performance

"...It's holding it's shape so there must be a fair bit of wax in there..."

Actually, it should hold the shape even if you only wet formed the sheath to the knife (sometimes called casing). The wax, to the best of my admittedly limited knowledge, mainly helps to protect the leather and kind of waterproof it. Looks nice on your sheath...

Hi Hacksaw,

Nice report on a very interesting knife, I can feel the need (want) for a Scandi-Grohmann coming on.

I have collected a few Grohmann models over the years.

- An engraved #1 from the Canadian Scout Jamboree in PEI 1977.
- Another #1 that I recently bought off an internet ad for $15
- A #4 Survival that I use for moose hunting.
- My Fathers #2 that he used for hunting for 35 years.
- A #3 Boat knife that I got for FREE at a garage sale, the tip was broken off, the blade had been damaged in a grinder and by arcing and the sheath was missing. I reshaped the blade and ordered a sheath from Grohmann, no problem.

All of these blades are stainless steel and the "regular" sabre grind, I would be very interested to hear about the performance of the carbon steel and Scandi of Flat grind models.

I have a problem with the Grohmann open-topped sheaths, they do not offer enough protection from the blade and are prone to knife loss. Even the leather flip-over tab on my #4 is easy to slice into when inserting/removing the knife. My hunting partner lost a #3 in the bush once (proabally pulled out on brush by the lanyard), and we looked for hours but never found it. I am going to try wax-hardening one of the sheaths to make the knife fit tighter.

Replacement sheaths, including the CF overlap sheath can be found on the Grohmann website here http://www.grohmannknives.com/pages/sheaths.html

I will be away from my computer for a couple of weeks on training, look forward to the replies when I get back.

Mike

On/Scene Tactical make Concealex Sheaths for several Grohmann models in house without the need to ship your knife in.

I might be sending them my Gerber Freeman to do up soon. I'll have them do one for the Grohmann at the same time if I have any worries about the sheath.

Personally I like the style of the Grohmann because I often wear my knives around my neck...hiking packs don't fit well with lots of stuff on your belt. For beating it through the bush, I wouldn't trust that style on my belt. I'd worry the lanyard would get snagged and pull out like your friends may have.

I should note that the knife stays in much better now than before waxing.

Sheath looks good to me. Did you just melt the candles and paint and hairdryer it into the leather?

I hot dipped my SBT knife sheath in molten paraffin, then molded it around my knife handle (I wrapped the handle in 3 layers of wax paper to shim it a bit). It is hard as iron now and the handle "clicks" into the sheath. No way it is coming out unless I want it out.

I didn't have enough wax to actually boil the sheath in the wax so I went to plan B. I double boiled 5 bees wax tea lights in a metal cup and borrowed my wifes heat gun (she's into crafts like I'm into survival) to heat the leather up. I applied the liquid wax to the leather using a clean tooth brush and used the heat gun to keep liquifying the coats over and over again scrubbing the wax into the leather. When enough dripped off that there wasn't much of a coating, I'd apply another coat. I think I spent nearly an hour painting, heating, and scrubbing.

Then I put the knife in, wrapped the whole thing in foil (I got it a little too hot to touch) and began to mold it until it cooled. When I unwrapped it there was a lot of wax cooled on so I used the heat gun and a wad of paper towel to wipe off the excess and get it out of the stitching as best as I could (if you look close there's still wax solidly inside the rivet). Then I wrapped it in a dish towel (too hot again) and moulded it until cool. This absorbed any remaining wax and wiped off anything which dried on the surface. Then I buffed it out with a microfiber cloth to give it a little shine.

Not actually applying the wax to the inside is likely why I didn't get it super hard but I didn't want to make a huge mess on my first try or even ruin it.

I bet that worked just as well as dipping. I bought a block of beeswax and plan on doing a mix of paraffin/beeswax for a couple other sheaths I have. I think I will do my Grohmann trout and bird sheath up too. I have always wished it was a bit stouter.

Good one and let us know how that scandi grind works out for you. I think you made a wise choice and set it up perfectly in the waxed sheath.

You guys have got me thinking about this waxing leather thing, since I have never done it, and am about ready to make a sheath for a kit knife I am working on. So, I did some googling, and came up with this bit of info:

"Wax has a low melting point. To keep your waxed leather from "melting" in the sun, add about 3 tablespoons of stearine (sic) to each pound of wax. You can buy a bag fairly cheaply at MJ Designs. It makes the wax harder, melt at a higher temperature (eliminating wilted leather) They also sell crystals, but if you can get it, use the powder, it dissolves completely."

Never heard of Sternin(e) before, so I googled it to find out what it is:
"Stearin...is a glyceryl ester of stearic acid, derived from animal fats created as a byproduct of processing beef. It is used as tallow in the manufacture of candles and soap..."

Now, assuming that it does as described, I've gott figure out where to buy it...

I read the same thing while researching it OBG. I was impatient so didn't take it any further than research. Personally I don't think it gets hot enough here often enough for it to matter too much...time will tell.

I think a 50/50 mix of beeswax and paraffin will do about the same thing as trying to find the stearin. More expensive candles generally have stearin in them to control the melting point.

I have had excellent luck with 100% paraffin wax dip on untreated leather sheaths. It is board hard and does not melt. It is likely too hard for sheaths that require some give for the knife to seat well though, so a mix with beeswax is what I want to do for my Grohmann sheaths.

So here I am camping as I type this out on my crackberry.

Yesterday I went to get my wife a hot dog stick and was excited to try the knife out. All I could find was some wet and rotting dead fall. The wrist thick limb broke with minimal effort yet when I snapped off a branch and sharpened the tip, the edge bent and nicked up! Once I made sure there was no dirt or rocks in the wood I proceeded to get steamed about it. In fact I sent Grohmann a quick email on the spot.

Fortunately I carry a couple of DMT diamond sharpeners whenever I go camping for just such occations. I started to work the blade like I would any other Scandinavian knife. I was horrified to discover that they'd hollow ground the blade just a little. Not only is the grind too thin but it's hollow! I should have waited to send that email!

Hollow or not I tried again once it was sharp again. This time I tried cutting a pencil thick branch off of a sapling. It wouldn't do it. When I pulled the knife back my jaw hit the ground...the edge wa ripped up bad. Any of my other knives would need to be hammered onto steel to show this much damage. I'll upload pics when I get home.

An hour with the coarse diamonds and the bevel isn't flat nor has the damage been repaired.

I'm crossing my fingers that my great customer service experience was not a lucky one time deal.

Sounds like they skipped heat treatment.

They sure as heck skipped something! I would be, no pun intended, a very unhappy camper!!!

Came home a bit early so here are the pictures...be warned it's pretty bad. You can see where it's unpolished after the sharpening which clearly revealed the hollow grind. I can't help but wonder if they just took an off the shelf knife and ground it down until there was just one bevel. It would explain the narrow bevel angles and if they were hasty with their grinding they could have annealed the blade.

I did a quick test and I can put a bend in the blade with a push from a finger nail...and not a hard push...and my fingernails are hard like butter.

I'm going to call them on Monday and get this sorted out. I don't want to be a dick about it but at the same time this is the most I've ever paid for a knife and I'm worried about getting burned.

The first two were taken after I touched the blade up the first time. The 3rd is where I gave up. The DMT Coarse diamond stone cuts fast but the damage was too great. Pretty much an exercise in futility anyhow...there's obviously something really wrong...or a combination of things.

The pictures make me wonder what would happen if you tried to cut a medium well cooked Rib-eye steak.

Editedfor typographical error-Bo

I personally would not have messed with the blade after your first problems with it, and just returned it to them as it was. Hopefully they won't try to say you were a part of the problem. Good luck with the company!!!

Agree, it should have gone back to the company as is. They should have been given a chance to make it right before the issue was raised in public.

Now that it is raised, the only knives I've seen with an edge like that were cheap Taiwan kitchen knives -- thin blades with cheap steel. What steel is in this Grohmann?

Hacksaw,

You shouldn't have a problem with the company. If you do, give me a shout. I use to live in the area (well, Truro) and my dad still travels to Pictou often on business. He can hand deliver it - sometimes face to face resolving does wonders. Heck, he prob still has contacts there (not sure, but wouldn't doubt it).

Wish you luck, but I don't think you need it. They are a stand up company and more then likely it was an honest mistake.

Kris

The Steel is 'European C70' Carbon Hardened to 56-58 according to Grohmann.

I didn't mind trying to sharpen it again because I took pictures first. It's still bad and I'm sure that I could still recreate those results on the tip where there was no damage. I'm fairly confident they'll want to make this right...I'm just not sure what the final solution will be...I'm flexible.

I think this is just a simple oops on their part. It's an unusual request and the first time they've done this kind of thing. It's a hunting knife and should have been tested before going out the door IMO. It doesn't really matter at this point what happened as long as it gets taken care of somehow.

I think it's funny that at the very top of their warranty card in big bold letters it reads 'Superior Handcrafted Quality'. Reading that gave me a little chuckle. Their warranty also states that: 'Dents...breakage or chipped edges' void the warranty.

I also don't mind raising the issue in public because of the fact that I already gave them such high praise and many of you seem to be considering ordering from Grohmann...the story should be finished before that happens. I'm a very spontaneous person so waiting until the entire thing is done with just isn't my style. If they're honest people (and I have no reason to think they aren't), then this will get resolved. If they make it hard, then you all should know that too so you can make educated decisions about similar purchases...from any company, not just Grohmann.

Grohmann was very prompt in replying to my emails this morning...but while their answers have been prompt and professional, their message isn't what I expected.

I'm going to send the knife back for them to look at but they are treating this as sending it back for repair only.

They are sticking to a strange position that this knife can ONLY be used for skinning and pelting and can't be used on 'hard' surfaces and that even after repair, this will be the case. They aren't even considering the fact that there could be something wrong or that a mistake could have been made.

They also mentioned that the repairs may be at my own expense and not covered by warranty.

Not very impressed at the moment...we'll have to wait and see.

Ouch, sorry to hear that, Hacksaw.

I would have expected such a deep grind to be a little more delicate, but clearly something's amiss.

I thought they were giving you a flat grind. A hollow grind could easily make the blade too thin.

Hope things work out.

Hummm... Interesting response. I've personally never heard of them saying anything along the lines of the response you posted.

I've also never heard of a knife that can't be used on hard surfaces (assuming your referring to wood...).

I've never own any of their non-kitchen knives (even though went through cubs and scouts 40 mins from there), but i've used their chef knives a lot. If I didn't already have a nice selection of Wusthof and Henkel, i'd get a complete set of theirs.

I highly recommend their filet knives.

Wish you good luck with this and hope there is a solution that you can live with.

You took you blackberry camping? come-on man, that's blasphemy.
How can you get away from it all when you take it with you?

The Army issued ones have weak tips for some "Army" work and the wooden handles have been known to split, but they otherwise are good little knives if you keep the jobs in par to what the knife was intended. I don't know the steel type, but I know you can chop branches with them easily without the blade edge bending.

Of course, if I break it I simply walk it over to the QM and get a brand new one in exchange so I tend to take less care of it as I would if I paid for it out of my own pocket.

Do you think it was the steel or the grind, or a combo of both? Hope it works out for you.

I take the Blackberry everywhere. I was actually in the process of stashing it in my glove box when I noticed there were bars so I figured what the hell, I'll send them an email about it and get it off my chest so I can enjoy my weekend sans belt knife.

I have a theory about what might have happened...

When I was phoned to be told it was ready, they mentioned how long it took the production manager to get it right. I can't help but wonder if the grinding overheated the metal and it lost it's temper...it's so thin that it would heat up easily. There's no reason the edge should bend laterally under pressure from my (very soft) fingernail...that's just not right now matter how thin.

Unfortunately my research on C70 steel has only come up with it's use in forged piston connecting rods so I can't confirm that as a possibility.

If they just fix the edge and send it back, I'll likely grind it down to a compound bevel like an off the shelf knife and consider it the equivalent to a custom bird and trout knife...chalking the extra expense up to a valuable life lesson.

If this was a custom, what grind/edge geometry did you ask for? A thin hollow grind is not what you want for a GP survival blade.

That is too bad Hacksaw. A very thin scandi can sometimes be to thin. I have rolled edges on knive I took to a zero grind but nothing at all like yours.

You may want to see about exchanging for a flat ground that one I think they do have worked out.

A scandi grind is preferable for wood working not food prep skinning etc so their reasoning is not quite on the mark. I hope they make it right for you.

Good luck....it sure looked good.

I asked for a traditional scandinavian single bevel grind but with the handle and blade shape of a traditional Grohmann #1 knife. I provided them with more than enough information, pictures, and references to create an accurate representation.

The stock is 1/8" thick which is thicker than many scandi knives so a properly angled grind should have been possible.

Now that I think about it more, I think what they did was take an off the shelf 'sabre grind' #1 knife and ground down the primary bevel until it was the only bevel. On nearly any knife this would leave an edge which was too thin...if it weren't, there would be no such thing as a compound bevel grind IMO.

It's also possible that the grind is not too thin...just too thin for the characteristics of the steel they use...I'm not in a position to say definitively on that one however.

Just an FYI for anybody following this thread.

I finally got my hands on some proper measuring tools and calculated the angle of the bevels.

The total flat to flat angle is 11 degrees...or 5.5 degrees per side.

That is very very acute. 15 deg is considered a delicate carving angle by the fellow I buy my wood working knives from. I am not sure that could hold up no matter what the steel etc.

My Skookum tools are in the 12 degree range but are true scandi ground not a hollow. That is about as small an angle as I would like to have on a working tool.

5.5 per side is fine if the knife is hard enough, but the range you are specifying isn't there. I would take the 5.5 if it were at 65 or 66 HRC, otherwise, I'd put a small microbevel in it.

Here's what happens when you get D2 too thin. This is a Queen 4180 that I took down to about 12 deg. This damage was caused by cutting fuzz sticks in pine - not a terribly demanding task. Up until this point, I thought this was the be-all end-all combination, as it would slice cardboard all day.

On the bright side, it's thin enough that I removed 95% of the damage with a small micro bevel on a DMT blue in about 3 minutes. It doesn't cut quite as well with the microbevel, but is still miles ahead of lots of other knives in my collection. And it resists damage quite well now.

I chalked it up to learning the limits of D2...

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q203/sodak_photos/queen_4180.jpg

I recieved an email from Grohmann this morning...I have to admit they are so prompt it's almost creepy.

There was no debate this time...they admitted that this knife can't be fixed and had already refunded what I paid. I was hoping to talk to them about it but this conclusion, at this point, is to my satisfaction as I should only be out ~ $30 for shipping fees.

Now the question is should I re-invest that money into something else (a REAL scandinavian knife?) or leave well enough alone?

Hi Hacksaw,

Glad you got a full refund, how about getting yourself a REAL scandinavian knife like the Helle Harding,



8 1/4" overall. 4" triple laminated steel drop point blade. Handle is curly birch and rosewood with stacked leather spacers. Brass stud on butt end of knife is used to secure it to leather belt sheath

Costs about $86 from http://www.discountcutlery.net/en-us/dept_21320.html

Costs $65 from http://www.ragweedforge.com/helle/h-models.html

"...as I should only be out ~ $30 for shipping fees..."

What? They are sticking you with the shipping fees for a product that THEY screwed up? Amazing, simply amazing...

They didn't specify but I'm expecting them to keep it...they don't even cover shipping on warranty work (you have to send money for return post) so this would be normal for them. I'll find out for sure when I get my Visa statement. Half of that was my out of pocket expense for shipping it back to them...that's gone either way.

I REALLY like Helle knives. They are some of the prettiest scandi knives out there...on the pricey side as that style goes but still reasonable compared to the mainstream.

I may contact Ragnar and get some things shipped up. I may even order some bare blades and experiment with making my own handles...at least then I can get something unique but on my terms without the risk.

Go for a real scandi is my advice. Ragnar has a ton to choose from....my choice would be the birch bark handled Iisakki Järvenpää Aito.

http://www.ragweedforge.com/FinnishKnifeCatalog.html

This is a knife that satisfies, it is semi hard to get but has a perfect sized blade and warm and comfortable handle and only requires a bit of edge work to get is just the way you will want it.





If you wanted a grand custom I would order one of Rod Garcia's Skookum Bush Tools.



I have an article about this one here:

http://outdoors-magazine.com/s_article.php?id_article=341

I've been eyeing The Skoolum for a while too. The Aito is a knife Ragnar speaks VERY highly of and he's as much an expert as I know of.

I've also been eyeing the Puukko and Leuku Combination from Järvenpää. Ben's Back Woods has the Carbon Steel versions a bit cheaper than Ragweed Forge (and in stock).

Ben is a good guy too. I think just about any decent scandi from those guys would be a good knife. It is really too bad about the Grohmann but the outcome was not as bad as it could have been.

Rod's Skookum would take a few months to get but it is my hands down favorite knife right now. (I have three versions). The IJ Aito is a very close second. It is not a perfect scandi grind....just a very shallow hollow with a secondary bevel. I have worked mine to nearly flat (you can see the small spot of remaining hollow near the bolster). The tip has a bit of work left to get it perfectly flat and symmetrical too, but it carves like no tomorrow and feels like warm velvet. I polished the brass butt to a rounded smooth termination too for greater comfort in the palm.

For the money it is a very nice scandi.

I have friends with the Puukko/Leuko combo and it makes for an excellent set too. I have a Leuko on my "need" list.

I don't think either Ragnar or Ben will steer you wrong.

You like (too soft a word) edged weapons, you are interested in custom tailoring your blade to your needs, and you are good with your hands. How about a knife kit:
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/default.php?cPath=22_104_537_546_556

The dixie catalog is an inch thick and a riotously funny piece of literature, its inexpensive and you have complete control over the customization.

Nursemike,

I should have known better than to follow your link to Dixie Gun Works. Now I have to explain this to DW.

-Blast

Hacksaw,

That is just wrong on their behalf. Maybe be out of pocket for you shipping it back, but not having it shipped to you... They obviously made a mistake and you shouldn't have to pay for it... Any blade that you can bend with your fingernail just isn't right...

Mike

You're right Mike but I'm not going to force the issue at this point. I will say that they are NOT taking responsibility. They are just taking the path of least resistance. Their last email indicated that since they could not put the metal back which I removed, the blade was unrepairable.

I'm willing to let bygones by bygones and move on to the next endeavor.

Knive kits have always caught my eye but I've always been hesitant. My experience with such kits is that they're made for a boyscout type audience and the quality isn't usually there. The kits at Dixie look nice but not exactly what I'm looking for style wise...not this time anyhow.

Ragnar also has several kits and the prices are pretty good.

Well, I guess that will be the last time you order from them...

I wonder what the outcome would have been if you didn't attempt to sharpen it...

I like to think it would be the same...but who knows.

To me that's like losing any warranty on a tire that went flat 3 blocks from the tire shop because you drove the car back on the spare. A carbon steel knife is going to need to be field sharpened now and then...it happens (though it should never need to happen every time...or the first time).

I've spent a good part of the afternoon looking at the Skookum knife...I think I'm a bit too impulsive to wait that long though it is very nice.

I think you should give Rod an email....order up a Skookum and then buy an IJ for now. By the time the Skookum is ready you will be wanting another knife anyway

I think you're right about that.

Although given how much time I've spent at the Ragweed Forge website today, it may take me that long to decide on something...so many options!

Hi Hacksaw,

The Helle laminated blades you can buy can easily make the basis for your own custom knife.

Ray Mears in the ' Bushcraft 2x04 - Sweden' episode on VeohTV has a laminated Carbon Steel blade made for him and then goes on to make the handle himself.

So if you have got some rosewood, reindeer antler, curly birch, leather etc lying around this is certainly an excellent way to make your own custom knife. You could even make a guard made from nickel silver for that really special knife.

Sorry, Blast- forgot the basic instructions: "lead us not into temptation, deliver us from cannons..."

Dixie is great-gotta love a gun catalog with blunderbusses (blunderbussi?)and cannons, readymade or in kit form.. Takes me back to the 1950's ads in the American Rifleman from Interarmco- they offered a swedish 37mm antitank gun with the headline "Stop that charging woodchuck at 3000 yards!". No good stuff like that around anymore, sadly.

Q-Why do you have cannon fuse?

A-For my cannon...

Take a look at Jantz Supply . I have made a bunch of their kit knives, and have been more than happy with the quality of their stuff, and their service...

“Well, honey, you know how all those people never noticed the ‘No Soliciting’ sign on the porch… I thought, ‘Maybe if we put the sign somewhere more prominent, like this here cannon!’”

"...http://www.crazycrow.com..."

Have you ever bought blades from them? I like the looks (and price) of a couple of their damascus blades...

Thanks. Soon as I finish up the ones I already own I will give them a try...

I'm without internet at home and not being able to research stuff over the weekend almost drove me bonkers.

I did happen to go into a local shop on the weekend and I think I found my next big chopper to compliment whichever Scandi blade I decide on.

They had just gotten a shipment of Cold Steel in and to my shock, the prices are almost exactly what the US retail price is...it's the first time I've seen knives in Canada priced appropriately since our dollars became equal to each other. I almost bought the Carbon version of the Recon Scout. It's the thickest blade I've ever seen on a knife, very sharp, felt light for it's massive size, and has a nice tactical style sheath that even the pricey San Mai III version of the same knife doesn't have. The craftsmanship was not spectacular but better than I expected from a blade made in China.

Anybody have experience with this bowie? I figure pairing it up with a good knife from Ragnar and I should be covered for all my bush needs...for now

I have owned a Recon Scout for years. It is a little big for every day use, at least for me, but it does chop pretty well, and just has a nice shape to it. I didn't like the sheath that came with it, so I had one made out of kydex. It rides high, the guard just about even with the top of the GI pistol belt I used to carry it on. After years of use, the black "baked on" finish is looking pretty sad, but the blade still works...

It seems like the toughest fixed blade knife you can get for the money. I was shocked at how thick it is. I was going to go with the cheap cold steel Kurkri but I'd like to have something that can be used as a backup knife as well as chop some wood and stand up to those tasks that one should never use a knife for (unless it was your life on the line)

Even cutleryscience.com gave it some pretty good marks.

I'd be wearing the sheath inverted from a mercharness or strapped to a pack (which is why I like the tactical style sheath over the cordura or leather of Cold Steel's other bowies)...I hate anything that long hanging off my belt.

I found an online retailer which has great prices on Cold Steel and they're in Canada. www.warriorswonders.com

I don't suppose anybody has dealt with them before?

I've used a Recon Scout as one of my primary "choppers" for years, and love it. The Carbon V takes a good edge, and this is a tough knife. You can always thin the edge out a little if you like it to cut better, but mine cuts just fine. Good luck!

Thanks for the tip sodak: I'm either going to get the Recon Scout or a traditional Leuku. The Recon is massive but I've heard the blade chips fairly easily on hard surfaces due to the extreme hardening...on the other hand the Leuku was designed for cutting firewood and splitting reindeer bones.

I sent an email to Ragnar yesterday (there's no phone number on his website which I can find). I'm eagerly awaiting his reply...the waiting is driving me bonkers.

I've almost completely sold myself on the Aito. It's fairly unique, functional, and pretty.

Aito and Leuko would set you up for sure. The Aito has to be held to really appreciate its perfection. The birch bark version is fairly hard to get anymore. Ragweed and Kellam are the only places I know to get them. I consider the IJ Aito to be the best production knife I own.

I want to add a Leuko to my set but have not ever done it. A 7 or 8" Leuko would seem a much better choice to me than some massive Cold Steel tool (not calling it a knife....way to thick). If I want a thick cutting tool I use a proper ax.

Ragnar's service is exceptional. I think it will take a couple extra days for Canada but he really has provided nothing but amazing service on my orders.

That's great to hear Schwert.

I went and held the Recon Scout again today...it's way too massive to be practical...especially since my needs are not tactical in any way.

I think I may end up either the Aito and a Leuku or the Aito and the Puukko & Leuku combo both.

I think I'm going to pick up some Helle blades as well and try my hand at making a handle or two.

Ragnar has that Norwegian Strömeng 7" Leuko kit blade for about $20 that has my eye.

21810; 7" Sameblad, about 7 1/8" long, 1 7/16" wide, and .110" thick, $21
22010; 8" Sameblad, about 8" long, 1 5/8" wide, and .110" thick, $24

I see most of his Leuko selection in carbon is limited, but the Ahti looks like it might be a good one for a good price.


#9618; The "Leuku 180" has a blade 7" (182 mm) long, 1 1/16" wide and .129" thick. The handle is enhanced by a brass ferrule and pommel. Again the 5" handle is sized for a larger hand. This would be a serious tool for butchering, cutting brush, etc. The sheath hangs from the traditional twisted leather thong, and the knife and sheath together weigh about 6 3/4 ounces. $87.


Good luck with whatever you get though.

"They had just gotten a shipment of Cold Steel in and to my shock, the prices are almost exactly what the US retail price is..."

Hacksaw ... details please ... who's the retailer?

Milarm in Edmonton. They're selling the Recon Scout for $113. The San Mai stuff is still overpriced as usual (Laredo Bowie for $600+)

They also have the SRK for just over $100...pretty nice knife.

I'm surprised they lowered their prices. They're the only guys in town who sell Cold Steel...sort of had the corner on that market. Nice to see the dollar finally making an impact on things I buy.

www.warriorswonders.com is selling the Recon Scout online for under $100 and the rest of their prices are all sub-retail and in CDN dollars. I was going to go that route but I'm not familiar with them as a retailer...glad I waited until I could feel it out a bit more.

If Cold Steel will ship to you, you might check their factory seconds. I have bought several of those over the years, back when there was a Great Western Gun Show in L.A. and they had tables there, fantastic deals. Only cosmetic blems, usually on the handle, for half price or less...

In case any of you were wondering...they didn't refund the shipping.

Figures...