Grail Item

Well, hello babe!

Posted on September 22, 2020 by akadventurer

New Zippo again.

Have wanted a pin-up styled lighter, just because, for a while now. I got one once before, in an off brand Zippo coppy, but the way the image was done with a thick plastic buble/cover over it just wasn’t my thing.

I’ve looked at all of them Zippo makes/has made, took forever to find 3 or 4 that are semi tasteful, and the woman isn’t ugly as a mud fence… And wasn’t so far out of production that I’ll never find one… This is one of them, a Playboy cover edition, March 1988.

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I’ll probably end up having a one off made with an image of my choice to get what I want.. we’ll see.

Categories: EDC, Fire, Grail Item, Just Plain Fun, Lighters, New Gear, Sexy, Zippo

About that Muskrat.

Posted on July 26, 2020 by akadventurer

Yeah, backup blades of the same type aren’t my thing. I’m more for multiple blades in different styles, for different tasks.
I can see how it would be, as these were originally meant as a skinning blade. Use it till dull, swap blades and keep going without having to change your way of doing things to compensate for a different blade. But I don’t do that kind of repetitive work that warrants a direct replacement blade.
So, yeah.

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Ended up with a nice lambsfoot profile. And just about the same length of edge as is on the sheepsfoot in the stockman.

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Usually I do the back or pile side blade for this, but the curve of the frame leaves more access to the nail nick on the front/mark side blade, than if does the other. So I did the front. The main blade used will be the straight edge anyway… Might as well make it the mark side blade, usually considered the “main” blade side.

Slight swedging and blend of spine edges.

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Might touch the “peak” on the spine a bit to straighten the overall look of the blade. Then again I might forget. It doesn’t really need it.

Categories: Case Knives, Cowboy, Customized, EDC, Field gear, Grail Item, knives, Life-Philosophy, Modifications, Pocket knives, Re-purpose, Theory/Thoughts, tool mods, Traditional

Finally A Mini Muskrat!

Posted on July 16, 2020 by akadventurer

So…I did manage a new knife last month. Something I’ve wanted for a while. They’re pretty rare among the brands that make traditionals, even in vintage models, and extremely rare in contemporary brands.

A mini muskrat. 3-5/8″ or thereabouts stockman frame with twin opposed clip blades.

Case made one until a few years ago. They’re kinda like finding hens teeth and when you do they’re gold plated teeth.

Took a while(couple years actually!) to find a good deal on one I liked.

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Supposedly a 2016 model, haven’t run the tang myself yet. Handle is butterscotch corelon. I’ve read that no pins in the scales on composite handles generally means a rehandle job, or a contract knife handled outside Case. For Corelon that tends to mean they were handled by Frost. It’s almost a flawless job, extremely good fit and finish, I’d never know Case didn’t do it.

I managed to score it brand new, unused, no box, for $35. :D

Used Mini Muskrats not in corelon(an expensive material, why I don’t know) tend to be a $70 to $100 proposal.

YES, It was a gift from God! No other way I’d ever get that it that price!

Categories: Case Knives, Cowboy, EDC, Grail Item, knives, New Gear, Pocket knives, Traditional

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