All About Pocket Knives

How about showing your big'uns.
Here's mine.
Russell Daddy Barlow, 5" closed.

2 things i will post pics later but i sware the members here are knife mind readers i was in my knife little knife shop known as my basement.and i was taking pics of some knives for posting questions and i was just last night for the first time since i bought it looking at my opinel.did you know they make that knife indifferent sizes but they are all the same blade handle everything.they aare all just shrunken down versions.no1,no2,no3 etc. book value gives them at 25$. i just found my first opinel at a flea market. its a no10. in basically brand new condition.i bought it becuase i like its version of a locking system.very simple. its actually a good working knife. i snagged it in a box of junk knives for 2$.

what no is that opinel?

also i have seen a few of those okapi on ebay. does anybody know about them at all. i have always wanted to grab a random one of ebay but is it a nice knife? what is the purpose of the "whatchamacallit" under the handle?

Thats big !

peterforce wrote:...what no is that opinel?...also i have seen a few of those okapi on ebay. does anybody know about them at all. .. what is the purpose of the "whatchamacallit" under the handle?

Mine is no.9.
The Okapi is the cheap,traditional working knife of South Africa, but the carbon steel is quite good. I also like the external spring.
I got mine from Ragweed Forge for about $7. The handle inlay is for decoration. There is a series of sizes, like the Opinel. Mine is the second largest, and the largest has a lock.
There is also a Cold steel version called the kudu with zytel instead of wood, but the Okapi is as authentic as the Opinel, or the french Douk Douk, for that matter.
These are knives which have survived the test of time and proved themselves.
They deserve a thread of their own. Whadya say, Peterforce?

Even with all the expensive and nice knives I have, I really like the cane knife -- the Okapi. Take a look at the Okapi in the picture. You can see on the MARK side that it's flat. There is no grind on that side except for the cutting bevel. I have one that Charlie gave me and I use it regularly. Great knife to have in the EDC rotation. Take a look and it has a half stop - for $10.00 or so. You really can't see a tang on the mark side, but because the pile side is ground, you can see a tang.

If you could see the other side of the blade you would see that it is flat ground vs. the mark side which is as flat as a piece of sheet metal and unground. It has the same bevel as the mark side. So, what it looks like is a modified chisel grind. It starts out being a chisel grind then both sides are ground for cutting and it holds an edge very well.

Thanks Charlie, it is an interesting design, engineered to maximize efficiency in manufacturing.

The metal under the wood handle is what makes this knife work and gives it the walk and talk. It is acting as a backspring and it locks the blade up tight when fully open. In the center is a pin and it works just like a rocker pin. The rest is decorative, BUT it does strengthen or re-inforce the wood in the rocker pin area.

For me I can appreciate the engineering that went into this knife, it makes maintenance a breeze. I've had plans for nearly a year now to make this knife with a tine from a deer antler instead of wood with maybe A2 tool steel, cause I like it and it is very under-utilized.

Glad it's not just sitting in a drawer somewhere! I liked looking at it, but had about 20 EDCs, so it got no respect . It went to the right guy; now it has a purpose!

Great post, Hukk.
I learnt a good lesson in knife observation.
What about that super BAIL.
Good luck with your Hukkapi project. It would be a great tribute to a great knife.

Edgewise wrote:Great post, Hukk.
I learnt a good lesson in knife observation.
What about that super BAIL.
Good luck with your Hukkapi project. It would be a great tribute to a great knife.

Thanks, finding time is a pain.
That Bail is actually a bail and it's hooked to the pivot pin, without the bail the pivot pin would not be secure. What's fun to watch is the back of the blade. It's flat to make a 1/2 stop. So you can watch how and why a simple half stop works. No magic, just the back of the blade is flat with the corners rounded so it's smooth but locks into the 1/2 stop position because of that flat. Nothing fancy with a half stop - though some folks would like you to think so.

You can also see that back spring works as a stop. That knife does show you a lot. Looks like everything on the Okapi has a purpose.

Here's a few from my collection:
A couple of navajas;one has horn handles and the other wood jigged to simulate bone.Both Spanish.
A couple of WWII survival knives;one by Colonial and the other United in Grand Rapids MI
A large wooden knife made for a knife club no longer around.
A huge navaja made of cast metal(pewter maybe);from a friend whose dad owned an antique shop.
Another huge navaja;mid 19th century with bone and tortoise handles;picked up in an antique shop for $10.
My collection of huge folders;the biggest of which is a 4 blade congress 12" long closed.