Hmm...Thoughts on Chris Reeve for Bushcraft

[John Boy]

Hi All. Looking at getting a Chris Reeve Sable IV to fulfill a wide range of tasks from general campcraft to bushcraft. Would really appreciate your views on its utility for bushcraft. Chris Reeve forums rate it highly for its usefulness but want to hear what dedicated bushcrafters think. What do you think of tip profile and grind? Thanks.

 

[mark wood]

You'll probably get shot down for the hollow grind but they are lovely knives .

Mark

 

[Stew]

To be honest I think I would hate it but that's just as much from an aesthetic view as a practical view.

Personally I can't get on with a hollow grind - it just doesn't suit me. It would seem Mark has a couple and I'm guessing loves to use them.

Just out of interest, what's your motivation in getting one? Do you want it and hope you can also use it for bushcraft or are you after a knife that suits bushcraft first? If it's the latter then there are probably cheaper alternatives that perform better (in my opinion) but if it's the former then I say go for it.
Even if it's not perfect, it'll be usable.

 

[John Boy]

Thanks - I have had a couple of CR knives for some years and like them lots. However, I need a 5-6" blade as my current CR fixed blade is too big. I'll do some research (across this forum and others) to better understand the issues of using a hollow grind.

 

[Simca]

Hollow grind, round steel handle with agressive checkering.. what more a bushcrafter can ask?
As someone on an other forum said:

True woodsmen buy them in sets of eight - survival tent pegs - if you don't
mind overloading your pack mule. They're solid steel; too hot, too cold, transmit shocks, rough checkering, wedge ground strong-back blade. But they hammer into hard ground just fine.

 

[sargey]

well i'm going to buck the trend on this one, i had, and used a sableIV extensively for a few years. it's a great all round knife. once you've knocked the shoulders off and it's got nicely polished convex terminal bevels it's a fantasic knife. it is arguably, as the advertising blurb suggests, one of the best in the already excellent one piece range. don't be fooled by the tough guy tactical knife image, unlike some, the reeves stuff really cuts too.

it's also one of the very few knives that you can get through the mors kochanski test without being destroyed in the process

that said, yes the handle can be very cold to use, and the knurling can be a little harsh for those with lovely soft pinkys so i covered mine with a layer or two of bike tyre inner tube.

i sold mine under protest at a time when i needed the money more. uppy_dog

in the end, you can spend a fortune on lots of different knives that still won't cut better than a well set up £3:50 mora. it just depends where you go and what you do. if i had the money now though i would probably get something different. i'm sure that someone will point out that you get an entire top of the range "bushcraft tool kit" for the price of the reeves knife.

as a general purpose knife it's superb, if you want a specialist carving/woodworking knife though, look elsewhere.

cheers, and.

 

[Stew]

through the mors kochanski test without being destroyed in the process

Ah yes, good point.


Also, it might be worth heading over to British Blades and looking at Zackerty's work. I recall that he has made a few very similar and may be doing so again soon. Not sure how the price compares but his work is top notch.

 

[elma]

I agree with Sergey its a lovely knife and I have a sable 2, its a little cold in the hand but some heat shrink soon sorted that, I had my doubts about the hollow handle but it has performed well for a number of years and has only fallen out of favour because I'm a magpie for shiny sharp things and I now have a new favourite

Ian

 

[elma]

John Boy if your new to knives and bushcraft buy a mora and save your money

Ian

 

[Andy]

well if you already have some CRK then (assuming they also have the hollow handle) you can find out for yourself how you'll get on with that as well as the blade profile. If the length is the only reason you don't get on with the ones you have then I don't see why you wont get on with a smaller blade.

I'd rather get a custom made with some nice wood scales (using the same wood as my sebbi)

 

[mark wood]

as a general purpose knife it's superb, if you want a specialist carving/woodworking knife though, look elsewhere.
.

I couldn't have put it better. I've not been bothered by the knurling - it's not as aggressive as some. I once saw a CR with a leather covered handle that looked quite nice though.

I know they work extremely well but things get a bit dull when it's nothing but Woodlore copies and Moras!

Mark