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Anyone else into knives?

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abandoned

Edited by dworx

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Not really a knife, but much sharper.

post-493-127330690853_thumb.jpg

110+ yo Wilkinson 5/8 hollow-ground round-point

Bought as a collection-piece, but looked so good that I had to try it out.

Beautiful shave, so it'll be replacing one of my regular razors.

They certainly knew how to work steel back then.

ed

post-493-127330690853_thumb.jpg

post-493-127330690853_thumb.jpg

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rambo!!! i remember ol' matey grew a mullie so big he was able to carve a knife handle out of the trunk , such nice wood lol, he the attached it to a survival knife blade...

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Not really a knife, but much sharper.

post-493-127330690853_thumb.jpg

110+ yo Wilkinson 5/8 hollow-ground round-point

Bought as a collection-piece, but looked so good that I had to try it out.

Beautiful shave, so it'll be replacing one of my regular razors.

They certainly knew how to work steel back then.

ed

 

Nice one Ed,

I only use open razors and have a bit of a collection of them and other tonsorial accessories.

Four of the razors I regularly in rotation and a few others that need restoring.

Gotta 120 6/8"(Solingen) I got on ebay, never used. easily 50+ yrs old

Blue Wonder 5/8"(Solingen)

Shumate 9/16" (StLouis, Missouri)factory closed it's doors 1932

Bengall 5/8" TR Cadman (Sheffeild) ceased operation 1919

I had a Barber's box made to store them in

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Nice one Ed,

I only use open razors and have a bit of a collection of them and other tonsorial accessories.

Four of the razors I regularly in rotation and a few others that need restoring.

Gotta 120 6/8"(Solingen) I got on ebay, never used. easily 50+ yrs old

Blue Wonder 5/8"(Solingen)

Shumate 9/16" (StLouis, Missouri)factory closed it's doors 1932

Bengall 5/8" TR Cadman (Sheffeild) ceased operation 1919

I had a Barber's box made to store them in

 

Ah, another straight-razor officionado.

All nice razors, I've a Bengall myself.

My next purchase will be something Japanese, I think. Been wanting to try their stuff for years.

Can't beat a straight for a clean shave.

ed

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id really like to get a gurkha kukri. not one actually used in war era, more a modern one so i wouldnt feel the need to honor its traditional use by cutting myself everytime i unsheath it and not stab someone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kukri

i think it would be handy for camping purposes, chopping small sticks, carving etc

i worked casually in the local butcher shop as a kid, so i know how to keeo the buggers razor sharp. id have to spend some doe for a decent one made of good metal though, so maybee ill just put it on my wishlist. deadly little beasts they are though.

gorkha3-kukri%20charge%5Bafghan2001%5D.jpg

a gurkha soldier charging with kukri in hand. these mofos are DEADLY.

kukri_india_revolution_naxalism_maoism_cpi_maoist.jpg

Edited by incognito

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edit- btw, switchblades are illegal in australia yeah?? ive always wanted one since i was a kid!!!

i remember my sisters boyfriend had one and i always thought it was the coolest thing on earth!

Edited by incognito

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Ah, another straight-razor officionado.

All nice razors, I've a Bengall myself.

My next purchase will be something Japanese, I think. Been wanting to try their stuff for years.

Can't beat a straight for a clean shave.

ed

 

Yeah, I've seen some beautifully made Japanese blades,

full piece with rattan wrapping.

a bit like these

http://www.ehamono.com/zakka/kamisori.html

I'd like a Filarmonica (Spain) 'Doble Temple' or 'Barbas Duras'

There have been a few Filarmonica razors, supposedly New old stock on Ebay

being offered from Argentina and Spain lately.

I don't really need any more though coz what I've got now,

if looked after, will well and truely outlast me.

...but if I spot one at the right price, I might indulge.

Incognito,

if it's a khukuri you want, maybe you should contact Khukuri house in Nepal,

they have many designs and styles and ship anywhere in the world.

They'll even costom make one to your specs.

http://www.thekhukurihouse.com/

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hmmm havin a sharp shaving raisor would save u a fortune over the years, not to mention saving the environment a fukload of plastic. Is shaving using the old strop and razor a hassle? hard to learn?

ps thanks for the kukri linky. i wonder if oz customs would be fine with them?

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hmmm havin a sharp shaving raisor would save u a fortune over the years, not to mention saving the environment a fukload of plastic. Is shaving using the old strop and razor a hassle? hard to learn?

ps thanks for the kukri linky. i wonder if oz customs would be fine with them?

 

There's definitely a learning curve, but not as major as made out by a lot of people.

And there's initial outlay. Probably about $150 for a pair of cheap razors (the edge is so fine that whiskers distort it and needs a day or so to re-align itself so you really need at least two), strop, brush, and soap. Plus having your razor honed once-twice/yr at about $30 (I do my own, but that's another $200 worth of sharpening stones, and another learning curve).

Also not suited to being in a hurry, much faster with a disposable/cartridge shaver.

The cleanest shave you'll ever have though.

Go into an old-school barber's and get a shave. It'll get you hooked.

ed

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There's definitely a learning curve, but not as major as made out by a lot of people.

And there's initial outlay. Probably about $150 for a pair of cheap razors (the edge is so fine that whiskers distort it and needs a day or so to re-align itself so you really need at least two), strop, brush, and soap. Plus having your razor honed once-twice/yr at about $30 (I do my own, but that's another $200 worth of sharpening stones, and another learning curve).

Also not suited to being in a hurry, much faster with a disposable/cartridge shaver.

The cleanest shave you'll ever have though.

Go into an old-school barber's and get a shave. It'll get you hooked.

ed

 

Yeah, using a straight razor does away with having to keep buying throw away stuff.

Disposables are sold on a loss leader basis and a fancy looking handle and a few blades is sold at a loss but the repacement blades are expensive and they more than make up for the loss there.

My razors have paid their way saved me heaps.

It does take a little more time I guess, but I see it as a meditation and quite enjoy the need to focus on what I'm doing.

If done after a hot shower, it doesn't take too much time out of my day.

I can do a quick rough shave or a very thorough close shave and take a bit longer depending on time I have.

There haven't been any nasty cuts, a few very small ones if I've drawn the blade a bit, but no more than any I've had from so called 'saftey razors'.

I've only ever bought vintage blades, so haven't paid full new price, some models can get well past $600 with some custom blades well into $1000's.

most of mine were under $40-50, though if you dont have a stone or stone set (going to 8000 grit or finer) new is probably the way to start.

I've not tried any of the cheaper new blades out of China or Pakistan,

and purist or collectors will tell you they're shit quality and to 'stay away from them'.

I reckon there'd be some amongst them that would work, though I did see one masquerading as a razor that I just wouldn't bother with.

Thick clunky heavy blade obviously not made for shaving with.

For new Razors made by European culters, you can get some starting at around $100.

Joan and Keith at AKC/Knives Australia are Aust. agents for Giesen Forsthoff (Germany),

and have accessories and starter kits and I'm sure would be happy answer any questions you may have.

Hmmm... I notice they now have portable handle strops, I've been lookin for one of them. :rolleyes:

http://www.knivesaustralia.com.au/knives.html#razor

Others are

Dovo (Germany)

http://www.dovo.com/_english/rasur.html

http://www.dovorazors.com/stockrazors.html

And a bit more pricey

Thiers Issard (France)

http://www.thiers-issard.co.uk/thiers-issardstraightrazors.html

or you could hunt around for reconditioned vintage blades.

Make sure you buy them 'shave ready'

Edited by gecko

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I go thru a lot of knives. I have tried gerbers, bucks, leathermans, sogs, you name it. Either over tempering leads to breakages or they're just overpriced for what they do.

I have a spoon bladed Excalibur, all of 21 bucks to my door ex-Perth. It does the job. Pretty enough and very practical.

Legality in QLD is iffy, but basically if you look like a fuckwit it's a problem and if you don't, it's not. Personality aside we live in a subtropical, at times rapidly growing area and we need sharp things to keep the climbers out of the windows of nice people. I have been pulled over by the northsides finest and had to explain why I looked hairy - had a boot full of cacti - and numerous cutting tools for the cacti. They never were real happy with my answers but eventually went away.

I find it weird that you can buy a knife at all if you cannot legally transport it home.

Discretion is gold for coppers but a nasty grey area for the rest of us. I use mine for cuttings, opening packets and fixing stuff around the property during the day but sometimes I forget and go out with it on my belt. Have been "dealt with". Never been an issue.

I think coppers are pretty wise when it comes to telling between a tool for use, and a tool carrying a weapon to seem more useful.

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I think coppers are pretty wise when it comes to telling between a tool for use, and a tool carrying a weapon to seem more useful.

lol, dunno bout that. Recently a 72 year old man was pulled over for random license check and got charged for having a weapon. His rusty old fishing knife was on the passenger floor. Yep, 72 year old, i guess the cop assumed he was a threat to public saftey.

Thats victoria though.

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Fine knives are not a good as fine wines and not as good as fine water[Auss resourse domination] and not as good as fine wife./

In the U.S. we are trusted with shotguns, but not for felony conviction which is very easy to get as a legal bad guy simply by a alcohol driving by bad luck as a pol traffick inspection.

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collecting old razors

Unlees the Auss decides every go slasher in the socialist experiment]

I'f a baby picked up a razor it might slash other babys in the home.

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devance i want to extract you.

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devance i want to extract you.

 

There ought to be an SAB Forum "Quote Of The Year" award, and you'd get my vote for best post ever.

ed

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On a more serious note, does anyone have experience that they're willing to share specifically relating to Japanese swords?

I've been offered an exceptional dai-katana but know naught of importing such.

What hurdles do i need to jump and advice of any way to minimise the number thereof would be greatly appreciated.

cheers

ed

Edited by reshroomED

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id really like to get a gurkha kukri. not one actually used in war era, more a modern one so i wouldnt feel the need to honor its traditional use by cutting myself everytime i unsheath it and not stab someone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kukri

i think it would be handy for camping purposes, chopping small sticks, carving etc

i worked casually in the local butcher shop as a kid, so i know how to keeo the buggers razor sharp. id have to spend some doe for a decent one made of good metal though, so maybee ill just put it on my wishlist. deadly little beasts they are though.

gorkha3-kukri%20charge%5Bafghan2001%5D.jpg

a gurkha soldier charging with kukri in hand. these mofos are DEADLY.

kukri_india_revolution_naxalism_maoism_cpi_maoist.jpg

 

Looks good and expensive.

And lethal.

Smith and Wesson uses a stainless a stainless powder compression[forge] for a blade. made in china but the point would bee, hows good is the blade [excellent].

And cheap.

If every things breaks down theres the last knife except maybe [ceramic], before or after the [Planet of the apes genetic time disaster-I not a ape[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlton_Heston]

[in 1968, Heston starred in Planet of the Apes and in 1970, he was in a smaller supporting role in the sequel, Beneath the Planet of the Apes. Also in 1970, Heston portrayed Mark Antony again in another film version of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. His co-stars included Jason Robards as Brutus, Richard Chamberlain as Octavius, Robert Vaughn as Casca, and English actors Richard Johnson as Cassius, John Gielgud as Caesar, and Diana Rigg as Portia. In 1971 he starred in the science fiction film, The Omega Man. Although critically panned, the film is now considered a classic of apocalyptic horror. In 1972 Heston made his directorial debut, and starred, as Mark Antony in an adaptation of the William Shakespeare play he performed earlier in his theater career, Antony and Cleopatra. Hildegarde Neil was Cleopatra, and English actor Eric Porter was Enobarbus. After receiving scathing reviews, the film never went to theaters, and rarely turns up on television. It has not been released on DVD. He subsequently starred in successful films such as Soylent Green (1973), and Earthquake (1974).

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abandoned

Edited by dworx

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Ed I dont know about the importing side of things but from being on the knife forums I do know there are a lot of Jap sword scammers out there. It really is buyer beware. If you don't know the seller and it sounds too good like the sword is worth $x,xxxx.00 and you can have it for$xxx.00 than its probably too good to be true.

 

Thanks for the advice, and sorry for the tardy reply.

I was ill and missed the opputunity, but it was offered by an elderly Japanese fellow who is a well-respected blacksmith and kenjutsu sensei. There is no doubt at all that I missed an impressive sword.

FWIW in one of his last e-mails to me he mentioned a colleague of his son's now forging quite acceptable (price-wise) blades for tameshi-giri (a cutting test of the blade , traditionally upon a bamboo bundle, etc to simulate flesh-and-bone).

If anyone is interested enough, pm me and I'll chase up the contact details for him.

What reminded me of this thread was spotting some excellent cheap butchering knives on eBay.

Seller wnun5791 at WAZMART has some very cheap Dexter Russell's (Green River 6" & 8" skinners have been my go-to butchering knives for nearly 30 yrs - they take an edge easily and hold it very well) and have never seen the quality matched for anywhere *near* the price.

I have no affiliation with the seller, just noted the cheap pricing and thought I'd share.

ed

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the online store in aus, everten, seems to have good dexter prices if you are interested ed, have only had experience with one style of that brand, though found the workmanship fairly inconsistent, embossed engraving poor and different over two of the same, wood not really cut/finished overly well (not that i was really expecting perfection for the price), but still feel and work really well, overall i was still very happy.

Thanks for your suggestions of experience as i've been pondering a set of skinners for rabbits to deer and these look like a well priced addition. Thanks.

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the online store in aus, everten, seems to have good dexter prices if you are interested ed, have only had experience with one style of that brand, though found the workmanship fairly inconsistent, embossed engraving poor and different over two of the same, wood not really cut/finished overly well (not that i was really expecting perfection for the price), but still feel and work really well, overall i was still very happy.

Thanks for your suggestions of experience as i've been pondering a set of skinners for rabbits to deer and these look like a well priced addition. Thanks.

 

G'day Gerb, been a while mate.

I prefer the wood handles myself bar for anything used in salt-water. They're shaped rough and larger than the tang, as many meat-workers prefer to shape the knife to their hand (so quality control seems lax).

Where they excel is the quality of the blade.They're high-carbon blades, so rust/tarnish easily if not cared for appropriately, but take an excellent edge.

We're talking work-knives here, so they won't take an edge as a $500 sushi knife would (or even look vaguely similar), but will shit all over the sushi-knife in a stamina contest.

A tad large for skinning bunnies though.

Actually, I've only used a cleaver/tommy etc on bunnies for years now.

Make an across-the-body cut of the back skin around middle of spine.

Insert fingers of both hands into cut and tear towards head and feet.

When skin is only held to flesh around head and feet, chop each with cleaver.

This will give you indication of how to cook as well, with young rabbits being the easiest to skin.

I pro-shot vermin of all discriptions for years on and off.

One bloke I used to hit the foxes with had a compressor in the back of his cruiser and would make a small incision in one fetlock and then stick the nozzle in and give it a 'puff-up', This would seperate all of the skin from the flesh and then he'd chop the head and feet.

A sneaky here, that an old fellow taught me when I was a kid, is that if you take a rectangular piece of skin ( the length of the rectangle being at ninety degrees to the animal's nose-tail axis) from just behind and just in front of the ears, make two small slices in each, then put clothes-pegs on one side of both cuts. When dried you get three sets of ears/critter. Bounties on foxes and bunnies are paid per pair-of-ears, so it can treble your income.

Don't know what pigs are worth these days, but was getting about $1.5/kg for whole animals (gutted) years ago. don't know what they're like now.

What do you use on deer?

I hunted sambar and wild dogs in the Vic high-country for years, so if they're your quarry pm me , I can probably offer some good advice, topo maps, etc.

ed

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