A facelift for an old friend

[mick91]

I've owned ALOT of knives, big ones, small ones, cheap ones, expensive ones, high tech fancy steels and carbon fiber to pig iron and plywood. But anyone who's camped with me, will be familiar with "ol' rusty"
A garlands skinner that cost me £7 out of a shop now defunct called field and forces in barnard castle about 12 years ago. Its always been my go to knife. Bought as a cheap every day knife to be used and abused, sharpened (literally) on the closest brick or rock. Used to skin and prep game, open tin cans routinely, pry open all and sundry and even used as a striker on flint.
Well after 12 years of hard use, being immersed in salt water fairly regularly, bashed through logs with a rock, used as a tortion bar to twist barbed wire and being used to remove nails from planks. Its fair to say it was in pretty rough shape. Seems only fair to refurbish something that's grafted so hard and owes me nothing. Its a knife I just know so well it would be hard to replace.
So without further ado, I present ol' rusty. Complete with new olive scales, New brass pins (to replace the ground down masonry nail it sported previously), a full regrind, good sharpen and a general clean up and polish on a wheel.

Here's to the next 12 year's bushcrafting rusty!

 

[Janne]

What can I say?
Fantastic job! Specially the wood looks great.

 

[mick91]

What can I say?
Fantastic job! Specially the wood looks great.

Cheers mate was an offcut from a knife made for someone else and just happened to be the right size!

 

[Janne]

You mention that it is not made out of any fancy steel, but from the look of it now, and your previous use / abuse, it propably is a quite tough alloy. Good quality " for the purpose".
Of my own little knife collection I find the cheap Swedish Nora knifes ( both carbon steel and s/s) to be better than the ones with powder steel or laminated VG10.
Sometimes less is better?

 

[mick91]

You mention that it is not made out of any fancy steel, but from the look of it now, and your previous use / abuse, it propably is a quite tough alloy. Good quality " for the purpose".
Of my own little knife collection I find the cheap Swedish Nora knifes ( both carbon steel and s/s) to be better than the ones with powder steel or laminated VG10.
Sometimes less is better?

Couldn't agree more. If wager it's some kind of lower quality stainless. It had corroded slightly on the blade and the tang was pretty rusty but cleaned up fine. It also holds an edge well. As you say as long as it fits the purpose, perfect example with mora there. They're brilliant, we all own one for a reason!

 

[MilkTheFrog]

Nice knife though. Good to have something cheap and reliable. I worry that people can get turned off from practising bushcraft or outdoor skills because of the extent to which people obsess over gear, and how quickly it can all add up if you get sucked in by the hype for all the top end products.

 

[mick91]

Nice knife though. Good to have something cheap and reliable. I worry that people can get turned off from practising bushcraft or outdoor skills because of the extent to which people obsess over gear, and how quickly it can all add up if you get sucked in by the hype for all the top end products.

Aye I think so. No need for it to cost the earth to practice, and expensive doesn't always mean better. I think it's a perfect example of that. Don't get me wrong I won't be obsessing over it either, it's still my primary tin opener and pry bar, but at least now I know I can do it up again when it's looking rough

 

[nuggets]

A `before` piccy would have been nice for a comparison mick

 

[mick91]

A `before` piccy would have been nice for a comparison mick

I'll try and find one. It was the one you saw in ovingham though

 

[mick91]

That's the same knife. Unfortunately you can't see the state of the blade but the plywood sheath should give an indication

 

[Woodywoodpacker]

Now for me this is proper recycling as it should be. We could all probably learn from this example. It looks like a new knife Mate.

 

[nuggets]

top job bud

 

[mick91]

Now for me this is proper recycling as it should be. We could all probably learn from this example. It looks like a new knife Mate.

Cheers man!

 

[mick91]

top job bud

Aye a bit of an improvement I think!

 

[Woodywoodpacker]

Is it in a plywood sheath because your sewing is not very good ha ha ha?

 

[mick91]

Is it in a plywood sheath because your sewing is not very good ha ha ha?

Got it in one! Haha. Getting better though slowly

 

[Woodywoodpacker]

Well mate you can't be instantly good at everything. The knife came up well though.

 

[mick91]

Well mate you can't be instantly good at everything. The knife came up well though.

Aye it's a learning curve. My main issue it would seem was using the wrong leather for quite a while, upholstery leather doesn't seem suitable

 

[Janne]

You making a hard (plywood) sheath is an unitentional throwback to the Sami people tech. They used wood or antler to fabricate some ot their sheats!
It is more practical to do this than soft leather, better protection for the blade and yourself!

 

[Klenchblaize]

Aye I think so. No need for it to cost the earth to practice, and expensive doesn't always mean better. I think it's a perfect example of that. Don't get me wrong I won't be obsessing over it either, it's still my primary tin opener and pry bar, but at least now I know I can do it up again when it's looking rough

If you don't own an Alan Wood/Ray Mears Woodlore knife you shouldn't be allowed near a wood let alone play in it.

K