My new Bush Craft knives

[jojo]

For a while now, I have been thinking, or at least trying to think , outside the "Woodlore" design box. I am also trying to extend the range of the knives abilities to perform bush and wood crafts styles activities. Whether or not I am going to succeed remains to be seen of course!

So there are my new babies.

The larger one is 8 1/4" long, blade length 4", widest part of the blade is 1 1/4". I am using thinner 01 tool steel, 3/32 (2.5mm approx) for both of these new knives.

A few reasons for this: less weight, less cost, thinner blades, a little easier/faster to make the knives, all have an impact of the cost of the finished knives.

Because the blades are wider and thinner, it will help with food prep, also make it easier to make fuzz sticks, etc, without loosing strength on the blade. In fact fairly similar to the knives I made when I first started in knife making. They both have a straight back, same idea as for the Skookum bush tools, and for the same reasons, but more comfortable.

Simpler handle shapes, nicely rounded with no sharp edges. The rounded ends sit very comfortably in the palm of the hand, making it easy to manipulate the knives around. Also, but can't be seen easily on those pics, the thumb scallops on the handles near the blades, making is easier to have a non slip thumb/index grip on the knife.

Both of these have scandi grinds, but I am also experimenting with (dare I say it) convex grind o !) for those blades.

The smaller one is 7 1/4" long, the blade 3 1/4" long and 3/4" wide, 2.5mm thick, should still perform the same tasks, albeit maybe be more slowly. Also easier to keep discreetly out of sight. This one should also be a good carving knife/neck knife.

I see them working as a pair, although they should both be good bush knives on their own.

Mountain men and hunters of old, were almost always carrying more than one knives, one being a "patch" knife, I see the little one performing that task, for which the larger one is too large and more awkward to use.

So , what are your thoughts on the ideas behind the knives? Preferably constructive of course

 

[launditch1]

Ive got nothing constructive to add.It sounds to me like you have given them alot of thought and came up with something that is fit for the job with a very nice traditional 'old' look to them.

Just dont go giving them a kydex coat!!

 

[FGYT]

looks good nice even finish and the blade goes very well with the handle etc


only question based purely on looking at the specs and pics is are they to close in size / design to make much diffence to warrent both as a pair as you say they both look like good GP bush knifes on their own

i would want the larger knife of a pair to be a bit bigger more choppy etc all IMO of course

tho the bigger one would make a good take one only option

ATB

Duncan

 

[Shewie]

Very nice Joel

The big one does it for me, although the handle looks a bit on the short side ?? Or is that just the photo and you've got huge hands ?

 

[eraaij]

I like those a lot, Jojo. If you were to drop the point a little on the smaller one it would be an even greater de-barker and whittler.

The 2.5 mm thickness looks excellent. How wide are the handles? Could you do a spine shot?

Cheers,
-Emile

 

[Hoodoo]

I like 'em both! Very nice.

 

[Shinken]

Both are great, really really like the little one.

For me the little one would be an ideal all around bushknife

The best design i think i have seen for that

 

[Shinken]

Oh and personally i would change the grind on the big knife, if you have both then the small one would be ideal for carving wood.

So that would leave the larger one for food prep etc. even though they are only 2.5 mm thick i would maybe have a higher scandi with secondary bevel or a full flat grind with secondary.

Just my opinion of course

 

[jojo]

Thanks gentlemen for all the comments, this is giving me a lot of "food for thought" for tweaking these knives.

Ive got nothing constructive to add.It sounds to me like you have given them a lot of thought and came up with something that is fit for the job with a very nice traditional 'old' look to them.

Just dont go giving them a kydex coat!!

Thanks Nigel.. No worries though. I just don't like Kydex, so there is no chance I'll use that.

only question based purely on looking at the specs and pics is are they to close in size / design to make much difference to warrent both as a pair as you say they both look like good GP bush knifes on their own

Funnily enough, there is actually quite a difference in size when you hold them, that does not seem to come out so well on the pics.But I get your point. These two are the first I have made of this design, so it's will be easy to make another larger size, and, keep this one as a stand alone bushy.

The big one does it for me, although the handle looks a bit on the short side ?? Or is that just the photo and you've got huge hands ?

The handle is 4 1/4" , 106 mm long. And I have largish hands, but I did make slightly smaller than I do normally, so that the rounded end sits nicely in the palm of my hand, then I can hold the thumps scallops between my thumb and index, which give a better control with chest grip (?) and also for slicing, sort of for more delicate cutting.

If you were to drop the point a little on the smaller one it would be an even greater de-barker and whittler.

Oh, so many possibilities...

The 2.5 mm thickness looks excellent. How wide are the handles? Could you do a spine shot?

I agree, I have wanted to try thinner blades on this sort of bush/wood crafts knives, and I think it was a good idea.

The handle on the small one is 16mm and on the larger one, 18mm. That's really because I wanted to use that really nice wood, but it was rather thin, hence the addition of the red liners It turns out the handle feels just right for the smaller one, but could do with being slightly thicker on the larger one.

 

[Hoodoo]

Oh and personally i would change the grind on the big knife, if you have both then the small one would be ideal for carving wood.

So that would leave the larger one for food prep etc. even though they are only 2.5 mm thick i would maybe have a higher scandi with secondary bevel or a full flat grind with secondary.

Just my opinion of course

That would be my preference too for the larger one. A full flat grind would make that an excellent knife for kitchen and utility. The extra drop in the blade gives it some nice finger room for the cutting board.

 

[Celt_Ginger]

Great job!
I really like a straight spine on a knife and coupled with the thinner steel they will make great all round knives. Unless you are going to use the large knife for a loads of food prep, I'd perhaps go with a sabre grind as opposed to a full flat as has been suggested. Depending on use however, the scandi may well be perfectly adequate. I've never had any problems working game/meat or cutting vegetables with a 3mm scandi ground blade.

 

[jojo]

One of my reasons for designing these knives is that I think we (including me) particularly in the UK, have been so focused (obssessed?) on the Woodlore type, and the many clones/derivatives, that we have neglected other type of knives and not researched/developed other designs that would be just as good if not better adapted, particularly to UK circumstances. After all, the Woodlore was Ray Mears' idea of what his ideal knife should be. So this is my contribution to the debate...

That would be my preference too for the larger one. A full flat grind would make that an excellent knife for kitchen and utility. The extra drop in the blade gives it some nice finger room for the cutting board.

Actually, I like the idea that a knife that I can use regularly at home, as well as being able to take it out into the woods. After all, the long hunters/ mountain men/coureur de bois basically used whatever knife that was in current use in the kitchen, or the butcher. Why could we not do the same.

Now: do Ebay still sell Kitchen knives

 

[faca]

I like both the way they are.
Great and usefull knives ;-)

 

[xavierdoc]

I like your design ideas, Joel. Skookum BT-style blade with Spyderco bushcraft handle (at the pommel-end, anyway). I quite like Woodlore and Skookum BT but I applaud your exploration into alternative designs.

You could be onto something here, especially the thinner steel.

 

[jojo]

I like those a lot, Jojo. If you were to drop the point a little on the smaller one it would be an even greater de-barker and whittler.

The 2.5 mm thickness looks excellent. How wide are the handles? Could you do a spine shot?

Cheers,
-Emile

There it is Emile.

This one show the thumb scallop on the handle.