The Bark River Knives Club

[David]

Nice pic Andrew!     

[sak60]

Thanks Nix and David 

[zoidberg]

[styx]

nice Barkie Zoid. what are those odd dogs in the background?

[zoidberg]

nice Barkie Zoid. what are those odd dogs in the background?

That's a bay Weasel and catch Baboon.

[David]

 

[styx]

nice Barkie Zoid. what are those odd dogs in the background?

That's a bay Weasel and catch Baboon.

interesting

[zoidberg]

[Nix]

Nice shot!

[Nix]

I'm going to share a rather ugly story, but it requires a bit of explanation, so please bear with me for a moment.   

We have a lawn. I'm not a big fan of lawns, but Mrs Nix and the hound enjoy a lawn, so we have a lawn. And our lawn came with an in-ground sprinkler system. Now, each year the grass grows, like a weed, around the sprinkler heads. No surprise there, the grass goes where the ground is wettest.

Left unchecked, the grass will literally choke off the sprinkler head and prevent it from raising up and watering the rest of the lawn. Since the whole system runs off pressure, if one sprinkler head is malfunctioning, the whole system goes down.

And Mrs Nix becomes unhappy.

So each year I have to trim away the matted root system that surrounds the sprinkler heads. Today was my day to do that.

And here is where my Blackjack Model 7 (made by Bark River Knives) comes into the story. I've tried various tools, but nothing works as well as a long, sharp, knife. My old Model 7 is perfect for the job.

<<< Warning: Brace yourself, it won't be pretty from here on. >>>


The yellow flag marks the location of a sprinkler head. You can't see it very well, can you?

So the excess grass and sod must be trimmed away.





After the Blackjack goes to work, the sprinkler head is open and ready for work. The Blackjack, however, is no longer shaving sharp......





Here's a shot after the task is completed. Each flag in the 5 gallon bucket marked a sprinkler head. You can see the results of the trimming. (Yes, that's the top of the sheath sticking out of the trimmings.)





Probably not what Mike Stewart had in mind for this model, but I'm going to declare it a victory.

I should include a few details and observations here, as well:

This knife is made with A-2 tool steel and given an awesome heat treat. It takes a great edge and performs really well. Note that while the edge dulled (severely) it did not chip or roll. And this is after using an aggressive stabbing action in stony soil. I think this outstanding performance is due to the nature of A-2, the great heat treatment, and the convex edge geometry. It's hard to think of a more brutal use for a knife than this work, but the Blackjack came through with flying colors. No, it won't slice newspaper now, but I'm confident I can restore the edge fairly easily. (I'll post again after I restore the edge.)

Also, when new, the handle was very smooth and glossy. Beautiful, really, but it felt a bit thick for me (and I have big hands), so I sanded it down a bit. I left the micarta rough for better traction. That might not have been necessary, and it detracted from the look of the knife, but I liked it better and left it in a rough state. So, the handle's appearance is no reflection on Bark River or Blackjack Classic Blades.

Lastly, if you decide to borrow this technique, be very careful, be sure to have a current tetanus shot, and it's a good idea to wear some appropriate safety equipment (gloves and eye protection). And be sure to use a knife as tough as a Bark River.

[styx]

had in mind or not, that is a job well done

[sak60]

Nice knife Nix. 

[zoidberg]

Mum had a habit of using my good knives to weed with when she visited.   

[Syncop8r]

Left unchecked, the grass will literally choke off the sprinkler head and prevent it from raising up and watering the rest of the lawn. Since the whole system runs off pressure, if one sprinkler head is malfunctioning, the whole system goes down... So each year I have to trim away the matted root system that surrounds the sprinkler heads. Today was my day to do that.

Could sinking some sort of plastic cylinder (piece of pipe, plastic jar with bottom removed etc) into the ground around each sprinkler prevent the grass getting too close? Perhaps replace the dirt on the inside with sand.  Grass may eventually pop up inside it but worth a try? 

[Nix]

A small length of PVC pipe might delay the ingress of grass for a while, but you know how grass is........ And I don't mind having to clear the sprinkler heads one or twice a year. It's one of those chores that makes my wife think I'm useful to keep around. 

[VICMAN]

So each year I have to trim away the matted root system that surrounds the sprinkler heads. Today was my day to do that.

And here is where my Blackjack Model 7 (made by Bark River Knives) comes into the story. I've tried various tools, but nothing works as well as a long, sharp, knife. My old Model 7 is perfect for the job.



Probably not what Mike Stewart had in mind for this model, but I'm going to declare it a victory.

This knife is made with A-2 tool steel and given an awesome heat treat. It takes a great edge and performs really well.

Nice job and great pics Nix!

I used to have a Black Jack Model 7...it was one of the sharpest knives I have owned.... a really great knife!

[Gerhard Gerber]

Probably not what Mike Stewart had in mind for this model, but I'm going to declare it a victory.

 

I'd put money on it Mike Stewart would love seeing their knives used.

Convex edges are king 

[magentus]

Here's my Essential with a new friend - Mora Robust from GLBM's 2k GAW.

[Nix]

You guys will recall that about a month ago I trashed a Blackjack Model-7 cutting sod and dirt and rocks while working on the sprinklers.




Last week I reached for that knife to cut some twine and......it wouldn't cut.     The edge was just gone. No surprise.

So today I got out the water-stones and set to restoring the edge. I could have used some sand paper to restore the finish, but I was focused on the edge (possibly read as 'just plain lazy'). I started with a 300 grit stone and worked my way down to an 8000 grit stone. After a light stropping, it was ready for testing.





OK, so it still looks pretty ugly, but let me tell you, this knife simply whispers through fine magazine paper and is now 'hair popping' sharp. I don't think it was this sharp when new.




I have to say, I don't think I've ever abused a knife as badly as I have this Bark River. Yet it got brought back to shaving sharp with just a little work and effort. I suppose I could try to pretty it up a bit more, but I kinda like it this way now. 

Well done Bark River!   

[zoidberg]

[styx]

nice ones guys

[magentus]

 My daughter is now the owner of my BR Essential. I cannot refuse her anything 

[eamo]

My daughter is now the owner of my BR Essential. I cannot refuse her anything 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOifa1WrOnQ

[styx]

My daughter is now the owner of my BR Essential. I cannot refuse her anything 

you're a good dad

[Nix]

Awwwwwww, that's so nice, Mags. 

But do remind her not to take it to school. Schools frown upon such things these days.   

[SteveC]

Show content

Nice pic !     

[magentus]

Awwwwwww, that's so nice, Mags. 

But do remind her not to take it to school. Schools frown upon such things these days.   

Lol - she's nearly 21 - I expect she'll take it to uni or the disco. 

[styx]

noooooo!!! that is a surefire way to lose it

[magentus]

noooooo!!! that is a surefire way to lose it

But what if someone at the disco needs some string cutting or a new walking/dancing stick whittled?

[styx]

noooooo!!! that is a surefire way to lose it

But what if someone at the disco needs some string cutting or a new walking/dancing stick whittled?

that is a reasonable argument but bouncers tend to be the grabby lot with cool gear