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A day in the life of a Farmer

us Offline Enginears

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A day in the life of a Farmer
on: December 28, 2023, 01:03:10 AM
I did some Alox mods fairly recently and kind of butchered my red scales, and built and tore up multiple iterations. Finally settled on a Farmer and wanted to really give it a spin. If anyone else wants to throw in a Farmer pic then please feel free.

I started the day with using the premier tool of the Farmer, the saw. 
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I made 3 cuts through some pretty thick stuff and mixed it up between left, right, and both hands together as I went.
I tried splitting the wood and realized pretty quickly that I needed to shorten my piece first. This was a no go. 
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But this length was okay, but still a bit rough. 
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us Offline Enginears

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #1 on: December 28, 2023, 01:17:16 AM
So I went about processing some wood. 
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The Farmer was pretty good at making small curls of wood, and the comfort in hand is decent. I think if I compared it to my regular folding saw + Mora, the blade of the Farmer is better than the saw.


us Offline Enginears

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #2 on: December 28, 2023, 01:36:51 AM
After that I got a little piece of fatwood and used the awl to scrape some. 
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The blade had taken a beating and was still sharp but not at sharp as I like.

The victorinox sharpener is good for bringing it back in a minute or so. 
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Stay tuned for the Farmer helping in making a fire.


us Offline zrxoa1

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #3 on: December 28, 2023, 01:44:53 AM
I want to know more about that beautiful bail!!!


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us Online IMR4198

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #4 on: December 28, 2023, 01:46:17 AM
Speaking from experience, that is some hard sawing with a SAK when it is a diameter that large.  Takes time and determination.  I generally sawed a while on something that size, then tried to break it.  Some first-class small campfire instruction and photos.  One way to do it, anyway.  Best wishes.  Gary
  :like:


us Offline Enginears

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #5 on: December 28, 2023, 02:54:38 AM
I transported my fatwood shavings in a napkin and it went up very nicely with just a couple of scrapes on the ferro rod from the back of the saw. I tested the can opener too, but the back of the saw was really letting the sparks fly. I scraped with it in the closed position, super easy, 
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A minute later and we are looking great. The transition from fatwood, to all my curls and then to small sticks went smoothly enough, just got to keep it slow enough not to choke everything out.
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Decided to make some tea. 
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 I was dead set on using the can opener tonight, and already ate, but had a stroke of creativity. 
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us Offline Enginears

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #6 on: December 28, 2023, 03:03:20 AM
Lifting the bottle out once the water was ready!
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And then finally my tea. 
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Speaking from experience, that is some hard sawing with a SAK when it is a diameter that large.  Takes time and determination.  I generally sawed a while on something that size, then tried to break it.  Some first-class small campfire instruction and photos.  One way to do it, anyway.  Best wishes.  Gary
  :like:

Thanks Gary! The Farmer saw pretty much peaks out at that diameter so it was hard going. I would usually kick and break in order to saw as little as possible but I wanted to try the batoning, and simulate making a fire when all the smaller twigs and stuff are soaked. I have some additional ideas for tomorrow that will show a good use for the sak saw too.

I want to know more about that beautiful bail!!!


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Hehe I am glad you like it. It was my first attempt at doing such a thing. I pounded the bail out of the same steel rod I used for the end pivots. I made one completely and broke it when trying to make it look perfect. This second iteration is not exactly clean and neat but it has a nice rugged look and functions nicely.
« Last Edit: December 28, 2023, 03:13:38 AM by Enginears »


us Offline Enginears

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #7 on: December 28, 2023, 03:12:35 AM
Duplicate


Offline MrToolJunkie

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #8 on: December 28, 2023, 06:47:26 AM
Looks amazing! I have the X version and it is one of my favorite Alox!


us Offline zrxoa1

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #9 on: December 28, 2023, 03:26:44 PM
Looks amazing! I have the X version and it is one of my favorite Alox!
I have the Farmer X but replaced the wood saw with the metal saw/file. Love it. Tim Simco did the work for me this time.





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us Offline Enginears

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #10 on: December 28, 2023, 07:03:38 PM
This morning when I was out it actually snowed for two seconds, which was a surprise since it’s above freezing for the most part. Sometimes hikers are on well trodden trails and carry a stove, tent pegs, and maybe a Classic SD, other hikers carry a full tang knife and a folding saw, but the Farmer falls between. The question that comes to mind is why do you need a bigger blade than the Classic? What can you do with that little saw? Yesterday the Farmer was able to process wood effectively for a scenario where the brush, twigs, and tinder are all soaked.

Here is a good hypothetical. Say your tent pegs all got left behind, or somehow fell out of your pack. With only a Classic, or Opinel, or maybe no knife you are searching for rocks and breaking sticks hoping to find something that works. This morning the Farmer made quick work.
 
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Cutting and prepping the posts, trimming the cordage, and then the tarp is set.
 
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us Offline Enginears

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #11 on: December 28, 2023, 07:09:33 PM
This setup was something I had not tried, a combo groundcloth setup with one trekking pole. 
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The anchor line off the pole went to a tree in this case, but it could easily have been extended down to an additional peg and made the structure free standing.
Once it is broken down, the hike can continue and pegs reused for the next night.
 
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I have the Farmer X but replaced the wood saw with the metal saw/file. Love it. Tim Simco did the work for me this time.

(Image removed from quote.)
(Image removed from quote.)


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That is very cool! I like the metal file quite a bit, and bet that is a fantastic EDC.


Offline MrToolJunkie

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #12 on: December 28, 2023, 07:31:01 PM
Love the pics and info you are sharing. Good stuff!!


00 Online Grand_Banana

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #13 on: December 28, 2023, 07:45:29 PM
This is a great field test thread Enginears. Never underestimate a good SAK.  How long did it take for the pegs?


us Offline Enginears

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #14 on: December 28, 2023, 08:20:56 PM
Love the pics and info you are sharing. Good stuff!!

Thanks MTJ, glad you are enjoying them. I like taking pics of what the Sak is up to  :D

Do you carry your FX a lot? This knife started as an FX but the scissors got moved to another alox mod.

This is a great field test thread Enginears. Never underestimate a good SAK.  How long did it take for the pegs?

Yeah I like putting a Sak through its paces, for an outdoor sak it is especially nice to pile up all the work and go to town. The pegs were maybe10-15 minutes, definitely longer than you’d want to spend sitting in the rain if you had lost your pegs.


us Offline Aloha

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #15 on: December 28, 2023, 09:59:26 PM
Just now seeing and reading this thread.  Nicely done.  Goes to show how skills and a good knife can accomplish quite a lot, not to mention some creativity with the can opener.  The great thing about the Farmer is being able to slip it into a pocket or even on a neck lanyard.  The awl is a great tool on the Alox SAKs. 

Thank you for sharing the pics and adventure.   :tu:
Esse Quam Videri


us Online IMR4198

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #16 on: December 28, 2023, 11:35:30 PM
Enginears!  Next time you see Felix Immler, he just might ask for your autograph.  Now everyone should know why it is short-sighted to just carry something like a Classic in the woods.  I like the bail also.  Losing a knife when you are in the woolies could be disastrous.  Best wishes.  G
 :tu: :tu:


us Offline Enginears

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #17 on: December 29, 2023, 05:01:57 AM
You don’t need a harvester to harvest! This evening the Farmer helped me harvest some kale, garlic chives, cilantro and mint from the garden. 
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Just enough for myself.
 
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The 93mm blade is a pretty good slicer, and made quick work of everything including some extra onion and garlic from the store.
 
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Turned into a healthy side dish for my evening meal.
 
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Just now seeing and reading this thread.  Nicely done.  Goes to show how skills and a good knife can accomplish quite a lot, not to mention some creativity with the can opener.  The great thing about the Farmer is being able to slip it into a pocket or even on a neck lanyard.  The awl is a great tool on the Alox SAKs. 

Thank you for sharing the pics and adventure.   :tu:

 :hatsoff: I am glad to share with everyone here, I always enjoy seeing and reading about others using their tools. The Farmer is a great package that maintains the pocketable nature of the Pioneer, very presentable as well.

Enginears!  Next time you see Felix Immler, he just might ask for your autograph.  Now everyone should know why it is short-sighted to just carry something like a Classic in the woods.  I like the bail also.  Losing a knife when you are in the woolies could be disastrous.  Best wishes.  G
 :tu: :tu:


Thank you! I would love to meet Felix Immler and see his skills first hand. I plan to find a lanyard or clip or something for the bail. So far I am carrying it either loose in my coat pocket, or in my new pocket organizer/wallet.


us Offline marlowe221

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #18 on: December 29, 2023, 07:25:46 AM
Y’all are killing me with this red alox!

Half the reason I don’t buy alox SAKs is because the red seems to be so hard to come by.


Offline MrToolJunkie

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #19 on: December 29, 2023, 07:33:02 AM
Thanks MTJ, glad you are enjoying them. I like taking pics of what the Sak is up to  :D

Do you carry your FX a lot? This knife started as an FX but the scissors got moved to another alox mod.

Yeah I like putting a Sak through its paces, for an outdoor sak it is especially nice to pile up all the work and go to town. The pegs were maybe10-15 minutes, definitely longer than you’d want to spend sitting in the rain if you had lost your pegs.

It is in my rotation for sure...it and the Pioneer X see the most carry from my Alox versions.


us Offline AzteCypher

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #20 on: December 29, 2023, 08:54:44 AM
This is good reading right here. I need to try my SAK saw on a dead tree we have in the back yard.
May the best of your past, be the worst of your future.



00 Online Grand_Banana

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #21 on: December 29, 2023, 04:06:02 PM
Missed the can opener bit. That’s clever.  :like:

Excited to see other uses you have planned.


fi Offline old Lefty

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #22 on: December 29, 2023, 04:28:10 PM
Fantastic stuff!

Lähetetty minun SM-T515 laitteesta Tapatalkilla

by this axe I rule


us Offline Enginears

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #23 on: December 30, 2023, 03:47:52 AM
The Farmer was back at it again going on a fairly long hike through mixed terrain. I went to an area that is mixed forest and usually grass/brush that is about shoulder height. I was surprised to find the city and other landowners had bushwacked a significant  area that is usually a pain to get to. The idea was to collect dry fire making materials as I went.
 
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By late in the day I had a pocket full of grasses, and some cedar twigs, and then hit the mother load and found a pine tree to climb into.
 
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I ended up with a lot of sap and some pieces of fatwood. 
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us Offline Enginears

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #24 on: December 30, 2023, 03:56:49 AM
The best 
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So this fire was a bit different in that I spent less time processing materials and more time collecting. All I did was squeeze some of the sap into the finer grass, and put a few slices of fatwood in the bundle. With the thicker dried grass and dried cedar it went up quick. 
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I am pretty giddy about the chunk of wood I cut out of the tree, it will be a great source of easy fires for the entire winter. So much sap, here is the aftermath of saw *after* field wiping/cleaning. 
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After getting home for the day I cleaned the sappy tools with acetone and shes as good as new, sans a few specs of sap deep in the saw teeth.


us Offline Aloha

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #25 on: December 30, 2023, 05:03:46 PM
Nice hunk of fat wood.  I can't get enough of it.  Any time I see a downed pine I go straight to it. 
Esse Quam Videri


00 Online Grand_Banana

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #26 on: December 30, 2023, 05:24:42 PM
Very nice. Use the ferro rod again to light it?  Interested to see what’s next.


us Offline gustophersmob

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #27 on: December 30, 2023, 05:33:17 PM
 Love this thread!   :like:

Reminds me a bit of the “old days” when the farmer was a forum favorite. Before those upstart Pioneer X and Farmer X started stealing its thunder. ;)
If the trees blew down the wind and no one was around, would the alphabet song really go backwards?


us Offline Enginears

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #28 on: December 30, 2023, 10:58:00 PM
The Farmer has an attraction to wood, and where I live there was a very bad ice storm a few years ago. After the storm cleanup I was left with a huge pile of logs and offcuts. Today I found a cool place where the wood had broken and torn as it fell, and it kind of resembled a ducks head and neck. More sawing.   
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After some amount of work I had an oddly shaped cooking utensil that will be good for scraping the curve of my skillets.
 
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The Farmer saw is one of those needed tools for when the object you are making needs flat edges of any kind.
 
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us Offline Enginears

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Re: A day in the life of a Farmer
Reply #29 on: December 30, 2023, 11:05:48 PM
The working product so far. 
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I will make an action shot and show some other cooking items I have made using Saks later. I think the curve of this one will be good for conforming to the pan, we shall see.

After working with some wood the Farmer comes into a more domestic setting where I used it to cut up an old activity book to make an impromptu collage with my 2 year old, since he wanted to use a glue stick.
 
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