I don't know about all you cats but I keep wanting a neck knife to work out for me on a daily basis. I have bought several knives for neck wear but every time it seems they end up being stored away...mostly I think because they were to large and too heavy to "behave" around my neck.

Well I may have found something I like finally.

We just returned from a long long vacation that took us from Seattle, to Moab (Arches NP), to Colorado Springs, to Yellowstone and home. 3500 miles total driving.

As always, I kept my eyes peeled for a new knife. In Manitou Springs, CO I found a small Muzzleloader/Reenactor shop that had a few choice items I had to have.

I found two small trade knives made by Dean Oliver (Oregon) hidden away in their display case, one that really caught my eye.



I had already sorted through a few strands of blue Russian trade beads, picked up a nice old awl (shown below) and a buffalo horn spoon…I could not let this light thin tiny knife lay there. It had a nasty wire edge on it, but the beginnings of nice convex grind in simple 1095 with figured maple. The neck pouch looked serviceable and only needed a new braid to bring it up to snuff. For $38 I figured this could be a nice knife.

I gave it a bit of edge work and started liking it even more. Very light and handy (12cm total length), and the super thin steel is sharp as a razor and the small size and light weight made it almost disappear around my neck even with the thin leather thong it came with.

Last week I braided a new kangaroo thong for it. (6-plait flat, dropped to 4-plait round and then back braided through the sheath holes).



He uses a canoe mark on this very thin steel (less than 1/16").

I have not been able to find out much about the maker yet, Ragnar lists his work but under the name of Dean Orman. I really like this very simple knife, apparently the smallest he makes.



Now going on two + weeks of it around my neck and no sign that it is going to get wrapped up and stuffed in the safe.

Once I completed and smoothed the convex on it and added the plaited thong, it is perfect for daily box opening, food packets...you name it.

Cheap as chips, handy and nicely made too.