[ad_1]
A few months ago I exchanged a few messages with knifemaker Jerry Holden, the man behind Holden Knives.
Jerry is an emerging knifemaker and quite a student of the craft. You might remember a Q&A I did with him a while back.
He continues to make some really good usable and reasonable knives He was in the process of producing a small knife that could be a neck knife or be carried in the pocket. Although small it cuts sharply and quickly was nicknamed The Hornet
I received the knife in a few days and I was just plain excited to get it into rotation Every day I carry a knife. Seems like there are a million uses on a homestead for a knife. Right now we are building infrastructure, fencing, various sheds, barns even a chicken coop. In addition I operate a full time, full service wood shop turning out benches, and other old country furniture.
Done in a classic blade style, this knife is a small clip point every day carry. I say small but really this knife performs all the duties of a pocket knife but with some advantages.
First, It is made with a premium steel. Now if you know nothing about blade steel you might think this sounds good but is it really a benefit? The answer is yes a premium steel lasts longer between sharpenings, won’t rust or corrode like lesser grade steels and will retain an edge longer. Every steel snob will be shaking their head in agreement. But secondly here is the key…a smaller knife means less steel so you can have the steel you want at a lower price. ????= value..Finally depending on how you finish the handle ( cord wrap, wood, other) and right now you get a kydex sheath the price point will be at $100 plus or minus.
As far convenience….I’ve used knives for over 30 years. Let’s face it…as much time as I have with the many projects I do. I just can’t flip, flick and close one every two minutes when I need a knife. Yeah my fidget spinner sits in a drawer and when I need a knife I need it now. Seems like the days are getting shorter and my work expands(I have a waiting list)
So this small fixed blade works well for me, rides in my pocket, is available immediately and stays sharp. What a great tool to have at your disposal.
I did pair the knife with some tightly woven paracord . This enabled me to stick the knife in my pocket and wedge the paracord in. The knife stayed upright and I was able to pull it straight out. Now I do wear jeans so if your wearing anything else it might not work the same way.
The knife blade measures about 3 1/2 inches and is about 6 inches over all.
As far as performance I cut straw bales open, feed bags for my chickens, cut tape for boxes, shave a little off boards I cut.
No chips, no gouges just pure cutting delight. Everything you use a folding knife for…you can use a fixed blade. As far as edge retention( a knife term meaning how long does it stay sharp) I found I had to resharpen about 4 months into the test. The steel used made a difference as did the hardness of what I was cutting at the time. If you look at the blade under magnification I saw nothing that might compromise the cutting edge. Also the steel did not appear to be brittle as I did the uh no-no of prying with my blade tip. Yeah that’s bad but I got the can open and the knife didn’t bend or crack whew….
Finally I’m not sure on availability but there is a possibility these may go into production. Until then you can follow @holdenknives on Instagram. I believe he opened an account on WordPress.
This is a fine knife for EDC every day carry, even fastening a chain to wear around your neck I strongly recommend a small fixed blade knife for purchase. Have several and finish them differently and you can have a unique knife everyday. While others are flipping….your carrying!
As always thank you for following my blog, for commenting and liking. Eventually I hope to be published in a magazine in the future and I’ll let you know when and if that happens.
[ad_2]
Source link
