PMCI - October 2017

PROJECT PLANNING
Through my initial conversation with Wes about the project,
we agreed the blade would be designed to carry with minimal
equipment. This would require the knife to serve in a wide range
of duties such as a carver, skinner and chopper all in one. For this
to be accomplished, the blade needed to be larger than the small
utility blade from Two Rivers Knife Co that I regularly carry in my
outdoor kit in conjunction with a 19” camp axe from Hoffman
Blacksmithing Company. While not meant to be overly large and
prevent the knife to be easily manipulated in fine skill tasks, the
bushcraft blade would need a good “heft” to it to cut through
small timber. These parameters would still support my oftenstated
opinion against “survival” blades over 12” in length.
Basically, in my humble opinion, “This isn’t the Australian
Outback and I’m no Crocodile Dundee!” If every presented against
a knife wielding threat, I dually plan on there being no, “That’s
not a knife, this is a knife”, scenario, it will be classified as a
shooting after the threat is introduced to my other daily carry, a
Glock model 19. Large knives look cool, but add bulk and offer
limited uses, most in which a good hatch or axe could do better.
As time progressed on with conversations weekly between
Wes and I regarding what would be labeled the “Bush Gator”
project, the design and build were slowly taking place. In true
bushcraft style, Wes decided the 4140 steel needed for the knife
would come from a repurposed guide bar from a saw. This was
an endearing gesture for us both since we have a huge passion
for reusing items from the past to give them new life and Wes is
a licensed forester by trade. Combined with a hollow grind, some
“experts” will say this wouldn’t be the best choice of material
and steel for a bushcraft knife. This was my first thought before
keeping in mind the wide range of uses the knife will have
to perform, the razor-sharp edge would be fairly easy to keep
honed. If this were to be a small blade, I would prefer a flat
ground edge in 1085 carbon steel or a Scandi grind on a large D2
steel blade for just chopping.
With a small treatment of Modern Spartan Accurizing Oil
applied to the slightly heated metal, the quench is in no way
affected and the microscopic pores are sealed with dry lube to
protect it from hours or even days of wet, muddy conditions as I
do with all my knives. After using this product for over four years
now, I have yet to need to clean any of my blades beyond rising
them off and wiping them clean.
The last thing discussed before Wes would shut the workshop
doors and complete the project would be the sheath. A simple,
straight forward Kydex sheath to hold up against the elements
sporting a BullGator Camo, “the meanest camo on the planet”.
I specified this camo pattern to match the camo attire my
Swanson Media Group team uses in the field due to its superior
performance in blending with a wide range of environments.
Combined with pull-the-dot soft loops, the sheath was meant to
be placed on and off belts and gear quickly as needed yet hold
the blaDE SECURELY THROUGH ANY TERRAIN.
KNIVES AND TOOLS
pmcimagazine.com