My new shop knife

[Tai Google]

Here's a new 15 inch "bushete" I made for myself. It's like my old shop knife, but a bit longer and slightly more pointy. The under wrapping is cotton, sealed and saturated by capillary action with shellac to form a tough composite swell centered grip. The over wrapping is woven cotton cord sealed and saturated with shellac, with a thin top coat of pinon pine rosin for improved grip and ?feel?. It's forged from 1/8 by 2 inch 1095, with a socket handle. I used a full quench and a fairly thick convex edge for chopping. It's real springy too! It's good for riving and slicing. After sold the old one, I realized I really couldn't live without one. I use it for splitting up wood for the muffle furnace and forge, trimming branches and stuff around the yard. It makes a great camp knife and a nice chef's knife too...

[EdgarFigaro]

Very cool.
Seems like it's a good all around knife.
I need to try another go at a socket handle...

[rhrocker]

Did you originate the bushete Tai? Looks like a really good user. The problem with the one you made for me is that it won't cut anything, not even butter! Why? Because I won't take it out of the house, and into the woods, that's why. It only leaves its mesquite
sheath when I think I better check on it to be sure it hasn't developed any rust spots, which it never does.

[Tai Google]

Robert, I came up with that particular design, but don't know if I actually originated it or not. I'm sure similar things must have been done before. I also came up with the name "bushete" (bush knife/machete) on my own... but some else may have used it... don't know.

Another thing I really like about it, aside from being light weight ,comfortable, versatile, rugged and a pleasure to use, is that it doesn?t take much time or energy to make one,? minimal forging, minimal stock reduction, and a relatively simple handle wrapping compared to some of my other bush knives.

[AchimW]

Tai, you did it again. Like this one a lot, and a lot more than most of the very fancy ones, also because it is made to be used and will be.

Achim

[toddhill]

Love it, Tai. The full quench, swelled handle, and edge geometry sound like a winning combination for a chopper and splitter. I remember using the old one to split lots of pine 2x4 and it was a pleasure to use. This one looks even better.

Todd