Work Tuff Gear ATAYAL

Work Tuff Gear ATAYAL

Work Tuff Gear have released yet another super star in the big utility camp knife domain, the ATAYAL, made with  日本語 (That's Japanese) SK85 High Carbon tool steel. The name of this knife comes directly from an Indigenous Taiwanese tribe, see here for more information:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atayal_people

The Work Tuff Gear Atayal embraces all of the functionality of this indispensable tool of the Atayal people however, now made with modern materials such as G10 composite for the handle scales and a quality Japanese high carbon tool steel, SK85 and Kydex for the no nonsense all weather sheath. 

Work Tuff Gear have double tempered this blade and if their double tempering is anything like the same for the amazing Work Tuff Gear Lanzeta then, look out because it's a great temper treatment. (just watch that blade flex like a sword in my video field review of the Lanzeta for a honest view of the tempering process at Work Tuff Gear!).

Work Tuff Gear Atayal with Kydex sheath (Static line author's), cord on the lanyard provided by WTG. Rugged high denier Nylon belt loop, with velcro and press stud for quick release, no need to remove one's belt.

The Atayal features an absolutely deadly sharp convex grind, and I mean deadly scary sharp. There's been a lot of love gone into the production of this model (well, just like his others!)

The WTG Atayal blade has been acid washed to provide a low sheen/low reflective surface treatment. The grind is basically a sabre if you like.  The Work Tuff Gear Atayal is no small knife, at a manufacturer's length of 8.8" blade with 8.2" of cutting power! The blade has been hardened to 56/58 HRC.

The spine thickness is 5mm (0.196") or so and the Atayal, although a big knife is not too heavy in the hand due to some milling within the grip. I measured a tang thickness of 5.99mm, in other words a 6mm thick tang. This tang thickness tapers down to 4.86mm at the very top of the spine, that is 5mm in reality. This is one sturdy knife. The overall curvature of the Work Tuff Gear ATAYAL suggests good usage from butchering meat to slicing through jungle vegetation and food preparation, fishing and hunting. WTG haven't reinvented the wheel here, they have taken a traditional tool design from people who have been using such shaped blades in their daily lives for many years; and produced something modern for the outdoors persons.

The Work Tuff Gear ATAYAL features a generous lanyard hole and the butt extends slightly above the scales so if anything was struck here one wouldn't damage the scales. (red cord came with my knife).

The G10 grip is well contoured and feels very comfortable in the hand but enough grip to enable one to securely hold onto such a large knife without fear of letting go accidentally.

The Work Tuff Gear Atayal grip features a very comfortable, yet grippy handle with a good palm swell, not too thick there and can easily accommodate a hand size from 8 upwards!

Fit and finish are great as usual from this manufacturer. Just look at those funky fluoro green scale liners that just match the scale colour without being gaudy at all. But don't freak out, there are many other handle color variations available at the time of writing this article; AND as I said, the attention to detail such as the excellent convex grind on the ATAYAL makes for great cutting power. 

Field review to follow!

DUE CIGNI Coltelerie Butcher's Knife with Nitrogen enhanced stainless steel

DUE CIGNI Coltellerie Professional Butcher's Knife with Nitrogen enhanced stainless steel

The DUE CIGNI range of Knives from FOX Knives of Italy are their Professional kitchen range.  DUE CIGNI represent  quality cutlery for the discerning professional.
For example: I have the DUE CIGNI Butcher's knife, Cat number 2C410/16 NG. This knife features an anti slip plastic over moulded grip, fully dishwasher safe. Unlike the competitors, for example: a DICK knife; of which I'm very disappointed as the grip is not as ergonomic and it is downright slippery! Also, I've found that the steel in DICK knives I've been using, chips like no tomorrow! I mean 
seriously, you can not make a plastic handled kitchen knife that is slippery when your hands are wet and covered in grease and blood! or the knife needs constant sharpening! 

The choice of steel for this DUE CIGNI knife is the highly corrosion resistant, yet hard and flexible X50CrMOVN15, this is a NITROGEN ENHANCED stainless steel for excellent edge retention. The grip is bright yellow and easily identified and seen in any light.
To see this knife in action check out the following channel for some fun videos!

The ER Fulcrum Bayonet as a survival knife Vs the ER AMF? What do I think here?

The Extrema Ratio Fulcrum Bayonet as a survival knife Vs the Extrema Ratio AMF? What do I think?


Are these survival knives*?
*my definition of a survival knife: see previous extensive blogs on this subject and videos.

The AMF (Advanced Multifunction) 

Firstly, the AMF is certainly a BIG knife, no arguments there. It is easily carried either on the waist or strapped to a pack via the multitude of attachment options on the sheath. You can hack down a small tree with this knife-eg palm trees for edible palm heart etc; good point and very strong blade which is easy to use cutting up meat and fish. It's NOT a skinning knife by no means however, it can be done if skilled at skinning (so yeah in my hands :) no problems-but I'd prefer my Linder's or PUMAs or similar on a hunting trip; not this big monster. The retro design will appeal to many. There are  multiple attachment points as well for lanyards etc. and zero shock to users hands due to the cushioning of the large but comfortable Forprene grip. The AMF suits someone with big hands and or long fingers but hands no bigger than size 9 otherwise that funky rear guard may prove troublesome. Other than the blade edge, there are no acute angles to strike a fire steel if that is your thing. Plus in a real emergency one can always use the blade edge.

The Extrema Ratio AMF pictured with the edible fruit of the Screw Pine or otherwise known as the Pandanus palm. This plant neither belongs to the Pinus genus or the Arecaceae genus and is a tropical plant.

Well-made sturdy multi-attachment scabbard

Size 9 hand, note there is still some room at the rear end of the handle.

Am I still loving it??? The short answer is YES! However, this knife is purely for wilderness adventures and pulling it out anywhere but in the wilderness is going to draw a lot of unwanted attention due to its formidable size. Made in Italy Europe but certainly not for use in Europe!

The Extrema Ratio Fulcrum Bayonet NFG

The Fulcrum bayonet NFG is also a big knife that can be used if necessary to hack small trees/bamboo/big vines etc. Rope cutting no problems since it has some small serrated section. Easily sharpened due to all straight edges, extremely sturdy tip design. Useless at skinning but can cut meat and gut fish. Added advantage of being able to cut and bend (use the wire cutter hole for this) thick wire. Ok one can do this (bend wire) but with limited wire diameters via the holes in the guard of the AMF.

Wire cutter, very very useful and not just for cutting modern barbed wire!

Super strong glass fibre reinforced scabbard

Essentially the construction of these two knives is not that dissimilar to one another. Both have Forprene grips which totally encompass the tang; both have removable guards and pommels (via one socket head bolt). One has Malice clips, one has Molle loops (the latter being the Fulcrum Bayonet NFG). 
They start to differ in the scabbards:
The AMF has a ballistic Nylon scabbard, whilst the Fulcrum NFG has a rigid FRN scabbard with a built in diamond sharpening plate. I've even used the weight of the scabbard to kill fish with! This scabbard is super military strong!

If one defines "survival" as far as name for equipment is concerned, then I would interpret this as the following:

Equipment which is extremely reliable in that if regular maintenance was not conducted, then the said equipment would still function to its fullest or near fullest capacity under adverse conditions other than those subjected on it directly by the user/s. This equipment should be able to be field repaired with little or no specialised tools, such as Allen drivers, torx head wrenches etc and or have parts/materials replaced/repaired which can be easily sourced.




Be prepared and go with good knowledge!Read about the real story here. It's been abridged for a general audience.



Getting back to so called "survival knives"..... , are these two knives "survival knives"?


Can you easily attach the grip back on if you loose the end cap bolt with the AMF or the Fulcrum NFG? NO, not at all! But it is possible. How do I know this? Well I have examined these two knives very closely and devised a simple way to do this with just a strong piece of wood and some cord.
But is this an issue??? Well it depends doesn't it? Bear in mind the above short story (if you read it).
That's why these knives (the AMF and Fulcrum NFG) are not specifically listed on ER's web site under the banner of "Survival Knives" however, the ONTOS is.

Why is the ONTOS listed a a "survival knife"?

If the handle bolt (there is only one) was to become lost on the ONTOS, the grip (provided it wasn't lost either!) can be simply fixed to the tang by inserting some cord into the lanyard hole, done deal, easy field repair! It is now impossible for the handle to come off! (see above three images). Redundancy at it's best! This is why the ONTOS is a true survival tool! The cord would prevent the handle from passing over it!

But this scenario can only happen if one never checks their gear (ie for loose screws- rifle mounts etc etc) and one should definitely be doing this all the time whether away for a weekend/day or several weeks regardless of the knife, with exception of totally (quality) moulded grips.


My point is: Don't get hung up with this "survival shit" otherwise you'll spend all your time and maybe money worrying about it and not have any real adventures!

 Does this mean a handle which is riveted on permanently or bolted on with Torx or Allen bolts is a good choice too for a "survival" knife? Well that depends too. I've never heard of anyone breaking a G10 scaled or micarta scaled knife handle. On well riveted knives, the scales don't come off as well.

Those bolts can work loose if not maintained or loctited on and then it would also be difficult to secure those loose scales. Rivets if they fail could also spell trouble. My point is buy a well made product/s and they wont fail if regularly checked and maintained. A cord wrapped knife, there is nothing to really fail but then a lot of cord wrapped knives are not too comfortable under prolonged usage and must be thoroughly cleaned should blood and guts get all over the cord or it becomes soaked in salt water.

FRN as a handle material, Longevity, who knows???

FRN as a handle material, Longevity, who knows???


Years ago skateboard trucks were made of this composite material and now many outdoor products feature the use of FRN. It can come in a multitude of colors. However, nylon is not known for being resistant to Ultra violet light, nor is it resistant to the absorption of water over time. Now these may not be concerns for you, it depends upon what your end use is. 1000 hours exposure to blistering sunlight in the desert may affect the mechanical properties of FRN. At best, the performance against UV light is "fair".

As far as knife handles are concerned UV resistance is not that high up on the list but resistance to Ozone maybe over time. How does FRN fare here? Well, Nylon is poor at OZONE resistance. Why am I telling you all of this. Well if you think that this knife handle will still be in good nick in 20 years time then it may not due to Nylon's inherent disadvantages against Ozone and UV. That's the reason why one should retire their climbing ropes not only because of getting close to the maximum number of falls it's rated at but because nylon will loose it's mechanical properties over time. So if you want that knife handle to be still useful in 20 years time then it needs to be kept out of the light when not being used. Look at skateboard trucks which are older than 20 years the FRN is knackered. KRATON, however, I know will go the distance of well over 20 years hard use. How do i know this? Because of my 20 year plus old ONTARIO SPEC PLUS knife. The handle is still in great shape despite the saltwater and rough as guts treatment this knife has seen from impromptu hunting trips (if there is such a thing) to camping all around the globe. The blade might be a bit rusty, heck it is made from 1095 steel; and the scabbard almost knackered but that handle is still rocking!

Track notes: Thoughts on the knives that I carry into the wilds.

TRACK NOTES FROM THE PAST AND PRESENT
BushCampingTools

When it was brand new LOL!

Extrema Ratio Fulcrum S with the "custom BCT" upper guard modification LOL! in an attempt (a poor one at that) make it look like the discontinued Extrema Ratio K9! seen here:

Discontinued Extrema Ratio K9 Fulcrum, note absence of upper guard.

The Fulcrum S isn't a hunting knife, nor a fish knife, nor a machete; or Bushcraft knife; however, like many a good knife; in skilled hands, it can be all (ok maybe a machete is a bit of a stretch!). I'd like to clarify this last statement, regarding  "a good knife". By this I mean a comfortable knife that can be used with multiple grip positions and no funky protrusions (anywhere) to make it's use difficult. For example: any knives with big scalloped out grips are pretty much useless for long term comfortable use. They may be great for a deadly secure grip however, one needs more than just a deadly secure grip in an outdoor knife's role/s. 

Certainly, my Extrema Ratio Fulcrum S has served me well and I've never been afraid of using it to the max. It won't cut a watermelon with ease, simply because of the thick blade but it can be used to do this if I have to. It won't fillet fish so well but I can, without too much distress (and without making a mess!). I can keep it deadly sharp with little effort; the scabbard is very safe; very field maintainable; chop vegies, bash it about yes, (but not purposely abuse). Drilling divots in wood with the tip isn't going to worry it. These are just some of the qualities of this blade and since the Fulcrum Bayonet NFG 

Extrema Ratio Fulcrum Bayonet NFG.

is even beefier I do not have any issue with it. (I should say a quick note on overall carry weight. I have on numerous occasions taken my other  wire cutting capable knife out on serious day hikes off the beaten track where there was always a very high probability of an unplanned overnight stay- I wanted the assurance of tool dependability and no, it wasn't a big deal to carry, plus I was also carrying a young child on my back in one of those hiker papoose things, 10m of climbing rope, food for 2 days and all the necessary wet and cold weather gear. We met a woman who came out of no where and obviously, quite a serious  hiker as I never expected to see anyone where we were but when we compared "notes", her ONLY knife was a very unreliable looking 2 inch folder of no name brand! I showed her what we were carrying she was surprised until I explained that in this wilderness (long since overgrown tracks) maybe something slightly bigger than a small folder should be considered. She couldn't have thought us crazy as we ended up hiking together for the rest of the day with good conversation! (no it wasn't that, she was old enough to be my mother LOL!). As a note here some years later I mentioned to my now grown son when we saw an "elderly" woman in the wilds sporting a kind of coloured umbrella hat, that she must be mad and may have the strength of ten commandos and we should keep a safe distance from her LOL! 

Work Tuff Stove WTS-380 Wood Burning Stove WOW, FANTASTIC!

Work Tuff Stove WTS-380 Wood Burning Stove WOW, FANTASTIC!

Recently I had the opportunity to review this fantastic product from Work Tuff Gear, the Work Tuff Stove 380 or the WTS-380. Well constructed and feature packed with a wood fuel efficient design and environmentally considerate output (ie it's smokeless!). I found after burning some seasoned hardwood (Plum) there was little to no soot present in the flue. There is a lot of heat output, in fact enough to cook within and on top of the stove. The windows add a great camp fire ambience plus serve as visual indicators of fuel consumption. The front air intake design prevents hot embers from exiting the stove when the vent is open at any position. The overall design allows for a low heat emission from the base and this means zero damage to the ground flora and fauna.

The applications of the stove are only limited by ones imagination! A must have piece of outdoor gear. There is nothing I didn't like about the usage and look of this stove.

ALL parts fit inside the WTS-380! One can even stack wood inside the flue sections!

Just check those chunky welds on the door hinge!

Inside view of the stainless steel mesh which prevents hot embers from exiting the combustion chamber. This mesh is firmly bolted to the door.

Front "Retro look" modern design of the WTS-380 wood burning stove

Outside view of the stainless steel mesh preventing embers from leaving the combustion chamber. This is a great idea and makes for a safer stove system. We also see here the fully adjustable air intake.

Sturdy door latch system, stainless steel and anodized aluminium.

The WTS-380 features a large side heat proof glass window for easy viewing along with added ambience to the warmth of the stove output.

Top view of the "after burner" (my words). This design will aid combustion via better internal gas circulation and will help to deliver smoke free emissions. Sturdily constructed from thick walled stainless steel and bolted with stainless socket head bolts to the stove chassis .

Precision made jointing of stainless components (lower section) of the WTS-380 wood burning stove.

left and right side fixtures for "drying rack" also included in the package of the WTS-380 stove.

Attention to detail! Thick even welded joints for the steel leg fixture.

Partial bottom view of the wood burning WTS-380 stove.

Totally portable (included nylon and webbing padded bag).

WTS-380 wood burning stove in operation burning plum wood!

The stainless steel flue also features a spring loaded baffle to help control combustion.

Total aesthetic plus functional design of the WTS-380 wood burning stove.

SMOKELESS, XLNT combustion!

Easy to adjust air flow by simply moving the front air intake slider left or right.

The WTS-380 came with everything one needs to get going, including an ash scraper. I noted too that there is NO flimsy ash tray either, it's made from thick stainless steel with vented sided for best combustion, along with a thick meshed stainless steel fire grate.

Easy to see how much fuel is remaining at any time without the need to open the stove. One can also monitor their food being cooked as well with the two windows of the WTS-380 wood burning stove.

To watch the full on field test of the Work Tuff Stove wood burning stove, the WTS-380, check this link out!