I appreciate the basically critical nature of your assessment here. I wouldn't want most of those knives for a general purpose bush knife. The only one that looks very useful to me is the one with the trout shaped handle. I've never had a knife with any kind of blade guard that I liked, except maybe large chopping type knives or others in which hand position is never varied. I always remove them. Without any sort of pommel or blade guard or thumb ramp, I can hold the thing however I want, or choke way up on the blade, and I do when doing tasks that require a lot of control or odd positioning. When I think of using a knife, I'm rarely gripping it the way that all of those knives are designed to be gripped and sort of lock your hand in one position. As far as I'm concerned, that makes them sort of one trick ponies. I kind of prefer to gain my grip control with a larger handle (more area of surface contact) and texture (unpolished wood), rather than going with a more squared off or more radical H x W ratio, although that can be okay too. The only problem with a larger handle is carry-ability, but then there is no perfect handle or blade for a general use knife, so something's gotta give. The slip prevention can be attained to some extent with a trout shaped handle too, but nothing is fool proof and there is no substitute for experience and mindfulness. Those knives are mostly pretty "nice" in terms of fit and finish, but I don't think high fit and finish have much of a place in a utilitarian knife handle. I'm basically talking general purpose bush and hunting knives. Any kind of high polish or varnish has to go. I mean is it art, or is it a tool? Also, I think the handle should preferably absorb some moisture so that it stays dry more easily. Grippy rubber is okay, but I don't like slick heavy materials like micarta.
Nice kitty I have a custom handled one of those Iisakki knives, my dad gave it to me when i grew up, it has the handle shape of the fishing knife, minus the front dent, nice reindeer horn and blackwood handle on it... Flipped picture for no reason oi60.tinypic.com/iwrm12.jpg oi62.tinypic.com/2zh48z4.jpg I also have a Ratmandu and a Regulator Thinking of ordering a Arno Bernard Jackal
VicariousReality7 Thanks for sharing those pics, that is a much nicer piece of workmanship than mine. The RMD is one knife I somehow ended up with 2 of, an excellent tool. That Jackal looks like a very nice hunting blade.
I appreciate the basically critical nature of your assessment here. I wouldn't want most of those knives for a general purpose bush knife. The only one that looks very useful to me is the one with the trout shaped handle. I've never had a knife with any kind of blade guard that I liked, except maybe large chopping type knives or others in which hand position is never varied. I always remove them. Without any sort of pommel or blade guard or thumb ramp, I can hold the thing however I want, or choke way up on the blade, and I do when doing tasks that require a lot of control or odd positioning. When I think of using a knife, I'm rarely gripping it the way that all of those knives are designed to be gripped and sort of lock your hand in one position. As far as I'm concerned, that makes them sort of one trick ponies. I kind of prefer to gain my grip control with a larger handle (more area of surface contact) and texture (unpolished wood), rather than going with a more squared off or more radical H x W ratio, although that can be okay too. The only problem with a larger handle is carry-ability, but then there is no perfect handle or blade for a general use knife, so something's gotta give. The slip prevention can be attained to some extent with a trout shaped handle too, but nothing is fool proof and there is no substitute for experience and mindfulness. Those knives are mostly pretty "nice" in terms of fit and finish, but I don't think high fit and finish have much of a place in a utilitarian knife handle. I'm basically talking general purpose bush and hunting knives. Any kind of high polish or varnish has to go. I mean is it art, or is it a tool? Also, I think the handle should preferably absorb some moisture so that it stays dry more easily. Grippy rubber is okay, but I don't like slick heavy materials like micarta.
SkillCult Thank you for the thoughtful nature of your post.
Excellent overview. We sometimes concentrate too much on the blade shape & steel & not the ergos.
Nice kitty
I have a custom handled one of those Iisakki knives, my dad gave it to me when i grew up, it has the handle shape of the fishing knife, minus the front dent, nice reindeer horn and blackwood handle on it...
Flipped picture for no reason
oi60.tinypic.com/iwrm12.jpg
oi62.tinypic.com/2zh48z4.jpg
I also have a Ratmandu and a Regulator
Thinking of ordering a Arno Bernard Jackal
VicariousReality7 Thanks for sharing those pics, that is a much nicer piece of workmanship than mine. The RMD is one knife I somehow ended up with 2 of, an excellent tool. That Jackal looks like a very nice hunting blade.