All About Pocket Knives

I'm not a big Micarta fan but I do like the way it works here..

Cletus what is the closed length of the Fayette Jack ? Did they come with a clip blade as well as the Bohncliffe on yours ?
We need more examples posted here. I do not have one to post but wish i did should anyone have one they can part with.
kj

That Wharncliffe is a fantastic looking knife. And you have a good looking one there.

Why is this Northwoods pattern so under represented here ? Only one example of the Fayette Jack. If you have one please post a picture. I'd love to see one with mammoth handles. Also how about a comment on blade action: spring too strong ? or too wimpy ? or about right ? And sharpness ? good for butter or better than butter ?
Come on, let's see a few and hear your opinion of this Northwoods.
kj

Cletus Awreetus wrote:I'm not a big Micarta fan but I do like the way it works here..

Steve, I like that one too. That black Micarta is very sharp. Haven’t seen too many black Micarta’s that I would reject, it’s up there w/ stag in my opinion.
Very nice.
SSk

Happy to oblige kj. As memory serves, 4 micartas and giraffe were the handle materials. Pictured is a giraffe and burlap, accompanied by the Fayette's sibling the Burnside Jack in puoneer bone. The Burnside had a nice palm swell at the end of its bareheaded handle as well as a larger arrowhead shield. The walk and talk on the burlap was perfect, the giraffe needed a flush and lube and its come right along. The grind on this Bohncliffe is very good, markedly better than earlier versions. They are now carrying the grind higher towards the spine resulting in a less steep of an angle if that makes sense. Sharper now. Here's a pic with a Michigan Jack to illustrate.

Unrelated, giraffe has proven to be a most excellent handle material. Even more unrelated, I checked out some red stag today.

Rob, you sure re-vitalized this thread ! Thanks for responding to my request.
Your Giraffe Fayette looks even better than the one i have inbound from ebay for $305.(picture below)
Now i need a Burnside even more after your enthusiastic description. I have only ever seen 1 Burnside for sale. Of the D.B. Northwoods i think the Burnside is the most rare.
Is that container load of Red Stag for a North American knife manufacturer ?
kj

I am really liking the Giraffe Bone knives. They have many different colors. I hope to get one at drop one day!

There is a lot of variation in the color with giraffe bone. Some is primarily grey and others are mostly orange color. The best giraffe handles are every bit as attractive as the best mammoth. This is why it now is just as difficult to score a giraffe as it is a mammoth. You need to be on the website the second they become available, grab the first one you see and then have a truly high speed internet service.
It is tempting to 'shop', i.e. see a nice giraffe and think "very nice, but maybe there is an even nicer one", "i'll just scroll through a few more". This will almost ensure a strike out.
I live in a land of slow high speed so my chance of getting a giraffe or mammoth from a dealer is extremely low.
All of the above is why for me $305 is an acceptable deal for the Fayette Jack with lovely warm orange glow giraffe bone. I don't have it yet but if it looks as good as the pictures i think i got a good deal.
kj

I just picked up the giraffe bone Fayette that i posted above using the seller's picture. I was a bit concerned having recently received a GEC knife whose actual color differed from the pictures. It has a warm orange hue in the picture, reminds me of a desert sunset.
Well the knife is every bit as fantastic as the picture posted above. Superb handles, as fine as the best mammoth. I don't know how the seller was able to give it up. I will take pics in the morning weather permitting.
It is similar to one of Rob's giraffes, also pictured above.
kj

Can't wait to see your pics kj, mountainous backdrop please. The giraffe does make quite spectacular handle material. I have read it is sourced from the found remains of giraffe killed by lions.

Snowing hard. Likely no pics today.
The shin bones of a giraffe are the most dense of any mammalian bone due the extreme weight then must support. For reasons unknown giraffe bone takes up dye well and gives a range of different colors.
Camel bone is also dyed and used for knife handles but it does not absorb the dye very well so some of the results are a rather dull brown or grey.
It would be interesting to read a brief tutorial on bone dying and then perhaps understand why the very dense giraffe bone can become so colorful.
kj

Here are my pictures of this Fayette Jack with giraffe bone handles. i am also showing it with my Presidential and Esky Zulu knives which have the best mammoth handles in my collection. I think this giraffe is every bit as pleasing.
It is still very 'dull' outside with the sun very low on the horizon even though it is noon. The handles look 'brighter' when the light is brighter. All this to say, knives exceed these pictures.
kj

Roland, beautiful knives and a very nice comparison of Giraffe and Mammoth Ivory. The both provide the appearance of texture while feeling smooth. The Giraffe bone on your Fayette Jack is especially nice.

Thanks Jerry. I am very pleased with this knife. I hope GEC/Northwoods offer giraffe bone on some of the 2019 knives.
kj

kootenay joe wrote:Here are my pictures of this Fayette Jack with giraffe bone handles. i am also showing it with my Presidential and Esky Zulu knives which have the best mammoth handles in my collection. I think this giraffe is every bit as pleasing.
It is still very 'dull' outside with the sun very low on the horizon even though it is noon. The handles look 'brighter' when the light is brighter. All this to say, knives exceed these pictures.
kj

Roland, that is, without a doubt, the nicest giraffe bone I have ever seen on a knife. I usually don’t like the look of most giraffe bone. But this one doesn’t have that look. I’m envious of all those knives. All are beauties. I wish I had started to collect GEC knives earlier.
Mark

Both very beautiful knives kj.

I posted this in other threads, but hey I don’t mind if you don’t. This is the same handle material that Steve started this thread w/. Of the two that I got, this one is my favorite.
SSk

ssk, nice Fayette Jack. The black linen and red linen are usually attractive. The burlap, denim, etch variations are hit and (mostly) miss with me.

Here is a picture of a Giraffe Fayette Jack. Variations can occur with Giraffe as you will see if you compare this one to the beautiful example that kj posted earlier. This one is lighter in color with a salmon color tint to the front handle.

I just picked this Fayette Jack up during the last drop. Does anyone know why some giraffe bone scales are brown/gray and some orange. I understand that giraffe bone can have variations in color, but there's no hint of orange in this one.

Hey jt, welcome to AAPK
I would of bought that Fayette jack even though i do prefer lighter colors.
I have asked the same question: how is it that giraffe bone can take on such a wide variety of colors while other bones like camel or cow don't. No answer was forthcoming. Is it the bone or is it the dying technique ? Who does the processing & dying of giraffe bone ? If this could be discovered they would be able to provide answers.
Giraffe shin bone is the densest of any bone in any animal. A giraffe is a huge animal with most of it's weight over the front legs and the stress forces increase calcium deposition. Hence it is odd that the most dense of all bones is able to absorb dye so well.
The information is known and 'out there' somewhere but so far has not been discovered by those who post here.
kj