Good Beginners knife

[RobeKinn]

I'v come to realize i am in need or a more substantial knife than the swiss army knife i have been using, iv got about £30 to £50 pound to spend, i'm looking for a sturdy fixed blade knife, any suggestions? cheers

 

[Mesquite]

Hi Rob

First of all welcome to the forum

For a good beginners knife people will say you can't go wrong with a Frosts clipper. Usually under the £10 mark which leaves you money spare to get some decent sharpening stones which will last you when you decide you want to get a more expensive knife

 

[Matthew.Passmore]

As said the Frosts Mora, I know its not sleek & attractive with a nice handle and leather sheath but its a great knife, I always carry one.

and you can always make / buy a nice sheath and even rehandle it by following a tutorial on here.

 

[SOAR]

The Frosts Mora is a good knife, cheap, sharp, good beginers knife for learning a few carving skills, learning to sharpen, cos if you mess it up to bad they are cheap to replace, also like folk have already mentioned you can always make yourself a sheath for it and in time rehandle it.

The other one I could recomend would be Helle knives, for round about the £50 mark.

 

[British Red]

Lapp puukko for me - shouldnt be more than £30 in carbon steel - cracking knife!

Red

 

[Prophecy]

Easy, a Frost Mora.

Still my preferred knife and I've had some costing towards the £100 mark.

 

[Celt_Ginger]

Frost Mora/Clipper. Although the Lapp Pukko is a mighty fine knife as well, oohh, decisions decisions.......................probably a Mora and some sharpening stones as already stated.

 

[SOAR]

Like Red has suggested the Puukko knives are a really good choice.

 

[RobeKinn]

This is all really good lads cheers, just had a look at the Lapp Puukko, that looks like a well crafted knife, exactly what i was looking for.Already had got a set of sharpening stone, due to the fact that my swiss amy knife seemed to be able to get blunt cutting cheese. Think the next buy will have to be a nice axe, one that isnt £10 form b&q

 

[British Red]

Cant help with axes at all really - not my area

 

[Tripitaka]

Welcome RobeKinn

Definately Frosts Mora and save the cash towards a GB Scandanavian Forest Axe (or even becoming a full member on this site so you get the discounts in the shop!)

 

[DoctorSpoon]

Think the next buy will have to be a nice axe, one that isnt £10 form b&q

If you want a cheap axe to get you started, go down to your local car boot sale and look out an old Kent pattern axe:

They work well and are simply lovely tools. Sharpening up and putting a handle on an axe makes a good project too - if you rummage through the old posts on here you'll find some advice.
Nicola

 

[ForgeCorvus]

I just love Kents, great for what I want to do with an axe*

I've never bought a fixed blade (but then I'm a smith....and theres all these old files and things laying about), but if you want a budget middling small blade that takes and keeps an edge I'd go with a number 8 Opi (I hate non-locking folders as well, ever since one shut on my fingers when I was a kid)

But all this being said, most of the other guys on here know a lot more then me.....some of them have probably forgotten more then I know

One day, I might even get me a Mora.....if only to find out were I've been going wrong with my own blades



*just about everything, I'd rather have my Kent half-axe and no knife, then a knife and no axe

 

[brancho]

Cant help with axes at all really - not my area

Thats a pity

The Frost clipper is good as would be the Puukko or you could make one from a kit like the ones HERE I have just finished building one for a friend and the are pretty good

 

[spamel]

Mora, Enzo, Helle, all good blades from what I can gather. Take a look in old relatives' sheds and garages for an axe. It's amazing how many folk have a decent old pattern axe in their shed that they've completely forgotten about since they shifted from coal to gas!

 

[fishy1]

The moras handle is not good at all, hard, slippery and uncomfortable. The clipper is the same price and far better.

Oh, BTW, have you got much experience using axes? A lot of folk I know prefer something small as they aren't used to using axes, and get tired quick. I think my favourite axe size would be between the scand forest axe and a full sized feller.

 

[Squidders]

meh...

anything is alright.

 

[susi]

Could I ask which knife you guys are talking about when you say, "puukko"?

Puukko is "knife" in Finnish, mostly referring to a knife that is kept in a sheath. There are good ones and bad ones, so I'm confused that just the name is recommended. It would be like someone in Finland asking what sort of puukko they should buy, and lots of people reply, "ah, you should really buy a 'knife'" Or is someone using "puukko" as a brand name or model name?

 

[British Red]

Interesting Susi,

To me the word has come to mean a small (3" ish) bladed scandinavian ground knife - usually with a birch handle - the sort of thing shown below

I guess the only reason it has that association is that what I see being sold as a "puukko". Is there a better word for such a knife?

Actually I'm fascinated here - if puukko means "knife" can you tell me what "Leuku" means please?

Thanks for the info!

Red

 

[susi]

Is there a better word for such a knife?

Actually I'm fascinated here - if puukko means "knife" can you tell me what "Leuku" means please?

Well "puukko" is the most common word for such a knife.

"Leuku" is sort of a larger version of a "puukko", the name more linked to larger Lapp (or for some ears "Sami" is more politically correct ) knives.

But if you're talking "veitsi", then this is a "knife" that you would use to eat your dinner, accompanied by a fork and spoon.

But "puukko" is the most common word for the sort of knife we are talking about.

Any more questions, fire away