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May or Ingram knife

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Roy Finn View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Roy Finn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: May or Ingram knife
    Posted: July/26/2008 at 19:47
I am in the market for a new knife from either one of these guys and would like to know if anyone is familiar with these. Have some time to decide as Ingram has a 3 1/2 year wait and May is 18 months currently. They have very similar designs and most folks I've spoke with so far feel that the quality is about the same. Any feedback is appreciated. The two I am interested in are the Ingram #4 Bird & Trout and the May Bird & Trout.

Roy
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote silver Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/28/2008 at 13:04
Talk to Billy at Vintage knives.  He deals with all sorts of stuff from that area.  I looked at their pages and it is nice stuff, but...  I am not seeing the big deal.  It's D2 and Micarta...  
 
Three year wait?  The guy is in the wrong price point.  The Dozier shop wait is 8 months.  The last time I waited for three years for a knife, the maker died on me (Bob Lum). Martin knives in TX may also be of interest.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote silver Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/28/2008 at 13:21
Let me offer an amendment... I like the use of the CMP D2, but do not care for the 3/32 thickness, even though it will make the knife balance better.  I would rather see 5/32 and a tapered tang.  Most makers would charge an extra hundred for that.  I would also want to know alot more about how they both heat treat.  How many passes do they run stuff? Is it in house? That's where the Magic is at...
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Roy Finn View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Roy Finn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/28/2008 at 13:40
I don't know anything about how Gene or Charlie heat treat in house but I understand they both do their own in-house. The Bird & Trout from May is a 3/32 blade but can be made in 1/8 if you wish. For the lighter type use the Bird & Trout will see from me, I'm going with the 3/32 blade. Ingram uses 1/8 th on almost all his. May has several with 3/32, most with 1/8 and a couple 5/32 thickness. Gene and Charlie used to work together and they remain good friends and make very similar designs from what I can gather. Not sure why someone would wait 3 1/2 years for a hunting knife. Seems a little nutty to me. I can tell you that if you see a used Ingram in good/or new condition in almost any variation from Gene they sell for more than they cost new. There was a guy that was selling 4 Ingram's on another site that all looked new and they sold for $375 to $400 in less than 2 days. Apparently Ingram has quite the following with May heading right on his heels. May has a 18 month wait currently. Put a May up for sale and the same stuff happens. I'm going with S30V. The top knife in the pic is a May B&T with Ironwood scales and mosaic pins in S30V. I'm heading in that direction as I am speaking with Charlie. I'm thinking of doing a matched set so to speak with May Holt Collier with a 3 1/4 inch blade in S30V, Ironwood burl and mosaic pins.



Edited by Roy Finn - July/28/2008 at 13:51
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/28/2008 at 17:21
Beautiful knives, Roy!  I too would go with S30V.  A buddy of mine swears by this alloy.  It is created by powder metallurgy, so it supposedly combines BOTH greater toughness than other tool steels and at the same time, better edge retention than D2.  It is produced by Crucible Steel, a very good mill for high quality tool steels.
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Roy Finn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/28/2008 at 18:30
Appreciate the link Ted. I don't want to try to become a metalurgist, heck, it was hard enough trying to learn optics stuff. I practically sucked the life out of poor koshkin trying to learn more about optics.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cheaptrick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/28/2008 at 18:46
Originally posted by Roy Finn Roy Finn wrote:

I practically sucked the life out of poor koshkin trying to learn more about optics.
 
Roll%20on%20Floor%20Laughing
 
I think The Dark One is into knives too, IIRC.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote silver Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/28/2008 at 18:47
Man, read the heat treat sheet on the S30V, when compared to the D2...Thumbs%20Down Zone heat treatment is out.  Things like tapered tangs are made more difficult.   
 
Pins are pretty, but are not the most "robust".  Then again most of the scales are really glued on.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/28/2008 at 20:00
S30V should not be compared to the traditional tool steels, being a powder metallurgy product.  As such, you can achieve properties that are often mutually exclusive, i.e. being both very tough and very wear resistant at the same time.  So far, S30V is getting good reviews from knifemakers and users alike.  It has a very good combination of mechanical properties, competitive with the best knife steels in all categories.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tahqua Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/28/2008 at 20:07
I pin and glue in some cases. With modern adhesives the pins aren't necessary.
I have used mostly D-2, A-2 and W-2 in the past. I am doing a drop point hunter in S-7 now and really look forward to this in the field.
I feel the 3/32 is plenty for bird and trout(stream) use. The ability to flex the blade when going over the breast plates of woodcock when breasting out for the grill is really nice.
I also like the S30V and ATS-34 steels but they aren't necessary for most of my hunting and fishing uses. They do kick ass on my hard use folders. On a 9" Bowie I like a good spring steel I can sharpen with any rock I happen to find.
Considering that Roy has been fishing and hunting for a long time I think the wait for an Ingram or May is worth the wait. You no doubt have a bunch of "blades" already.

Doug
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Longhunter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/29/2008 at 02:57
I love good custom knives, and have owned a number of them.  Some thoughts:
 
Stainless is the right choice for this use.  
 
Wood isn't the best handle material for a knife that will constantly get wet.  (Take a good look at some well-used rosewood or walnut-handled paring knives.)
 
Using a really expensive knife over water or while wading trout streams with deep runs and/or treacherous footing is tempting Murphy's law. 
 
The best game-bird cleaning tool I've found is a good set of kitchen shears.
 
You might enjoy checking out the new Diamondblade knives, if you haven't already.  They are one of the more interesting knives to come out in recent years. 
 
Have fun shopping, and then get whatever makes you happy
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/29/2008 at 09:36
Originally posted by Longhunter Longhunter wrote:

 
You might enjoy checking out the new Diamondblade knives, if you haven't already.  They are one of the more interesting knives to come out in recent years. 
 
 
I concur.  They were at a recent show I attended and I got a good look at their stuff.  Nice knives!  The company is operated by the same man who owns Knives of Alaska.  They use a very innovative process they call "friction forging" for hardening the cutting edge portion of the blade with a rotary PCBN burnishing tool which produces a cutting edge up to 68Rc.  Take a look at their test data in the "Graphs" section of the site. 
 
Ted


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Roy Finn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/29/2008 at 17:26
Those are nice looking too. I'm still big on the May and Ingram, but I'm going with the May. I spoke with Charlie May and ordered two, a Bird & Trout and a shorter version of the Holt Collier (3 1/4 inch blade) both in S30V with Ironwood burl, white liners and mosaic pins. I just can't see waiting over three years for the Ingram and to be honest, I can't see a whole lot of difference between the May and the Ingram's. I have been reading alot of info from guys who have owned both Ingram's and May's on various forums such as Sniper's Hide, 24Hourcampfire, Bladeforums etc., and it seems pretty much an even split between the the two. When I looked at the Ingram's the one thing I noticed was that they are very similar in looks throughout his line and the May's seemed to have more personality if that makes sense. By that I mean there are more design variations with the May knifes in handle shapes, blade lenghts and heights to choose from. Both seem very very nice and the deciding factor, for me anyway, came down to a quicker delivery date with the May. Can't wait..........Hope this doesn't turn me onto a new obsession.

Roy
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/29/2008 at 18:18
Good deal, Roy!  I look forward to seeing pics once you receive them!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Roy Finn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/29/2008 at 19:39
Yes, Ted, I will be doing that with a little blood hopefully. Did you say that koshkin was a knife fancier?????
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Urimaginaryfrnd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/30/2008 at 01:03

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/30/2008 at 09:05
Originally posted by Roy Finn Roy Finn wrote:

Yes, Ted, I will be doing that with a little blood hopefully. Did you say that koshkin was a knife fancier?????
 
I think Mark mentioned that he was, but I don't know.
Ted


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bigdaddy0381 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/30/2008 at 10:37

I don't want to steal this thread. i have a friend that is into knives big time. He travels allot and he came across this place a year or so ago and tells me this is the best place he has found in the world that hand makes custom knives. With him saying this it must be true he is not one to screw around with something he loves. Anyways thought I would share this with ya'll. The owner/maker is a good guy to deal with.

 

 
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Roy Finn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/11/2008 at 15:57
Charlie is sure making my order harder to keep to only two knifes. These are two new ones.

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