Halfbreed Decker Hand Forged Knife

I picked up the following knife on the BushcraftUSA forum a few months back.  

The knife is made by Nate Hardin in Indiana under the name Halfbreed.  This is his Decker style knife which is hand forged 1095 steel with a convex edge.  The handle is green micarta with orange liners.  It has a kydex sheath with a Spyderco belt clip.  

I've only used the knife a little so far.  Its not the normal style knife I would go for but the build quality is exceptional.  If I could change something about it, I would make the clip point end a little more gradual on the to side.  I'm going to use it a little and see how it works for me.

Spine Modification (5/29/16):
I decided to work on the spine of this blade a little.  The clip style end was not very appealing to my eye as it dropped steeply over a short distance.  I decided to make it a little more gradual slope towards the tip of the knife.  

I used an air drill with sanding attachment to take metal off.  I had a fan blowing on it at all times and would just grind for a second and then let the blade cool for a minute.  The blade was never hot to the touch really.  It was probably a little overkill on my part to take so long but I did not want to damage the temper of the blade.  

Once I was done, I sanded with 100, 220, 600, and then 1500 on the spine to get it nice an polished like it was originally.  I considered putting a 90 degree edge on part of the spine for using a firesteel but decided against it.  

I'm quite pleased with the outcome and if you did not know any better you would think it was made this way.  A side benefit of removing the material is that the blade does not look as bulky and thick near the end.  

Before Picture:

After Picture (Traced outline on the paper is of the old blade shape):

A little more about the maker from a local newspaper article:
http://wildindiana.com/a/from-stone-age-to-steel-halfbreed-knives/

Benchmade Bushcraft 162

Randall's Adventure Training (RAT) RC-4 Knife

The following knife is a Randall's Adventure Training (RAT) RC-4.  It is the precursor to the Esee 4.  

I purchased the knife used with an excellent convex grind.  This is the first knife I have purchased which I could easily sharpen to the point it cut hair off my arm.  Unfortunately, I only used the knife a handful of times.

The thin handle and thickness of the blade from cutting edge to spine made it feel a little clumsy.  The knife was certainly sharp but it seemed there were only a few things it did exceptionally well.  It was certainly not good for feather sticks, carving, or any kind of intricate work.  I worked on the spine some to get a good 90 degree but it didn't do well at striking a fire steel.

I added a few green liners in order to thicken the handle.  They also added a bit to the appearance of the knife.  I did not glue them in but instead just had them held in place by the three screws.  I was a little worried but the handle still locked into the sheath despite being thicker than normal (by about 1/8").

These knives are highly recommended but it just did not work for me.  I ultimately sold it off to someone else using the Bushcraft USA forum in order to gather money to try out something different.  I used the money to get the Halfbreed Decker shown on this site.

Mora Bushcraft Black Knife

I purchased this Mora Bushcraft Black thinking it would be an ideal outdoor knife for scouting trips.  Ultimately, I ended up selling the knife recently to consoldiate and end up with a fewer number of really nice knives.

The handle and blade are exceptional and it was very easy to use.  The knife was a little long for scouts as we tend to only allow scouts to carry a knife the width of their palm.  What bothered me is the finish on the blade started to discolor as if it were attempting to rust.  The black finish also did not hold up very well on the scandi grind when I stropped the knife.  

Buying a Chainsaw

I read a recent article in Countryside magazine about purchasing a chainsaw.  While I don't need one now, I suspect I will need one after I buy land in order to clean the property, drop dead trees, and cut up fire wood.  I wanted to make a note of some of the suggestions from the article for later reference.

Engine Size: Since there is a considerable amount of Oak in the area, the author suggests going with a 52cc engine or larger.

Bar Length: The general rule is that you can cut a tree with a diameter 2.2 times the length of the bar.  The author cautions against going with too large of a bar as there is a greater risk of injury.  He suggests a 14 to 16 inch bar.

Brands:  The author suggest going with a brand like Stihl or Husqvarna.  A YouTube channel I follow, WranglerStar, recommends going with a Stihl MS260 (now MS261).  The MS260 Pro has the following specifications:

Weight -10.6 lbs

Engine HP -3.2 bhp

Engine Displacment -50.2 cc

Bar Lengths -16" to 20"

Chain Width -325" or 3/8"

Snow an Nealley Axe on Collins Handle

I purchased the following axe at an estate sale in last October 2014.  When purchased the axe head was hung on a 23" long Oregon handle.  The handle was not very comfortable as it was too thin so it was ultimately replaced. 

The head of this axe has a cutting edge which measures 3.5" long.  The head is 6.25" from the sharpened edge to the pole. The pole is 1 5/8" high.  The head is ground with a slight convex 35 degree angle.  The pole has some damaged from being used as a hammer in the past.  

I'm not 100% positive of the maker of this particular axe head.  Under the pole is a "1 3/4" stamp which indicates the weight of the head.  This is a common marking on Snow and Nealley axes.  Aside from that, there are no other identifying marks.  

The eye of the axe head is large so most of the standard size handles were as long or longer than the one I removed.  Luckily, I found an original Collins axe handle on eBay which was exactly the correct size and 17 3/16" long which seemed to be just right.  The fawns foot shape at the end of the handle is a bit extreme for my liking but it is the right length and just the right thickness for a good grip.

The following pictures are of the axe in its current state.  It is exceptionally sharp but needs a sheath make sure it is safe to carry around.  My first attempt as a sheath did not end up as nice as I hoped but I might attempt to make another.

History of Dugout Houses

I've gone camping in Texas during the Summer months and it is not a very enjoyable experience.  The heat is incredible and I've a very difficult time sleeping while hot.  As I think about owning property with a cabin, I wonder how I'll manage during the Summer as I'd like to be comfortable year round.  While looking for details on how people in the past managed the Summer months without air conditioning, I stumbled upon dugout houses.

A dug out house is one in which a part or all of a level is underground.  Some of the early examples were quite crude with dirt floors and walls.  However, they certainly have benefit as placing a portion of the home underground reduces interior temperatures.  

The following image is of a dugout house from 1909 in Oklahoma.

This next example is of a house in Pie Town, New Mexico.

Pictures courtesy of Tiny House Blog

More pictures:
1933 Wyoming Dugout
WWII Dugout in Finland (YouTube video)