Small Fixed Blade: Schrade Custom

[Mistwalker]

For some time now I have been spending more time working with smaller knives. In a way it has been like a trip back in time for me…to a time when my priorities in choosing a knife were completely different than now. Then it was a time when I looked at the aesthetics of a knife as much as comfort and cutting ability and never really weighed them in their use as a defensive weapon. While I have found myself enjoying working with the smaller knives again, the current urban study I am doing is actually making it more of a necessity to familiarize with smaller knives and tools

This is a Schrade SHD1, simply says Schrade Custom on the ricasso, that I have been working with for a few days. It has a blade length of 3.75 inches or 9.5 cm with an over-all length of just less than 8 inches or about 20 cm. The blade is .125 inches or just over 3 mm.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn283/mistwalker13/Knives/Schrade%20SHD1/IMG_1865.jpg


It has a tapered genuine stag handle which is fitted well and that is comfortable but a little small for a tight four finger grip in my hand…but my hands aren’t exactly small either. Because of the pommel swell it does offer a great two-finger grip for chopping.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn283/mistwalker13/Knives/Schrade%20SHD1/IMG_1886.jpg

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn283/mistwalker13/Knives/Schrade%20SHD1/IMG_1861.jpg

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn283/mistwalker13/Knives/Schrade%20SHD1/IMG_1862.jpg

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn283/mistwalker13/Knives/Schrade%20SHD1/IMG_1872.jpg


The sheath is like the Scandi design but with a fixed belt loop and doesn’t dangle. It is very comfortable to wear, and fits the knife well…nice and snug so the knife won’t just fall out of it.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn283/mistwalker13/Knives/Schrade%20SHD1/IMG_1882.jpg

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn283/mistwalker13/Knives/Schrade%20SHD1/IMG_1884.jpg


Out of the box it is very sharp, it had no trouble whittling shavings from a Sycamore limb…

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn283/mistwalker13/Knives/Schrade%20SHD1/IMG_1832.jpg


and made quick work of producing some fatwood shavings for tinder

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn283/mistwalker13/Knives/Schrade%20SHD1/IMG_1835.jpg


The tip is good and stout also; I used it to whittle out a piece of Sycamore to use for a quick line tensioner.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn283/mistwalker13/Knives/Schrade%20SHD1/IMG_1864.jpg

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn283/mistwalker13/Knives/Schrade%20SHD1/IMG_1869.jpg

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn283/mistwalker13/Knives/Schrade%20SHD1/IMG_1871.jpg


and afterward it was still plenty sharp enough to slice some grape tomatoes…no large tomatoes on hand.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn283/mistwalker13/Knives/Schrade%20SHD1/IMG_1874.jpg

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn283/mistwalker13/Knives/Schrade%20SHD1/IMG_1881.jpg

All in all it seems a good knife. It’s the wrong time of year for me to do any skinning with it but I am sure it would handle the task just fine.

[Chinkapin]

look pretty nice, and is about the right size. What do they cost?

[Mistwalker]

look pretty nice, and is about the right size. What do they cost?

They're online for about $50.00 or 34 GBP

[dwardo]

Looks like a fair old bit of knife for the money. Good review...

[Mistwalker]

Looks like a fair old bit of knife for the money. Good review...

It does seem like a fair knife for the bush. Big enough to work with but no so big as to be obtrusive. Seems to hold an edge so far. I like the looks and feel of the stag handle.