I have a couple of articles in the works. A review of another Evan Williams Whiskey. I’m also going to review and compare 2 Morakniv knifes I have. Waiting on 1 to get here. I really like the first. Going to put them both through some usage tests. Stay tuned!
Schrade Old Timer 150T Deerslayer
As you may not from previous posts, I love vintage knives, of all kinds. My father picked up a Schrade Old Timer 150T “Deerslayer” the other day at an auction. It’s definitely seen some use, and misuse as well. The sheath is pretty rough and looks like something has been chewing on it. The knife itself is in decent shape, but the blade does have some discoloring. But it has a great edge to it.
I thought it was a rather strange shape for the blade as the top 3/4 inch of the blade has an edge much like current tactical or fighting knives do. Doing some research, that isn’t how these knives were made. So that has been added. Most likely, the tip was broken and that was the fix decided upon.
I’m wondering how this might make for a hunting/skinning knife? That tip mod might come in handy when field dressing a deer. It might. Or it just might get in the way. Guess we’ll have to wait and see. The knife has a good feel and a nice heft. It’s certainly sturdy enough to handle dressing a deer. I like the finger guard on the bottom and the thumb placement indention on the top of blade. The only concern there is the thumb indention is serrated, so that could be bothersome with long use.
I would love to know the story behind this knife, who used it and what for. That’s the real interesting part of collecting old knives and guns, the history behind it and the owner.
Gear Review: Mora 612 First Impressions
Being a hunter and outdoorsman, I love good knives. I only wish I had the budget for a really great field knife. There are some sweet custom knives out there I see in the magazines that I would love to own someday. But one knife that I frequently see mentioned are those made by Mora of Sweden. Swedish steel seems to have a very strong following and their fans will tell you its some of the best steel out there. But the one differentiating thing about Mora is their affordability.
But how can a good knife be so cheap?
Mora has some great reviews, but I was still skeptical. That is until I saw Cody Lundin using one on Discovery’s Dual Survivor show on an episode. OK, I’ll bite. I’ll order one and see how they are. Besides, they’re cheap. If it isn’t any good, I haven’t wasted a lot of money on the thing.
So I ordered the Morakniv Classic 612. From what I could tell, Cody had the Classic #2, but I liked the finger guard on the 612, just for a little more safety. I read through all the reviews and knew what to expect.
Upon its arrival, I immediately checked the sharpness of the blade. Not bad. I could feel a little bit of roughness like it just needed some honing, but it went through a piece of paper OK. The first thing one notices is the difference in the bevel on the blade, it’s much wider than the short bevels of most American knives, more on this in a moment. The next thing I noticed was how good the knife felt in my hand. The handle was perfect for me. It has a great feel. The only thing I was initially disappointed in is the sheath. They aren’t giving away anything there and probably why their knives are so inexpensive, there’s nothing in that sheath. It’s made of some very thin plastic. The other noticeable thing is that the top of the knife is very rough and unfinished. Most people clean that up some, from what I’ve read.
The first thing I used the knife on was the pheasant and quail from my last hunting trip. I used it to clean the birds when I got home. It did a good job, but cutting through the wing bones seemed to rough the edge up a bit more. The shape of the knife blade is perfect for cleaning up small game. I don’t think it would do well on large game like deer, as the blade feels a little light for that kind of work. But I could be wrong there, we’ll have to wait and see. If you do your own butchering, it might do well for deboning. Maybe. I’ll need to ask my buddy that does his own butchering.
After I finished with the birds, I took a stone to the blade. This is where that bevel really comes in handy. This was one of the easiest knives to sharpen. Since the bevel is so wide, it easily lays across the stone, making it a breeze to sharpen. And it really takes an edge. After a few passes on the stone, it went through a piece of paper like butter. Easy sharpening is a big plus for me there.
So that’s the first impression. There’s some good things about it. It takes a great edge and its very affordable. The sheath is flimsy and the knife blade feels a little light for any type of heavy duty field use, but I really haven’t put it through its paces there yet. I’ll post some updates as I use this more. But really, for the price, less than $20 shipped, not sure you can really go wrong with this.
Of Guns and Knives
Wow, I can’t believe that summer is half over already. All it seems I’ve done is work. I still have yet to take a vacation. I haven’t even had time to post to the blog. It’s kind of hard to post about hunting when there isn’t any hunting to be done. But that will be remedied in about 2 months when dove season starts and of course, muzzleloading deer season. So here’s what I’ve been up to this summer so far, besides working like a dog at my day job.
I went through conceal carry class and turned in my application. Forty five days and I’ll join the ranks of the CCW crowd. Don’t ask me why I wanted to take it. I don’t necessarily feel scared and need to carry a gun. I did it more for the fact that I could, since Kansas is a CCW state. And to poke my finger at the anti-gun crowd. It will keep the stats way on the positive side and make their lies all the more noticeable. I’m still trying to ultimately decide what I’m going to carry, when I do. I have a Glock model 27, or rather, the good wife does. It was her father’s duty gun, he was in law enforcement for various departments. But I’m not a huge fan of Glocks. I’m more of a revolver guy and have been drawn towards a S&W model 60 in .357. We’ll see, I have time.
I’ve also done a bit of shooting here and there. The last time out, I went with Keith’s dad out to his gun club and watched a black powder match. I’m really considering joining the club. It’s reasonably priced, but a bit of a drive considering I live roughly 15 minutes from another range. I’d save money in the long run and could go whenever I wanted if I joined, as opposed to 2 weekends a month at the close range. Plus they have a 200 yard range and lots of different types of shooting out there including cowboy action. OK, I’ve talked myself into it.
The other project I started is making my own skinning knife. I did some reading and saw what some were doing with old hand saw blades. So I got an old saw from my dad, and here is the knife I cut out. I’ve done a little work on the edge, but still have a lot to do. I have some cabinet maple scraps that I’m going to use for a handle. I’m a little skeptical that this blade will hold any kind of edge, it seemed a little soft when I was grinding on it. But we’ll see, it might be more a proof of concept than anything. It’s been fun so far though.
So that’s what I’ve been up to this summer. I’m really looking forward to deer season this year. I have so much to make up for from last season. I also really want to get those Marlins out as well. So what have the rest of you been up to this summer? Anyone ready for hunting season to kick off?
For Want of a Pocket Knife
I’ve carried a pocket knife, of some sort, for ever. Probably over 20 years. The most recent knife that I’ve carried has been the small, Swiss Army style knife. I decided that I wanted something more traditional, besides, all I ever seemed to use was the blade anyway. So I kept my eyes open, looking for just the right one. I don’t really like tactical knives and wanted something small to fit in my pocket.
I found it in a Buck Mini Trapper. It has a great look, has a nice heft in my hand. It just feels right. My only complaint, it’s made in China (much like everything these days, but that’s another post). Other than that, it’s a great knife. The first weekend I had it, I wandered around the house looking for excuses to slice open stuff with it. I couldn’t wait until the mail arrived.
My father collects vintage pocket knives. His main criteria; it has to have USA stamped on it somewhere. He favors the old Bucks and Uncle Henry knives. He pulled out his collection to show me some of his finds he’s picked up along the way. He’s got some great old knives.
He handed me an old Kabar that was my great uncle’s and told me it’s mine. Wow! I have a soft spot for Kabar as I have one of their military knives and have been jonesing for one of their hunting blades. The pocket knife is in great shape and it’s almost delicate in it’s feel. It’s very slim with 2 blades. But it’s rugged, it’s survived at least 40 some years and still holds a great edge.
Dad and I recently went on a scavenging trip down to a couple of small towns in Southern Kansas. We visited an antique shop and a couple of pawn shops. He found a Schrade Old Timer in the antique shop that he liked and the proprietor gave him a good deal on it. I thought about picking up one of the 2 Buck’s there, but changed my mind.
I did, however, score a great deal on a Schrade Old Timer with 3 blades at the first pawn shop, nabbing it for a song (much to my dad’s dismay). I asked if he’d take $5 for it. The owner screwed up his mouth a bit and said $8. Deal! Guess it never hurts to ask huh? The blades are sharp and the knife is in great shape. It just needs a little bit of cleaning up. That was just too good a deal to pass up.
I really don’t know the value of any of these pocket knives, probably can’t really be measured. But I’ve caught my dad’s bug for them. I guess it’s due to my nostalgia for vintage these days and looking back to things lost. These knives were built to last, made in a time when you kept things and fixed them when they broke. Not like the throwaway world we live in now. But there’s just something about these old knives, something about the look and feel of them. It’s almost like you can feel the history in them.
So how many of you carry a pocket knife out there? If you do, what kind?