The Jeff White and R.Jones Bushcraft Knife

Discovering hidden treasures and then sharing them with others is always exciting to me. That's what I've attempted to do through this blog.  Now, discovering hidden treasures in the custom knife world where function, quality and aesthetics come together well in a single knife is rare.  It is even more rare when those elements in a custom knife are available at a very reasonable cost.  From time to time, I find myself visiting the BushcraftUSA forum.  Back in November, I ran across several posts that caught my attention referring to a custom knife that was designed through the collaboration of  Robert Jones (aka Beo-wulf) and Jeff White a custom knife maker. Robert makes custom, hand-sewn leather knife sheaths; however, the design of this particular knife -- The Jeff White and R.Jones Bushcraft Knife -- was conceptualized by Robert.  The knife can be purchased from Robert either on Ebay or through the BushcraftUSA Vendor forum here.  If you visit Robert's vendor page you will see the excellent reviews and the high praises that this knife deserves.  I must admit, after reading through the forum, I was captivated and convinced that this was a knife worth getting. Receiving and opening the package and inspecting the knife up close and personal confirmed that I had made the right choice. The blade out of the package was sharp, the knife felt good in my hands, and I was immediately drawn to its simplicity and beauty. I was able to hone the knife to a very scary sharp edge in no time. Also, I removed the original finish on the curly maple handles, and finished it with boiled linseed oil. The curly maple really popped by doing this. Here are the specifications:

Jeff White and Jones Bushcraft Knife:

Made from 1095 High Carbon Steel
Full Tang construction - 1/8" Thickness
4.75" Blade Length
4.5" Handle Length
Beautiful Curly Maple Scales
Secured with 2 Brass Pins
Robert Jones Hand-sewn Leather Sheath

The knife blade is stamped with the Maker's marks of both Robert Jones and Jeff White.  What makes this knife aesthetically pleasing is the way 2/3rds of the blade has been left unfinished from the heat treatment and about 1/3rd of the blade is polished and sharpened.  By adding the curly maple scales, the knife has a very rugged, noble and classic look.  The styling and design is quite simple, beautiful, yet effective.  I've used this knife off and on for a variety of tasks in the kitchen for food prep; outdoors prepping wood for a fire; notching; carving, slicing, feathering, etc.  The knife just works well and holds an edge well. I have been very pleased and impressed.  The leather sheath is also of a simple design; made of thick leather and hand-sewn. My impression is that this sheath will last forever.  The sheath complements the knife very well; no doubt, Robert, when he designed the knife, had in his mind the very sheath design that would be a perfect mate for the knife. This a true custom knife, so keep in mind, should you order this knife, your knife will only be similar to what I received.  The finish left from the heat treatment and the polished portion will certainly be different than what I have pictured.  As well, the curly maple handles will, very likely, be different, depending upon the stock used by Jeff White.  Nevertheless, I'm confident that you will be satisfied.  There are certainly no shortages of excellent custom knife makers to choose from; however, the Jeff White and R.Jones Bushcraft knife reminds you of bygone days with its simple and rugged design.  More importantly, it is beautiful, functional and priced right!  ~Keep it Sharp.

ThruNite T21 and ThruNite Archer 1C Flashlight

Over the past few years, I've acquired several LED flashlights.  The very first LED flashlight that I purchased was the Energizer Brand at Target. It's marketed as a tactical flashlight; spec'd with 37 Lumens using AA Batteries and has a simple click on, click off rear switch.  For the price, this has been an amazing light; so much so, I bought several lights for my laptop case, briefcase, cars and day pack. Last year, I became acquainted with the Fenix Brand of lights. I've been very impressed with the overall quality, build and usefulness of these lights, as well. Granted, the Fenix lights tend to be quite a bit more expensive than the Energizer; however, there are additional features that come with the added expense. I've been carrying the inexpensive Fenix E01 on my key chain for about two years now. It's been an extremely useful light, albeit, with only 13 lumens (from a single AAA Battery) but has been very handy and economical. I'm very sure that the battery has been changed out only twice in two years.

This week I received two new flashlights from ThruNite. Both of these lights are powered by a single CR123 Battery. Here are a few of the specifications on each:


ThruNite T21:

LED:  Cree XM-L
Battery: Uses Single CR123 or RCR123 Battery
Five Modes of Output:  .09 Lumens to 350 Lumens
Aircraft Quality Aluminum Body
Smooth Reflector
Waterproof
2.75" Long X .875" (Bezel)

ThruNite Archer 1C:

LED:  Cree XP-G2
Battery: Uses Single CR123
Five Modes of Output:  .2 Lumens to 281 Lumens
Aircraft Quality Aluminum Body
Smooth Reflector
Waterproof
3.75" Long X .875" (Bezel)

Simply put, both of these lights look good.  The stainless bezel contrasts beautifully with the black, hard anodized finish.  What I've come to appreciate with these two lights is the ease of operation and deployment. These lights don't come with a clip; however, either of these lights will EDC quite easily in a front pocket --- by the way, both of these lights have the ability to tail stand. The Fenix PD32 nor the Fenix LD12 are unable to tail stand. I especially like what ThruNite calls the Firefly mode which is less than 1 Lumen. This mode will be particularly practical for night adjusted eyes. In using these lights outdoors, on the brighter modes, I've noticed the beam on these two lights are different; no doubt since their LEDs are different. The T21 (XM-L) has a noticeably floodier beam compared to the Archer 1C (XP-G2) which is tighter.  So far, I have been pleased with the build quality, the available functions and most important the cost of these two lights. ~Keep it Sharp.

Update: Apparently, these two lights are no longer available from ThruNite. I've also noticed the prices on the ThruNite products have increased significantly.