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Thursday, August 13, 2015
Blind Horse Knives PLSK2: Knife Review
So you have a Mora Bushcraft Black, you use it for everything and love the knife. OK, I have been there and still have a ton of love for my bushcraft black (See My review HERE-LINK) but I think of this as a Bushcraft Black on steroids that will outlast me. Just a quick comparison between the two knives: PLSK2 is 1/4" longer, 1/16th thicker, full tang vs 3/4 tang, 01 vs 1095, Micarta vs rubber handle material. All of these are improvements, some of which are major improvements. Now I can already hear the murmurs (ohhh dear there are voices in my head lol) "but its more than twice as much as a Mora, why would I ever need that." Well technically you don't need it you can get by with an Old Hickory butcher knife, but if you want a knife that you can give to your children or grand children and it have a warranty for that entire time then go with the knife that will last when your life depends on it. I'm one of the biggest fans of the bushcraft black and think its a perfect knife to start your self reliance journey with, but for long-term self reliance the PLSK2 is without a far superior option. I personally find the PLSK2 to be a much better EDC fixed blade opposed to the PLSK1 or Scout just due to shear size but still doesn't falter one bit on performance. So take a look at my video below of the knife
in action and I will talk a little more about this knife below!
The PLSK2 meets all ten of my requirements for a one tool option with ease (see my post explaining the 10 requirements here- LINK) and boasts a great set of specifications to live up to all the hype you have heard about the knife.
Here are the technical specifications on the PLSK2:
Steel: 3/16" 01 Tool Steel
Overall Length: 8 3/8"
Blade Width: 1 1/5"
Handle Length: 4 1/4"
Grind: Scandi
Sheath: Leather
Handle Material: Green Micarta Scales (w/ large Fish Eye Hole)
Price: $199.00
Need A Survival Knife: Try One Of These
Now Lets Dig Into My Ten Requirements For A Self-Reliance Knife:
Fits Hand Comfortably In
All Positions: The
traditional trade knife styling of the PLSK series of knives lends them to
being extremely comfortable knives. If you love the size of the bushcraft black but want a knife with the quality of a PLSK1 then this is your knife! The bead blasted micarta provides a
comfortable gripping surface that only seems to become easier to grip when wet.
This knife feels like an extension of your arm when using it and for me there
isn't much more you can ask for from a knife.
Manageable Blade Length:
This knife has a 4 1/4" blade length which is about perfect for an EDC one
tool self-reliance option if it comes down to that type of scenario. The
knife works well for anything from fine carving to heavy-duty usage;
while the scandinavian grind isn't as durable as a convex grind for
heavy use it is ideal for fine carving so this knife excels at field
dressing game, making try sticks and shaving fine tinder material but
will lose its edge a little faster than say the Indy Hammered Knives
Bush Cleaver (Review Here- LINK).
Solid/Flat Pommel:
While this knife doesn't have a flat pommel it does have a very usable
pommel. As an EDC knife I have used this knife to pound in tent stakes, door hinges, beat a metal container back into shape and much more. While it's not
an ideal hammer it can easily be used out of convenience until you can
make one out of a larger stick.
One Cutting Edge With No
Serrations: This knife obviously has one cutting edge which is
ideal for long-term self reliance and also for ease of sharpening in the
field through improvised means. This knife sharpens extremely easily on
a river stone followed by stropping on a leather belt.
90 Degree Edge On Spine: While the spine isn't as aggressive as my Blind Horse Knives Short Trail (Review Here-LINK)
it is still quite capable of removing a ton of material from a ferro
rod and can easily scrape tinder material to process it further. I have
used this knife to gather and process a ton of tulip poplar inner bark
and it easily gets that fluff inner material processed from stick to
fire in a few minutes. This 90 degree spine also enables the use of the
knife as a flint/steel striker. I wouldn't recommend doing this on a
regular basis on a $200.00 knife as it can decrease the effectiveness of
the spine for scraping, but it can easily be used for this fire making
method if needed.
High Carbon Steel:
As I stated above the knife is high carbon 01 tool steel so it works
quite well for flint/steel fire starting. While I don't use this knife
on a regular basis for this task I have started a few flint/steel fires
with this knife and it produces a good bit of sparks to catch in char
cloth.
Sharp/Spear Point:
This knife has a sharp point which can me fashioned into a spear quite
easily. I haven't found the need for use in this application but have
used it to drill a starter hole into a bow drill set, process
small/large game and fish. This tip isn't going to be breaking off with
normal use or by merely dropping it. I have dropped the knife a few
times onto hard surfaces without any issues and used the knife many
times a day for two months straight.
Heavy Duty Sheath With Ferro Rod
Loop: I have a few a few sheaths for this knife as it is an edc knife. I have the two leather sheaths pictured above and really love the bottom scout carry sheath and also a kydex that can affix to my water bottle bag. There are a ton
of sheath options for this knife, another reason it is a great carry knife!
1/8" to 3/16" Blade
Thickness: At 3/16th thick this knife is built with long-term
durability in mind. With the combination of the thick blade and
scandinavian grind it is a great knife for all around use. This knife
has withheld sustained use for well over two years and has showed no
signs of slowing down.
Full Tang or Nearly Full Tang
With 1+ Year Of Abuse Testing: This knife is full tang and has
held up well over the two years of continued abuse as well as nearly two
months in a hunting/trapping camp where the knife was used everyday for
any camp activity I required.
Conclusions:
This
knife isn't the "Grail Knife" like its big brother the PLSK1, but it has nearly identical specifications for $100 lower cost! This knife is built for long-term self reliance and was designed
by Dave Canterbury and Dan Coppins the founder of Battle Horse Knives.
Everything about this knife makes it easy to use by the end user and it
to me personally it feels like an extension of my arm when it is in use.
This knife has been with me for a complete trapping and hunting season
and has become my EDC knife as it is the perfect size/weight for the job. If you haven't tried out a
Blind Horse or Battle Horse knife you simply must get your hands on one.
I have been able to get my hands on four thus far and loved them all.
The great thing about these knives is they retain their value on
the secondary trade market. Many Facebook trade groups feature these
knives and they are usually gone within just a few hours of being on the market.
Have something
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