mocotaugan popularity

[MikaelMazz]

One thing I like about Ray Mears is that in his words he always put the highest store in Indiginous wisdom. And after he was introduce to the mocotaugan or more commonly called the crooked knife he must have realised what a great tool it is because he continues to use it. I first read of it wile reading about my ansesters wilderness skills a few years ago. I had a guy from paleplanet forge me one with the thought that it would get used only for bowls but I was wrong. It is an excelent versital tool and now I use it more than a straight knife.
After Ray Mears used one on his show it seems alot of people on here also got interested in them and especialy after he started selling them. It is very ironic that a tool that is vertualy unknown to most survivalist and wilderness skills practisers in the US and Canada would gain any popularity over seas. But I think that anyone that is exposed to this exelent tool will quikly find that it is great.
So if anyone is thinking of getting one you will not regret it.

 

[nuggets]

does bear grills do one okenest:okenest:

 

[forestwalker]

does bear grills do one okenest:okenest:

He's currently working at designing an official BG Mocotaugan. It will have an 8" blade, and have serrations on the back. The handle will be made from Kraton rubber. Or was the Survivalist version? I can't remember...

 

[robin wood]

The one thing I find slightly disappointing is that Ray's knife is made in Sweden by Svante Djarve and does not really look a particularly good example of the breed. In Norther Wilderness he was using it to carve a kuksa type cup which again is Scandinavian rather than North American. I would have preferred to see a genuine Mocotaugan or better a North West Coast crook knife used to carve a native form such as a feast ladle.

 

[MikaelMazz]

I agree, I dont like that designe that he sells. That Sweedish guy migh be a good blacksmith but they should have got someone who fully understands the designe and use of the knives. It does not bend up where the tang meats the blade. I think that would make it better. If I ever need another one I will attemp to make it myself out of a file. The best modern ones that I have seen are from the guy that made mine. I think it is important to try out different handle designes to see what suits you best rather than sticking with the one designe Ray uses. I dont like that designe much but it might suit some people.
Acctually that was not a kuksa, it was a nogging which is the pioneers version of the kuksa. They were used by the Voyagers and other pioneirs of the area.

 

[VirusKiller]

Compare the handle shape of the "Mears" crooked knife:

with this one made by Ben Orford:

One of the points of the handle is that your thumb rests against it and provides leverage. The Mears knife just looks "wrong".

 

[phill_ue]

The one thing I find slightly disappointing is that Ray's knife is made in Sweden by Svante Djarve and does not really look a particularly good example of the breed. In Norther Wilderness he was using it to carve a kuksa type cup which again is Scandinavian rather than North American. I would have preferred to see a genuine Mocotaugan or better a North West Coast crook knife used to carve a native form such as a feast ladle.

I'm not sure I agree with you on the kuksa there Robin. If you take a look in Ellsworth Jaegers book, the kuksa/kasa Ray made is in there and it is exactly like the one Ray made.

I think Ray gets inspiration from various sources, it is only because I have done quite a bit of research that I see where he copies things from all over the place. His Walkbout series was a complete facsimile of Bushtucker Mans' series he made nearly twenty years ago, I had a massive sense of Deja Vu watching Walkabout and it is why I really don't rate it as a series.

 

[salad]

Here is a pic of the one ben Orford makes with the flatter blade and an internal bevel. Slightly different from his other one that has a pic posted in this thread.

A good tool to use

 

[VirusKiller]

Thanks salad. That was what I was getting at. The pic I added is actually one of his hybrid large spoon/crook knives and a left-handed one to boot.

 

[Whittler Kev]

After I started to make them I found that most people prefer an outside sharpened one as its smoother and easier to sharpen. I've also found a lot of people like a tighter curve to it as well to do deep small vessels.
The two pics of Ben Orfords show one sharpened on the inside & one on the outside .... interestingokenest:

 

[VirusKiller]

The two pics of Ben Orfords show one sharpened on the inside & one on the outside .... interestingokenest:

I don't think you are okenest:

The one with the external bevel and reasonably curved blade is a spoon knife with an Indian crooked knife inspired handle to allow for more force when cutting. The one with the internal bevel is a much more authentic Indian draw knife.

 

[Hedgehog]

There seems to be some confusion here.

Further reading...

http://www.mocotauganthebook.com/toc.html

 

[FGYT]

RAys blade is based on the Trade blades etc which where not cranked up or back and had similer handles these being the first Metal ones to be made as the Natives Didnt have steel till we arrived only couple hundred years ago, so i suspect this traditional crafting method is only a couple hundred years old and was very different before when Stone tools were used

Rays blade is what ive tryed to do with my stuff ...to make a tool based on a traditonal one BUT modified to be usfull to a modern (mainly UK based) bushcrafter who isnt a Wood worker and pretty much isnt going to make a Birch Bark Canoe so its good for Spoons, cups and small bowls for hollowing and capable of straight planeing
tho the cross section is hard to turn in bowls
its short because long tools are difficult to use and control

Any way you may have seen my thread researching these blades

and this is the result for me a Bushcraft version based on the Indian (not trade) tools with a quick easy handle