All About Pocket Knives

You've put in a lot of effort on this project John. Thank you very much. It's appreciated.

Thanks for the opportunity, Jerry!

My last challenge- the kitchen. Rocky actually helped with the Christmas turkey and peeling an orange and did an excellent job with both tasks. I think Rocky would handle any kitchen cutting with ease. I also used Rocky to cut a boiled turkey neck into 6 pieces but didn't have anyone to take pictures. One of my sisters helped with some of the below pictures.

On a side note, the Butterball Electric Fryer did an excellent job as well. I went with an Old Bay dry rub. Moist and deeeeeeeeeeeeeeelicious.

Rocky vs. the orange first-

Rocky vs. Christmas turkey-

In review, I think Rocky handled everything I threw at him with the exception of chopping. I've chopped with larger camp knives before with way better results. I think his downfall in this challenge was due to his light weight. But for backpackers his weight would be a plus.

One thing I didn't get to test was his ability to function as a can opener. But with his blade thickness I think he could do it, especially after the truck tire sidewall puncture test. I should also mention Rocky was able to spark a firesteel, a necessity in wilderness survival situations.

Well, Rocky should be shipping out to Chipley, FL tomorrow. I'm interested to read what the next user thinks about his current sharpness, which I only touched up a little on Day 1. Hope you enjoyed my posts.

1967redrider wrote: Hope you enjoyed my posts.

Well I certainly did.

What Jerry said

Tracking says Rocky departed Tampa and will delivered tomorrow.

I don't understand the postal system. It went to Tampa on it's route to the panhandle??? That's just weird.

Y'all can rest easy now, Rocky arrived at Starvation Plantation today. Jerry, I know what your saying, why did it have to go to Tampa then back north and west to Chipley? I just received one of Scott's finds the other day and it went all the way to Mobile before it turned around and came back through Pensacola then to Chipley .
If I had had Rocky early this morning, I could have given him a good work out. About 9am, we had finished our coffee, breakfast and devotion time and here comes a young man with his 1st deer and not a clue, needing help . So I spent several hours with him. I'd do a step on one side and he would copy on the other side. He hauled him off in an ice chest, broke down into hams, shoulders, back straps, etc...
1967redrider gave the knife a real workout, maybe I'll be able to try this thing on a deer some time soon.
1st impression is the knife is kinda' clunky, very heavy duty. I gave it a Lansky treatment, it'll shave the hair on my arm. It'll be different because of the weight and the handle configuration.
Treefarmer

New Year's Day has been good! Heard a good sermon at church this morning, had a good dinner and a long winter nap. After my nap I checked the weather and it looked like a few showers were still coming our way, figured it would be a good afternoon to be in the shootin' house. It was a good evening and I have given Rocky a pretty good work out helpin' Bambi out of his britches.
The Estwing knife has an odd feel at 1st but then it seems to feel okay. I used Rocky as much as I could, 1st removing the front legs at the joints and then skinning them out and on up and over the brisket all the way to the head, skinning down the neck to the shoulders. From there I pull the hide off the deer like taking off your jeans. The knife worked well but without a sharp point I had to switch back to my Queen #39 to begin my cut to open the carcass to remove the innards. When I break the deer down I'll use Rocky some more and see if Miss Joy will take a few more pictures. Treefarmer

Definitely getting a work out!

Good job fellas!

Nice, treefarmer, good to see Rocky back in action!

Hope you enjoy giving Rocky a workout as much as I did.

I have to apologize . I had a friend come and help me break down the deer this morning so I could get him in the cooler as the weather was warming up, and I forgot to use Rocky . I'll use him when I start processing the deer in a about a week. We try to remove as much fat as we can while dressing the deer and this morning my friend was using a nice Camillus fixed blade to help out. Thinking about what was done today, I think the Estwing knife would have been too wide to easily remove the meat between the ribs. It would have done well removing the shoulders but pulling the back straps and tender loins also calls for a more narrow blade. Had I not had my Sawzall, I could have used Rocky to chop through the pelvis to separate the hams.
Treefarmer

Rocky doing a job on a side of meat.

Rocky's interesting journey to Florida-

1967redrider wrote:Rocky's interesting journey to Florida-

Cuh-Razy!

Gave "Rocky" a little try in the kitchen today at dinner time. He can do the job but he can't do it as good as my stainless Case butcher knife. The thickness of the blade made it a little awkward for me to slice the deer heart consistently as I can with a thin bladed knife.
More to come.
Treefarmer

Yesterday I used Rocky as an ice pick . Due to undependable winter weather, we usually end up breaking the carcass down and placing it in a ice chest for a week or so to age properly. The shoulders, hams and detached back straps are laid on a bed of cubed ice, then kept totally covered with ice till time to process. The ice chest is elevated on the end opposite the drain which is left open. As the ice melts, the water drains out and fresh ice is added as needed depending on how warm the outside air is. As it melts down the cubes become one big chunk covering the meat. This is where Rocky was useful yesterday . The weight and heftiness made it ideal for this little chore.
Treefarmer

Multi-talented he is.

Great job Philip!

Before I bundled Rocky up in a box I gave him one more small work out.
Y'all remember the fat wood or lighter knots that Scott mentions sometimes, well I sawed a piece of a lighter knot and then used Rocky to split off 1/4" slabs. I used a rawhide mallet as a baton/maul and the heavy knife did a good job. I would not hesitate to strike it with a hammer or small axe for splitting a heavier piece of wood or for cutting a pelvis of a deer, it's that well made.
Here's a few more shots of Rocky being used, I also shaved a feather edge on the fat wood with Rocky before I lit it on fire.
Treefarmer

Philip, how's that handle feel? Does it wear a blister on your hand? I haven't heard much about that.

Jerry,
The handle didn't seem to create a problem. As I stated earlier in the review, it felt a little odd , but easy to hang on to. I only "really" used it to dress one deer and the knife stayed in my hand very well, wasn't a bit awkward or uncomfortable.
All in all it's just a very rugged unusual knife, it got the job done. It would probably become a highly prized camp knife by anyone who enjoys the camping life, it'd be like a Timex watch, takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'.
Treefarmer

Okay Philip. That was what I was looking for. So probably not your first choice to dress out that freshly killed deer but if push came to shove, It would get the job done. Pretty much a general all around camp knife. Not great at any one task but like most general purpose tools, it will suffice in a pinch. Kind of like the Leatherman of fixed blades. That's what I'm hearing you say.

But... Its UGLY!!! John