Bacon-Wrapped Apple Pie?
I have no style sense whatever, and very little culinary expertise. If I need to wear jacket and tie, my wife picks out the ensemble. If I’m left to do the cooking we’re likely to end up with bacon and broccoli, or maybe bacon and canned peaches.
But when it comes to matching up handguns and knives my judgment is as good as any, better than some. Or at least, I know what I like. Here are a few of my favorite handgun/knife combinations, reflecting my impeccable taste and refined aesthetics. See if you agree. Meanwhile I have to make dinner. I’m thinking bacon-wrapped apple pie sound about right.
My best hunting knife is this Bob Dozier handmade custom. Dozier knives are perfectly detailed but still practical working knives made for hard use. He calls this the “Utility” model from his Bare Bones line. Dozier is an acknowledged master at tempering D2 for both edge-holding hardness and tough durability. He also makes the leather sheath to hold the knife safely and securely. In today’s custom market the price of $450 is a bargain. It’s a perfect match for the Colt Woodsman.
Also from Dozier is the K-20 Canoe model. Blade length is 27/8″, weight just three ounces. Kydex sheath locks knife in securely and carries horizontally on the belt. Steel is D2 with black micarta handles. Currently it retails at $205.
With its razor sharpness and edge-holding ability, the little knife performs far above its size. The Beretta 71 .22 LR, shown here with the 6″ barrel, also punches above its weight class. It’s the most reliable .22 semi-auto I’ve ever owned, and accurate to boot.
Let’s say you had to survive in one of the world’s wild places; the Alaskan wilderness, for example. Okay, it’s not going to happen and if it did you’d probably find tourists already there. But we can dream. In my view the single most important tool you can have is an axe, such as this Scandinavian Forest axe by Gransfors Bruk. It’s both tough and takes a skinning-sharp edge.
There isn’t a more versatile, all-around handgun than a medium-frame, double-action .357 Magnum revolver. I greatly admire the stainless steel S&W 686, although I’ll concede a stainless Ruger GP-100 would be just as acceptable.
Just as tough and versatile is the Cold Steel Master Hunter. It has a 41/2″ flat-ground blade of VG-1 San Mai steel, 3/16″ thick at the spine. At $160 it’s a lot of knife for the money. And no, I’ve never been lost in the wilderness, but I haven’t given up hope.
Sometimes only the finest, most elegant ensemble will do. When I carry my Nighthawk Falcon Commander .45 ACP it would be a grotesque faux pas to pair it up with a knife of lesser distinction. The most strikingly handsome knife I own is this Spyderco Chaparral3. The handle scales are titanium, machined in a 3D-stepped pattern. It’s a showpiece, but like all Spyderco knives it isn’t just show. The blade is CTS XHP stainless steel, flat ground and sharp as can be. Neither materials nor workmanship are cheap, as MSRP on this knife is $564.95.
These are the kind of knives I’ve carried most of my life, as did my dad and grandfather. Bottom knife is a Browning, which I think has been discontinued. Above it is a Buck Stockman which lists at $57, has excellent workmanship and materials and is made in the USA. The Streamlight Polytach is an excellent flashlight and a remarkably good value.
