The Hobbit Hole VII - But not yet weary are our feet...

[Ramius]

hehehe... I didn't mean nuttin by it... :-)

[Wneighbor]

Of all things, you're brother trying to pick up your minister! When you've invited plenty of nice single hobbit hole ladies!

[Wneighbor]

uh huh!

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, she is a cutie-pie.... and I suppose picking up on her at a wedding is not as bad as it could be.... The last two times we saw her she was doing funerals!

[Ramius]

hehehe...

[300winmag]

Well, here are three candidates for the Hobbit Hole knife, the next generation. They all arrived today, and I jsut gave them a quick lokkover, with closer study to come. They are all in the $25 price range, which makes laser engraving a bit iffy. I'm still waiting for the Camillus Arclite and the CRKT Stiff kiss

On top is the current HHD knife, which has really turned into the "gold standard". It's durable, well made, and a proven design. Underneath it is the Schrade SX4B, the Kershaw Vapor, and the Gerber Paraframe II.

The CRKT Sampson has already earned an "A". The other grades are my "midterms", and might change as I work with them more.

The Schrade is a solid "B". Made in Ireland (???), it is lighter due to the plastic handles, and lighter blade. The handles are countoured, rather than slab-sided. The black part is hard plastic, while the gray is a rubbery insert, making for a good grip. The blade is expoxy-coated, which means if we have it engraved, the spray coating can be omitted, leaving white letters on the black blade.

The Kershaw is all-stainless, and made in China. It is the closest in feel to the CRKT, and seems very sturdy. I give it a "B+".

Finally, the Gerber rates a "D", and I'm being charitable. It's also made in China, but has one vey serious problem. The blade does not lock up reliably every time it is opened. The locking leaf does not fit well enough to engage properly when the blade is opened slowly. That means the blade can close on your fingers with just a little pressure. Ouch.

On top of that, there is a detent at the "halfway" point in opening the blade. It stops the blade just enough to risk your finger slipping off the stud, and across the blade. I've almost nailed myself a couple of times with that already. If this knife does one more thing to piss me off, it gets an "F".

So that's my initial evaluation. The next step is to get the Schrade and Kershaw engraved, to see how they look. I'll also be doing a lot of click-click with them. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it.

[HairOfTheDog]

If this knife does one more thing to piss me off, it gets an "F".

Dang.... see I thought it looked the coolest, which is why these decisions should not be left to me! You know yer stuff.... I think you should pick from the others...

[Wneighbor]

You're right. Picking her up at a funeral would be really bad. Did he try that too? :-)

So, does Ramius have a thing for female ministers? :-)

[Wneighbor]

hehehe...

*stern look*

ah hem! Gonna have to watch you at this wedding!

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Got the invite in the mail today...reply coming (we're coming, you knew that!)

Nice invites BTW.

Gotta run, goin' to The Rock.

Jealous?

check in later.

[HairOfTheDog]

[HairOfTheDog]

Have a piece with white sauce for me!

You the first RSVP.... even beat the minister!

[Wneighbor]

I think we forget the Gerber. Eventually, it will do one more thing! Are both the others easy to open and close with one hand?

[300winmag]

Dang.... see I thought it looked the coolest, which is why these decisions should not be left to me!

I want to discover problems in the first knife, and not wait until we've mailed dozens before finding flaws. So far, I'd buy both the Schrade and Kershaw, depending on price and availability at the time of purchase. The two fixed-blade knives will be evaluated when they arrive.

[300winmag]

I think we forget the Gerber. Eventually, it will do one more thing! Are both the others easy to open and close with one hand?

Yes, they're both easy to open one-handed, but I was in such a hurry with the pictures, I haven't tried closing them one-handed. The Schrade is definitely more fragile, but should still survive any normal use. The CRKT and Kershaw seem more capable of surviving abuse, not that I would ever abuse a knife.

[LinnieBeth]

Geez, that'a a horrible corruption, wonder how that got so messed up?

But, explains why it didn't ring a bell.

[SuziQ]

Heaven help me if I ever get married...I'm gonna break every unwritten rule ever unwritten, I'm sure! ;-)

Just now catching up from FR being down and our being gone all day today.

We were married in the mid-70's and had folk music at our Mass and I didn't wear a veil, only flowers in my hair. My Granny called it a 'hippy wedding'. LOL!
It was the South, and folks we knew didn't usually go in for the big sit down dinner receptions. We had wedding cake, nuts, and punch in the Church Hall right after the wedding, then anyone who wanted to, came over to Mama's for a 'sit wherever you can find a spot' dinner! My aunts made baked ham, potato salad, baked beans, misc. sweet stuff, etc. We had a blast!

It will be YOUR wedding, Rosie, so do whatever you WANT to do. Just because it has 'always been done that way' doesn't mean you have to do it. You can create some NEW traditions!

[SuziQ]

You got rocks growing up out of the ground?

That happens every year up here! Maine is even worse, that's why they call those folks rock farmers! The freezing earth pushes the rocks up to the surface, then they're harvested each spring as you're trying to turn the soil over for planting.

[Wneighbor]

Sounds like the Scrade or Kershaw would be good for our purpose. Just judge according to price and availability I guess. Of course, give a good once over to the fixed blade too.

Back to the kids... they just disappeared. LOL

[Ramius]

Dang... Kershaw is made in China? Except for that it looks like a nice one.

Does Buck or Case make anything like these nowadays?