Didn't someone say Cliff Stamp got flamed for daring to say that in many ways 420HC was as good as some of these 'super' stainless steels??

Great looking guard too Vic!

I read a post to that effect, but I'm not sure. I know that Condor only hardens theirs to 53. I asked Arlan Loethe about that at Blade. He said it was for toughness and ease of sharpening and that Chicago Cutlery was also 53 RC. I know Buck hardens theirs more, but Bucks are usually quite a bit smaller. All I know is I bent a Condor Inca like a noodle trying to split some live oak with it, but it did not break. It returned to "almost" true. Still a useful knife. I'd like to see Noss tear into one.

Great stuff as usual, Vic. What's the story on that combo cordura sheath? Looks very utilitarian in a good way. Very close to what I was envisioning for my own combo needs. I prefer leather, but when every ounce counts...

I assume you're talking about the little one that the Urban Mutt was in. That is the sheath that came with my Buck Strider Solution which now has kydex. It's a bit tight, but the UB fits it. The other sheath shown was an old Becker BK-7 sheath that I'm keeping my Ratweiler in. Same story, a bit tight, but the RW fits it.

RW and OHT for light carry, and then your last combo when weight isn't as much of a concern.

Beautiful knives, Vic!

Y. The one for the UM. I think my ideal carry would be vertical for belt attachment and horizontal for pack-strap attachment (which is really vertical, so it has to be able to lock in position). What options do all those loops and buckles give you?

As near as I can figure out, its just for vertical carry (perpendicular to the direction of the knife).

Yea. I like that one better.

I seem to be doing a lot of combo rigs these days...

I just finished one with a Tan/Sage SS6 and a Sage Swamp Warden.

A DF or DFLE with a Swampwarden would be a great combo rig. You could do pretty much anything although it would be better for the forest than the swamp.

I want a 1/8th of an inch thick scrapyard knife like street scrapper skinny.

I would like to see more of the customized YardGuard HornDog. I have a like new Hooker and want to modd it and could use some ideas. I think they have a lot of potential and are a better all around knife than either the S6 or DF.

I tried out my new DF this Spring in Buffalo Swamp. We got disoriented, but I had been keeping tabs on our general direction with my compass. I did a back azimuth with deliberate offset to intercept a logging road. We went straight through some super thick stuff (you can see some of it in my avatar pic) and I used the DF as a machete. Just too blade heavy. It worked, but was super tiring. A machete would be ideal, but the YG or RW would work. BTW: we hit the road dead on. Other than stripping, I just gave my Yard Guard a super convex edge.

i picked this up today as well as a SAK OHT