PMCI - October 2017

the 4” tree sapling as I began to section it out. Before long, I
had enough wood to start splitting for firewood. I began to use
one of the small logs to baton the Bush Gator through the wood
like a hot knife through hot butter. Most of the timber used was
local white oak with a few small pines mixed in but it all split
easily while the blade still retained a sharp edge an hour later.
Once it was time to start a small fire and make camp, the
previously mentioned thumb jimping worked well in tossing an
arch of sparks from the ferro rod as I worked it. Within minutes,
the dry leaves and feathered wood I had protected against the
temporary shower went from smoking to a nice blaze in the
clean air. In no time, the larger sections of wood were ablaze
and I had a full on campfire thanks to the Bush Gator.
The cord cutter came in handy several times while
constructing toggles while stringing the cordage needed to
put up the temporary shelter utilizing a medium size tarp. I
have often had paracord skip off flat blades and send the
edge rocketing upward from the applied pressure, but the cord
cutter zipped through everything quickly and cleanly. Small
details like this instead of goofy saw backed blades and archaic
bottle openers are what make Wes’s designs functional while
remaining minimalistic.
After surviving its first day in “The Swamp”, I left impressed
with the new Bush Gator’s performance overall. While this
was just its first trip out for a couple of hours of bushcrafting
between photo and video shoots for other projects, I was
eagerly ready to schedule much more time with this knife.
Thankfully, my schedule opened a bit over the following
weeks allowing for several more trips to The Swamp. Thanks
to the metal treatment I did on the knife immediately after
receiving it, the elements did not harm the blade in any way
despite the less than optimum care I performed other than
re-sharpening the blade.
During one such trip, I inadvertently batoned the Bush Gator
through a nail that was lodged into the piece of wood I was
cutting. After realizing what had happened, I inspected the
edge for any deformation due to the nail. Other than a bit
of dullness, the edge was still perfectly intact. Any second
thoughts on using 4140 steel were completely out the window
at that point to say the least.
Another lesson learned came in the form of adding a length
of paracord for a lanyard. Two specific reasons come to mind
immediately. The first is for having an anchor for keeping control
of the knife when chopping for long periods of time and your
hand cramps causing the knife to come out of your grip. The
lanyard prevented me from having to search the immediate
area for where I may have pitched my knife. Secondly, the
lanyard offered extra cordage during one outing when I failed
to replace used cordage from a previous trip. By using the 550
paracord used for the lanyard, I saved myself a 45-minute
round trip to complete my outing. This could have been a much
greater cost if it had occurred during a weekend excursion deep
in the woods.
FINAL THOUGHTS
After spending a long, hot summer with the Bush Gator, I have
come to really appreciate its abilities as an overall bushcraft
knife. The goal of this project was to construct a blade that
could handle a wide array of tasks for the end user to travel as
light as possible when in the outdoors and still have enough
to survive. I feel like this is exactly what Wes Adkins provided
in the Bush Gator project with his unique style and top-quality
work. I enjoyed the way the knife handled during small, intricate
tasks while still offering enough mass and size to baton through
small logs and chop down tree saplings.
Retailing for US$365 without the sheath and US$400 with
it, the price is right in line with any custom, handmade knife on
the market. Sure, you can find cheaper knives, but to be able to
call up a craftsman like Wes Adkins at Adkins Wood and Knife
and have him build your dream knife to your specifications is
well worth every penny! I highly recommend taking the time to
discover exactly what your outdoor style and needs
are and then discuss it with Wes to start your own
bushcraft project soon. This is a first-class company
providing top notch blades for those who know
what they want. Don’t just take my word for it,
visit www.adkinswoodandknife.com today and
find out for yourself!
KNIVES AND TOOLS
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