Broadarrow PRS-4 after 11 years

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19th July 2017, 13:08
Fschwep

Broadarrow PRS-4 after 11 years

Some 11 years ago I purchased a Broadarrow PRS-4 (the black version of the original PRS-3) from our host. I have worn it practically every day since, 24/7. Changed the lithium battery once. It gathered some wabi but is still going strong. Here's how it looks:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4327/...337d0f3b_c.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4318/...c5165279_c.jpg

The watch has been holding up rather well. Not a scratch on the sapphire crystal (I have not been trying to sand it with a diamond sharpener, but do tend to wear it when sharpening knives, chopping wood, flying my balloon - especially that - or cleaning manure from the donkey shed. In short, I'm hard on my watch. Voilá the result after more than a decade of abuse.

....

And for those amongst you who also have an interest in knives and are now wondering what that is the watch is leaning against, this is it:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4326/...f223dc1f_c.jpg

It's called the Terävä Jääkäripuukko or the 'Jeager Puukko', the long version with a 140 mm blade. Designed by, made for and sold by the somewhat crazy military surplus store Varusteleka in Helsinki, Finland. Basically their own version of the Peltonen 'Sissipuukko', the Ranger knife used by Finnish and other special forces. 80CrV2 tool steel, 4 mm thick, full tang, no-nonsense finish with remnants of the heat treatment still present (I polished most of it from mine, but when new the flat of the blade is a rough black). No logos, no engraving, this is a 'sterile' blade. Black rubberized handle. Sharp as hell and indestructible. Can be bought with or without the sheath (get the sheath!). And crazy cheap. According to some experts 'the best bushcraft/survival knife for the dollar, bar none'. In other words, it goes rather well with a very affordable, almost sterile, black toolwatch from Eddy. ;-)
21st July 2017, 16:14
willie_gunn

A lovely watch and a cracking knife - I've asked them to email me when they are back in stock, though I'll probably go for the shorter version.

Sent from my iPad using TZ-UK mobile app
22nd July 2017, 16:05
Fschwep

Quote:

Originally Posted by willie_gunn

A lovely watch and a cracking knife - I've asked them to email me when they are back in stock, though I'll probably go for the shorter version.

There is always a rush on these. They actually do e-mail you when they are back in stock, which is generally once every 6 weeks or so, and then sold out in two weeks... Get the carbon steel version, btw. I got the long version because I do a lot of firewood splitting, for the wood burner here, and it's a bit more useful for that. For general knife tasks, the 110 is probably better. Mine was delivered when I had a friend visiting who has been in the military and judicial/penitentiairy (navy first, then prison guard) and when I got it out of the box he almost fell off his chair. ;-)
It comes with a black layer of forge remnant still on the flat of the blade; I found that it stuck to cheese I tried cutting with it (it's bit over the top for that but a guy has to try his knife on everything and being in France, a knife has to cut cheese of course, that's a given), so I polished most of it off with frying pan polishing steel wool. It's a matter of taste (of the cheese as well...). It's brutal. Enjoy.
22nd July 2017, 16:12
willie_gunn

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fschwep

There is always a rush on these. They actually do e-mail you when they are back in stock, which is generally once every 6 weeks or so, and then sold out in two weeks... Get the carbon steel version, btw. I got the long version because I do a lot of firewood splitting, for the wood burner here, and it's a bit more useful for that. For general knife tasks, the 110 is probably better. Mine was delivered when I had a friend visiting who has been in the military and judicial/penitentiairy (navy first, then prison guard) and when I got it out of the box he almost fell off his chair. ;-)
It comes with a black layer of forge remnant still on the flat of the blade; I found that it stuck to cheese I tried cutting with it (it's bit over the top for that but a guy has to try his knife on everything and being in France, a knife has to cut cheese of course, that's a given), so I polished most of it off with frying pan polishing steel wool. It's a matter of taste (of the cheese as well...). It's brutal. Enjoy.

Thanks for that, good to know. I will definitely go for the carbon then.

Mine will mostly be used for game and fish preparation - for which the smaller blade looks better suited.

I'll try to remember to post again once it's ordered and delivered.
23rd April 2018, 19:06
Fschwep

I now have the short version of the puukko on its way as well... (maybe these knives deserve a thread in George & Dragon). And just changed the battery in the PRS-4 again (the first change was done with a leftover battery from a broken PRS-10, so that one did not have the usual decade of life in it; I now purchased a brand new battery so I'll probably be around 70 years old when I next have to change it...). The watch is still as accurate as ever. The wabi is about stable, the PVD has been worn/polished off around some edges where it touches the skin, the rest just stays and with the totally scratchless crystal the watch does not look like it has gone through 12 years of practically 24/7 use. :-)