K'roo Knives - Willem O'Kelly

I got my first "Chunky Frank" in the mail yesterday, but hopefully it won't be the last.

This knife is built like a tank! It reminds me of my Bond Arms Texan.

It is completely overbuilt, yet the lines, seams, and fits are perfectly finished! The blade tip is perfectly centered when folded.

The blade is a hefty 1/5" M690 with a concave grind. The stops are incredibly stout but smooth. It walks and talks like no other slip joint I've ever handled.

The scales are a dark blue C-tek that looks black inside but looks like a piece of sapphire jewelry in the sunshine. I will tell y'all like I told Willem, pictures don't do his knives justice.

He also does scales in different woods and micarta. What he does with burlap and denim micarta is amazing.

Willem's shop is in the K'roo region of South Africa. His internet and electric power is sporadic, but he WILL get back to you through email, krooblades@gmail.com or Instagram @willemokelly.

Willem has been on this forum before. He is a really nice guy. His Instagram page is definitely worth checking out!

https://www.instagram.com/willemokelly/?hl=en

Wow that dark blue C-tek is beautiful! Thanks for sharing. I may have to get me one of them!

Looks like a Cattleman's folder. Very nice.

Pap

Pap,

I’ve got a Cattleman. They are similar. Blade length is the same but this one’s blade is almost twice as thick.

Coach

Very nice coach. Did it arrive sharp?
Walker

Walker,

Not really, but that’s a relative term.

I’ll have it sharp enough to shave frog hair as soon as I get a chance to work on it.

Coach

Coach, you have a pm!
Walker

Got it.

Pappy:

I dug out my Cattleman and took a couple of pictures next to this K'roo knife.

Walker:

I could not send a picture through the PM so here is a drawing of the blade on the Crappie/Bream Fish Cleaning Knife that Willem is going to make for me.

He is going to make it a "lockback" and put it into a Chunky Frank set of scales.

The notches on the spine are for scaling fish. Its a "Blalock" thang, but we like to fry Crappie & Bream whole.

The Cattleman looks to have a little more belly on the blade compared to the K'roo.

Coach, I agree. We scale them, gut them, remove head, and put them in some corn meal/ flour mix. Then into the grease.
Good eating.
Walker

We use a grapefruit spoon to scale with and a sheepsfoot blade to de-fin, gut, and cut the heads off with.

I’m hoping that this knife can be both.

I never defin, after cooking, the fin pulls all the bones out. I only scale with a spoon, gut and take off the head. Fry crispy in cornmeal/flour/Tony's and when crispy, I eat the tail first. Pull the fins with the bones, then eat it like a corn cob.

Pappy,

Once when I was a kid, we had fried up some fish and I ran across one fish that had not been de-finned. I pulled the fin out and told my Dad that we didn’t need to de-fin ‘em any more.

Daddy finished the bite he was chewing on and then said: “We’ll keep on de-finnin’ ‘em. That cut gives the corn meal another place to git into.”

I reckon that old habits are just hard to break.

Walker (Shoot870p) just got one of Willem's K'roo knives and sent me a couple of pictures.

With his permission, I'm posting them on here.

I'll let him give a description.

Thanks for posting, coach.
Blue burlap micarta with a shield inlay and lanyard hole.
This is a heavy knife for sure but it is well made!
Walker

Mail Lady just delivered this today. I had never heard of K'roo Knives until 6 months ago when coachblalock started this thread. As soon as I seen his "Chunky Frank", I knew I would end up getting one of my own. Mine is Green Burlap with stainless liners and pins. Locks open tighter than any slip joint I've ever seen. Extremely solid knife. Very pleased. I have a feeling this won't be my only knife by K'roo Knives. Thanks for looking.

NICE!!!!

Willem makes an awesome knife.

I have 2 conscripted with him right now. They should be ready any time now.

I’ll post pictures as soon as I get them.

Good get, Nate!


https://instagram.com/willemokelly?igshid=1n2tkrj377n79

Willem does a drawing every Sunday afternoon for one of his knives on Instagram.

30 or 36 spots (depending) at $10 a pop.

He had a SUPER NICE knife today.

https://instagram.com/willemokelly?igshid=1kcawm598kin9

Take a look at this new one by Willem O'Kelly.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B87EUHiHrkz/?igshid=1dk9psiv4a36h

If somebody on here know how to download this pic from Instagram, please do.

Thanks,

Coach

Here you go:

Thanks Michael!!!

This Custom Fish Cleaning knife got here from Willem in South Africa the other day.

The "teeth" on the curved spine is for scaling and the blade for everything else.

I can clean a pound & half crappie (white perch) with it in 30 seconds, give or take.

I've been wanting one like this for years and finally got somebody to make me one.

That is the real deal for cleaning pan fish!

Good looking Knife Coach. Sure looks like it will get the job done. Is it heavy sprung or easy to open?

Walker

It’s easy. It is a lockback.

Easy to open and locks tight so the blade can’t come back on your hand

A few tweaks here & there and Willem came through!

Let me introduce the Fish'n Frank Model #2.

It features a thicker, contoured handle that feels really good in my hand. With the thicker handle, flipping the knife over from scaler to gutter is much easier! The bolsters are roughed up to keep a sure grip vs. the slippery fish slime. The extra couple of notches on the spine allow better access for the hard to get to places on the fish.

Like the first, this knife is a Lockback in Purple C-tek with Stainless liners and bolsters. The 1/8" blade on this knife is RWL-34 whereas the first was N680.

I project that this knife will be the "ULTIMATE WEAPON" for scaling & gutting Bream and Crappie.

That is a good looking knife and should get the job done with no problem. I always used a table fork to scale pan fish. Worked well for me.

I used a tablespoon and still do for scaling.

Pap

That's what we use here too, pappy. Sends scales a flying.
Walker

In my lifetime, I have scaled a LAKE FULL of crappie & bream with a spoon.

Spoons work fine. Grapefruit spoons work better. An ALISKID scaler works even better.

But this knife eliminates the need to switch tools and saves time.

When you get in at midnight, have 100 fish to clean, the Coleman lantern is low on fuel, there is a swarm of skeeters and bugs all around, and you have to get up to go to work the next morning, believe me, every second counts!

No coach, every grandkid matters!!

Pap

Pap, you right!

And as soon as mine are big enough, they will be right out there with me!

Coach
nice knife, curious how would you carry it. It looks like pocket carry might be uncomfortable

Peter

Peter:

It is not my EDC. It is a more specific use knife.

That said, I have carried it in my pocket a few times and hardly noticed it.

The blade is only 2 1/2” long so it is not very big.

I carried a Buck 110 all through Jr. High and High School so this one feels pretty normal.

It is easy to find in my pocket!

Coach

Thanks Coach
I was more thinking about the teeth on the outside possibly scraping you some while it was in your pocket.

Peter

Coach, y'all have a good pattern there I believe. Are you looking at a version 3 yet?
Good job for sure. I thought the first model was hit out of the park by the way.
Walker

Walker:

Model #1 is the best knife I have ever used for that task.

I had originally commissioned Willem to make 2 knives. I got the first in time to try it out a few times on some good messes of fish.

I got back to Willem before he started on the second and requested the stated tweaks. Willem had even requested a video of me cleaning fish to be sure of the process. I just got the Model #2 and it has been too hot to fish so I have not used it yet.

But I think that he nailed it.

Coach

OH NO, tell me it isn't so!

108F today with 100% humidity before the storm !

I “melt” in that stuff these days.

My fat starts leaking too.
Walker

The 3 stages of sweat during August in East Texas:

1. Water (regular sweat)
2. Ammonia
3. Grease

It is 8:20 a.m. and I had to come in to change shirts.

On average, I’ll change 4 times before NOON.

I ordered and just received another Fishin' Frank for my cousin who had fell in love with mine. Willem must have read Peter's post about the teeth being uncomfortable to carry so he fixed that with a little leather pouch that fits it perfectly.

He also sent me a Wharnecliff slipjoint that will now be my EDC.

To say that I am absolutely delighted is a gross understatement!!!

I like his work Coach, have bought several of his knives going off on your reccomedations. Solid knives, solid maker

Michael is right, and you are missing out if you don’t follow him on Instagram.

willemokelly usually posts 3-4 very nice knives every week.

One of my Blalock cousins is graduating from Texas Tech in May. He has made it through Tech in 3 years through Scholarships, Grants, and working his butt off!!!

He was our 2018 Valedictorian.

He has helped me immensely out here on the Place while both in High School and during holidays in College.

On Big jobs, like constructing my Vineyard, he would recruit his buddies to help AND go pick them up and bring them out here to work.

He will go on to Bigger things but I got him something to take with him. The 1/5" thick blade should last him a lifetime!

Willem O'Kelly worked with me on this one. 4' Frank, N690 Blade, Black Micarta Scales, Brass Liners, and in keeping with Texas Tech colors, a thin, RED slice between the Brass and the Black.

I'm sorry for the terrible pictures but this one is a BEAUTY!!!

Every nice gift for sure. And a sharp looking one to boot.
Thanks for turning us on to this maker!
Walker

Great accomplishment!! Great recognition gift!Thought out and executed very well! Admirable on both participants!!!!

One time, he brought a real pretty girl out here to work. I wondered if we would get anything done.

But he handed her a pair of gloves, and they went to work. She worked hard, never complained, and got as dirty as us.

They are getting married in June. She has been accepted to Vet school. He is going to put her through it.

I had told him to use me as a reference. One Outfit in Borger, Texas called me about him. They had evidently talked to others before me. I told them all about him. I invited them out here to see some things that he had done as a High School student. I told them that if they could snag him for under six figures, they would be damned lucky.

Newest from K'roo.

Swayback Slipjoint Wharnecliff in Black C-Tek.

Steel is RTL-34.

Looks great, Coach.
Walker