Last month at the local gun show I encountered a neighbor I don’t spend much time with. He had a table displaying his home-made knives and some of them looked pretty sweet. I told him if I had any money left from my upcoming trip to the ophthalmologist we’d talk about making one for me.
Well the very next week, with a little unexpected extra money in my pocket I went to his place and we had that conversation. My expectations fell before I ever left, because it turned out he was using commercial blade blanks and most of the ‘custom’ work was going into the handle. By that point in the conversation I proceeded purely because I couldn’t think of a polite way to back away.
Then to put a cherry on top of my ambivalence a Generous Reader sent me what may actually be the Perfect EDC Knife…
…and from that point I really didn’t care if my neighbor ever delivered my new ‘custom’ knife or not. Kind of would have preferred that he didn’t.
(sigh) So a couple of days ago my neighbor delivered my new ‘custom’ knife.
Let it be said in fairness that if I were designing the Perfect EDC Knife it would look just like this one. I did in fact choose this blank and specify everything about the grip. Enough of a point to be pokey, a substantial enough blade to put up with a bit of prying, a handle that actually fills my hand. I question (I have grave doubts) whether it will hold an edge even a significant fraction as well as the Schrade above, which is simply awesome.
But there’s only one way to decide which of these is the Most Perfect Perfect EDC Knife, and that’s to carry the new ‘custom’ knife every day for a while. That requires a sheath, which I didn’t have. I also wasn’t going to go out and buy one, probably throwing good money after bad. So I borrowed D&L’s leatherworking kit, and made my own temporary sheath…
And yes, if it looks like something a kid made in summer camp that’s because I never went to summer camp and this is my very first leather project ever. Bite me – it’ll hold up long enough to decide whether the knife goes on my belt or into the Big Box’O’Knives. If I like it, I’ll get it a better sheath.
My first impression from the photos is it looks very solid and durable, two thing you really want in any EDC knife. The job you did on the holster is a darned sight better that anything I could have done since I’ve never made a holster before. All told, nice rig.
The shape of the blade and handle look very nice for an every day knife. Practical, not flashy. Sincerely hope it takes and holds an edge. Got a similar dilemma. Had a guy who owed me a favor. He made a nicely tooled crossdraw for my 6″ Colt .357. Very nice and pretty
work, but has not quite grown on me yet. I really want to like it. Time and miles will tell.
Me really like new “custom” knife!!
Sheath is appropriate, too.
Nice blades, the custom looks particularly nice. I can see where you would feel the dilemma. My simple ‘pouch’ sheaths are made from webbing belt fabric stapled – sewn. Shaped like the letter ‘S’, the 1st fold is the knife pouch, the 2nd fold forming the belt slide. I like the interior with Compact Disk cover material.
That is ‘LINE the interior with’ – sheesh !
Hoping it will take and hold an edge and if it does and you still don’t like it let me know how much you want for it. I can give it a more useful life than sitting in a Big Box O Knives.