CARRYING COMFORTABLY
For the past couple of months, I’ve been carrying the Wanderer in
the provided Tec-Lok equipped kydex sheath that held the blade
close to my body with the grip just above the belt line for easy
access without the annoying flip flop of more traditional sheaths.
While I originally was dismayed to have to part with my beloved
Gray’s Custom produced Aculeus, it did not take long to get used
to carrying the Wanderer. The sheath positions the knife on the
belt in a way that allows for ease of draw and returning of the
blade safely and efficiently with very little wasted movement.
This can set up can be carried effortlessly in a nonchalant,
politically correct, everyday low profile carry.
While the swamp critters here in Florida may not care to
notice a robust fixed blade on your belt, it usually can get more
than a discerning look in line at the local bank or post office.
A quick thought before moving to the knife itself is the
suggestion of an optional leather sheath being offered for the
Bushcraft diehards. These individuals would be those who would
really enjoy the Wanderer’s design but haven’t found themselves
on the kydex bandwagon yet. Purists would enjoy a quality
leather option for stropping the blade in a pinch.
PROS AND CONS
A couple of things I really enjoyed about this knife over the initial
60 days were the ease of clean up the CPM4V steel construction
allows for and the razor sharp edge retention. Unlike carbon
steel or typical stainless steel, these blades don’t need to be
treated like a baby in oiling them after every use. In my nonstop
time with the Wanderer, I have used in salt water induced
environments, through tree sap, poly filament fishing line, meat,
dirt, etc. without any noticeable scratches on the blade or nicks in
the edge profile. A quick wipe on a hand towel or pants leg and
the Wanderer is ready to go again.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I found the Wanderer proved just as well-balanced in the hand
while performing daily tasks as it did after removing it from the
shipping package when it first arrived. The spear point blade
and jimping on the back of the spine help in piercing materials
such as canvas tarps, processing wild game or impromptu
leather working. It’s been my past experience with spear point
blades; they felt more like a cheap chef’s knives from my kitchen
knife block than it did a survival tool, but not the case with the
Wanderer. The heavier weight of the Wanderer’s wide spine puts
it in more in the control range of a high end wrench from Snap On
tools than a cooking blade from Walmart.
Retailing at US$425.00, the Wanderer falls in line with high
end production knives while getting the quality of a completely
custom American made knife with far superior materials than
that of commercial name brands. In recent weeks, Grey’s Custom
Knives has decided to walk a different path than its former
partnered company, Skallywag Tactical, but their drive to produce
top quality knifes versus high quantity from cheaper materials is
what will hold them head and shoulders above other competitors
going forward. In my opinion, Grey’s Custom Knives has developed
a winner in the Wanderer on their first venture into the world
for Bushcrafting. With the mentioned recent internal
moves and consolidation, I see only more great things
coming from these guys very soon! Check them out on
Facebook at Grey’s Custom Knives and show this great
small business your support!
LS
Like all things “Bushcraft”, comes labour intensive duties often
involving tools of the trade. If I had to find one drawback to the
Wanderer’s design, it would be in the scales used for the handle.
While the squared edges offer a great retention for a fighting
knife in being able to keep the angle of the blade in position for
cuts and traps, this particular Bushcraft tool would benefit from
a more rounded profile like that of a spade, shovel or other tool
grip. My idea of the perfect grip for a knife like the Wanderer
would be that of the last 5 inches of any given shovel handle
found in the local hardware store. The rounded profile would
be easier on the interior of the hand during prolonged cutting
tasks such as drawing motions, rolling the blade along craving or
simply more mass to filling the hand to prevent muscle cramping.
In my opinion this issue can be quickly resolved once purchasing
this knife with a Dremel tool and three minutes of spare time.
Another option would be either a spliced section of garden hose
or rolling the grip with everyone’s favorite duct tape. Considering
how quick a fix this issue can be, it’s hardly a bad mark against a
great blade in my opinion.
pmcimagazine.com