A Knife with a tale

[Dazb1967]

I had this knife made for me many years ago by Lance Ockenden aka Driftwood walker, When I asked if he could make me a custom knife I asked if he could make a flat grind knife but he talked me into a Skandi grind and I went along with it thinking it was just me being fussy and I would get used to it but I never used it so a lifelong friend of mine liked it and I gave it to him.
Come forward around 20 years and my friend took his life in June this year due to being poorly and was only going to get worse in the coming years, During his funeral the family asked me if there was anything I would like as a keep sake as we have grew up together all our lives 50+ years and I have known his kids all their lives, I said if they came across a knife with DB on the sheath I would like it and told the kids the story.
They came across the knife in his fishing bag and his daughter has just been around and dropped it off this morning and we had a good catch up and chin wag of our times camping fishing and shooting together, I have assured her I will use the knife and I will make sure I get used to it, The quality of the knife and sheath is excellent it's just I'm not a Skandi fan but I will make sure It gets put to good use and remember him every time I use it.

 

[Dazb1967]

Oops posted my wordle here but deleted before It was noticed

 

[dlz90]

Very interesting story although with a sadness in the loss of a good friend, my sincerest condolences for that.

Hopefully you will with use get to like the scandi grind they can really hold an edge, and what a lovely piece it is.

Thanks for sharing.

D

 

[Woodlander]

Can you send it back to the knife maker for a re grind?

 

[Stuart Mitchell]

I’ll regrind it and sort it for free, if @Dazb1967 thinks it appropriate.

 

[Dazb1967]

That's a great offer Stuart, I have sent you a PM, Another little twist is we both bough Pat Mitchell knives over 30yr ago out of a catalogue way before the Internet was around, I still have mine and I'll have to ask the family if they came across another knife

 

[Stuart Mitchell]

That's a great offer Stuart, I have sent you a PM, Another little twist is we both bough Pat Mitchell knives over 30yr ago out of a catalogue way before the Internet was around, I still have mine and I'll have to ask the family if they came across another knife

Quite amazing to think that 35 years ago, I would have had a hand in the making of those knives. I won't have made it, but neither will my dad. We had quite non-specific roles throughout the process, but they were all a joint effort.

 

[75]

That's a great offer Stuart, I have sent you a PM, Another little twist is we both bough Pat Mitchell knives over 30yr ago out of a catalogue way before the Internet was around, I still have mine and I'll have to ask the family if they came across another knife

Would you be so go as to post some "after" pictures if you do have it re-ground. Lovely tale and hope it gives you many more years of pleasure.

 

[Dazb1967]

Would you be so go as to post some "after" pictures if you do have it re-ground. Lovely tale and hope it gives you many more years of pleasure.

Yes I'll definitely post before and after, Just to keep the post in good spirit as well, I have never contacted Lance who made the knife to see if he can re-grind the blade and the quality of the knife and sheath is excellent but as stated earlier I prefer a flat grind to skandi, I'll post the pics before I send it off to Stuart

 

[Dazb1967]

Top knife is Pat Mitchell gut hook which is around 35yr old which myself and my mate bought 2 of.
Middle knife is obviously from Driftwood walker because the pic is also in the title and is around 20yr old.
The bottom knife is one of Stuarts blades which was from a run of blanks he done on SD and I put the scales on myself, This is only a couple of year old and I made the sheath from my basic leather craft skills

 

[Stuart Mitchell]

Is Lance still making knives?

 

[Smelly Yeti]

I had this knife made for me many years ago by Lance Ockenden aka Driftwood walker, When I asked if he could make me a custom knife I asked if he could make a flat grind knife but he talked me into a Skandi grind and I went along with it thinking it was just me being fussy and I would get used to it but I never used it so a lifelong friend of mine liked it and I gave it to him.
Come forward around 20 years and my friend took his life in June this year due to being poorly and was only going to get worse in the coming years, During his funeral the family asked me if there was anything I would like as a keep sake as we have grew up together all our lives 50+ years and I have known his kids all their lives, I said if they came across a knife with DB on the sheath I would like it and told the kids the story.
They came across the knife in his fishing bag and his daughter has just been around and dropped it off this morning and we had a good catch up and chin wag of our times camping fishing and shooting together, I have assured her I will use the knife and I will make sure I get used to it, The quality of the knife and sheath is excellent it's just I'm not a Skandi fan but I will make sure It gets put to good use and remember him every time I use it.
View attachment 444701

Thanks for sharing the tale & sorry to hear of your friends passing. Looks a great wee knife & (as others have said/going by the blade) has definitely seen some good use by your late friend as a valued gift? Glad to see that it’s made its way back to you despite the sad circumstances & have no doubt it will remain with you as a treasured keepsake now….. even if you never bring yourself to going ‘Skandi’.

 

[Dazb1967]

Is Lance still making knives?

I'm not sure Stuart, Never had any contact with him since this was made

 

[Stuart Mitchell]

The eagle has landed…

 

[Stuart Mitchell]

No going back now.

 

[Stuart Mitchell]

For me, unless you are carving wood, all that steel that has now been ground away was serving no purpose.

 

[Stuart Mitchell]

 

[GeoffWood]

A massive improvement

 

[Stuart Mitchell]

Nicely made knife, this. I have seen a bit of Lance's work over the years, and they are always solid enough and well accomplished.

First thing I did with this one earlier was compare it to a P90, almost identical in length, again I think is good, as I don't think that small blades have to have small handles.





I am not a lover of the Scandi grind, though, unless you are 'bushcrafting', and in particular, woodworking. They are sharp enough, don't get me wrong, what I am not keen on for a cutting, rather than carving blade, is the geometry along the spine.

Both those knives above are 3mm stock.

This is the spine of the Scandi, 3mm for 95% of the blade length, no flex at all, rigid front to back.





Side by side.





Hardly any of the 3mm remains; it has a bit of flex, a bit of give. Geometry by the tip is a totally different animal.

 

[Stuart Mitchell]

A bit brighter now, Trizact finish to the blade, ready to go.









This is what I mean about the geometry through the blade length at the spine compared to previously.





I have just noticed that the grind looks a little off in that last photo, at the tip. It isn't; it only looks that way in the photo because the tip drops away quite abruptly.