Let's See Some Hunting Knives

[Nicaburns]

I’ve just been to blade show Texas. Would love to make it to Atlanta someday as it’s supposed to be better

It is huge by comparison… quite a sight to behold

 

[Roosterlund]

Buck 110 Drop Point. One sharp knife. Used a lot of knives in my day but this one feels great in the hand and drop point is so much better than the clip blade

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Two knives made for me by my good friend Ted Mitchell
The stag horn is my favourite little skinner made with Sandvik steel
The one with the white mircarta scales is a gift for my son made of nitro V steel.
Both scary sharp, hold a fantastic edge and easy to sharpen
Bob

Ted putting the finishing touches in my sons knife. Not bad for an old 80 plus year old bloke that still hunts, works with his son makes knives as a hobby
Bob

 

[Josh P]

Unless it’s for a specific utility, I don’t even window shop mass manufactured knives anymore. Even if you have to save up for a while, buy a custom knife at least once in your life. It’s a very different experience and bringing it on hunts will add another layer of enjoyment to your experience. I would rather pass down a smaller number of knives to my descendants than accumulate a Chinese-made pile of “stuff” for them to sell when I’m dead.

 

[Nicaburns]

Unless it’s for a specific utility, I don’t even window shop mass manufactured knives anymore. Even if you have to save up for a while, buy a custom knife at least once in your life. It’s a very different experience and bringing it on hunts will add another layer of enjoyment to your experience. I would rather pass down a smaller number of knives to my descendants than accumulate a Chinese-made pile of “stuff” for them to sell when I’m dead.

Soooo true! Life is too short to carry a mass manufactured knife with no story behind it

 

[Nyati]

Unless it’s for a specific utility, I don’t even window shop mass manufactured knives anymore. Even if you have to save up for a while, buy a custom knife at least once in your life. It’s a very different experience and bringing it on hunts will add another layer of enjoyment to your experience. I would rather pass down a smaller number of knives to my descendants than accumulate a Chinese-made pile of “stuff” for them to sell when I’m dead.
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Definitely, I had 100+ industrial knives, nowadays sold most of them, just keeping the handful of custom blades made for me, which will pass to my grandson.

 

[fourfive8]

My favorite hunting knives.
Neither expensive, both industrial, 100% utilitarian
Mora and Buck

 

[Josh P]

My favorite hunting knives.
Neither expensive, both industrial, 100% utilitarian
Mora and Buck

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That model of Mora was probably the last production knife I bought and have been pleased with. It gets most of its use roughing out between the axe and the carving gouge stages when carving spoons and utensils. It’s also skinned a critter or two and had a place on my kit in the military.

 

[Big guns]

I used a Catquiver Mini last year and didn't find it too handy. My arrows are 31" long and with the broadhead attached, they're at the limit of it's length adjustability. I found the shoulder strap to be somewhat of a pain too. I actually cut myself once on a broadhead when I was trying to push the bottom of the quiver off my hip and around my back. I'm going to use it again this year but I'm going to try to attaching it to my fanny pack like the Catquiver VI.

 

[CBH Australia]

He built me one a few years ago. I should have taken photos of it. Little Kukri.

This was during Covid.

Price initially quoted was not honored, and he was a dickhead about me not answering emails while I on vacation for two weeks.

I paid him for it, it showed up about two months later. Which was bullshit, because I order from Swazi in NZ all the time and stuff shows up within a week.

I gave it to a friend of mine when he retired.

Quality was ok, but like that Menafee guy he wasn't worth dealing with.

I was told recently that we are not to discuss Garry or his knives here.

I had a much better experience but there you go.

 

[Badjer]

I was told recently that we are not to discuss Garry or his knives here.

I had a much better experience but there you go.

So did I in the 2 orders I did.
Apparently discussions are ok if they are negative?

 

[Muskox]

Well, unless he is a paid sponsor, I don't see any harm in it. Not everything that glitters is gold.

I don't remember what my final bill was, it was over $400, near $500 to my door. You can buy a hell of a knife in America for that. HIs wasn't a hell of a knife.

He was kind of a pissy asshole to deal with.

I don't even think it came with a sheath.

Was a pretty big disappointment.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Well, unless he is a paid sponsor, I don't see any harm in it. Not everything that glitters is gold.

I don't remember what my final bill was, it was over $400, near $500 to my door. You can buy a hell of a knife in America for that. HIs wasn't a hell of a knife.

He was kind of a pissy asshole to deal with.

I don't even think it came with a sheath.

Was a pretty big disappointment.

I will definitely agree that you can by a great knife in the US for the same amount of money. The $90 in shipping from NZ is a killer and makes it not really worth it IMO. You can spend the same amount of money here and only 10-20 bucks of that will be tied up in shipping (the difference obviously being made up in the quality of work). So definitely more bang for your buck buying American. Side note, there are some Eastern European makers that do acceptable/good/great for the same amount of money and ship for very reasonable prices.

AH drama aside, I like Garry just fine as a person. That said I agree he does acceptable/good work but not great work. But I don’t think his goal was ever to do it for a living and finish them to a higher degree. I think his actual pricing reflects that, the shipping costs (which are out of his control) being the problem. As far as I know all his knives, except probably kitchen knives, include a basic sheath so I find your sheath comment odd.

Now… I SERIOUSLY doubt Garry was the problem in your experience with him. Going off of your posts since you have been on AH I would imagine you were the problematic one. If there was a problem to begin with.

 

[Muskox]

I will definitely agree that you can by a great knife in the US for the same amount of money. The $90 in shipping from NZ is a killer and makes it not really worth it IMO. You can spend the same amount of money here and only 10-20 bucks of that will be tied up in shipping (the difference obviously being made up in the quality of work). So definitely more bang for your buck buying American. Side note, there are some Eastern European makers that do acceptable/good/great for the same amount of money and ship for very reasonable prices.

AH drama aside, I like Garry just fine as a person. That said I agree he does acceptable/good work but not great work. But I don’t think his goal was ever to do it for a living and finish them to a higher degree. I think his actual pricing reflects that, the shipping costs (which are out of his control) being the problem. As far as I know all his knives, except probably kitchen knives, include a basic sheath so I find your sheath comment odd.

Now… I SERIOUSLY doubt Garry was the problem in your experience with him. Going off of your posts since you have been on AH I would imagine you were the problematic one. If there was a problem to begin with.

Well you never can tell.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Well you never can tell.

Very true. Just saying. Griping about slow shipping DURING COVID was a bit ridiculous, unless of course you’re implying he didn’t ship in a timely manner? Then again, he should have provided tracking info right after he shipped.. In my case on two separate occasions he shipped in a timely manner, provided tracking and it took 2-3 weeks to get to Oklahoma.

Also, I get not answering work emails when on vacation but it’s a bit counterintuitive to not check emails when you have an ongoing financial transaction with someone…….

Finally, if you’re going to make the claim that original price was not honored then it’s probably best to bring receipts..

He’s made over 1,000 knives. To my knowledge you’re the first one to provide an overtly negative review.

 

[Muskox]

I didn't like the knife or my transaction with him.

Ordered a knife, asked for one thing and he delivered another. I wanted a certain color of micarta, and he told me not a problem. A couple of months later, he complained that everything was impossible.

At the same time I'm getting orders multiple times a year from Swazi in New Zealand within a few days of placing orders.

Any charm of ordering something from him was over shadowed by his victim mentality. Yes Covid was going on. How was that an excuse for some people and other excelled, I don't know.

Knife came in, I didn't like the way it handled or the way it looked. So it went to a friend of mine who happened to retire a few months later.

At the same time this is going on, I am getting knives within a few months and shipped days after payment from Tim Olt in Michigan, Arno Bernard in South Africa, Roger Bergh in Sweden, and others.

 

[Muskox]

Two knives made for me by my good friend Ted Mitchell
The stag horn is my favourite little skinner made with Sandvik steel
The one with the white mircarta scales is a gift for my son made of nitro V steel.
Both scary sharp, hold a fantastic edge and easy to sharpen
BobView attachment 680819View attachment 680820View attachment 680821
Ted putting the finishing touches in my sons knife. Not bad for an old 80 plus year old bloke that still hunts, works with his son makes knives as a hobby
Bob

Wow that white micarta knife is beautiful.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

I didn't like the knife or my transaction with him.

Ordered a knife, asked for one thing and he delivered another. I wanted a certain color of micarta, and he told me not a problem. A couple of months later, he complained that everything was impossible.

At the same time I'm getting orders multiple times a year from Swazi in New Zealand within a few days of placing orders.

Any charm of ordering something from him was over shadowed by his victim mentality. Yes Covid was going on. How was that an excuse for some people and other excelled, I don't know.

Knife came in, I didn't like the way it handled or the way it looked. So it went to a friend of mine who happened to retire a few months later.

At the same time this is going on, I am getting knives within a few months and shipped days after payment from Tim Olt in Michigan, Arno Bernard in South Africa, Roger Bergh in Sweden, and others.

Some of that is fair. Some of it is just obstinate and unreasonable on your part. For the most part it seems like you were the difficult one.

I get not being pleased with the knife but again, shipping was really not in his control other than getting it to the post in a timely fashion so using others as an example is a nonsensical argument. He should’ve waited until he had the Micarta in hand to make that promise (fair criticism) but again, covid caused supply chain issues for many people so what normally wouldn’t have been a problem was.

I gave away two of his knives in the Pay It Forward thread. The one I shipped to California (from Oklahoma) took a ridiculously long time to arrive and this was recently (shipped it on April 1st and it got there on the 14th…..).

 

[Muskox]

He took several months to ship after I paid him. Not weeks.

Like I said I was ordering big bags of clothing for my kids, wife, grandkids and myself from Swazi and getting it within a few days regularly. First class postage from New Zealand to New Mexico in a couple of days max 5.

I don't remember anything obstinate or unreasonable on my part. I just want the product I ordered for what I was originally quoted for it to cost, and when it is paid for I'd like to have it shipped to me in a reasonable amount of time.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Wow that white micarta knife is beautiful.

@Muskox
Thanks mate
Ted said it was a bitch to grind as it was that hard. He said he won't use it again because it that hard and chews up linishing belts
Bob