Fred Fuller
May 30, 2008, 07:57 PM
Had another birthday not long ago. Double nickles this time, not that I'm counting or anything. That old phart I see in the mirror every day HAS to be some kind of optical illusion, I know- I wasn't 'sposed to live this long. :D
Be that as it may, various folks here trumpeted the RAT3 so much I decided I was going to buy myself one for my birthday. So I did.
Well, it came in t'other day. Dull as a froe, I'm sorry to say. Why is it that so many American companies don't seem able to deliver a new knife with a decent edge on it? I got a Frost green-handled stainless Army knife in the same order, that cost 1/6 as much, and it was usefully sharp right out of of the box- well, sheath, that is, since it didn't even come in a box.
So I grumbled and groused for a bit, and dug out the Lansky. After an hour or a little more I had decent 20-degree bevels evenly ground on both sides of the blade (and they even centered up at the point!), except for about a quarter of an inch on the right side back at the choil where somebody REALLY got careless with a grinder. That'll work out over time though.
Seems to be some good metal in that blade. When I got done with the coarse stone and worked down to the medium, after getting down to where the bevels began meeting and forming a real edge, it started talking through the stone a little bit. That little whispery drag on the stone that lets you know there's an edge under there that wants to get out.
I never took it down any finer than the medium stone, since there's still some rough work to do on it. But i wanted to feel how it was coming in those places where the bevels finally fully met. And it is doing just fine in those places. After I mess around with it a little I'll work on it some more, and it ought to be impressive when that edge gets all the way out from under.
I like the sheath system a good bit too. I put the boot clip on the right side, slipped the sheath behind my belt and it's ridden happily there for a couple of days. I have to be careful not to get too used to it being there, it has to come off if I leave the home place. NC is unreasonable about folks carrying fixed blade knives concealed sometimes, even little ones. My tee shirt hanging out covers this one all the way up. Has too, since it also covers up the butt of the J frame in my hip pocket.
It's a good size using blade, and the knife has a generous enough handle even for my ape hand. The choil lets you choke up on the blade enough for fine work with the tip if needed. The blade has a good belly for most general uses and a sharp enough point to be worth while. It feels good in the hand.
So all y'all be sure to sit around out there and feel guilty for twisting my arm till I bought this knife. It serves y'all right.
:D
lpl/nc
Be that as it may, various folks here trumpeted the RAT3 so much I decided I was going to buy myself one for my birthday. So I did.
Well, it came in t'other day. Dull as a froe, I'm sorry to say. Why is it that so many American companies don't seem able to deliver a new knife with a decent edge on it? I got a Frost green-handled stainless Army knife in the same order, that cost 1/6 as much, and it was usefully sharp right out of of the box- well, sheath, that is, since it didn't even come in a box.
So I grumbled and groused for a bit, and dug out the Lansky. After an hour or a little more I had decent 20-degree bevels evenly ground on both sides of the blade (and they even centered up at the point!), except for about a quarter of an inch on the right side back at the choil where somebody REALLY got careless with a grinder. That'll work out over time though.
Seems to be some good metal in that blade. When I got done with the coarse stone and worked down to the medium, after getting down to where the bevels began meeting and forming a real edge, it started talking through the stone a little bit. That little whispery drag on the stone that lets you know there's an edge under there that wants to get out.
I never took it down any finer than the medium stone, since there's still some rough work to do on it. But i wanted to feel how it was coming in those places where the bevels finally fully met. And it is doing just fine in those places. After I mess around with it a little I'll work on it some more, and it ought to be impressive when that edge gets all the way out from under.
I like the sheath system a good bit too. I put the boot clip on the right side, slipped the sheath behind my belt and it's ridden happily there for a couple of days. I have to be careful not to get too used to it being there, it has to come off if I leave the home place. NC is unreasonable about folks carrying fixed blade knives concealed sometimes, even little ones. My tee shirt hanging out covers this one all the way up. Has too, since it also covers up the butt of the J frame in my hip pocket.
It's a good size using blade, and the knife has a generous enough handle even for my ape hand. The choil lets you choke up on the blade enough for fine work with the tip if needed. The blade has a good belly for most general uses and a sharp enough point to be worth while. It feels good in the hand.
So all y'all be sure to sit around out there and feel guilty for twisting my arm till I bought this knife. It serves y'all right.
:D
lpl/nc
