Boker plus voxknives gnome
- Thread starter Man of Tanith
- Start date
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I'm a glutton for small knives... And I too have been looking long and hard at the Gnome. I'd like to hear opinions as well.
i think it would make a good back up knife or one for food prep etc. perhaps supplementing a larger blade or perhaps just on its own.
i might be about to type heresy but i find i don't use my knives all that much so for a lighter set up this might work really well,
i would also like to see pics of the sheaths please anyone who has one
i might be about to type heresy but i find i don't use my knives all that much so for a lighter set up this might work really well,
i would also like to see pics of the sheaths please anyone who has one
i have the micarta
as it came out of the box:
as I have it now:
its a funny little thing... the spine of the blade is very thick, and the blade is hollow ground- it spits wood up to about 5cm in dia without much effort. the curve of the blade and handle gives it fingertip control for delicate cutting (index finger along the spine of the blade) the only thing that i feem lets it down is the grip, i NEEDS a lanyard on it.
it's a nice little knife, and unusual looking- I too am a sucker for small knives
I have a few, though if I'm honest the one that gets most use is my ESEE Izula, it's big enough to get jobs done, but small enough to be given back to me after a copper had taken the top of his thumb off with it.
if you guys want I'll dig them all out for some snaps tomorrow side by side?
as it came out of the box:
as I have it now:
its a funny little thing... the spine of the blade is very thick, and the blade is hollow ground- it spits wood up to about 5cm in dia without much effort. the curve of the blade and handle gives it fingertip control for delicate cutting (index finger along the spine of the blade) the only thing that i feem lets it down is the grip, i NEEDS a lanyard on it.
it's a nice little knife, and unusual looking- I too am a sucker for small knives
I have a few, though if I'm honest the one that gets most use is my ESEE Izula, it's big enough to get jobs done, but small enough to be given back to me after a copper had taken the top of his thumb off with it.if you guys want I'll dig them all out for some snaps tomorrow side by side?
I have an Izula, and I'm tempted to say that if you had a good axe and a saw, the Izula is the only fixed blade you'd need. It's small, but built really, really well AND can take a beating. Add the micarta handles and you're top notch. The only reason it doesn't get as much use from me is because my sharpening skills are sadly deficient in anything other than Scandi. I'm working on it, though.
Top left.
To go around the horn... Top Left: Izula with micarta. Top Right: Ontario Ranger Little Bird (fun little one!). Beneath Top Right: CRKT Ritter Mk5 (also fun). Right: Spyderco Ambitious (wasn't a fan). Middle Right: SOG multi-tool (didn't like it, sold it). Middle Left: ESEE-4 (didn't like it... Handle too thin). Left: Titanium prybar I got from a maker on Bladeforums.
This picture was taken some months ago.
There's a lot of money sitting right there, and the saddest part is money doesn't equal happiness nor comfort. I find that a lot of knives made here in the States with "survival" being the selling point often lack simple lines and comfort in exchange for the item looking "cool." That said, not all are that way (Beckers are comfy)... But, you need only look to TOPS to see how silly it's getting. Granted, they have some nice users as well - but more often than not they have "what in the world would you use that for?" designs like the Tracker.
Personally, after all the knives and gear I've purchased with bushcraft, hunting, or EDC in mind... I keep going back to Moras, Green Rivers, and classic styles. After I was once called "Rambo" and "Zombie Killer" on a camping trip when I unpacked my Maxpedition backpack and pulled out a Becker BK7... I had to pause and reflect on my choices. Though I shouldn't care what people think in terms of what I use, perhaps I should also take care in how I am perceived when out and about, you know?
Wow, I rambled, sorry.
Oh, and if you think the blade on that Izula is just a tad small... You can get the Ka-Bar EsKaBar (cheaper, even), which is an ESEE Izula handle mated to a Becker Necker (BK11) 3" blade.
ok gents as promised....
I've experimented with a few small knives over the past year looking for the 'perfect neck knife' so far I've gone through a Boker+ Gnome, a Boker+ Grasshopper, a Spyderco Ladybug, and then I found my Izula ...
I'll stick up a couple of pics of each with what I found to be the pros and cons of each knife...
Boker+ Gnome
as I mentioned earlier:
Pros good tip control, thick spine, small enough to not notice it's around your neck
Cons grip is funny and needs a lanyard for decent purchase grip, and for some reason I've found this one to be a bugger to sharpen on my sharpmaker
Boker+ Grasshopper
by far the smallest and lightest of the blades, very ergo grip! because of the one piece construction it's very easy to clean making this my skinning knife
Prosvery light, ergonomic, easy to clean, great for whittling
Conssmall blade is unsuited to much more than very light cutting/skinning
Spyderco Ladybug
the folder might seem an odd choice to some but due to the very light weight and lack of sheath this has lent itself very well to being a small necker
Pros VG10 BLADE STEEL!!!! ergo grip
Cons needs to be taken off and unfolded to use, not as sturdy as a fixed blade
ESEE Izula
my hands down favourite knife, its bigger than the others, but it's not too big to use as a necker- I've put it through some serious abuse and it keeps on smiling. it's the only non stainless blade i own, so it needs a little more care to keep it in shape
Pros full hand grip, decent sized blade, idiot proof warranty
Cons carbon blade needs more care
I've experimented with a few small knives over the past year looking for the 'perfect neck knife' so far I've gone through a Boker+ Gnome, a Boker+ Grasshopper, a Spyderco Ladybug, and then I found my Izula ...
I'll stick up a couple of pics of each with what I found to be the pros and cons of each knife...
Boker+ Gnome
as I mentioned earlier:
Pros good tip control, thick spine, small enough to not notice it's around your neck
Cons grip is funny and needs a lanyard for decent purchase grip, and for some reason I've found this one to be a bugger to sharpen on my sharpmaker
Boker+ Grasshopper
by far the smallest and lightest of the blades, very ergo grip! because of the one piece construction it's very easy to clean making this my skinning knife
Prosvery light, ergonomic, easy to clean, great for whittling
Conssmall blade is unsuited to much more than very light cutting/skinning
Spyderco Ladybug
the folder might seem an odd choice to some but due to the very light weight and lack of sheath this has lent itself very well to being a small necker
Pros VG10 BLADE STEEL!!!! ergo grip
Cons needs to be taken off and unfolded to use, not as sturdy as a fixed blade
ESEE Izula
my hands down favourite knife, its bigger than the others, but it's not too big to use as a necker- I've put it through some serious abuse and it keeps on smiling. it's the only non stainless blade i own, so it needs a little more care to keep it in shape
Pros full hand grip, decent sized blade, idiot proof warranty
Cons carbon blade needs more care
how do the micarta scales work for it? better grip ect? and how big is the internal hollow? small enough for a rolled up £20 note? i might buy a set for mine
best sharpening tip- buy a spyderco sharpmaker, I was terrible before this now everything that will hold an edge in the hose is sharp enough to shave with in the morning lol
how do the micarta scales work for it? better grip ect? and how big is the internal hollow? small enough for a rolled up £20 note? i might buy a set for mine
best sharpening tip- buy a spyderco sharpmaker, I was terrible before this now everything that will hold an edge in the hose is sharp enough to shave with in the morning lol
No hollow... The slabs fit together like Legos and then you screw it in.
As for the Sharpmaker... I'd rather not. It's easier for me to carry a small stone (or even sandpaper and a strop) around when out and about, rather than a whole sharpening system that is a little heavy once you get the extra stones for it. Scandi, in my experience, is not only an easy grind to sharpen, but I find it so much better to work with when carving and doing other bushcraft related tasks - but that's just me, I know people who think the exact opposite.
While I love knives like the Izula, they just aren't doing it for me anymore. I know it might be weird but, I never felt as comfortable as I did when I held my first Mora... And that's led to other scandi knives which I love almost as much... And it has led to getting on a waiting list for a local-ish knife maker who does some goooooood stuff (Adventure Sworn).
