In 1996 I was living in Montana scratching out a life in the wonderful Yaak Valley as a big game guide. A true mountain man named Butch that I worked with had grown up in the mountains of OR. and had accomplished some pretty cool things in his 58yrs. He was always offering a bit of advice on how to coduct my self in the mountains. I listened best I could and I learned much from him(i hope).
One day when I strung up a real nice whitetail buck that my hunter had killed that morning,Butch can over to look at it. I could tell that he was troubled but he kept quiet. All of the clients walked over to the lodge, and Butch asked if I was done with the deer. "yep" I said, "what else would I do?". Quick as I could see Butch produced a Large folder from its belt sheath and carved on the buck to get it to hang just right. That 30-45 seconds of knife work really struck me. I was watching somebody that KNEW WHAT THEY WAS DOING with a knife.
After quizing Butch about the why fors and hows comes about the cuts he made to the deer,I asked about the knife. His response was,"Thats just what we always use,Big folders from a belt sheath" I figured I would have to do that someday.
When I saw Kevins post about his big folder I felt that ole twitch that bugs you for a few days. I made contact. Kevin and I talked,He offered to send me the knife to see what I thought. I said "OK"
The knives showed up last Thursday. Yes,he sent me three of his folders to play with.
The two big folders are great. They are of a different style than the one Butch carried but they are fine cutting tools to say the least.
I am not a knife expert,but as a craftsman,I know(or think I know) when something is good. Kevins knives are good. Things just look like they should. Wood to metal joints are tight and flawless.The file work will make your eyes go goofy from the design and colors used,they look like a shiny jewel. Kevin sent along a smaller folder that is all decked out. It is all damascus with ivory scales and his blue titanium liners. File work on the liners both back and belly Countersunk gold screws to hold things together and a prtty stone of some sort in the thumb stud that seems to look better than I thought it would.
My overall thoughts are this, Kevins knives are great looking and great feeling. He is putting some great thought,effort and detail into his work, and it shows. I will ponder this small collection that he sent me and if I don't keep one of these,I will for sure be contacting Kevin when I am ready for my own custom made BIG folder. Kevin is a good fella. Thank You Kevin.
I will try for pics later,but right now I need to go shoot bunnies. The links will have to do for now. Please enjoy.
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=48;t=001820 This is the small one,
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=110;t=003913#000000 Chuck
Topic: Big Folder by Kevin Evans (Read 871 times)
