Review of a #Victorinox Farmer X #SAK

I have been meaning to get myself this knife for a good ten years.  But, well, you know how it is.  

Actually I did suspect that the knife would be capable.  A lot of you guys, especially in the UK, use and love the Alox models, and I really trust your judgement. Let's be honest: I might not have paid those knives a lot of attention had it not been for one grave danger for the survival of mankind in our time. Politicians. 

 Of course I do not want to go into details.  Just make sure you have as little contact as possible to these abominations, the scum of mankind. Means, obey the law, use the grey man strategy and keep your nose to the grindstone.  If you are happy, don't tell anyone, conceal every joy and sorrow and don't rant.  Don't fall for violence, because it is a scam to legitimate further removal of your human rights. 

So, following in the wake of the newest legislative hysteria, since I do love carving in the woods and foraging for my food, I was looking for alternative means of doing so.  I must admit that I chose Victorinox at first because of their non-aggressive image.  Working with them, I soon realized you really need to get to know them first.  Felix Immler really inspired me in the journey, because a journey it is.  Of course there is a main blade, but since it is a Slipjoint, even that needs a bit of a learning curve. If that is what you are allowed to use, this is what you have to use. Politicians do not care about whining. They relish in hurt.  So, the best you can do is not to hurt yourself. The best and obvious way not to hurt yourself with a Slipjoint is learning how to use a knife in general.  

Because, you hurt yourself with a Slipjoint out of the same reasons why you would hurt yourself with any knife.  Honestly.  And I did that myself and the learning curve was sometimes painful.  If you use a knife as a cutting tool, and do it with a bit of care and caution, you should be fine. That is not to say that locking mechanisms were not a good thing. But actually, working with a SAK or Sodbuster, I rarely miss it.  The sharpness of the blades is crucial. 

Working with the standard SAKs, you soon realize that, even though the stay in the blades on the standard SAKs is rather slack, it has a huge potential. 

What if you get a SAK with more stay then? 

So, I thought, well, better to buy it now than when buying knives at all will be made as difficult as in the UK.  

Hats off to Janet Fischer and the good people at Nordisches Handwerk, awesome transaction as usual.  Follow the link, it is well worth it. 

What can I say? Best thing I bought in a while. Carving with it is really addictive.  Harvesting Chaga needs a bit of caution, but is perfectly doable.  The stay is a lot greater than on the red SAKs. It is still really comfortable to open and close still, though. Walk is really smooth with no side play whatsoever, talk is distinct, but discreet. In the hand it feels really solid. 

Out of the box, the blade, which is made from exquisitly tempered 1.4116 (58HRC), could split a fine hair. Whittling shavings on feather sticks is outright addictive.  The blade sails through the wood, hardwood or no, with a swishing sound, and it is really satisfying to produce delicate curls and locks. It makes for precise carving in all applications. 

I produced a shiteload of feathersticks. I carved an absurd amount of hazel...

Like that, see? 🤣 

I also carved about ten little ugly duckling woodspirits, about ten heart pendants  and I lost track of the number of gypsy flowers I carved. Left all those in the woods for others to find and hopefully enjoy.  I carved dried oak, dried beech, elm, ash, hazel, fir, and pine. 

After several hours of rather hard carving it lost some of its frightening sharpness, but it still shaved.  

The saw works extremely well in a pulling motion, but also quite good in a push motion.  It makes for precise cuts and can also serve as sort of a rasp.  The spine can be used for debarking sticks, smooth wooden surfaces and works with a firesteel.  The spine is rather thin, so given that the sparks from the fire steel get as hot as 1000°C they can lead to damage of the edge. I would rather suggest you use a dedicated striker or modify the caplifter. 

Which offers a half-stop for added safety when using it as a screwdriver.  It also offers a notch to work with electric lines.  

The tin can opener is nice and sharp, offers an additional flat screwdriver.  It really is one of the best on the market, period.  It works in a forward motion.  It can also be used for cleaning up the bowl of spoons.  

The awl is another absolute favourite. Period.  It is really sharp and offers awesome control. To me, it is an absolute necessity for a lot of little carving projects, especially toys and carving with kids.  In contrast to the standard SAKs, it works in line with the handle. For more robust works, that is really cool.  On the other hand, the configuration on the other knives has its advantages, too, amongst them a bit more control.  But the awl on the Farmer X is a whole different beast in terms of sharpness and efficiency and can also serve as a reamer.  Also, it is another way to light a fire with a fire steel.  

Another really great tool is the scissors.  You can use it for paper, birch bark, herbs, thinner leather, and even your nails.  And it is one of the very best there is. 

Really diminutive, but an overlooked, but no less cool item is the key ring, which you can use for putting a lanyard on or additional gimmicks like a small torchlight. 

Of course, it is a short blade, and you will not even think about stuff like batoning. On the other hand, this beast carves a glut in maybe ten cuts. 

 The blade is a bit thicker than the standard SAKs with 2.8 mm in the spine.  Thickness above the edge, however, is just 0.2 mm, making it absolutely slicey.  Cutting veggies, meat, potatoes, charcuterie, leather, rope, fabric, you name it.  

If you can afford it, I can really recommend it.  

Making a sheath from birch polypore

This is the common birch polypore,  fomitopsis betulina,  also known as birch bracket or razor strop. 

For a bushcrafter,  it is a treasure trove. Not only useful,  as the latter term suggests,  a valuable asset,  if you want to strop your razor or knife,  it is of high medicinal value. Rich with polysaccharides,  Betulin acid,  triterpenes and potassium,  it is reputed to be anti-inflammatory,  immunestimulant, beneficial for the cardiovadcular system,  reputed to be anticarcinogenous. It is also antiseptic and antiviral. You can use it for wound treatment if you cut plaster strips from it. It can also be used to transport a spark and as a fire starter. 

And,  as it turns out,  if you cut a suitable piece from it,  as a great leather substitute.  Cut off the brown skin and the pores.  Your material to start with should be quite thick,  about 3-5 mm. Gently whack it with a clean and relatively smooth stick or your knife handle,  then work it with your hands,  gently stretching it. 

This is how it looks after the process. 

You can then use it to make small pouches and knife sheaths with it. Apologies for the lousy stitching,  it was getting dark and I am abit clumsy, as you guys know ;-). I used some strong sewing twine,  but you could also use bramble or nettle cordage in a pinch. I put a wooden model of the Mora inside and let it dry around the model to get it to the desired shape. 

Have fun! 
 

A hike to Schmiedefest @Krenzer Hammer crafts fair

 Last Saturday I met with Natalie and little Jonas to go on a foraging hike to the legendary crafts fair @ Krenzer hammer. (www.krenzer-hammer.de). We had an early start and were greeted by a snail and a bear family...

 ...and another snail.

 We had decided to take the small one foraging and collected a lot of herbs and ´shrooms for dinner. Jonas had a lot of fun climbing crosscountry on trails seldom trodden...

 ...spot the metalhead... ;-) Jonas forged with me on Highland Games Wuppertal and dropped by on Friday for the first time and joined in wit gusto. And it was a joy to have him around... he is a weird, but very intelligent kid that has fun doing things few kids of his age have.

 We came by some rock carvings where I told a dwarf tale... which he did not believe any... or did he? ;-)

 Did I mention this is a metalhead? ;-)

 Also it was really cool to have Natalie around with her bad humour and sarcastic remarks...

 I blurred this pic on purpose... for I don´t like duck faces any ... ;-)

There were a lot of wonders, big and small, by the trailside..

 Fairy rings...

 Oh so green was the moss...

 And trees by the crags standing guard...

 ...

 Along the murky stream we came to the Krenzer ironforge where the fair took place.

 And there it was I met Manfred and Rolf again... which came as no surprise. Manfred had a lot of really cool knife designs on display again...

 Top: Damascus blade with giraffe bone handle,

 the one below stag and a modified Karesuando blade.

 Manfred...

 This one is made from an old HSS saw blade with Micarta handle...

 ..in a somewhat unusual Kydex sheath with leather.

 Rolf was working doing leather designs witrh kids and adults alike...

 ...and Ruben from Ahlhauser Hammer was getting the knifemaking bug...

 We also met with Julia, Nick and Kathrin and had somewhat of a chat, before we went on our merry way to the ironforge. Unfortunately, the three of them did not care to join us. I suspect more than just a bit of scheming and plotting going on on their part, but as is, I am a paranoid bastard, cannot help it any and I refuse to make this my problem. So, off to Ahlhauser Hammer ironforge for the old foodie we went. It was raining hard then. Thiemo, Natalies boyfriend called what he should bring from the grocer´s and we decided to meet at the ironforge.

 There it was that Jonas unwrapped a piece of steel his brother found near the vicinity of a Solingen Burg smithy, and we probed it. Sorry for the bad pics, but there´s a structure in it and spark analysis showed roundabout 0,6-1,00 % carbon-it might as well be a piece of damascus...

Be this as it may ;-), we made a stew from the treasures we had found and some additions from the grocery store...

 Natalie doing some stunted Yoga... ;-)

 Jonas being off his rocker for joy of the steel we probed.. Idaresay we spoiled this kid a bit... he does not like veggies but ate two bowls of stew with no meat whatsoever in it, and I should say that mummy had a hard time convincing him not to take this iron rod to bed with him... ;-) but as his father came to fetch him, I daresay he was not THAT angry with us... ;-) so to say... ;-).

 Thiemo and Jonas. Folks, you´re good company.

 We sat by the fireside, we adults had a beer, and we talked and dreamed and laughed the night away.

Poifecc! ;-D

´Shrooms hike with the mad one;-)

Kai called the other day and was being bored, and I cannot allow for Kai being bored, so I made him fetch me and we drove out into the woods;-) to get us some mushrooms and herbs. As is, we cracked the jackpot and found a piece of woodland brim full with those tiny licce creatures, bay boletus, red caps, boletus and birch boletus.

Funny were those two little fellows growing out of the same mycelium.

Don´t have a clue what those are, but they were very purple;-). We tried to define them with a book, but were crap at it, so we left them be. Any suggestions as to what this might be?

I also wanted to share this vibrantly red maple leaf with you... I love those colours of autumn. It is as though nature is exploding in colours, as if every bit of energy is spent into a vibrant grandeur. Makes me want to do the same in my old age, for I have always thought autumn to be a metaphor for human life´s old age.

There was an abundance of fly agaric. Those are valuable hints, because they are often growing near boletus and other related shrooms.

...and they are beautiful...

...looks like egg and tomato with remoulade...;-)

...or Santa;-) flying through the air....never drink reindeer urine, or else you end up high as a kite *ggg*.

We came across this slightly deranged comfrey. Comfrey is a very valuable plant in organic gardening, bettering the ground balance and fertilizing, the leaves and blossoms serving as an antiseptic and for ointments. In fact, comfrey is reputed to even have a healing effect on bone fractures, and medieval doctors even stated that " cut meat which is cooked in a pot with comfrey, will mend". If you want to use it, however, NEVER use it internally, and never prolong the use over four weeks in a row.

Kai enjoying a drink in the sunlight-enchanted woods.

...and beautiful were the light, golden and vibrant and yet mild.

Kai found some ´shroom... big brute, tiny ´shroom, I say*ggg*.

Ah, yes, and I HAVE NOT anything going on with fly agarics. I simply love the colour. Really. I do.*ggg*

On the trail, we came across this harvesting machine. I am not overly fond of the term "Harvesting when trees are concerned, no, Sir, not at all. But as is, we live in an area where forests are cultivated. The storm "Kyrill" may have taught the forest management over here a thing or two about the resilience of monoculture, but other than that, there are still too many monocultures around if you ask me. A matter of time (or the next tempest, if you so will;-)).

Then we visited this lordly spruce tree. Under its roots were a load of bay boletus. I paused a bit and spared some thoughts for it, and we raced on through the thicket, just for the fun of running through the underbrush and practicing our getaway prowess;-). There would me more tales to tell still, and every step in the woods tells a story, but those ones we found most interesting:

Owl or other bird of prey cast. This is the other side of autumn, and of nature in itself-the neverending cycles of the hunt, the feast, of life and of death, of joy and sorrow. The strong prey on the weaker, until they get stronger or learn to be more cunning-but all are provided for.

We got to the car with a load of mushrooms and many strong impressions, we had a lot of good-natured talk, and shared a lot of joy and sorrow. Thanks, bro, it was a great outing, and I wish you the very best for the weeks to come!