Add the number you first thought of

[bushwacker bob]

And it ain't lonely in the safe.
I carry a penknife everyday, I own about a dozen expensive penknives.....................why? cos I can

 

[JonathanD]

And it ain't lonely in the safe.
I carry a penknife everyday, I own about a dozen expensive penknives.....................why? cos I can

Nah mate, got my Instructor Woodlore and a Lile in there to keep it company

 

[bushwacker bob]

Nah mate, got my Instructor Woodlore and a Lile in there to keep it company

When you say 'Lile' why do I think Rambo and not skinning knife

 

[JonathanD]

When you say 'Lile' why do I think Rambo and not skinning knife

'Cos I'm a rufty tufty all round hero kind of a guy?

 

[johnboy]

Cool another thread about the cost of 'bushcraft' kit, kit snobbery inverse or other wise and the validity of being a 'bushcrafter' in the UK.... With some knife pictures thrown in for good measure... The moon and stars must be in the correct alignment... I can now set my bushcraft thread chronometer for the next countdown...

'Bushcraft' gets used a lot in the uk as a simple marketing term used by simplistic marketers to attract folk to buying bits of kit in the same way folk slap SAS,Para,Marine on to bits of mundane army surplus kit to catch out the unwary or wannabe market.

Simply typing 'bushcraft' into eBay uk gave me 46 pages of results of pretty mundane stuff over a wide range of price points.

I've taken part in this forum since 2003 and I'm no closer to understanding what Bushcraft in a UK context actually is nor am I any wiser to understanding if what I read or understand here on BCUK is actually representative of the UK bushcraft as a whole or just BCUK's view....


However we do discuss kit of one form or another on here a lot...

 

[cbr6fs]

I wonder if I am mean but the extra cost of anything with the label "Bushcraft" or similar attached to it seems excessive. Mostly it doesn't appear that much has been invested in the sort of testing that food and drug companies do that might justify the price. Perhaps it doesn't matter to the wealthy or the dedicated enthusiast but it certainly does to the beginner or those of limited income.

More insidious is the implication that you have to buy the kit and pay the price in order to participate. Modern commercial meths burners are good but I camped for years with a meths cooker from Woolworths that cost twelve and a half pence (2s 6d) or less. I know we have many threads here on making your own and on budget kit but there is still a trend in all activities nowadays for the pricy to be advocated on grounds of safety and "doing it the right way" which impresses those with little knowledge or experience.

I have no solution but traders might like to discuss with their suppliers whether there is a margin to make the price of something indicate its cost and value.

Honestly can't say i have come across that, do you have any examples?


In my experience it doesn't matter hat hobby it is there comes a point where extra money buys very little extra performance.
On a mountain bike for example a £10k MTB will be lighter and may perform slightly better than say a £5k MTB.

A mate is into HiFi's, the other week he was going crazy about these new cables he bought, believe it or believe it not they were over £3000 a meter.
Personally i could not tell any difference to his old ones (£500 a meter).


It's the same with bushcrafting, a Mora will do 99% or sensible knife jobs without any problem, sure more expensive knives will be made out of better materials and stay sharper longer and have a higher failure point but if you use a knife sensibly a Mora will do just as well.
So you really don't NEED to spend hundreds on a knife, it's simply your choice depending on your priorities, desires and financial wealth.

Pretty sure you could put enough kit together for around £100 to have a reasonably comfortable weekend out camping.
ex MOD bivvy, sleeping bag, used stove, pots etc and coats clothes etc from army surplus.

To spend more you will tend to go lighter and a gain in performance like breathability, again though that's your choice you really don't NEED to spend thousands to spend a fairly comfortable weekend out.


As i say i've not seen this bushcraft tax to my knowledge, but as things tend to get popular sellers do tend to jump on the bandwagon.
As an example 15 years ago i could buy bits from Japan for my car and they were reasonably priced.
Since all these fast and furious "movies" came out and kids started seeing drifting on the internet every spotty kid this side of having their jeans hanging round their knees went Japanese domestic market (JDM) crazy.

I've seen cheap badly fitting bits of plastic sell for thousands because they were "JDM", now it's dieing down again and things are getting reasonable again.

If bushcrafting gets more popular i'm absolutely certain the same thing will happen.
Again though it's really your choice not everything from every seller will have this popularity tax.




Cheers
Mark

 

[mountainm]

Cost, worth and value are all different things.

A knife like anything else may be measured on these factors

cost - how much did it take to make it.

worth - does a knife worth twice the price of another outperform it's cheaper counterpart

value - is it a work of art, do I cherish it for it's uniqueness.

Usually we take a judgement call based on factors of all of these.

I'm considering becoming a maker to sell sheaths and firesteels but if I tried to charge at cost knowing that the last time I contracted my hourly rate was £35's an hour (8 years ago) I wouldn't sell a single thing.

 

[redandshane]

I agree with BR on this one much though I like to fancy myself as an "adventurer" and "woodsman" ;I am a nurse and camping hiking and bushcraft etc are all part of my recreational and learning time
I am also a gearhound and that can be cheap, expensive, mass produced,custom made or home made
Like all boys I like my toys
Luckily I don't care what other people think so if something works best for me jobs a good un
Only you can work out what is the best suited to your needs and when you have that knowledge cost becomes irrelevant

 

[Tengu]

I have several hobbies and couldnt afford to do them if I couldnt buy second hand or swap.

I got a dozen of those folding BBQs at the car boot a couple of months back; I have been gradualy trading them.

Likewise with blankets.

Ill be purchasing about 20lb beeswax come the spring. By the end of summer it will be all traded.

But, of course, if you are looking for pretty much anything you will know I may have it, wont you?

 

[Retired Member southey]

Hahahahaha thought you had to be maker plus to actively advertise!

 

[Bushwhacker]

Peasants! I get the cook to make my haricot beans stewed in a rich tomato jus. I'd never step foot in a ghastly supermarket.

 

[bushwacker bob]

Peasants! I get the cook to make my haricot beans stewed in a rich tomato jus. I'd never step foot in a ghastly supermarket.

That is just soooooooooooo posh. Juice spelt 'jus' means it tastes that much better.

 

[British Red]

I feel sorry for those who have a cook. One needs a chef after all. "Cook" is okay for one those quaint roadside diners. But a gentleman has a chef, sous chef, pot boy and chef de partis,

 

[Bushwhacker]

I forgot to mention my monkey butler on roller skates that Southey keeps trying to steal.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

and chef de partis,

I think you mean chef de partie, a chef de partis is a political party leader ...though nothing prevents a gentleman from having one of those too..

 

[Tengu]

I `am` a Maker now, OK?

 

[British Red]

I think you mean chef de partie, a chef de partis is a political party leader ...though nothing prevents a gentleman from having one of those too..

Exactly I want Tony B.Liar to work for me

The inside of my septic tank doesn't polish itself you know

 

[JonathanD]

Exactly I want Tony B.Liar to work for me

The inside of my septic tank doesn't polish itself you know

And I thought the inside of a septic tank couldn't get much filthier, but yet you find a way.

 

[British Red]

.

 

[chris_irwin]

it's just the way of the world, it's worth whatever someone else will pay for it.

If you don't think it's worth that price, don't buy it and seek a cheaper alternative.