A New Knife For My Foraging Adventures

[Mistwalker]

One of the first things I learned when I started reading the forum was that I wanted to some day acquire one of Stuart Mitchell's knives. And after 17 years of rollercoaster life.... recessions, a divorce, a broken leg, a career change, the madness of the last 4 years, 9 years as a single dad, etc. etc., a couple of weeks ago I finally managed it.

I managed to acquire one of Stuart's P90s I believe is perfect for my foraging work. I went almost wholely holistic a few years back, and collect a lot of roots and leaves I make extracts and tinctures from. I took it for a little wander in the Smoky Mountains this past weekend, I'm looking forward to more time with it on future outings.

Very pleased with the knife on all points. Now I'm hoping I can manage one more for a Middle Earth inspired cookbook I'm working on.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Nice looking knife, the orange scales will make it easy to find if dropped.

 

[oldtimer]

Nice to see a good knife being used for its intended purpose rather than being stuck in some armchair bushcrafter's drawer in anticipation of a profitable future resale.

 

[Tony]

, lovely knife and good to see that it's being put to good use

 

[Robbi]

That's a cracking knife, health to enjoy Sir.

 

[Pattree]

It’s a useful looking knife in a beautiful environment. (I always feel something magical at water meets.)
Enjoy!

 

[demographic]

I always like the idea of brightly coloured knife handles.
If it's being used you don't see it anyway cos its in yer hand and if you drop it you can find it easy.
makes sense in my head anyway.

 

[Athos]

Kind of worries me that so many of you are worried about dropping and losing knives. If it’s not in your hand, sheath it. Simple way to not lose a knife.

Very nice blade though Mistwalker. I have a P90 Ultralight as my hunting knife, although my picture is nowhere near as great as yours!

 

[Nice65]

Lovely to see a bit of Sheffield history in Tennessee. Stu make a fine knife indeed.

 

[TeeDee]

Kind of worries me that so many of you are worried about dropping and losing knives. If it’s not in your hand, sheath it. Simple way to not lose a knife.

Very nice blade though Mistwalker. I have a P90 Ultralight as my hunting knife, although my picture is nowhere near as great as yours!

View attachment 86362

So what is the High Visibility hank of Bright Orange Paracord for you've attached to your sheathed knife for then? Decoration?

Just wondering .

 

[Mistwalker]

Nice looking knife, the orange scales will make it easy to find if dropped.

I'm not too bad about dropping my knives, but I am prone to lay them beside me when I am diging up roots, even sheathed. I live in a deciduous temperate rain forest with a LOT of leaf little on the ground, and between myself and the blustery winds of late summer early autumn sometimes part of the knife will get buried under leaves. So I like unnatural colors on the knives I use for foraging, sometimes blue because there is little to know blue in the woods here.

Nice to see a good knife being used for its intended purpose rather than being stuck in some armchair bushcrafter's drawer in anticipation of a profitable future resale.

I always use my knives. I hope I never need to sell this one, one of the reasons I've delayed the purchase till I had my life more sorted out.

, lovely knife and good to see that it's being put to good use

I think so too, Ireally like it. I hope I can manage one more of Stuart's knives with a more organic looking handle for another project I am working on.

That's a cracking knife, health to enjoy Sir.

Oh I'm certainly enjoying it so far. I also like the like of his P120 and wonder what blade shape the next in the series will have.

It’s a useful looking knife in a beautiful environment. (I always feel something magical at water meets.)
Enjoy!

I love the blade profile, I prefer pointy blades for detail work. And I live in a temperate rain forest, lots of streams creeks and waterfalls here in the hills, from roaring falls to babbling brooks, and that's a lot of what keeps me here. Thanks, I plan to!

I always like the idea of brightly coloured knife handles.
If it's being used you don't see it anyway cos its in yer hand and if you drop it you can find it easy.
makes sense in my head anyway.

I agree.

Kind of worries me that so many of you are worried about dropping and losing knives. If it’s not in your hand, sheath it. Simple way to not lose a knife.

Very nice blade though Mistwalker. I have a P90 Ultralight as my hunting knife, although my picture is nowhere near as great as yours!

View attachment 86362

I like the ultralight also, May try to score one of thos later if I can.

Lovely to see a bit of Sheffield history in Tennessee. Stu make a fine knife indeed.

Yes he does, I've lusted over several lol. And yeah my thoughts too. I live in the foothills of the mountain chain I would have named the "Misty Mountains" Had I been in Horace Kepharts position.

 

[gg012]

What a lovely knife, use it in good health!

 

[Athos]

So what is the High Visibility hank of Bright Orange Paracord for you've attached to your sheathed knife for then? Decoration?

Just wondering .

Fair one! I don’t return the knife to the sheath when I’m working on a carcass for hygiene reasons (until I’ve finished and cleaned off the blade). The paracord gives me a few options to retain the knife - between the teeth, clutched between palm and pinky finger - for when I need both hands free.

This is why I have such a long dangler Sir!

 

[TeeDee]

Fair one! I don’t return the knife to the sheath when I’m working on a carcass for hygiene reasons (until I’ve finished and cleaned off the blade). The paracord gives me a few options to retain the knife - between the teeth, clutched between palm and pinky finger - for when I need both hands free.

This is why I have such a long dangler Sir!

Ahhh got you.... Just happened to have JUST hi-vis Orange to hand. Makes sense.

Happy hunting Athos.

 

[Athos]

Ahhh got you.... Just happened to have JUST hi-vis Orange to hand. Makes sense.

Happy hunting Athos.

I have a lot of orange paracord, it’s primarily what I use as it’s most visible in woodland.

Anyway, back to the OP’s thread. If you like the P90/P120 it is worth taking a look at Stu’s MuntjaX model too.

 

[Nice65]

think so too, Ireally like it. I hope I can manage one more of Stuart's knives with a more organic looking handle for another project I am working on.

Ahem

For Sale - Stuart Mitchell #2 blade knife NOW £175/£165

Unsure of the name of the blade, or when they were made. It will have been a short run, and I bought the blade in 2008 second hand on BB. It’s stamped 20, not sure of steel, it’s never tarnished but is likely 01 (EDIT: Stuart has told me this is actually D2 tool steel). Some years later I was...

bushcraftuk.com

 

[Mistwalker]

Ahem

For Sale - Stuart Mitchell #2 blade knife NOW £175/£165

Unsure of the name of the blade, or when they were made. It will have been a short run, and I bought the blade in 2008 second hand on BB. It’s stamped 20, not sure of steel, it’s never tarnished but is likely 01 (EDIT: Stuart has told me this is actually D2 tool steel). Some years later I was...

bushcraftuk.com

Thanks for letting me know, I like that a lot, great profile that would fit in really well. But the project I am working on is a somewhat different sort of cookbook that, among other things, is an homage to as many of the knife makers I have gotten to know and have come to admire over the last several years as I can And I want them all to have the maker's current markings for any closeups.

 

[Klenchblaize]

That’s one hell of a testimony to the work of a British knifemaker, given the Op is from the US which isn’t exactly short of such artisans.

K

 

[Nice65]

Thanks for letting me know, I like that a lot, great profile that would fit in really well. But the project I am working on is a somewhat different sort of cookbook that, among other things, is an homage to as many of the knife makers I have gotten to know and have come to admire over the last several years as I can And I want them all to have the maker's current markings for any closeups.

Fair enough. To be honest I shouldn’t really be linking to my sales thread in your post, and I’m in no great rush to part with it. Another nod to Stu’s work seemed appropriate though, and this one has a bit of history.

The Secare was quite a thing, solid and pleasing.

 

[Mistwalker]

That’s one hell of a testimony to the work of a British knifemaker, given the Op is from the US which isn’t exactly short of "such artisans."

K

No shortage of artisans to be sure, but not very many have the sort of history in knife making Stuart has, nor the passion in their craft he does. And not all are such class acts either. I must have bugged him about this knife 10 times in the course of making a decision and sorting the funds. After bugging him for years in general lol, and he was a class act all the way through.