I just put a Blackjack Panga on eBay.
It was made at the original Effingham, Illinois company.
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| Blackjack's Panga with the original black box |
The Panga was made for two years starting in
1991 and fizzling out in 1992. It’s
estimated that only 1200 of these knives were made.
The
blade is made from 420HC steel.
According to that fountainhead of knowledge, Wikipedia, “420HC is a higher carbon content 420 stainless. The HC stands for "high carbon" and
it can be brought to a higher hardness than 420 and should not be mistaken for
it. Buck Knives uses
420HC extensively.”
Blackjack,
it seemed to me, wanted to be the factory version of Randall Knife. I have a Randall in a
display case and a similar new Blackjack.
Based on appearance and feel, they have succeeded. But Randall has this cache: handmade, served
in Vietnam and a favorite of our Armed Forces.
I have a friend who told me when he went in the service his father gave
him a Rolex watch and a Randall. He’s
been hooked ever since and has quite a collection.
With
Blackjack you can buy the same knife as a Randall, pay half the price and get
it today and not after the five-plus year wait Randalls routinely have for a
“custom” knife. But somehow the original
Blackjack Company never took off. Maybe that’s
because they were copying and not creating their own signature look. Whatever the reason Randall remains HOT!
The
Panga was billed as a machete. I’ve
swung a more classical, heavier machete and it’s clearly a job for the young
and energetic.
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| Note traditional logo of daggers through an ace of spades! Looks like crossed swords! |
Based on that experience
I’m not sure the Panga’s edge would hold up to clearing vines and cutting
brush. It may have well have been designed
for a more specific use in the jungle like butchering fish, cutting small vines
for rope and discouraging other people.
It looks like a long butcher knife.
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| The sheath looks a little raggy, but it's NIB? Not a good design!!! |
2 comments:
Have you sold it ? Most prpbaply.. otherwise please email to info@dharmatools.com. Thanks a lot & best regards !!
How much for would you like for the pangaea. If it's been sold it is none of my business but I would like to know how much you got for it. I have a Panga, ans a Marauder MK II I've got my eye on and have know idea what they are worth.
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