Modifications to the Lauri handle

Here are some photos of my Lauri blade handle. The first shows the original handle before modification.

This next photo shows the handle after I made some changes. I removed a bit from the general diameter of the handle and files/sanded the finger grooves in. It fits my hand a lot better and the thumb scallop (on both sides of the handle) close to the blade is great for extra grip and control for different cutting tasks.

World War Two Survival fishing kit

Heres a scan from Pacific Coast Sportfishing magazine that shows some survival fishing gear from world war 2. The hand lines and other gear in the photo at right go into the pockets of the apron like belt shown at top left. Left click on the photo to blow it up for better viewing.

For some photos of my home made hand lines see this link: http://ronsprimitiveskills.blogspot.com/2009/07/hand-lines-for-fishing.html

KA-BAR BK9 update

Here's a brief update on the BK9. I found the handle to be a bit slippery when I use it with dry hands. After I get a bit of a sweat going its no problem. To remedy the situation I wrapped the handle with some black "self adhesive" or "sport wrap" type tape I had laying around. It works like a charm and gives a much better grip. You can buy this stuff at drug stores, too. I recycle mine when I go to the Doc's for blood testing or when Mrs Wifey gives blood. They use this stuff a lot these days instead of adhesive bandages or tape. I must have 6 different colors laying around here.

KA-BAR strikes again!!! The BK&T9 arrived today!

I just added a new knife to my ever expanding collection of tools. This is the Becker Knife & Tool BK9 by KA-BAR of Olean, New York. Made in the USA! Its made of 1095 high carbon steel and contains chrome and vanadium for flexibility as well as strength. That doesn't mean it can be used as a pry bar! No knife should ever be used as such unless designed for that purpose, such as the KA-BAR BK3 Becker Tac Tool.

Whats in the sheath?
First is the BK9 which is 14 3/4" overall length. Blade thickness is .188" or nearly 3/16" nearly the whole length of the knife. The cutting area of the blade is 9" and is flat ground. The blade style is drop point and there is also a serrated ramp for the thumb to rest on in front of the handle. A flat stub is at the end of the handle to create a pommel for breaking glass, heads, etc. The scales are made in Switzerland of "Grivory", a glass reinforced nylon. Very nice Micarta scales are available for the BK line of knives and I may buy a pair in the future. To me the handles are a bit slippery so I'll probably give them a few turns of sport wrap tape for added grip. This knife comes razor sharp out of the box.

Next in the sheath is the BK13, a small stainless skeleton handled knife made of 3Cr13 steel in China. Its a very nice size for the finer work often done in the field such as food prep and small detail jobs. The BK13 is 5 1/4" long with a 2 1/4" blade. Its 1/8" thick. I noticed on some of the knife forums that the handles are often cord wrapped. The only problem is it won't fit in the sheath after its wrapped unless you put the cord on very tight or even super glue it. Sport wrap tape will suffice for me, if I deem it necessary.

The sheath itself is very sturdy and well made. Both knives have their own individual nylon sheath liners. I don't know if they are Kydex or not but they sure do save the nylon from cuts. The pocket on the sheath holds the small blade and has enough room for some essentials such as a ferro rod, diamond hone, and other small items. There is a pair of grommets near the bottom of the sheath so one can run a tie down through them to limit sheath flop. If I understand correctly from some of the knife forum posts, the sheaths are made in Taiwan.

I bought this knife from Tomars KA-BAR's online store (link: http://www.tomarskabars.com/BK-9_INFO.html). This company has most excellent service and I highly recommend them if you are in the market for a good knife. I ordered mine on December 30th and it arrived this morning (1-4-10). From New York to California in less than a week and a holiday weekend to boot. That's fast service!

The photos:

First is a shot of the complete outfit. As you can see this is a big knife!

Next is a shot of everything out of the sheath. Note the Velcro attachment point on the pocket cover and the elastic band to hold everything you put in the pocket. The sheath for the BK13 is just at the top of the elastic strap. The pocket is made to expand a little for adding your own goodies. The sticker is Tomars advertisement sent with the knife as well as a small packet of oil to keep the blade safe from rust. Very thoughtful!

The next two shots are the BK13.


Heres a shot of Tomars sticker. He sells a pin, if you want, with each knife that incorporates the same design.


I'll do a writeup on this knifes abilities as soon as I get it out in the bush.

Happy New Year!!!

Happy new year everyone! I wish the best and most prosperous new year for all of you. I'll have some new goodies to review shortly such as a brand spanking new Becker Knife & Tool BK9 from KA-BAR. I bought one from Tomars KA-BAR's (http://www.tomarskabars.com/BK-9_INFO.html at the very low price of $73.00 total! What a deal! As soon as it gets here I'll take it out and put it to work. I realize there is a conflict in the bushcraft/survival arena about the pros and cons of big choppers. Some folks say "why not an ax or saw?" and others argue the multi versatility of the big blades. I'm with the later group. I have several ax's, saws and big blades. I like and use them all. Why not?