Schrade schf43 Jessica X Review

[@BlackDogBushcraft]

Great Job! It was nice to finally see an unbiased review on this blade.

[@FoxwalkPrimitive]

Thanks! I tried to be as unbiased, and fair as possible.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Totally agree...

[@FoxwalkPrimitive]

+John Sun I try not to watch any other reviews on the product I'm testing. That way I'm 100% sure my opinions are my own. I still haven't seen the other reviews.

[@Murphnuge]

Rick, I really dig your style. You get out and use your gear. No real table top discussion, no glamor shots. There's nothing wrong with folks doing those things, it just ain't my cup of tea. Good review!

[@FoxwalkPrimitive]

Thanks, Murph! Yeah, I do like to get them dirty.

[@TedsOutdoors]

Great video bro! I like your honesty. Thanks for sharing your opinion.

[@FoxwalkPrimitive]

Thanks, Dan!

[@dr.rodsmith7156]

Super Review and I really like the style of your videos. Very humble, honest, yet confidant delivery. New Subscriber. I just posted this on MOTPM forum and others. and Im looking forward to more videos. Thank you.

[@FoxwalkPrimitive]

I'm blown away... A very big thank you is in order. You'll probably enjoy the near future of Foxwalk Primitive. Good things are coming. Thank you, again, for such a great compliment and your support.

[@LetoAt77]

I agree too, very good, honest, fair review and very humble. It's good to see an honest humble review vs fan boy praising a blade just for the sake of cult hero worship. Great job, I'll be subscribing to your channel, keep up the good work!

[@BlackDogBushcraft]

+Christian Cork I agree. Nice to see a review that had no outside influences, just a real world opinion on actual use.

[@dean4545]

Good review! Peace of steel called knife. It can not even cut properly,.

[@spoofoutdoors406]

Oh wowzy!! I love this knife so muches. It is just a super beast and will eat your hands up with loving blisters and misery. Such a well thought out design and I don't know why it doesn't get more love from the bushcraft and survival community. And at such a budget price, there is no reason to spend money on Ontario's, ESEE's, Becker's, etc........... Even if you are looking for a made in USA company cause after all..... Scharade is and will always be an American company...... just ask your grand daddy. I have chopped down hug sizes of trees with the 43 to survive the cold cold winter nights in my mind and scrotum, and have woken up each morning warm and snugly with coals still burning and steaming where my fire goes! I plan on going to the planes of africa to see how this blade will skin a zebra, but am still saving up funds. And just my observation from extend dirt time, TPE is the greatest handle material and I don't know why other companies won't switch to it, not gonna name any names........... ka-bar.......... but I know it will improve the slipperiness of their current popular lineup that is by far inferior to any SCHF's......... yes....Fact! Thanks for the Awesome videos Foxman man and I can't wait for you to review more of the Schrade knives! Seems like you really know a couple things about the outdoors. You may want to look into prepping skills too cause primitive skills won't save your life 100 percent of time but are fun to play around with for sure! All this talk has me so excited that I'm gonna go chop a cow with my J-X right now! Peace and love and murder is happiness!

[@DrDeath70]

subbed. Fair and impartial.

[@preparedmind101]

Too bad you got yours when you did. The edges sucked when they were sending them out in July. My video came out today demonstrating how the edges are coming now. They are insane, as you can see in the video. Sucks you're one of the "1 in 5" that the handle doesn't work for. I've never had a single blister. Don't try and get too bushcrafty with it. It's meant to be paired with something like a Mora. The choil works, but who wouldn't rather just use a bushcraft knife? It IS big....but nowhere near as big as the first prototype. I've found the more of your palm you have on the side using the choil the more doable it is. But again...that's a tertiary use. I'd rather have the type of TPE that's on the 45, but you get what you get. I wasn't in on the "lets pick the TPE" meeting. At least now someone from the Becker forum can see for themselves that the JX has nothing in common with a BK9 outside of blade length. If people don't like the feel of that TPE, wrapping with that self-adhering plumbing repair tape will smooth it out. And if the barong hook bothers you, just stop that wrap about 1/2" away from the end of the hook and you shouldn't have any more issues. That's what Wayne at Kullcraven Bushcraft did, and now he loves it (even carved a spoon with it...which is nuts). IF I am able to twist Schrade's arm to do a 2.0 for 2017-2018, I figured out how to retain everything I want it to do while taking out all the stuff some people don't like. The blade would be identical though, as it's the best chopper I own. I don't want to give away the new handle ideas though...I'll stick with the barong hook because I can get crazy with the chopping and it's totally secure. (But the new one won't have the barong hook if it happens...it'll be flared like an axe handle)

[@FoxwalkPrimitive]

+PREPAREDMIND101 I'm a firm believer that big knives can do small tasks, but not the other way around. I always judge a large blade by its ability to do small, fine work. To me, it's what makes a big blade great. As this blade stands now, small work just isn't comfortable enough to perform. I think it chops very well, and would chop just as well with a flared handle, instead of the barong hook as you mentioned. Please don't take this review as any sort of personal attack. I really did give the knife an honest try, and I did my best to give as many compliments, as complaints. I'll also make this statement: I truly believe that your concept for the design of the handle works, BUT it needs to be redesigned for comfort which will drastically improve usability, functionality, and overall practicality. If you'd like to hear my thoughts on changes to the design, I'd be more than happy to talk them over.

[@preparedmind101]

Oh, it would have....if it was a TRUE representation of the design. But even then, that's not what I was going for. Take me out of the equation. Most mass-produced knives don't have the designer there to specificlly explain and demonstrate the intention of the design. Three "tiers" of use in that level of importance so to speak. Primary: chopping and batoning. It excels at that. Actually, to save time just watch the video I posted the same day. I explain it all and demo it. The handle/ground "issue" is a good thing. If that IS your only knife (that's a screw up if that's the case) you shouldn't be batoning it straight into the ground. Get to the bottle and twist or pull apart with your hands. Experience taught me that's a fast way to chip your blade on a rock or something. I can't imagine wanting to do small tasks beyond feathersticking with it. It's intended to be paired with a Mora, like my kydex rig. I guarentee that edge was less than stellar. They were all like that in July. Now they are coming razor sharp as seen in my video. Squeaky wheel gets the grease. As far as changing the design, I already have. This one works fine for me, but the next will work fine for everybody. That wont be til sometime late next year probably, and will be midtech American, so it won't be as affordable. I don't want to give away all the changes, but you mentioned a flared handle. It'll have a back end similar to an axe handle instead of the barong hook. I actually like the barong hook, but you have to accept reviews and it also contributes to the "ugly" factor.

[@preparedmind101]

Even with the new changes, it's not going to perform/handle like a Mora. I won't sacrifice the primary use being great so the tertiary use to be marginally better. No 17" tool is going to be great at small tasks. That's why I made the Jessmuk. Someone said something that was a really good description on my intention. The said it was like an axe and a large froe had a baby. Not many people design a blade with batoning as a purpose, and that's what a froe does. It's a mega-froe that can chop.

[@TheSmokinApe]

+Foxwalk Primitive Hey FP, can you help me understand what is meant by "small and fine" work? Some examples would be great... Thanks, Ape...

[@FoxwalkPrimitive]

+PREPAREDMIND101 I've seen both of the "how to use" videos. I've listened to everything you have to say about this knife. Some things I agree with, and some I don't. I was asked to give an honest, unbiased review. I used the knife for a season and a half. I drew my conclusions based on my experiences, and the way I use large knives. You might want to listen to everything I say in the video again. I said it did great at chopping. I said it did great at batonning. I said it carves, but not well. However, I have issues with it, stated what they are, and explained as thoroughly as possible. No, my issue is not the sharpness of the edge. I thought the edge was fine for your primary uses, which I stated so in the review. I even gave suggestions for good, practical uses for the knife, and reasons to buy it. And you still want to act like I just hated on it. Talking to me, publicly, like I don't know how to use a knife. Not very professional of you, Chris.

[@Mr45ACPAUTO]

very good review! your not the first to complain about the handle. Maybe you need special instruction on how to properly hold it.......lol you handled the knife just fine. great job, new sub here my friend. My opinion is that handle is 100% useless!

[@FoxwalkPrimitive]

Thanks, Ralph! Lol

[@Mr45ACPAUTO]

Welcome sir!

[@TerrioKnives]

My primary goals for handle design are that it be easy to hold/control, and not hurt you. This handle fails completely.

[@FoxwalkPrimitive]

+TerrioKnives that handle, though...

[@toolthoughts]

good review. not easy to do on a hype product.

[@muddog1561]

I really like mine, I agree about forward grip. It looked like you were chopping way behind the sweet spot and creating a lot more chopping work for your self. That might be one reason you were getting a blister on your pinky finger.

[@FoxwalkPrimitive]

+muddog1561 from the time I've spent with it the sweet spot was actually quite broad. That's a big plus for that knife. And the barong hook is problem for pinkies on many knives. I've used a few, and felt a lot of shock transferred into the finger from it. Blisters are coming from the TPE. That stuff just produces too much friction. I believe if the tang gets tapered down into the hook it would help out, tremendously with the shock.

[@TerrioKnives]

The blade itself is really pretty decent. 1070 is good tough steel, and for under $75 bucks it seems like a great bargain (assuming you don't mind buying knives made in China). The factory edge is pretty awful, but that's easily fixed and almost expected at this price point. But the handle just plain sucks out loud. I think I get what the designer was going for: extra leverage, the ability to "choke back" on it for more powerful chopping strokes, and a pronounced drop almost like a kukri (again for leverage and power). Aesthetically, the handle LOOKS balanced with the size of the blade. But in use, it's frankly pretty damn awful. FAR too wide. Honestly it's one the worst knives I've ever had to use. I get the distinct impression this knife was designed on paper to look cool, not in the field to actually work well. It's almost like the designer just copied a Becker BK-9 blade and added the most uncomfortable, awkward handle they could think of...

[@Dobemandan]

Excellent review!!! Nice to see one that's not just an infomercial for this ugly duckling. Also I'd delete comments from the maker... but that's just me!

[@FoxwalkPrimitive]

Thanks, Dan.