Some outside gear, by lengthy affiliation, turns into a connection to the previous. That’s the case of this most up-to-date knife mission by Kendall Carpenter.
by Leon Pantenburg
I had seen the large whitetail buck a number of instances in the course of the season, however by no means obtained a transparent shot. That’s one cause I take pleasure in searching for shed antlers after the season is over – it provides me an thought of which bucks are nonetheless round. It is also a handy excuse – as if I wanted one – to ramble within the woods.
The shed was present in Warren County, Mississippi about 5 years in the past on the intersection of a ridge highway. It was inside a number of yards of the spot the place I killed my first deer in 1981. The location was additionally about 80 yards from the place my first cousin, Marion Fitzgerald, killed his first buck in 2021. Through the years, I’ve killed ten deer off a close-by stand. There may be a variety of nostalgia in that space!
That tied in with a knife re-handle mission I had in thoughts. I really like the Bark River UP knife sequence, and use the UP Bravo and UP Gunny lots. However the smallest knife within the sequence, the UP EDC didn’t work for me. The deal with was barely lengthy sufficient for my hand, and it was too slender for me grasp securely.
This tradition Kendall Carpenter knife was made to my specs. It options skinny CPM-3V metal and a thick maple burl deal with.
Quick ahead. Kendall Carpenter is a good friend and expert knife maker, and we have been sharing a sales space on the 2022 North East Georgia Bushcraft Conference. He made me a custom knife in 2020, which rode in my daypack all through a summer time of climbing within the Southwest and in Central Oregon. He additionally rehandled my Bark River UP Bravo and UP Gunny as a part of a handle project I’d been engaged on.
I had introduced alongside my UP EDC and that shed antler to the convention and we mentioned easy methods to modify the EDC deal with to suit my hand. The UP EDC Canadian blade is great and the deal with is okay from most individuals. However I wished an extended, thicker customized deal with constituted of the shed antler. (FYI: The common American man has fingers that measure about 3.5 inches lengthy. Mine are 4-inches lengthy. So, I want a thicker, longer deal with than the usual.) Right here is easy methods to find the best fitting handle for you. Kendall went to work.
Kendall Carpenter re-handled the Bark River UP Bravos (high) and UP Gunnys with antler from an Oregon elk I killed on Nov. 11, 2015.
Listed below are the re-handled UP EDC specs:
| Total Size: | 7.25″ |
| Blade Size: | 3.4″ |
| Blade Metal: | A2 |
| Blade Thickness: | .115″ |
| Weight: | 3.7oz. |
Right here is how the knife is understanding to this point.
Grind: All Bark River Knives are convex floor. IMHO, convex is best for my cutlery wants.
Metal: A2 is one among my favourite knife steels. It holds an edge, is straightforward to sharpen, and does every part I want a knife metal to do.
Sheath: Kendall made a customized leather-based sheath for the re-handled EDC that rides excessive and may be very comfy to hold. Sheath design is paramount in an EDC knife.
Blade size: My UP Bravo has a blade that’s 4.66 inches lengthy. I desire a blade between 4 and 5 inches lengthy for gutting, skinning and quartering a whitetail. At 3.4 inches, the EDC is far more nimble whereas working contained in the carcass. It’s also a good length for skinning across the neck and shoulders.
Blade thickness: Thin blades work higher. At .115 inches, the EDC blade is an outstanding slicer. With A2 metal, there may be little hazard of breaking a blade, except there may be some deliberate abuse concerned.
Deal with: Unimaginable. It ought to be – it was made for my hand. Right here is how to determine the best handle grip for you.
Do you want a customized knife deal with in your EDC?
Possibly not. That’s a private alternative, and there are some actually expert knife makers that may customise a favourite knife to your specs.
I do know the variations between wants and desires. And I wished this explicit knife that used that specific antler. Each time I take advantage of the EDC, I could keep in mind seeing an impressive buck disappear into the bush from the ridgeline. Or recall my cousin’s elation at killing his first buck alongside that highway. Or keep in mind the a long time of searching one explicit space, and all of the reminiscences related to it.
Anyway, as finest as I can inform, that monster buck remains to be on the market within the swamp, and I’ll hunt that space within the fall. I could attempt to harvest him in November. Or I may not. We’ll see how that performs out in November.
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