The Next Schrade Extreme Survival Knife

[Mistwalker]

I can't do a review on this one as it is the first prototype and I am not going to use it but send it to my father....however I did want to post some pics.

Just so you'll know, this knife was designed around bushcraft but in a rougher environment than in our local woods. And yes...coming from a family of veterans...it was designed to function in a combat environment if needs be. It is also designed to work well with gloved hands so it may not be comfortable to some bare hands in all grips.

I have been waiting for this for nearly seven months now. While this is what the actual finished product looks like....

I just got the original prototype in the mail. This prototype was done with a black blade, I think just to see what it would look like. I'm not sure but being a prototype there is a good chance it hasn't been heat treated so I didn't do anything with it but take pictures. But so far, even with the finger grooves it's pretty comfortable in a variety of grips.

and of course I had to throw in this picture.

 

[korvin karbon]

why are you posting pics when you should be knocking ten shades out of it and giving us another stonking review

 

[Shewie]

I really like that Brian, not normally the sort of thing I'd go for but some reason I can see myself with one.

Can we have some measurements, how thick's the blade ?

 

[Mistwalker]

why are you posting pics when you should be knocking ten shades out of it and giving us another stonking review

Because this is a prototype....one that I intend to send to my father. Being as it is in pristine condition, and the black version...and since the company went with the model with the lighter colored blade to actually produce, possibly the only ever black version of it. Don't worry...there will be more on it later, I can't wait to get the actual production model to play with.

I really like that Brian, not normally the sort of thing I'd go for but some reason I can see myself with one.

Can we have some measurements, how thick's the blade ?

Thanks Shewie...actually I can give you lots of measurements...I still have the original drawing. However the blade is thicker than a lot of people will like...I was hoping for 7/32 but it is 1/4 inch...at least on this one.

 

[Andy2112]

That's one hell've nice knife Brian. Wouldn't mind sporting that one myself tbh.

 

[Mistwalker]

That's one hell've nice knife Brian. Wouldn't mind sporting that one myself tbh.

Thanks Andy. It's the first one I've had the opportunity to design for such a large company. I was designing with rough use, but portability and functionality in mind. I think it turned out pretty well.

 

[Peter_t]

is there a perpose for having a concaved section on the blade? doesn't it just make it awkward to sharpen?

pete

 

[Mistwalker]

is there a perpose for having a concaved section on the blade? doesn't it just make it awkward to sharpen?

pete

The reasons behind it are that I wanted a weight forward design for good chopping power, and the recurve itself makes whittling multiple pegs for tie-outs, or spikes for pit traps and...what have you easier on the wrist by keeping what you are whittling in the groove. By using a ceramic rod sharpener or a round diamond rod it will work fine.

As I said, it was meant for deeper darker places than our local wooded parks.
There is actually a design for a companion kniofe to go with it but with the economy I only got to design the one knife untill they see how things go.

 

[Mistwalker]

Finally got the production model in and have had a chance to play with it some.

The sheath looks pretty serviceable. It is modular (the pouch comes off) and it's molle compatible.

The pouch on the front now has a multi-tool and a firesteel in it.

The materials I worked with were a Pine tree, and a Sycamore limb brought down by some storms a while back. They are both seasoned well and good materials to work with.

Using a rearward three finger grip the knife made pretty quick work of chopping up the Sycamore limb. I didn't time myself but I think this took a little more than five minutes.

It comes nice and sharp. and for such a thick blade it actually does a good job at whittling fuzzies.

I don't think splitting kindling is going to be any trouble at all, the knife handled the batoning through this Sycamore, knots and all, just fine with the only sign of use being that the coating started to wear a bit.

The tip turned out nice and strong like I wanted it to with no failure at all after repeated stabbing and prying in the Pine tree. I chopped into it a bit so you could see that it is still good and solid. The blade and edge geometry on this design was actually a little complicated and I am proud of them for being able to bring it to life just the way I drew it out.

It is blustery today so shavings wouldn't stay put in the open for long but it did well in shaving fatwood fuzzies. I'll have to try the spine with a firesteel next time out. I have a feeling I am going to end up putting a striker in the pouch though just for ease of use.

 

[The Cumbrian]

I ended up with something similar when I ground the almost useless saw off the spine of another Schrade knife. The knife feels perfect for chopping, although I haven't actually tried it yet. I was going to sell it but I can't quite make myself part with it.

The handle feels great too, kind of like the "mushroom" grips I had on my BMX when I was a kid.

Cheers, Michael.

 

[Graham_S]

I quite like that.
Any idea on a price?

 

[TeeDee]

Mistwalker , Great to see your design come off the page and produced.

Graham_S;- Previously spoke to Mistwlaker and he tolde me 'I'm told that Smoky Mountain Knife Works has them for sell for $39.99 plus shipping, you could enquire if they ship to the UK."

Or you will need to find a schrade dealer within the UK.

 

[Mistwalker]

I ended up with something similar when I ground the almost useless saw off the spine of another Schrade knife. The knife feels perfect for chopping, although I haven't actually tried it yet. I was going to sell it but I can't quite make myself part with it.

The handle feels great too, kind of like the "mushroom" grips I had on my BMX when I was a kid.

Cheers, Michael.

Yeah, I think that one and a few others out there may have actually played a role in inspiring my design. I wanted similar weight forward features but in a more stout design and in a shape that would fit a commonly used aftermarket sheath many, including myself, like. Some of you already know this but others don't....between my grandfather, my father, and my uncles I was raised by combat veterans of three major conflicts....a few of whom were students of unconventional warfare, and I have several friends off in foreign lands now so I often think along the lines of a knife being useful in such an environment as well as an honest to goodness tool for the more serious bush. This one, as it was to carry the moniker of 'Extreme Survival" was designed for some extreme environments and some extreme use. The thick spine, strong tip, and re-curved edge were the result of my effort at combining the "sharpened pry bar" with an edge geometry suited to various cutting tasks without giving it the weakness I feel that a hollow grind often creates. The handle shape is both for retaining grip under adverse conditions and comfort when being held in a rearward three finger grip when chopping larger limbs.

I quite like that.
Any idea on a price?

Mistwalker , Great to see your design come off the page and produced.

Graham_S;- Previously spoke to Mistwlaker and he tolde me 'I'm told that Smoky Mountain Knife Works has them for sell for $39.99 plus shipping, you could enquire if they ship to the UK."

Or you will need to find a schrade dealer within the UK.

Thank you, I appreciate your compliments.


As TD said, that is the information I have at this point in time. I had a UK site that sells some of the other of the Extreme Survival line bookmarked at one time but my PC crashed some months back and I haven't looked that one back up yet. I'll see if I can find it again in a few minutes.

 

[Graham_S]

After a spot of research, it seems Heinnie sell Schrade, I might email them and see if they can get me one.

 

[malente]

That looks like a really beefy, functional knife. I like it a lot!

Mike

 

[Mistwalker]

That looks like a really beefy, functional knife. I like it a lot!

Mike

Thanks Malente, I'm glad you like it. I did design it to be beefy, and to take some abuse.

Went out back for a while today. Autumn is here and the area around the fire pit needed to be cleaned up for upcoming outings.

So, since I was at it I decided to see how the Schrade would do in firecraft.

Using the leading edge of the sweep worked really well for shaving off very thin and curly fatwood shavings.

and the spine is plenty squared enough to throw good sparks from my LMF firesteel.

you can see by the marks left in the coating that this took a few sparkings but half of them were from trying it out before I used it to ignite the tinder.

I soon had my fire started good.

I had no trouble chopping up the few down Birch limbs in the area.

and soon had the first fire of this Autumn going well.

As you can see, that small tree growing out of my fire pit stones is really the forked stick I drove in the ground there back in the spring to support a cooking pot. And the rotten pieces of wood laying next to the fire pit really aren't rotten.

 

[Siberianfury]

looks like a brilliantly designed tool that covers all needs in a survival situation.
it also looks pretty cool for a tactical knife too, personaly i dont like the black coating, but that the only thing i have against this knife. very good knife sir.

 

[keel]

Hi Brian, excellently thought out, i particularly like the heavy gauge, quite excited about this, when will these be in production?? mick

 

[Mistwalker]

looks like a brilliantly designed tool that covers all needs in a survival situation.
it also looks pretty cool for a tactical knife too, personaly i dont like the black coating, but that the only thing i have against this knife. very good knife sir.

Thanks Sf I'm glad you like it. I tried to put as much ability as I could into not too large of a package in order to try to live up to the name the knife carries. The term "survival" itself is a very broad subject but in this case it was designated as "extreme" so I wanted to create a knife that could handle some real abuse yet still be functional in different cutting tasks. The coating is to protect it and make it easier to maintain because it is made of hi-carbon steel, 1095. It wouldn't be that hard to remove it should one wish to.

Hi Brian, excellently thought out, i particularly like the heavy gauge, quite excited about this, when will these be in production?? mick

Hi keel, thank you. I'm glad you like it. It's already in production and in stock in some places.

 

[Air Pirate]

I would be proud of that blade as well. Since you are "in" with the company, can you get us a discount? ::wink wink:: Let them know my first "real" (non SAK) outdoor knife was a Shrade Cliphanger.