eraaij
30-04-2005, 20:09
I received this knife a week or so ago but did not get to post a review, busy studying for the hunting exam (it went fine).
The communication with Allan was stellar. I ordered this piece a coupe of months ago, before Allan had to take some time off from the shop. He always kept me informed on the progress and was quick to respond. My original order was for an O1 version, with a 1/3 grind and a bocote handle. He contacted me 2.5 weeks ago and told me that he had a spare blade in D2 in 1/3 grind with a Paul Bos heat treat and could deliver that a bit faster. Since I had no D2 blade, I decided to go for that one. I was not dissapointed:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~eraaij/pics_bushcrafter/side_view.jpg
My first notice was that the knife felt very light, certainly in comparison with the Woodlore. The combination of a 3 mm blade, the hidden tang and the Bocote scales makes up for a very maneuverable package. Add to that an edge that starts at the handle and you have the ultimate controllable wood carver.
The handle scales are shaped top notch. My main complaint with a lot of bushcraft knives is that they have a lot of blade but let you down on handle size. You will certainly notice this when you use the knife for more than a bit of whittling. As much as I like my WS and Alan Wood woodlore, I think that the handles like done on Allan's knives and the OSF are simply better for longer/intense use:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~eraaij/pics_bushcrafter/top_view.jpg
This weekend, there was time for a bit of bushcraft. I decided to carve a handdrill from some Clematis from the winter stash to see how the knife would feel 'in the field'. Spring is always a nice time to start with blistery hands :) Before that, I quartered a chicken and a couple of carrots - kitchen or camp cooking duty so to speak.
http://www.xs4all.nl/~eraaij/pics_bushcrafter/handdrill.jpg
The edge holding was superb. The clematis had been drying inside for a couple of months and was quite tough. I cut another notch after the picture was taken. The knife was almost as sharp afterwards as it arrived - it still partially shaved and no chips or dents in the edge. A bit better edgeholding than my WS Woodlore I would say, but judging from one test, that does not mean much.
I took it to my sharpening pad to give it a razor edge again and noticed that the D2 steel gives a bit more difficulty with my standard sharpening setup (sandpaper/leather on wood). For the final edge, I ran it along my ceramic V-sharpener and that did the trick. For me, this means that the edge is maintainable enough to go with me in the field.
Finally, the Kydex sheath is great. A good snap fit, no rattling and a nice, workable high carry on the belt. The upside down carry choice that kydex gives would make this D2 knife a nice choice on canoe trips.
The price? About 110$. That is in my book a steal.
Thanks Allan!
-Emile
The communication with Allan was stellar. I ordered this piece a coupe of months ago, before Allan had to take some time off from the shop. He always kept me informed on the progress and was quick to respond. My original order was for an O1 version, with a 1/3 grind and a bocote handle. He contacted me 2.5 weeks ago and told me that he had a spare blade in D2 in 1/3 grind with a Paul Bos heat treat and could deliver that a bit faster. Since I had no D2 blade, I decided to go for that one. I was not dissapointed:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~eraaij/pics_bushcrafter/side_view.jpg
My first notice was that the knife felt very light, certainly in comparison with the Woodlore. The combination of a 3 mm blade, the hidden tang and the Bocote scales makes up for a very maneuverable package. Add to that an edge that starts at the handle and you have the ultimate controllable wood carver.
The handle scales are shaped top notch. My main complaint with a lot of bushcraft knives is that they have a lot of blade but let you down on handle size. You will certainly notice this when you use the knife for more than a bit of whittling. As much as I like my WS and Alan Wood woodlore, I think that the handles like done on Allan's knives and the OSF are simply better for longer/intense use:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~eraaij/pics_bushcrafter/top_view.jpg
This weekend, there was time for a bit of bushcraft. I decided to carve a handdrill from some Clematis from the winter stash to see how the knife would feel 'in the field'. Spring is always a nice time to start with blistery hands :) Before that, I quartered a chicken and a couple of carrots - kitchen or camp cooking duty so to speak.
http://www.xs4all.nl/~eraaij/pics_bushcrafter/handdrill.jpg
The edge holding was superb. The clematis had been drying inside for a couple of months and was quite tough. I cut another notch after the picture was taken. The knife was almost as sharp afterwards as it arrived - it still partially shaved and no chips or dents in the edge. A bit better edgeholding than my WS Woodlore I would say, but judging from one test, that does not mean much.
I took it to my sharpening pad to give it a razor edge again and noticed that the D2 steel gives a bit more difficulty with my standard sharpening setup (sandpaper/leather on wood). For the final edge, I ran it along my ceramic V-sharpener and that did the trick. For me, this means that the edge is maintainable enough to go with me in the field.
Finally, the Kydex sheath is great. A good snap fit, no rattling and a nice, workable high carry on the belt. The upside down carry choice that kydex gives would make this D2 knife a nice choice on canoe trips.
The price? About 110$. That is in my book a steal.
Thanks Allan!
-Emile