It’s been stupid windy on The Mountain today. Our west-southwest exposure has us catching the prevailing winds anyway most days, if there’s a breeze at all. This time the blast came out of the northwest, with gusts clocked as high as 46mph.
I have a respectable pile of combustibles awaiting a calmer day. Looks like my next opportunity to light the burn barrel will be Friday morning.
Such is our existence up here. Conditions that didn’t used to matter in our lives now affect everything we do. We prepare and we adapt to changing circumstances.
It’s foolish to obsess about that. Only an idiot, however, ignores weather or is dismissive of it. I read the skies and gauge the wind, the way I was schooled to do as a Country kid years ago, but I also make daily use of forecasts generated by folks a helluva lot smarter than me.
Meteorology is an imperfect science. Nothing is certain. With that perspective, I remain humble in the face of whatever comes our way.
I haven’t talked much about knives lately. A knife is the most essential of tools, invaluable in what I do every day on The Mountain, and I have at least two on me at all times — a fair-sized folder and a multi-blade pocketknife.
My go-to fixed-blade knife up here has been a first-run Bark River Gunny. It’s handy, carries well and accomplishes most tasks with aplomb.
Still, generally I prefer a larger blade. I always have. That’s why I often pick up my Lon Humphrey Delta or another knife I’ve been favoring these days, a Bark River Bravo 1.5.
Carrying either of those is complicated by the holstered revolver that rides on the right side of my belt. Though I’ve settled on putting the Gunny on the left, crossdraw-style, that doesn’t work well for the bigger knives.
I was reminded the other day of a possible solution to my dilemma. It’s called a “dangler” — a simple leather loop fitted with a D-shaped carabiner. The ‘biner hooks through the back of a knife sheath and the loop slides over a belt. It drops the knife down several inches and allows it to “dangle” freely.
I figured that might be worth a try.
The dangler I picked is a Casström, made in Sweden. Quality appears to be good for the price. I tried it first with the Bravo, positioning the knife on the right side of my belt, just forward of my sidearm.
In short, it works. The knife handle no longer interferes with reach and drawstroke, and yet it’s easy to deploy and re-sheath the big blade.
The handle doesn’t jab me in the ribs anymore when I sit down, either.
You might be wondering if having a knife flopping around next to my leg is an issue for me, and it’s not. If catching on brush while woodswalking ever becomes a problem, it’ll be simple enough to rig-up a thigh cord to keep it under control.
I’ll have more to say, I expect, after living with the dangler awhile. I’m optimistic.
I bought another Chinese knife. I know, I know….
I spied it while surfing Amazon — sort of a spear-point pattern (which I love), Ghost Green Jade G10 scales (ditto), and an “axis lock” (don’t ask me to reconcile that claim with Benchmade’s patented mechanism). Deep pocket clip. Hefty, with a 3.5-inch blade. D2 steel.
All for less than 25 bucks. How bad could it be?
After being pleasantly surprised by the quality of a couple of cheap Kubey knives last year, and despite the country of origin, I was curious enough to buy it.
Right out of the box, I was impressed with the fit, finish and function of this Eafengrow EF963 folder. There’s no denying that it’s a good knife — a solid design, executed well.
It’s performed admirably in the woods, too, so far. Time will tell how it holds up, but I’d be lying to you if I said that I don’t really like this knife.
Now, is it the equal of a comparable made-in-USA Benchmade? Probably not. But when an American maker wants at least four times as much money for a similar (to most buyers) product, the difference should be decisive and immediately clear.
And it isn’t.
That’s not me being pro-China. I’m being honest, that’s all.
If American manufacturers — of all products, not just knives — don’t get their minds right and quit whining about “Chinese junk” (which this knife clearly isn’t), the hole they’re in will only get deeper.
Personally, I continue to prefer American-made, given a reasonable quality or value proposition. That’s why, of the knives I have with me, you’ll find those Barkies and that Humphrey, a pair of Benchmades, a Case and a Kershaw. My axes include a couple of Hardcores and a vintage Estwing.
Every one of those tools was made in the USA. I look forward to acquiring more knives crafted by American hands, putting them to work on The Mountain and telling you about them.
So no, I’m not in the tank for the CCP. I just have a thing for telling the truth.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB