Informed Choice of Knife

[George B]

Hello everyone, my first post, and also perhaps the most important.

I need your informed advice about which of these two knives to purchase for my bushcraft needs. These knives are the Helle Harding, and the EKA Nordic W11. As i am on a tight budget, i found the prices of these two were very reasonable(about £50 - £60), and the shape of the blades are very similar to the design pictured in my bushcraft book/manual.

However as i have no direct experience with either of them i'd really appreciate it if those of you, that have actual bushcraft experience with them, could direct me. Of course with my limited budget i'm looking for value for money, typical scotsman eh ;-)

I have searched through the forums already for info, and although both knives have been praised, the Helle knife (which i was more tempted to buy), has been said not to give good ferro rod sparks or was perhaps not good for batoning, as the handle was said to become loose.

So your help is required for an informed choice. Any advice from instructors out there would be appreciated too

 

[Slimey]

I'm no knife expert, but if you're on a tight budget you could do a lot worse than one of the Frost Mora's. You'll find some discussion on them elsewhere on the forum, including a source for them.

I got two a few weeks ago and they are very good indeed. They may not look as nice as the more expensive knives but they have good blades and are very tough. I got two delivered for just over a tenner.

Personally, I don't want to spend a lot on a knife yet, not until I'm more used to using and sharpening one, I do have my eye on a Lapp Puukko though

Simon

 

[Treb]

My fire steel comes with an attached "striker" that does a perfect job. No need for a knife here.

Regarding batoning, which I've seen being done on TV by Ray Mears, I'd say that a full tang knife is probably better able to withstand the applied forces. As a sidenote I'd would like to add that a knife is a cutting tool and that an axe is better suited for jobs like that.

 

[Doc]

Me, I'd go for the Helle.

Helle are laminated steel. I have a laminated Brusletto (also Norwegian) and it is true it does not throw sparks. But both Helle and Brusletto have the typical Scandinavian flat edge that is best for cutting wood. I would say that the Brusletto stays sharp longer than my Woodlore.

I think the Helle has a stick tang but I really doubt you'd break it even with batoning. The Helle blades are thinner than the Woodlore - I think this is an advantage rather than a disadvantage. Also weight does matter if you're backpacking and the stick tangs are lighter.

The EKA looks nice and is quite thick and I think has either a full or nearly full tang. Designed in collaboration with swedish survival experts if I recall the adverts correctly. I don't think the edge has the typical scandinavian grind though.

What about a non laminated Scandinavian knife? Karesuando or Martini perhaps. Or you could buy a Lauri blade and a block of curly birch from Brisa and craft the handle. It is easier than you might think.

 

[Danzo]

I can't help on either specific knife although the EKA folders I have owned and handled have been excellent.

However at the top end of your price range you could get a handmade knife by one of the many scandi knifemakers over on www.britishblades.com. The knife will have a handforged blade by a bladesmith such as Trond Pedersen, Steen Nielsen or Mikael Eklund, which is then made into a knife by the individual knifemaker to give you a completely unique piece made by someone you will have spoken to.

Most of these knives should sell for at least twice £60.00 but the scandi makers are in competition with each other for sales so prices can be very low indeed. We have had some beautiful knives sell on BB for as little as £40.00.

Danzo

 

[Doc]

Forgot to add the Frost Mora is a good choice too. Mors Kochanski recommends them. But some of them are laminated and don't throw sparks either!

 

[George B]

yeah thanks for the info, the Mora knives look very reasonable indeed and for a tenner who could argue, so theres no guilt about giving it a good battering. (Not that i would regularly do that). I did say i was on tight budget, but i can spend £50 - £60, so i might go for the Harding anyway, you've said the blade is similar to the mora laminated, but i just like the wooden handle so much more. Yet i still also feel pulled towards the other tool, the W11 for some reason. The half-hidden full tang, and the slightly thicker blade width, seems more robust, in the long run. And practicality is what its all about.

 

[leon-1]

I have had a Brusletto for well over ten years, it is a stick tang and It has taken a battering, it is still going strong, but does not cast sparks . They are a well made and a very reliable little knife.

I also recently put a handle on a Lauri PT blade, they are very sharp carbon steel and easily maintained and for the cost of 12 Euros for the blade you can't go too far wrong so making a knife is also a good option as suggested previously by Doc. These knives will cast a shower of sparks as good as any other knife.

The Mora is a good little knife and sometimes they don't cast sparks, but generally if you take a file to the spine and flatten it off it will do the job pretty well. They are cheap and functional, if you damage it you won't cry yourself to sleep about it unlike a more expensive blade and whilst training they are ideal.

I am also a fan of Fallkniven blades, you could either buy a blade blank (F1 or WM1) or buy a knife already made in the case of the WM1. These are made from VG10, they cast one of the best showers of sparks from a firesteel that I have seen and have great edge retention (they can be a swine to get sharp, but once sharp they hold an edge very well indeed). Because they are a stainless steel they are a lot more resistant to the elements than high carbon.

Another option is a Grohmann boat knife in kit form or premade, not the best steel in the world, but they are a perfectly functional knife.

These are just a few options there are many more including buying the Helle blade and putting a handle on it yourself, they are available here for 18 Euros and then you can have any handle material and any sheath style that you want as the ball would be in your court

 

[sandbender]

If I was buying my first bushcrafting knife I'd probably go for a frosts, however if you are keen to spend £60 or so check out the scandi type offerings from this guy,

http://www.bladecutlery.net/

 

[dtalbot]

yeah thanks for the info, the Mora knives look very reasonable indeed and for a tenner who could argue, so theres no guilt about giving it a good battering. (Not that i would regularly do that). I did say i was on tight budget, but i can spend £50 - £60, so i might go for the Harding anyway, you've said the blade is similar to the mora laminated, but i just like the wooden handle so much more. Yet i still also feel pulled towards the other tool, the W11 for some reason. The half-hidden full tang, and the slightly thicker blade width, seems more robust, in the long run. And practicality is what its all about.

Listen to Danzo and take a look what you can get for yout money over at British Blades!!!!!!!!!!!
You can do far better for your budget. Somthing like the Lapp Puukko (take a look in the reviews here) is also a brilliant buy and well within your pricerange

 

[MagiKelly]

If I was buying my first bushcrafting knife I'd probably go for a frosts, however if you are keen to spend £60 or so check out the scandi type offerings from this guy,

http://www.bladecutlery.net/

Yep, what he said. Do a search on this site for Allan Blade Bushcrafter or PackPal and you should be well sorted. Only problem would be the wait to get it but the good news is you will probably have enough change from your £60 budget to buy a frosts mora to practice with in the meantime.

 

[sandbender]

Allan Blade Bushcrafter or PackPal and you should be well sorted. Only problem would be the wait to get it but the good news is you will probably have enough change from your £60 budget to buy a frosts mora to practice with in the meantime.

Does anyone have one of these? Can anyone say what an average wait time is?

 

[simonsays]

Do you have one of these? if so, how much did it cost to get it to the UK?

I've got a Packpal and its great. I seem to recall that I got change from £50 and that included shipping. Like most of the custom makers, Allan takes a great deal of pride in the quality of his work.

Simon

 

[leon-1]

Does anyone have one of these? Can anyone say what an average wait time is?

I have a pack pal amongst others, they are a nice little knife, but I think the current waiting period would be about 6 months which isn't bad for a custom knife

 

[MagiKelly]

Does anyone have one of these? Can anyone say what an average wait time is?

I have TWO. If you have a look at this thread you will see I mention the price.

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=6339

I think the waiting list is under 6 months now as he is full time in the shop but well worth the wait either way.

 

[George B]

Ok then, i see your points about the mora being especially good for training, so perhaps i could get one of those for the time being. Perhaps later on i could come back to these 2 knives if necessary. But really i'd only like to buy one.

I had a look at the fallkniven f1 you mentioned, seems very good and workmanlike, although the blade differs slightly in shape to the other 2(Helle Harding, or Eka w11). So i'll add it to the list of considerations, for a future purchase.

The customs that you mention, well, i'm not really in the mood to wait around 6 months for something, nor do i have the tools to buy a blank and fashion a handle, although it would be interesting to try. The most likely source for the knife will be www.heinnie.com, they seem secure(which is important) and i've dealt with them before.

From the posts recieved already it seems not many people have had a lot of experience with the harding or w11. Anyone out there......

 

[TheViking]

Regarding batoning, which I've seen being done on TV by Ray Mears, I'd say that a full tang knife is probably better able to withstand the applied forces.

If a stick tang is well made it will hold just as well.

 

[Josey Wales]

First let me say that Eka is a great knife manufacturer.

I would not turn my back on this knife because every single Eka I have ever used have been good.

I myself have ordered one of these and can tell you how it gets on... So wait a bit and maybe I can shed a usefull peice of information .

Cheers,

 

[innocent bystander]

I think the waiting list is under 6 months now as he is full time in the shop but well worth the wait either way.

I ordered a runt from Allan the other week , and he said the wait was about 10-12 weeks at the moment. I am looking forward to having a play with it....

 

[Treb]

If a stick tang is well made it will hold just as well.

I'll take your word for it, but will not abuse my Helle Trophy in such a way. It's better to be prepared and bring a hatchet IMO.