Crook knife recommendations

[Tommyd345]

Hi all,

Iv tried out a mora double sided crook knife (I think it's the 164?) and it's ok but Its just not working for me.

I was wondering if anyone can recommend me any? I like a double edged one so its two in one

40 quid maximum (if that's possible)

Thanks all!
Tom

 

[Baelfore]

I highly recommend This community's Dave Budd for crook knives, I got a left and right handed and find them great.

like you I started with the two edged mora, whic ironicly enough snapped about half way around the curve, and I've gotten on great with it since.

I also recenlty handled a lauri hook blade, but have yet to use it in anger, so can't ettest to it yet.

atb,
Ste

 

[Monikieman]

I got on great with my Mora after removing the beveled adge. I got a Dave Budd hook and then another on. then I purchased a left and right which he does with a curved cross section. (They have been polished and just need handled 2 year on)

Sure there will be more opinions soon.

 

[Dave]

If I didnt already have a couple I'd take a punt on THIS for the money.

 

[Robson Valley]

There's enough of a sweep to make farrier's knives quite useful, revise the bevels to 12 degrees.
PacNW crooked knives are surface hafted. The handles don't get in the way like a more scandinavian, center-hafted blade.

One merit of this long-standing bladesmith is that you can buy the blades and haft them on handles which fit your hands.

http://kestreltool.com/index.html

 

[Tommyd345]

I like the look of those ones robson, although there's so many to choose from!

 

[mrcharly]

Another vote for Dave Budd.

 

[Robson Valley]

I've seen the farrier's knives from 10 different brands. They are all very similar, I guess, in order to do the job required.
Some Pacific Northwest native carvers use them. That's how I went in that direction. I have Mora (Sweden), Diamond (Taiwan), Ukal (France) and Hall (Canada).
Plus four of "Haida-style" blades. All surface-hafted into my own handles except for my original pair of Mora 171.
The traditional design is double edged, many shapes/sweeps and commonly a pointed sharp tip.
What did I learn about the farrier's blades?
1. Revised to 12 degrees, any and all of them are OK for carving soft cedar and much harder dry birch.
2. A skinny blade is better than a wide blade for carving around inside tighter circles.
3. Single edges are good = change hands and push on the dull spine of the blade with your other thumb.
4. Factory handles are just fine for a lifetime. I wanted to explore the PacNW handle shapes so I hafted many of those blades in my own handles.
5. New Hall farrier's knives are $50 each for me. I can drive 5 miles out of the village and buy a used Hall from our local farrier for $5.

 

[Dave]

Those Kestrel knives look very well made. I have a mora 163, modified, ground off the edge, and it works very well now. But my favorite is my Ben Orfod mocotaugan.

 

[sunndog]

The only ones i'v ever had are a small and large size from this chap

http://www.djarv.se/djarvenglish/startsida.asp


Had the small one for donkeys years, nothing to compare them to but they've done me well

 

[Robson Valley]

Thanks for the link to SDjarv. Their prices are reasonable. Very pleased to see that you can buy blades alone (let a bladesmith BE a bladesmith)
to haft in handles which fit your hands. Typically center-hafted, a Scandanavian characteristic.
PacNW blades are surface hafted in which I think that there's an advantage for carving.

 

[mountainm]

I like my Ray Iles spoon knife. Exceptional value.