andy said:
off, using pen knife, is abetter weapon, offense or defense, than is any big Bowie knife. It's THAT poor, and not worth the effort to carry it around, much less the hundreds of $ a decent one costs.
They have a very strong appeal to the ignorant "wannabees", that's all. For the same wt and bulk as some "Ron-Hood-approved" clunker knife, sheath, special secret compartment, etc, I can have an SOG Multitool, AND a silenced M21 Beretta .22.
You don't carry a bowie or other decent knife primarily for fighting, you carry it for fieldcraft.
There is a reason that EVERYONE who has spent serious time living in the bush carries a decent knife if given their choice of gear.
How big do you think this knife is?
It's exactly 7" from blade tip to handguard with a 5" handle. That's the same blade length as a USMC Kabar. A 7" blade is NOT that overly huge of a knife. It's pretty much medium size.
You act as if all decent knives cost $300 to $500 when made by someone else.
Yet you then brag about what a hotshot metal worker you are and you STILL don't have a decent knife.
How much do you think that knife cost?
The base project knife that I used for the blade cost, new, $75. I paid that much because I liked the shape, it is superb for a wilderness trekking knife, and it was hand forged out of a Mercedes leaf spring, and differentially tempered, by a master craftsman with about 30 years experience.
The spine of this knife is a full 1/4" thick yet it tapers down to a fine slicing and chopping edge.
See how the differential temper shows up after a 3 hour vinegar soak? This means they only fast quenched the cutting edge, so the rest of the blade isn't as hard and it can take abuse. The edge is about Rc59-60.
The steel for the handguard and the buttcap I scavanged off of the door hinge of a totalled out truck cab. The handle is the rear half of a hickory claw hammer handle I got at Home Depot for $3.50, and the 1/4" brass tubing I made the lanyard hole out of cost $1.50 for a foot of it. Add in the cost of some sand paper, a couple of abrasive and sanding disks for the dremel, a package of JB Weld (the handle and buttcap was put on with JB Weld and the rattail tang tip was then peened tight over a hole in the buttcap while the epoxy was still liquid).
OK, so aside from the cost of the base project knife, I spent maybe $15 on extra components plus elbow grease.
The sheath was a piece of a $2 chunck of 1-1/2" PVC pipe, some cordura nylon cloth, some 2" webbing (you can used scavanged automotive seat belts), some thread, a scrap piece of leather, and some automotive weatherstripping adhesive. The adhesive and the fancy belt fastener were the most expensive components on the sheath, but you could just use a belt loop.
YOU always talk about how everyone is so 'cheap', YET you refuse to even spend money on the basics, even when you could make a good deal of it yourself.
