norseman Posted December 9, 2022 Admin Share Posted December 9, 2022 1 hour ago, NorthWind said: I love my ESEE, too. But I am loving my Fallkniven Frej NL4 even more. Any excuse to use it in the field is a joy, even if all I am doing is digging out a splinter. It is my first convex grind knife, and man is it easy to touch up the edge and get scary (sexy) sharp again. If I had to have one knife for the rest of my life (life wouldn't be worth living), that would be it. And the one negative regarding my Mineral Mountain Combat Bowie, is the scales they used. They are smooth micarta, and you may have or may NOT have heard, but here in Oregon we get our fair share of rain. A wet smooth micarta handle is just too slick. I ended up wrapping my handle with paracord. That helps a LOT. It is one heckuva chopper, made with 1/4" thick stock. Sad to hear they have had quality control issues. I have a friend who has one of their tapered-tang fighters, and he loves it. https://www.amazon.com/Anti-Slip-Traction-Tape-Friction/dp/B07HK53HBS/ref=asc_df_B07HK53HBS/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312115148598&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12713095790526826053&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033761&hvtargid=pla-595293523829&psc=1 https://www.bladehq.com/item--Fallkniven-NL4-Northern-Lights-Frey--20092 My only dislike of the NL4 is the threaded cap. I like a pinned slab sided handle. I’ve just had too many come loose on me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwakwe Posted December 9, 2022 Author Share Posted December 9, 2022 I like that MM Combat Bowie, been foraging for big blades recently. I'll need to add a stacked leather handled something or other at some point, the NL4 would work! Found this 80s vintage Tak Fukuta Grizzly beast-15" OA, 1/4"+ thick 9.25" blade. Well made, nice fit/finish, hefty sheath too. Esee 4 for comp: And some micros: CRKT Minimalist and Cudeman Yoda. Never carried a neck knife, seems handy if a bit in the way when leaning forward 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwakwe Posted January 20, 2023 Author Share Posted January 20, 2023 Old story with a moral-- always carry a knife in the wilds, but hopefully you'll never have to put down a Griz!: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/6-inche-blade-vs-grizzly-really-and-the-blade-won.125906/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norseman Posted January 20, 2023 Admin Share Posted January 20, 2023 1 hour ago, Kiwakwe said: Old story with a moral-- always carry a knife in the wilds, but hopefully you'll never have to put down a Griz!: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/6-inche-blade-vs-grizzly-really-and-the-blade-won.125906/ Gene Moe. And the Buck folder was a hideous choice to do battle with a Griz. I’m glad it worked out for him tho!👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwakwe Posted January 20, 2023 Author Share Posted January 20, 2023 39 minutes ago, norseman said: Gene Moe. And the Buck folder was a hideous choice to do battle with a Griz. I’m glad it worked out for him tho!👍 A Buck 110?!? That's maybe a 4" blade. Griz was fairly well perforated with it though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norseman Posted January 20, 2023 Admin Share Posted January 20, 2023 49 minutes ago, Kiwakwe said: A Buck 110?!? That's maybe a 4" blade. Griz was fairly well perforated with it though. Gene wasn’t unscathed but he lived. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthWind Posted January 21, 2023 Share Posted January 21, 2023 On 1/19/2023 at 9:07 PM, norseman said: Gene wasn’t unscathed but he lived. "Yeah, but you should see the other guy." Crazy stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwakwe Posted January 25, 2023 Author Share Posted January 25, 2023 (edited) Larry Harley designed, Paragon Cutlery executed Battle Bowie from Seki, Japan. A thing of wicked beauty IMO. Black micarta scales on 1/4" full tang fit perfectly, it is designed for thrusting as Mr. Harley created it as a hog hunting knife. Well balanced, nice heft, great fit and finish and the choil, combined with finger grooves is spot on for whatever "delicate" work one would do with an 8" blade. Swedge is ground to an edge but currently, not quite sharp. Sheath is functional but unworthy so I'll make a leather one. 8" blade including choil, 13.5" OAL. Edited January 25, 2023 by Kiwakwe 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackRockBigfoot Posted January 25, 2023 Share Posted January 25, 2023 1 hour ago, Kiwakwe said: Larry Harley designed, Paragon Cutlery executed Battle Bowie from Seki, Japan. A thing of wicked beauty IMO. Black micarta scales on 1/4" full tang fit perfectly, it is designed for thrusting as Mr. Harley created it as a hog hunting knife. Well balanced, nice heft, great fit and finish and the choil, combined with finger grooves is spot on for whatever "delicate" work one would do with an 8" blade. Swedge is ground to an edge but currently, not quite sharp. Sheath is functional but unworthy so I'll make a leather one. 8" blade including choil, 13.5" OAL. Where are you finding all of these awesome vintage Japanese knives??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwakwe Posted January 25, 2023 Author Share Posted January 25, 2023 14 minutes ago, BlackRockBigfoot said: Where are you finding all of these awesome vintage Japanese knives??? https://www.arizonacustomknives.com/ or that big auction site (which, BTW now demands a SS# and birth date to sell, sayonara. If any are interested in a mint Bark River BlackJack 1-7 green micarta saber grip, holler, can't bring myself to scuff it up with use when I have a sub-hilt 1-7, which is harder to come by, and a good user Halo 14.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiflier Posted January 25, 2023 Share Posted January 25, 2023 PM sent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwakwe Posted January 26, 2023 Author Share Posted January 26, 2023 Still a bit amateurish but an improvement IMO. First go with saddle stitching, that's the way to do it: I'm finding I skimp too much on welt width and pattern size in general, a little more meat and I could have belt sanded these down to a flatter edge, not terrible though: 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackRockBigfoot Posted January 26, 2023 Share Posted January 26, 2023 37 minutes ago, Kiwakwe said: Still a bit amateurish but an improvement IMO. First go with saddle stitching, that's the way to do it: I'm finding I skimp too much on welt width and pattern size in general, a little more meat and I could have belt sanded these down to a flatter edge, not terrible though: I didn’t know that you made sheaths Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwakwe Posted January 26, 2023 Author Share Posted January 26, 2023 11 minutes ago, BlackRockBigfoot said: I didn’t know that you made sheaths Tinkering really, with a few more tools I think I could turn out something semi-professional looking. Devil is in the details. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SasquatchPA Posted March 14, 2023 Share Posted March 14, 2023 (edited) I just got these two Puma Knives. The top one is a 1981 White Hunter and the Bottom one is a 1972 Original Bowie. Edited March 14, 2023 by SasquatchPA 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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