Simonich Mid-Tech Kootenai

I received a gift in yesterday's mail from Christine Simonich of Simonich Knives which contained a Kootenai (pictured,) a leather sheath, a kydex sheath, and a leather sheath for a Bitterroot. There was also a very nice Thank You note included in the box.

There was a long running thread on Bladeforums a while back where I put a Simonich Salish through its paces. That knife is still going strong.

The Kootenai can look forward to a similarly good time.

I mentioned the sheaths earlier. The leather rig for this knife is simply outstanding. The fit and finish is some of the best I've seen to date (from the boys at JRE Industries or elsewhere) and the lines match those of the knife extremely well. You'll also see their designs for the Bitterroot and Crowfoot on that page.

The kydex rig is made by Sharpshooter Sheath Systems and fit and finish on it is quite good. The kydex sheath is made of a carbon fiber looking material which, I feel, is not appropriate for this particular blade but that seems a minor nitpick for an otherwise fine design. It's got a good snap, the knife doesn't rattle, and it comes with a Tek-Lock--a nice option for easy on/off.

I am currently carrying the Kootenai in the JRE leather sheath as they really seem to go together. That's not to say the kydex rig will never see use, I believe in fair and balanced testing and reporting. If I know I'm going into wet and mucky conditions the kydex just may get the job. I know in the old days guys would wear their leather sheath (as it was the only option) in all sorts of weather and they'd get wet, dirty, frozen, or worse. Those guys knew more about getting their leather rigs clean than I do...

As soon as the weather decides to cooperate I'll snap off some pictures for you. Hopefully I'll be in the woods at the time...

Thanks for reading,


B