Jim;
Good afternoon to you sir, I hope the weekend has been going more than less according to plan and you and your fine family are well.

Thanks for the interesting thread and thanks to those who've put up photos of their blades as it's never something I tire of.

I believe most here know I like knives of all types, though cannot be considered a true connoisseur like some here.

For instance this is the "collection" of non-users that I've either made over the years or picked up in my travels or been gifted by travelling family.

[Linked Image]

For the purposes you've described however, there's a couple that I have that do get taken out camping.

[Linked Image]

The top left Bowie type blade is a Carl Schlieper Eye Brand "Sportsman's Bowie" likely from the early '60's. The sheath is a Puma sheath of roughly the same era.

The one below it is a Gryphon Knives - Bob Turzuola Design Model 30 in ATS 34 and I've got to say it's got a very unique feel in the hand - "lively" perhaps Jim? It's actually a reasonably useful knife for as big as it is.

I started carrying it, especially while we're tenting, after corresponding with a chap who along with his hunting partner got jumped while in their tent by a sow grizzly a few years back. One of his takeaways was a big "pokey" knife would have been handier than the rifles they had in the tent but couldn't get into play because they were both still in their sleeping bags, the tent was collapsed on them and of course there was a bear on the tent as well compounding the issue.

Then when the bear left, they couldn't find the tent door or a knife to cut their way out..... eek

Anyways, so far I've not used the Gryphon on a bear so that's a positive point for it in my view. wink

Thanks again for the thread and all the best to you all Jim.

Dwayne

The most important stuff in life isn't "stuff"