You studied Aikido, Ted? Somehow I'm not surprised. Yeah, I've got a plain purpleheart jo I used to use in the dojo. I also made myself a purpleheart heavy boken.

Is it just me or would a Golock in SR-101 be way cooler and no more expensive than 1095(since it's already a rust magnet)? I think Dan could do one just as cheap or cheaper in SR-77

The SCA is great if you've got a lot of time to kill. But then, most things repay participation according to how much of yourself and your time you invest in them.

That was the idea for this thread, an SR77 golok. And SR77 does not rust all that easily. The cost of the RES C handle would be cheaper than micarta scales, and better for a chopper anyway. I think it would be a superior golok to the Bark River or any other one. SR77 is very tough steel, perfect for a golok.

I'm so tempted to get one but it kills me to know I could get something better for less if they would just make it

any thoughts on the blackjack black panga?

Darkaether: Didn´t use my Black panga much before this happened <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

That's a nice one.

Golok came in today and it is the most dangerous butter knife I have ever held! It came from the factory with a nice convex zero edge. The heft is excellent and the extra thickness near the tip will help with chopping. Handle was too smooth and slippery out of the box so I washed the Bark River handle wax off with soap and hot water. It is still a bit on the smooth side so I "might" (1) wrap it with tennis racket tape or (2) rough it a bit with some ?-grit sand paper.

Interesting that the BRKT Golok actually weighs more than the DFLE by an ounce. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" /> The DFLE is a lot more secure in your hand as well since the Golok handle is fairly thin and like I said, a bit too smooth. You do have an extra few inches of effective cutting surface out near the tip of the Golok because you can bush-whack all the way out to the end of the knife.

Without actually using the Golok I think that I like my DF better as a chopper and my machete better for cutting brush. The Golok is a general use knife that fits between those two slots and would probably work well as a generalist blade.

A Scrap Yard Golok in SR77 with Res C would be an amazing bush tool. Make the blade 14" and it would be perfect.

I’ve got my purpleheart golok. It’s a beauty. Good fit and finish, nice lines. Well shaped and polished wood scales. Feels good in my hand and moves well. I haven’t actually chopped with it yet, which may change my opinion. But at first blush I’m impressed.

Ted, I’ve never seen old release BR Goloks. So I’m in no position to compare. I know some of those were distally tapered. Is that what you are thinking of? I like the heavy spine myself. It looks fine to me and the added mass seems likely to make it a better chopper.

This knife reminds me of some wooden handled kitchen knives Gerber made, before they were bought out by the Evil Empire. Not just because the scales are similar in shape. Those old knives show the same insightful uniting of blade and wood and rivets to produce an elegant whole.



Your dead on for the blade shape, VoxHog. I’m waiting for jokes about the Bark River Golok chopping wood like a knife through soft butter.

I believe the originals were shaped the same as the Northwinds along the spine. Here's a picture of my Northwind spine, but it's hard to see the exact shape of the spine in pictures. It's kind of an hour glass shape. Curvy<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

My golok came in today. Scary sharp big butter knife! Has a good feel to it. I like the handle. Needs a penetrator point really bad. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />