EDIT:OWNER REVIEW:Grohmann #100 Large Skinner knife:JAMES BIRCHALL

[graham blamey]

Hi James.
Thanks for your Owner Review. Please find below my edit comments on your Review. Please take these comments in the spirit that they are intended. They are given in my role as Edit Moderator and they are here to assist you in the process of meeting the expectations of BackpackGearTest.org and assisting you in becoming a BackpackGearTest.org official tester.
I appreciate that they may seem daunting and harsh at times. There is no criticism implied, that is not the intention, it is the nature of the task and the communication medium.

This is a good start James and I like the way you've put this review together. Ther's a limit to what one can say about a knife, but you've dealt with it well by citing all the scanarios where you've used the knife and how it behaved. Generally the review is fine, but there are two main areas for you to work in and I've explained these below. Once you have worked through these edits, please repost with REPOST in the subject line and I'll take another look .
Cheers
Graham BGT Edit Moderator

EDITS>

Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 175 lbs
Location: Olds, Alberta, Canada
Date: 21 Feb 2005

### BGT is accessed Globally, so for the benefit of our International readers, we ask you to provide metric equivalent for ALL measurements. This usually takes this form, '...Height: 5' 11" (1.8 m)...' '...Weight: 175 lb (79 kg)...' You need to do this everywhere you have a measurement, miles, pounds, ounces, inches etc. A conversion tool can be found on the main BGT.org website.

### this next applies to the following block of text, your background. In the future we hope to have a place on BGT.org where members can put an expanded bio possibly with photos as well, but for the purposes of Owner Reviews and/or Test Reports the idea is that the bio is a 'brief' summary of you and your style. I have indicated (below) where you could delete a large chunk of yours, but you might feel that you would be better re-writing it, if so, try to keep it to under 100 words.

I've been an avid outdoorsman since I was old enough to be safely stowed
as bagagge in my parents' canoe: hiking, canoeing and camping all over

###should be '...baggage...'

Ontario and Quebec with my parents, outripping summer camps and Boy
Scouts.

DELETE FROM HERE>

When I was 12 I joined the Royal Canadian Air Cadets and became
a survival instructor with that group at 15. The 6 week course included
a 10 day 5 person SWAFT (Survival Without A Functioning Thing), a 72 hr
solo in summer Northern Quebec and various lectures and lessons on
shelter building, edible wildlife, fires, signals and first aid. When I
was 17 I joined the Canadian Forces Reserve as an Anti-Armour
Infantryman and got lots of experience strapping heavy loads to various
parts of my anatomy and walking/trotting/climbing very long distances
through diverse terrain before bivvying up for the night in a trench
rapidly filling with water/mud. Prior to that, I worked as a Park
Ranger in Algonquin Park, Ontario cutting trails, moving outhouses and
helping to patrol canoe routes in the northern backcountry.

END DELETE HERE>

I currently work with an Army Cadet group as a fieldcraft instructor, specialising
in orienteering, backpacking and adventure racing. I enjoy hiking and
backpacking with my wife and dog in the nearby Canadian Rocky
Mountains. I've experienced a diverse range of outdoor equipment and
enjoy trying out new gear as harshly as I can.

### you should add a sentence about your current backpacking style, tent. tarp, hammocks; all bar the kitchen sink or ultra-light etc.

(http://www.grohmannknives.com/pages/r100s.html)

### you don't need to include a link to the individual product, only the top level of the site (as you have). Individual pages can change, but it is unlikely that the top level will.

Blade Length: 5-1/4"

### you need to include the metric equivalent here so: 51/4" (133 mm) (millimetres is the most suitable for something this size)
### an approximate weight of the knife would be good here

Price: ~$75-90 CAD (Paid $65 CAD at auction)

### at BGT we only allow the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) (You can mention in your Product Description the price you paid at auction, but the MSRP is what someone could expect to pay unless they found their own deal)

This knife features a full tang, full bolster rosewood handle that fits
comfortably in the hand.

### this would read better as '...This fixed blade knife features a full tang, full bolster and rosewood...' etc.

The balance is actually just fore of the

bolster though it feels balanced right at the junction of tang and
blade. It has an excellent lanyard attachment and the full leather

### this would be better as '...lanyard attachment point...'

outdoor knives. Each knife is individually forged and then hand ground
by a team of artisans from a solid bar of high carbon stainless steel.

### This sentence doesn't read quite right, try '...Each knife is individually forged from a solid bar of high carbon stainless steel and then hand ground by a team of artisans...'

Scenario #1: Roast beef at home.
The knife, while too short to be effective at cutting large roasts, flew
through the task of carving smaller roasts, showing very little tearing
of the meat and achieving an almost surgical cut for as long as the cut
could be maintained. After cutting up a 4lb roast, the blade did not

### if you use 4 lb here, you should include the metric equivalent, which would disrupt the flow so why not stick to '...cutting up a small roast...' and avoid it :)

Many knives tend to dull quickly after cutting through cardboard boxes
in order to make them fit in the trash can. This knife made it through
23 before needing to be rehoned with a steel in order to keep the
cardboard material from tearing while the cuts were made. Overall, it
lasted longer then a carpentry exacto knife.

### should be '...than a carpentry...'

the nail and pry it up. I then rehammered the nail using the tang in
the knife handle. The knife showed (and still shows) no damage from the
exercise.

### well if it didn't show damage then it won't show it now :) You should delete '...(and still shows)...'

Scenario #6: Skinning and cleaning a Rabbit.
This tests the precision of the knife tip and flexibility of the knife
blade. Sadly, the knife performed poorly in this test, requiring a lot
of time to work enough of the tip under the skin to get a good incision
going. Manouvring the blade through the cuts required to clean the

### should be '...Manoeuvring...'

carcass was labourious and unwieldly. This knife is not well suited for

### should be '...laborious...' and '...unwieldy...'

Scenario #7: Can Opener
Testing the strength of the knife tip is often best experienced when
trying to punch holes through cans of condensed milk for morning
coffee. The edge is often ruined as it passes through the metal and the
tip is often broken off if the blow is not directly down the blade. The
Grohmann #100 preformed flawlessly opening 10 cans (using two v-cuts and

### should be '...performed...'

Scenario #8: Cutting Kern Mantle rope

### should be '...Kernmantle...'

A straight edge often has a harder time cutting through the outer level
of a kern mantle rope and moving instead of cutting the interior

### '...kernmantle...' and if you have commas at '...moving, instead of cutting, the interior...' this will make this clearer

The #100 is best suited as a general-purpose outdoor knife by those who
need something bigger then a swiss-army, but smaller then a machete and
like a straight-edge blade.

### This sentence reads a little awkwardly, try '...by those who like a straight-edged blade and need something bigger than a Swiss army knife, but smaller than a machete.

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[James Birchall]

Name: James Birchall
Gender: Male
Profession: Software Engineer
Age: 27
Height: 5' 11" (1.80 m)
Weight: 175 lbs (79 kg)
Location: Olds, Alberta, Canada
Email: jrbirch-***@public.gmane.org

Date: 03 Mar 2005

Background:

I've been an avid outdoorsman since I was old enough to be safely stowed
as baggage in my parents' canoe: hiking, canoeing and camping all over
Ontario, Quebec and the maritime provinces with my parents, outripping
summer camps, Boy Scouts, the Canadian Military, and the Ontario
Ministry of Natural Resources. I currently work with an Army Cadet
group as a fieldcraft instructor, specializing in orienteering,
backpacking, shooting and adventure racing. Having done the
ultra-lightweight backpacking thing (to the extent of leaving the
backpack at home) I'm now coming back to a more midweight style,
typically carrying a bag, a small freestanding tent, minimal cookware,
food, some "goodies" and a complete set of layered clothing suitable for
the expected conditions. Weight is important but only as it relates to
comfort and the enjoyment of the outdoor experience overall. Most of my
trips nowadays are of moderate length ( ~20km/12.5 mi days, ~200m/656 ft
elevation gain) to the nearby Canadian Rocky Mountains with my wife and dog.

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Grohmann
URL: http://www.grohmannknives.com/
Product: #100 Large Skinner
Year of Manufacture: 1996
Blade: 5" x 1 1/4" (12.7 x 3.2cm)
Blade Stock: 1/8" (.317cm)
Total Length: 9.5" (24.1cm)
Steel: High-Carbon Stainless
Rockwell: 56-58c
Blade Weight: 6 oz. (170g)
Handle: Rosewood
Sheath: Leather Overlap
Sheath Weight: 2 oz. (57 g)
Price: ~$93 CAD (No MSRP available)

Product Description

I've had this knife for 11 years, my father having bought it at an
auction when I was 16. It's been with me through my military service,
through my work as a provincial park ranger and is my constant companion
every time I suit up for another outdoor adventure. In short, it is my
favourite bit of outdoor gear.

This fixed-blade knife features a full tang, full bolster and rosewood
handle that fits comfortably in the hand. The balance is actually just
fore of the bolster though it feels balanced right at the junction of
tang and blade. It has an excellent lanyard attachment point and the
full leather sheath comes with a secure button flap. A contoured thumb
rest for more accurately manipulating the tip for fine motions sits atop
the blade, just forward of the bolster. The blade is high-carbon
stainless and it holds an excellent edge.

The manufacturer is located on the East Coast of Canada, in the sleepy
community of Pictou, Nova Scotia and offers a selection of kitchen
knives and artistic specialty knives in addition to their line of
outdoor knives. Each knife is individually forged from a solid bar of
high carbon stainless steel and then hand ground by a team of artisans.
The company is ISO certified and competes in design competitions all
over North America and Europe. They are best known as the creators of
the "D.H. Russell" design which hangs on display in the Museum of Modern
Art in New York.

Field Test

I've used this knife in a variety of trying situations and my
impressions of the knife's performance in each is outlined below.

Scenario #1: Roast beef at home.
The knife, while too short to be effective at cutting large roasts, flew
through the task of carving smaller roasts, showing very little tearing
of the meat and achieving an almost surgical cut for as long as the cut
could be maintained. After cutting up a small roast, the blade did not
need to be re-honed. It worked excellently for cutting potatoes and
carrots.

Scenario #2: Cardboard Boxes

Many knives tend to dull quickly after cutting through cardboard boxes
in order to make them fit in the trash can. This knife made it through
23 before needing to be rehoned with a steel in order to keep the
cardboard material from tearing while the cuts were made. Overall, it
lasted longer than a carpentry exacto knife.

Scenario #3: Prying nails from a 2x4

This is a stupid thing to do with any knife, but I include the story
here to illustrate the strength of the blade. While helping to demolish
my parents' garage as a 19 year old, I thought it would be cool to see
if I could pry some nails out of the framing wood using my hunting
knife. The blade edge felt very brittle until I worked the nail up high
enough that I could slip the false edge of the knife under the head of
the nail and pry it up. I then rehammered the nail using the tang in
the knife handle. The knife showed no damage from the exercise.

Scenario #4: Water-resistance of the Stainless steel.

If the stainless steel is of poor quality, a knife will rust when
exposed to moisture for long periods. While fishing I used the false
edge of the knife to kill the fish and then placed the knife on the side
of the boat while we packed the fish. Needless to say, the knife fell
overboard. 3 days later I was fishing the same area with my father
again and snagged the lanyard of the knife by fluke and retrieved it.
The knife showed no rusting or wear.

Scenario #5: Demonstrating how to construct a lean-to

One of the more trying things one can do with a knife is to try to cut
through wood with it. While teaching cadets how to construct a lean-to,
the knife was used to chop down 8 x 3" diameter softwood trees and
showed no wear on the edge or sapping in the joints. The knife worked
well for the task, though it did not perform as well as a hatchet or
machete would have in the same conditions.

Scenario #6: Skinning and cleaning a Rabbit.

This tests the precision of the knife tip and flexibility of the knife
blade. Sadly, the knife performed poorly in this test, requiring a lot
of time to work enough of the tip under the skin to get a good incision
going. Manoeuvring the blade through the cuts required to clean the
carcass was labourious and unwieldy. This knife is not well suited for
dressing smaller game. They really do mean "Large Skinner" in the
product name.

Scenario #7: Can Opener

Testing the strength of the knife tip is often best experienced when
trying to punch holes through cans of condensed milk for morning
coffee. The edge is often ruined as it passes through the metal and the
tip is often broken off if the blow is not directly down the blade. The
Grohmann #100 performed flawlessly opening 10 cans (using two v-cuts and
pushing the bent metal into the can) before a proper can opener was
found. It needed no re-edging and only minor rehoning.

Scenario #8: Cutting Kernmantle rope

A straight edge often has a harder time cutting through the outer level
of a kernmantle rope and moving, instead of cutting, the interior
fibres. The ability of the #100 to keep a good edge (especially the
cutting edge around the bolster) made this a non-event. The knife did
not cut as well as a SpiderCo serrated diving knife, though the actual
draw of the blade across the rope was significantly easier.

Conclusion:

Overall, this knife has been excellent and has done things that knives
are not meant to do. The blade looks new, has needed little rehoning
(and no re-edging) and shows no rusting. The rosewood handle has stayed
secure to the blade (despite using it as a hammer) and no material has
found its way into the cracks of the rivets or around the tang.

The only downside is, ironically, not in the blade but rather in the
sheath. As the knife is withdrawn from the sheath, the edge of the
blade passes by the fold of the sheath flap. Over time, the knife
actually starts to cut the material of the sheath flap away from the
sheath proper. After 11 years of moderate use, I currently have about
20% of the leather material left and believe that it is only a matter of
time before the entire flap is severed. Further, the sheath flap is
closed using a simple poke through button and this flap has come open
several times in the field. Twice the knife has fallen out and been
left behind while moving through dense brush. The sheath flap only
seems to open if I brush my hip by a rough material in an up to down
motion or I twist my hip through a snag. It requires a significant
amount of force to cause it to happen though.

Ideal Usage:

The #100 is best suited as a general-purpose outdoor knife by those who
like a straight-edged blade and need something bigger than a Swiss army
knife, but smaller than a machete.




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