Giants of June/Big Blades Challenge - June 2024

[nate j]

Day 2

This is the Buck 119 Special.

It is the plain Jane version with 420HC steel, aluminum guard and pommel, and black phenolic handle.  It’s 6” blade puts it cleanly in bounds for this challenge.

Possibly Buck’s most popular fixed blade, it was once common to see these for sale many places, including Walmart.

I’ve never routinely carried this one, but it did ride around in the center console of one of my vehicles for some years.

At the time I bought it, it came with the nylon and plastic sheath shown, which, while not an outstanding sheath, is IMO better than the leather sheaths that are presently provided.

[Farmer X]

Post-election jitters here...

Your elections are held over the weekend? In the States, they're nearly always on a Tuesday.

Here's a single blade 65 pattern Case Folding Hunter in CV steel.

With a nice patina, I might add!

It was once common to see these for sale many places, including Walmart.

I think some still carry fixed blade Bucks. You won't find any such things at the Meijer nearest my house, though.

Another great day, y'awl!

Day 2

Today the No. 12 was on apple cutting duty.

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Granny Smith apples are pretty good with salt. I tried one piece with chipotle powder. I'm not sure if I did my usual and applied it with a heavy hand, or it's one of those things that wasn't meant to be.

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The No. 12 also served as a steak knife tonight. It should be well on its way to developing a sweet patina....but it's a nail ripper. I need to figure out a better way to oil the pivot point.

[TexasAKM]

Day 2!

This is one of my favorite small fixed blades, the Cold Steel Roach Belly.  I have two or three.  Great handle and blade grind, to me.

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[nate j]

With a nice patina, I might add!

I gave it a head start with some vinegar; now letting it go naturally.

[Humayd A R Mahomedy]

Your elections are held over the weekend? In the States, they're nearly always on a Tuesday.
With a nice patina, I might add!
I think some still carry fixed blade Bucks. You won't find any such things at the Meijer nearest my house, though.

Another great day, y'awl!

Day 2

Today the No. 12 was on apple cutting duty.

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Granny Smith apples are pretty good with salt. I tried one piece with chipotle powder. I'm not sure if I did my usual and applied it with a heavy hand, or it's one of those things that wasn't meant to be.

  [ Quoting of attachment images from other messages is not allowed ]  

The No. 12 also served as a steak knife tonight. It should be well on its way to developing a sweet patina....but it's a nail ripper. I need to figure out a better way to oil the pivot point.

nope,elections were last wednesday,results Sunday night,constant threats of "civil disobedience" since.

some cool blades here

Day 2
i'm still giving the Prodigy a workout.
the sheath is bulky,but i'm making do

20240603_201050 by Humayd a r Mahomedy, on Flickr

[nate j]

Day 3

This is the Zero Tolerance 0452CF.  Blade is just over 4” (sometimes listed at 4.1”) of S35VN.

It’s really a pretty sweet knife.  It opens quickly via flipper tab, and closes easily one-handed due to the frame lock. The handle is a good fit for my hand.  ZT seems to have hit the sweet spot with the pocket clip; I don’t recall having to adjust the tension to get it to work properly.

Back slab with the clip and frame lock is Ti.  Front slab is CF.  I would like to get one of the limited editions with Ti front slab, but they seem hard to find and expensive when found.

This one gets quite a bit of pocket time.

[TexasAKM]

Day 3!

Today I carried my other Spyderco Resilience.  It has a slightly shorter blade, must have had the tip busted off, and fixed well.  I bought it used.
The blade is still just over a Rebar long.
Farmer X- I believe these are the G10 handle scales, on both.

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[Farmer X]

The Cold Steel Roach Belly.

I like the lines on it!

Elections were last wednesday,results Sunday night...

We usually have our results the morning after election day.

Front slab is CF.

That carbon fiber looks pretty spiffy. I'm wondering how well it would work on a fixed blade.

Farmer X- I believe these are the G10 handle scales, on both.

Another great day, y'awl!

Day 3

Due to a busted water line across the street, I was forced to eat a dinner that could be prepared quickly. So no kitchen action for the No. 12 tonight. Instead, here's the Old Hickory boning knife I pulled out of the surprise box, just hanging around. I'll get me coat. The fillet knife is a Victorinox, but the bread knife, scissors, and sharpening steel are no-name PRC stuff.

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[TexasAKM]

Day 2

This is the Buck 119 Special.

Those look really nice!

[TexasAKM]

I like the lines on it!

Thank you!  I find it very handy.  I have ordered a new sheath for it, should be in Friday or so.  I'll post a pic.

[Humayd A R Mahomedy]

Day 3

This is the Zero Tolerance 0452CF.  Blade is just over 4” (sometimes listed at 4.1”) of S35VN.

It’s really a pretty sweet knife.  It opens quickly via flipper tab, and closes easily one-handed due to the frame lock. The handle is a good fit for my hand.  ZT seems to have hit the sweet spot with the pocket clip; I don’t recall having to adjust the tension to get it to work properly.

Back slab with the clip and frame lock is Ti.  Front slab is CF.  I would like to get one of the limited editions with Ti front slab, but they seem hard to find and expensive when found.

This one gets quite a bit of pocket time.

i dig it,but then ZT's are cool.

Day 3
glam pic on a Springbuck hide

20240604_202634 by Humayd a r Mahomedy, on Flickr

[Farmer X]

glam pic on a Springbuck hide

No such things at the Farmer X homestead, though.

Day 4

Is it a new sharp?

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No. While the VA and I are having a "gift exchange," they aren't in the habit of gifting sharps. However, the gifts I receive have been better than those I gave.

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The action shot came out blurry (of course), but the No. 12 did make a rather large hole in the seal on the pill bottle. The pills are intended to help with a vitamin D deficiency.

[nate j]

Looking good, fellas!

[nate j]

Day 4

This is the Case Large Slab Side Hunter.  Its 5” blade is Case’s TruSharp stainless steel.

Handle slabs are amber jigged bone, while fittings are nickel silver.  It also has black liners, but not enough material exposed there for me to get a positive ID.

This knife came with a leather sheath, though I’m not sure of its current whereabouts.

These knives were being made full tang before that was a marketing point.

It’s a shame these aren’t being produced anymore.  They do show up on the secondary market, but prices are getting stupid for ones in decent condition.

This one never really broke into my regular use/carry rotation.

[TexasAKM]

Day 4!

Cold Steel Finn Bear.

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[Humayd A R Mahomedy]

No such things at the Farmer X homestead, though.

Day 4

Is it a new sharp?

  [ Quoting of attachment images from other messages is not allowed ]  

No. While the VA and I are having a "gift exchange," they aren't in the habit of gifting sharps. However, the gifts I receive have been better than those I gave.

  [ Quoting of attachment images from other messages is not allowed ]  

The action shot came out blurry (of course), but the No. 12 did make a rather large hole in the seal on the pill bottle. The pills are intended to help with a vitamin D deficiency.

thanks Farmer.
i have a Blue Wildebeest [Brindled Gnu,shot by a buddy of mine] hide draped over the 3 seater,wife relented 

Day 4
i switched over to a cool knife,i don't remember carrying until now.
the BM Red Class Gamer is a lightweight,"little big knife". got some use too. i have another Red Class BM i'll post here later this month.

20240605_204723 by Humayd a r Mahomedy, on Flickr

20240605_090954 by Humayd a r Mahomedy, on Flickr

20240605_080333 by Humayd a r Mahomedy, on Flickr

[Farmer X]

This is the Case Large Slab Side Hunter.  Its 5” blade is Case’s TruSharp stainless steel.

Sweet blade! And it doesn't look to have the typical (dare I say it?) Case over-polishing.

Cold Steel Finn Bear.

Looks like Cold Steel's take on a Puukko...a type of blade I sometimes think of getting.

the BM Red Class Gamer is a lightweight,"little big knife". got some use too.

Looks like its sized just right for a good many jobs!

Day 5

Today I did a health assessment on a tangerine.

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It seemed okay, so I ate it. Hopefully that won't be a regrettable decision.

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I intend to get an outside photo on the next sunny day, or at least one taken in a window. The patina is much more noticeable in sunlight than under the obnoxious LED bulbs in most of my fixtures.

[TexasAKM]

Day 5!

Night pic of my "plain" Spyderco.   Long, busy day, but good.

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[Humayd A R Mahomedy]

Day 5
Slicing some biltong,which is the S African version of jerky,but,traditionally,not as dry.

20240606_141040 by Humayd a r Mahomedy, on Flickr

[Farmer X]

Night pic of my "plain" Spyderco.

Great night shot!

Slicing some biltong...

Day 6

20% of the way in. Let's do a little patina check, shall we?

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My natural lighting photos weren't as good as I would have hoped. But if you enlarge the photos, you can see some patina has developed, especially in the first photo.

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[nate j]

Day 5

This is the Benchmade Anonimus.

It features 5” of Cerakoted CPM Cruwear.  I’m generally not a fan of coated blades, but I’ve made an exception here.  The blade is thinner than might be expected on a bushcraft/survival knife; I assume BM is counting on the extra toughness of this steel.  It does result in a knife that is well-balanced and lighter than many competitors, weighing in at 8.8 oz including sheath.

On the subject of the sheath, kudos to BM for including a quality sheath that is worthy of this knife.  Too often, manufacturers put effort into turning out a decent fixed blade, but then pair it with the cheapest smurfiest sheath they can find; fortunately not the case here.

The handle slabs are G10 and have a nice shape and texture, enhancing grip without being too aggressive.  I would have preferred blaze orange or something else more eye-catching than OD green, but that’s a minor quibble.

One enduring mystery is why manufacturers think these sheaths need fire steel loops.  Everyone (including me) I know who bothers to carry a fire steel carries it in their fire kit, along with some tinder, matches, a Bic or two, maybe some charcloth, etc.  Another minor detail, though, as it is easily removable.

I haven’t taken this one hiking or camping yet, but I ought to.

[nate j]

Day 6

This is the Benchmade Crooked River.

It’s 4” S30V blade features dual thumb studs, but it can also be opened with just a stiff wrist flick.

This model has smooth grey G10 handles, aluminum bolsters, and BM’s AXIS lock.

BM did I nice job with the pocket clip; I can’t recall having to adjust the tension on it.  As can be seen in the pics, the pocket clip can be configured for RH or LH use, but is tip-up only.

It’s a comfortable knife, both in hand and in pocket.  This one has definitely been carried and used, but not abused.

[nate j]

Day 7

This is the Buck 656 Large Pursuit Pro.  It’s 4.5” blade is S35VN steel.

In spite of its odd and space-age sort of appearance, the glass filled nylon handle is comfortable in hand and provides a good grip.

Sheath is not comparable quality to the knife, but seems functional so far.

I’ve carried this one a few times, but not many.

[Farmer X]

One enduring mystery is why manufacturers think these sheaths need fire steel loops.

Maybe there's another item that would carry in the fire steel loop just as well?

In spite of its odd and space-age sort of appearance...

That's definitely an accurate way to phrase it!

Day 7

Why they insist on putting ground meat in such stoopid packaging is beyond me.

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Will using dimmer light and correcting the exposure show the patina better?

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[David Bowen]

Count me in, I've got a few larger knives that need testing/reviewing. I don't typically carry a blade of 4" or larger, 3-3.5" is my sweet spot.

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[nate j]

Maybe there's another item that would carry in the fire steel loop just as well?

Perhaps, but what?

A small diamond rod maybe, but I already have one in my pack.

A small flashlight?  Two already in pockets and a headlamp in my pack.

If I got serious about carrying this one, I’d probably remove the two screws and ditch the loop.

Why they insist on putting ground meat in such stoopid packaging is beyond me.

I suppose they are putting it in packaging that is cheap and convenient for the meat processor, not necessarily convenient for the consumer.

[nate j]

Count me in, I've got a few larger knives that need testing/reviewing. I don't typically carry a blade of 4" or larger, 3-3.5" is my sweet spot.

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

Glad to have you, DB!

[Humayd A R Mahomedy]

Day 6

This is the Benchmade Crooked River.

It’s 4” S30V blade features dual thumb studs, but it can also be opened with just a stiff wrist flick.

This model has smooth grey G10 handles, aluminum bolsters, and BM’s AXIS lock.

BM did I nice job with the pocket clip; I can’t recall having to adjust the tension on it.  As can be seen in the pics, the pocket clip can be configured for RH or LH use, but is tip-up only.

It’s a comfortable knife, both in hand and in pocket.  This one has definitely been carried and used, but not abused.

i always liked the Crooked River,a modern rendition of the classic lockback

Day 6
this a Randall style hunter by Michael Stein of Denmark,got it may 15 years ago.

20240607_212330 by Humayd a r Mahomedy, on Flickr

[David Bowen]

Glad to have you, DB!

Well fudge, I'm late to the game. I've had so much going on I forgot what month I'm in lol Maybe I can't contribute we'll see

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[Humayd A R Mahomedy]

Day 7
biltong duty 

20240608_201124 by Humayd a r Mahomedy, on Flickr