SurvivaLogic

Neck Sheath Design

2013-05-15T12:21:00.000-04:00

After seeing the creative sheath that the guys at BHK are making for the May 2013 special, I came home last night and made a small O1 neck knife and little neck sheath to go with it. Though not as polished as the ones that Blind Horse is making, I love this design! It holds the knife snugly, is slim and light, pretty easy to make, and looks good. I modified the design a bit to integrate the style into a pouch sheath design, but it really didn't change the function of the sheath, only the amount of stitching.

Using Non-Magnetic and Non-Electronic Navigation Aids

2013-05-12T10:49:00.000-04:00

One of the the more useful navigation tools that I had forgotten about, but was reminded of during the navigation portion of a recent course with RAT was the use of clear nav cards. They were also demoing their new Survival/Navigation Notebooks which also include one page of hard clear plastic that is printed and can be used as a non-magnetic "compass" to find your heading. The process to use these cards is simple, but when you see it work for the first time, it makes you scratch your head for a minute. Now these cards aren't a replacement for a compass. They do a fine job giving you a heading number, but a compass is still needed to turn that number into a path for your feet to follow.

To illustrate their handiness, on the map above a path has been marked between Hanging Mountain and Sugar Hill Pond. Knowing the area, I could guess that the heading should be a bit west of due north, but that's about as specific as I could tell you offhand. Using a map and compass, the first task would be to spread out the map, align the edge of my compass to a north/south indicator like the map border or grid line on the map, and then orient the map itself so that north on the map points north in real life. Once I have done that, my compass, map, and the real world all line up with each other (except for declination which I pretend doesn't exist most of the time!).

With map aligned, I can move the compass back over to the path I have marked, align the edge of the compass with the drawn path, and then rotate the compass bezel until north on the compass bezel lines up with the red magnetic indicator. At this point, it is apparent that my direction of travel will be right around 332 degrees. Not quite north, but certainly northward and this would seem believably close when I line it up against my knowledge of the area. I expect this is how most people who use a map and compass work the two together - lay the map down, orient the map, align the compass to the path, box the arrow, and then read your heading. Pretty traditional stuff.

Now, let's screw up the orientation of the map
so that north on the map is pointing eastward in real life.

If you do navigate using this method above, you know how hard it is to maintain the map's north/north orientation, especially on uneven ground or on a boat or even on a windy day. Here's where those clear cards come in handy! The whole reason you have to orient the map is because your compass needle is always going to swing north, and there is nothing you can do about that. But with the cards, the north mark points whichever way you want it to. Since north is clearly marked on every topo map, you already know in the map's world which way north is. To find your direction of travel, you just lay the clear card on a north/south line on the map, line up the 360 and 180 marks on the card with that line, and your card and map are now aligned, even if you are facing west or even holding the map in your hands. Center the dot on the card over your marked path and your heading is apparent - very close to 332 degrees. No worrying about having bumped the map or finding a flat surface to lay it on. Just slap the card down, align the directions with what's marked on your map, put the center dot over your path, and read your heading! Of course, you still need the compass for when you start moving unless there are some unmistakable visible landmarks you can use.

Deep Etched Knife Blade

2013-05-08T12:46:00.001-04:00

How To Make Burlap "Micarta"

2013-05-07T18:06:00.001-04:00

Well, I put "Micarta" in quotes since that's a brand name material, but that is what everyone seems to refer to any type of textile laminate in this niche. I've seen it called Mycarta which is kind of catchy. I am a big fan of burlap as a laminate material. It has an interesting texture and a more old fashioned look. Making up a batch for yourself is pretty easy, cheap, and painless.

1. Take the measurement of your knife and cut the burlap to length. Determine what width and thickness scales you want to end up with. I have found that 7 sheets of burlap make 1/4" thick laminate.

2. For mixing the fiberglass, I use a little 3oz cup. I tick off the oz lines to aid in measuring the mix.

3. Once you have your stack of burlap, you'll need to prepare the fiberglass. You can also use epoxy in place of fiberglass if you'd rather. The Extra Time variety of epoxy can be more forgiving time-wise if you are worried about being quick enough. The fiberglass works for me because it sets faster and I can get to work sanding on it. The stuff in the picture has a 15 minute set time and a 2 hour cure time, though it really seems more like 12 hours before it is completely hard and not tacky. I lay out a plastic bag on a flat surface, don the gloves, mix the fiberglass, then on to step 4.

4. Lay down a bottom layer of fiberglass mixture on the plastic bag underneath where you are going to put your first layer of burlap. Then layer down the burlap and apply fiberglass to the surface until it is soaked. Add another layer of burlap and repeat until you're either out of fiberglass mix or you have achieved the thickness you are after. Remember, the burlap is going to be compressed as it dries, so err on the side of thicker.

5. Fold the plastic bag over the top of the burlap so it doesn't stick to whatever flat, heavy object you are going to set on top of it. This pushes out any air bubbles and ensures that each layer adheres to the ones above and below it.

6. Finished product - 2 hours later. It is still tacky at this point.

7. Finished burlap laminate ready to use as knife scales. It works and cuts like any hardwood.

Stacked Leather Hobo Fishing Handline

2013-05-07T17:34:00.001-04:00

Smooth Black Scandi

2013-05-01T09:58:00.000-04:00

Tiny PSK Knife

2013-04-30T15:15:00.001-04:00

Fixed blade knife sized to fit in a mini Altoids Tin PSK. Definitely a little two finger blade!

Black Etched Scandi

2013-04-30T13:14:00.002-04:00

How To Make Charcloth

2013-04-22T21:41:00.000-04:00

Making A Knife From An Old Bearing

2013-04-21T23:50:00.000-04:00

This guy's work is terrific. His shop, his location, his minimum of tools. Makes me want to get an anvil and take up smithing!

Bloodthirsty

2013-04-21T05:00:00.000-04:00

This is the blade that caught me on the hand yesterday. A couple of butterfly bandages and I was able to finish it up today. This one was experimental. I prefer the look of a black blade, either with the scale from the heat treat left on or a forced patina from vinegar. My wife told me that I needed to stop only making dark knives and give a shiny finish a try. She has a point - most knives are shiny after all. It's a thin scandi knife in O1 with a black kydex sheath. I'll pocket carry it for a while and see if the shine holds up.

Burlap Handle

2013-04-20T23:30:00.000-04:00

Burlap is my favorite handle material. Soaked in epoxy or fiberglass, it has a cool pattern to it, finishes matte, and works a little easier than micarta. I'm always on the lookout for other absorbent materials that might make a good laminate. Lately I've been wondering about thin barks?

The Easiest Non-Traditional Fire Firestarting Method

2013-04-20T17:34:00.002-04:00

I first heard of the Fresnel Lens about two years ago. The applications that it was developed for really have nothing to do with the wilderness survival, but it's a really great, cheap little addition to your wallet or Altoids Tin Kit. It is simply a flat piece of material with little ridges grooved into it. The one that I carry is sold by Ben's Backwoods for $3.00. It fits in my wallet, takes up hardy any space and is easier to keep on my person than say, a firesteel. The down side to a lens over a firesteel is that you need clear weather and a view of the sun to get a fire going. On an overcast day, the lens isn't going to work at all.

Oh and also, this is a good alternative for those who want to be a bit more primitive that a lighter and a newspaper but who are friction fire impaired like me :)

Everything you need, plus a little PSK blade. I chose paper for contrast, but there are plenty of better materials to try this on. Fatwood dust, dryer lint, cottonballs, charcloth...

You want to adjust the lens placement until just a focused dot of sunlight is on the tinder material

After 2 minutes

At 3, smoke appeared and at 4 minutes, the first flames came up an charred the paper

At 5 minutes, a nice little coal in there

Photo taken in the shade so you can see what the charred area amounted to

Why I Don't Shoot 22lr Through 22wmr

2013-04-20T13:41:00.000-04:00

First off, I really wish H&R made a 22lr barrel for their Handi Rifle SB2 platform. That would make my day. I guess it is the offset pin on the rimfire (22lr, 22wmr, 17hmr) that requires those be run on their SS1 frame.

The 3rd H&R rifle I picked up was a 22wmr. I really bought it as a way to get my hands on a laminate stock set. I intended to turn around and sell the barrel and receiver locally. And then I took it shooting... My dad and brothers were in town from Texas, and that morning I decided to sight in the 22wmr while we were all at the range. Shooting paper targets and then dropped clays at 100 yards, I fell in love with that rifle/caliber combo. It was pinpoint accurate with almost no recoil at all. The problem though, is I don't keep guns that don't serve a purpose for me. I have a 30/30 that is my mid-range rifle, a .22lr for small game, a 20ga for small game and clays, and then handguns for CC and home defense. As best as I could tell, 22wmr is too much for squirrel and too little for deer. It is pretty well regarded for bobcat, groundhog, beaver, and coyote, but I am yet to go after any of those.

Then one day, I thought I bet that just as you can shoot a .38 round through a .357 revolver, I could shoot a .22lr through a .22wmr rifle. Not the other way around because of case length, but I bet that would work! That night, I pulled out the rifle, popped in a 22lr, and sure it enough, it seemed to be a perfect fit.

The next morning, with the idea still in my mind, I started doing a bit of research. Come to find out, the 22lr IS NOT the identical, only shorter, version of the 22wmr as it seems to be when you eyeball it. It close, but there are some measurement differences that keep this from being the easy caliber exchange that .38/.357 is. The bullet, case, and rim are all different, but it is the case neck that is the real potential problem here. The case neck on a 22lr is .226". The case neck on a wmr is .242". Not the same. Close enough that it doesn't feel loose in the chamber, but significant enough that the casing can rupture when the gases inside a fired round expand and the brass casing lacks the supports of a tight fitting chamber.

So what does this mean? In a large caliber rifle, this could cause a catastrophic failure, A rupture casing causes the energy to be expended in all directions, rather than down the bore of the rifle as intended. That misdirected energy can be sufficient to crack the receiver and destroy the gun. It can also be dangerous to the shooter. On the small scale of a 22lr, I am really, really doubtful that that is a concern, especially in a sturdy receiver like the Handi Rifle's. But think about this - any loss of bore-directed energy means the bullet itself has less umph behind it. It's moving slower and decelerating quicker. My bigger concern is that the 22lr bullet won't have enough energy behind it to exit the barrel, and the bullet itself with obstruct the bore just like a squib load. Anything stuck in the bore is bad stuff, especially if you fail to notice and then shoot again.

So then, I'm hanging on to that 22wmr barrel, useful or not, and am really left with no choice other than to pick up yet another barrel for the Handi SS1- a 22lr this time. I guess I just need to take up predator hunting and give it a purpose!

A Moment of Carelessness

2013-04-19T16:27:00.002-04:00

Working today out in the garage drilling patterned 1/8" holes in a blade prior to the heat treat, I was having trouble adjusting the drill point where I wanted it. I pulled off the glove, started to drill... and proceeded to have the fleshy part of my hand where the thumbs attaches cut deeply when the drill bit bound up and the knife started spinning instead. Sharp, spinning steel is bad for the hands. Who knew? Two things to remind myself of here - keep the gloves on when drilling steel and drill the holes before I grind the edge on!

An Upgrade to the Workspace

2013-04-17T09:28:00.002-04:00

It was time, far past time actually, for an upgrade to my workspace. As I mentioned last week, my bench where I do all of my cutting, drilling and sanding has been made up an air hockey table and a deep freezer. They are both odd heights to work at, and I can't actually mount the tools to their surface. I had come up with a design last week, but after pricing it out at Home Depot yesterday, it was going to be about twice what I was hoping to spend. I made some changes and picked up the supplies - all said and done the supplies totaled right around $45. With the modifications, I worked up a new design that wouldn't give me as much space, but would run along almost half of one wall in my garage.

Jack, my 4 year old son, gave me a hand last night cutting and assembling the pieces. It won't win any beauty contests, but it's a heck of a lot more comfortable to work at and really expanded my flat workspace. Three feet of the table are left as a flat cutting area for leather work on the left side, and the remaining five feet are devoted to metal and woodwork.

By the way, anybody else ever wish they'd paid closer attention to their dad's skills when they were younger? My dad seems to be able to build anything, and for some reason I never thought much of that until I started trying to build things!

8' long, 36" tall, 24" deep

Full Tang Scandi

2013-04-17T09:10:00.001-04:00

O1 Steel
Scandi Grind
Overall Length: 6.5"
Blade Length: 3"
Thickness: .094"

What Makes a Good Survival Knife?

2013-04-15T17:36:00.002-04:00

Like the internet message board favorite, "What is the best gun?", asking what is the best survival knife is going to get you many different answers, though hopefully fewer than the inane gun version. Since you are here, reading on a blog devoted largely to wilderness skills, I'll assume that the type of survival we are interested in is wilderness survival. One difficult that is encountered when trying to pick "the perfect knife" is that so many different types and sizes of tasks might be required of it. The same knife that you might clean an 8oz perch with is also the knife you expect to build you that cozy log cabin. You might want it to carve intricate trap triggers but also hold up to being stabbed into the side of a glacier as you ascend it. (What? You don't think you'll have to ascend glaciers to survive? You clearly need to go watch more TV.)

Like any other tool, knives are subject to competing demands. You either compromise and acquire a general knife that is mediocre in some, or possibly many, areas, or you carry a variety of specialized knives, designed to suit specific categories of tasks. This truth is old news and really is common sense. I'll tell you right off the bat that I am not a single knife guy. I carry a small and large blade every time I am out in the woods and if I had to pick one or the other, I'd go with the smaller blade. But I'd rather not pick just one! So let's focus in on what a realistic survival knife might look like - a single knife that may not be the best at either tiny or enormous tasks, but does a good job owning the middle ground.

Tang: The first consideration when choosing a hard-use knife is the design of the tang. The tang of the knife is the part of the metal that is hidden by the handle. You'll see a few different tang designs, usually described as either full tang or stick tang. There is some confusion sometimes, likely accidental, about these terms but it's actually super simple. A full tang knife has metal extending not only through the entire length of the handle, but also the width of the handle. A stick tang may extend the entire length of the handle, but does not span the width. Though stick tangs are my preference in terms of beauty and comfort, they would not be my choice in terms of straight durability.

Size: How large should a survival blade be? Well, this is the best example of competing needs. A small knife doesn't baton well. A large knife doesn't clean small fish well. What is the best compromise in terms of knife length? In my opinion, a 4" blade is just about perfect on a survival knife. A 4" blade means you can baton through roughly 3" diameter wood, but leaves your control point close enough to you hands to allow precision use of the tip. I will say here, if you watch the shows like Les Stroud's Beyond Survival or are lucky enough to see it in person, you'll see native people in the jungle do everything, and I mean everything, with a machete. They have no problem doing even fine tasks with a giant 18" blade. I guess this is a good place to plug the fact that the more you use any tool, the better you get with it and the more you can do with it.

Blade Profile: A drop point is the blade profile to go with. Aesthetically, it's not my favorite, but in terms of use, dexterity, and toughness, it's the best. Going along with the blade profile, having serrations on a survival knife is a debatable issue. Sharpening a knife without sharpening equipment can be tough, even counterproductive if done incorrectly. Serrations hold an edge longer and even when dull, they still offer the ability to "cut" by tearing. Personally, I don't mind serrations, but only a short section of serrations at the base of the blade.

Those are the big 3 in terms of choosing a survival knife - tang, size, and blade profile. The rest of the features and options can suit your individual skills or preferences. A few other options to consider as you shop for your knife:

Handle material: Micarta, wood, G10, paracord wrap
Steel : D2, 1095, O1, 440, 1080, S30V
Sheath: Kydex or leather
Lanyard holes
Thickness: 1/8", 1/4"
Custom or production?

A few that I would encourage you to check out in your search for the perfect blade

As mentioned above, when you settle on the knife that suits you, USE IT! A blade with the finish still intact means you haven't used it for anything more demanding than opening letters. Practicing feather sticks, snare triggers, carving, even working in the kitchen with it all build up your comfort level in using, sharpening, and understanding your knife.

Horizontal Candiru Sheath

2013-04-15T15:14:00.000-04:00

A buddy of mine from work was looking for a way to carry his Candiru and free up pocket space. I had some leftover leather from a recent sheath I was working on and made this for him over the weekend. Unfortunately, he dislikes the color of the leather, so I've got to make another for him in black, but it did give me a chance to draw up a template for this terrific little blade and use it for a bit.

Work Area

2013-04-11T11:03:00.000-04:00

My work area in the garage is in desperate need of some organization. My "workbench" at the moment consists of the top of a deep freeze for my drill press and kydex press and then the surface of an air hockey table for the chop saw and belt sander. My "vise" is two 1x6 boards clamped together on the air hockey table. Even though it's pieced together like this, it works fine for most of my knife work, but for the leather work that goes with it, I really need a clean, flat surface to work on now. Having finished a bunch of around-the-house projects the last few weekends, I came up with this design for a very simple work area for knives and leather to build this weekend. Leatherwork area on the left and knifework area on the right. I need to figure out a bit more storage ideally, maybe a row of shelves somewhere.

Hobo Handlines

2013-04-10T09:39:00.000-04:00

A pack of fishing handlines on their way to the guys at Randall Adventure and Training. I don't know if they've ever used them on their trips to Peru, but they better prepare to never want to use a rod and reel again!

Curly Maple

2013-04-10T09:26:00.001-04:00

April Evening Tracks

2013-04-09T08:32:00.006-04:00

The family was out walking at a park by the Etowah River last night and Jack (my 4 year old son) and I came upon these tracks of a small deer headed to the water. We followed them as far as they were visible, and then I showed him how to measure the pace distance and try to pick them up again. After seeing it done once, he caught on perfectly and was finding light impressions of the toe through the harder grassy areas. My wife and I had just discussed earlier in the day how his focus just can't stay on anything for long, specifically shoolwork, but being out there with him and watching him try to track that deer reminded me of how the only times I felt really happy as a boy (ha, and even now to be honest!) were the times where I was out doing something interesting and exciting. I sympathize with him - it's hard to get excited about coloring and gluing stuff when it means you're confined to a desk. Even Zane, my youngest son at 1.5 would rather be outside all day. It's where boys were meant to grow up.

New Blade on the Bench

2013-04-09T08:23:00.000-04:00

This O1 knife is finally going to be one to keep for my own use. Typically, the knives I keep are the practice ones where I am trying out a new grind technique or piece of equipment so pretty much all of the self-made blades I have are factory fourths or fifths. I made up this blade pattern a bit ago and put it into steel last night, did the heat treat, quench, and temper late yesterday evening, and now it's ready for some finish work on the metal, followed by a curly maple handle, and then some leather pants.

The Sometimes Edible: Pokeweed

2013-04-08T09:48:00.000-04:00

Pokeweed is one of those edible that you may try for the first time with a bit of anxiety. I did, at least. Here in my part of Georgia, you'll hear a lot of different opinions on what parts are edible on this plant, when you can eat it, how toxic the toxic parts really are, and how to prepare it safely. I mean, A LOT of different opinions. My wife's family are north mountain folks and have been for generations. They eat the stuff along with a lot of other cultivated vegetables that you don't see in any chain grocery store.

Before I tried it, I spent a good bit of time reading what I felt were authoritative sources. Among those sources, the most prominent and thorough was by Green Deane at EatTheWeeds. His site is always my first stop when I am curious about trying a new one, and if you aren't familiar with it, be sure to check it out. Honestly, if I were to write much more here about my "knowledge" about pokeweed, it would just be a regurgitation of his writing on the plant.

Edibles like pokeweed make me nervous as an amateur because of the list of "rules" that come along with it. If you're just a hobbyist, and you are looking to expand your experience foraging, then chances are good you will be able to cross-reference your plant with reputable websites and books, maybe even look it up on your phone. You have available a good list of steps to follow to ensure that you don't eat the wrong part or skip a step in preparation. But as a "survival" food? I'd prefer the simple, never-toxic type plants that you don't have to obsess over the preparation and run the risk of making yourself seriously sick due to toxins. I could see myself out there, carefully avoiding physical injury and watching the ground for snakes, fastidiously purifying every bit of water I drank, and then poisoning myself with my wild edible skills!

A zoomed out image of the plant pictured above. At this stage, this entire plant is inedible and toxic.