Blackjack Knives: Model 1-7
By Jeff Marshall
I picked one of these bad boys up for hog hunting specifically, but this knife is so much more. The design is classic, Randallesque in nature, well designed and brute force tough. The handle is well made and the A2 steel used will hold a fantastic edge. Sharpness right from the box is, as expected, shaving sharp along the entire edge.
The sheath is exceptional for the knife. Pictured is a custom sheath tooled by Jacquie Stewart but the standard leather sheath compliments the knife in every way. Team Sharpshooter did an excellent job with this sheath.
For those of you who are familiar with the Bark river Rogue and Canadian Camp knife, I have the Model 1-7 pictured with both for a size comparison.
For such a large blade at 12" in length, with a 7" blade, the feel of this knife is exceptional and the balance is absolutely perfect. The rounded, classic leather stacked handle is not over bearing and lends a very secure grip in a variety of holds be it a fighting or hammer grip. The guard is well contoured to accommodate the front of your hand and eliminate any wear, fatigue or hot spots while in use.
Since I am running out of suitable limbs from our trees to make a baton out of, I decided to simply see how well it chopped if needed. While this knife seems to me to be designed for extended use and lighter carry, it does not have the heavy, weight forward design of a chopper, but I was still impressed with the way I could chop through a 2x4 with little effort. The convex grind on this knife efficiently voided a chip and I have little doubt, with a suitable baton, this knife would drive very well through some large hardwood limbs with little effort.