My Northstar verdict

[JakeR]

After reading Martyn's great review i thought i'd like to really see what i thought of it in detail. Today i decided to try it. Without the distraction i may have been able to go into more detail... :roll:

First off, the backhand. Bearing in mind i have small hands (i think).

I carved a spoon and paid particular attention to the butt/lanyard digging into palm and being uncomfortable, i can see that it would if you have largish hands but for me it wasn't that much of a problem. The handle could do with being a bit wider, but thats just me nitpicking.

I found for all of the grips...

Picture copied from Ray Mears 'Bushcraft' Book

...featured here were absolutely fine for me. And i experienced no pain, and not really and pressure points. (if the grip pic didn't load, here's the link )



One thing the NS is great for is chopping! I forgot my billhook (well, a sorry excuse for one anyway) but the NS admirable cut wrist sixe dead standing branches with a baton no probs.

For me the NS is a woodsmans knife. Althought it doesn't really cast good sparks it performs just as i would want it to, and i did find that when casting i put so much pressure on the knife that i nicked my hand and broke my firesteel :shock:.
I think i agree with all Martyn has to say, but my opinion differs on the ergonomic side. It fits me ): . If one had bigger hands, perhaps the fox river is for them. For what it is the NS is awesome, and i doubt anyone will be disappointed with it, as after all, it cuts, very, very, very, well.

I would have liked to have gone into much more detail, but i got sidetracked

Cheers.

 

[Martyn]

Sounds fair enough Jake. Couple of questions though - does your knife have the thong hole in the handle or the extended tang version? Also, bearing in mind that the knife was designed as a bushcraft knife and should therefore excell at it, how did you feel the handle ergonomics compare to other knives designed specifically for bushcraft - the woodlore for example?

 

[JakeR]

Hi Maryn. I have the extended tang version. I have to say the woodlore does feel more comfortable, thats due to the handle being wider i think, not length.
The part which it really excelled in was slicing, very good slicer. Maybe even harder to control. The NS also keeps an awesome edge. My old WS would have lost it's edge by now, but my NS still shaves. After batoning through real dense wrist thick wood. True bushcraft!
I get what you mean though, i think the NS ws built more for me than you! You tried the foxriver?

Jake

 

[Martyn]

I have yet to see a piece of razor sharp, tempered carbon steel that couldn't be hammered through wood. If you find one, let me know, that truly would be a dreadful blade.

 

[Tantalus]

I have yet to see a piece of razor sharp, tempered carbon steel that couldn't be hammered through wood. If you find one, let me know, that truly would be a dreadful blade.

actually they are very good
just not much use in the woodshed

):

Tant

 

[tomtom]

wonder if it would work for feather sticks

 

[Moonraker]

:shock: :rolmao: :rolmao:

 

[tomtom]

yeh i think your right.. what was i thinking :?:

i could kind of imagen nice curly shavings coming out the back.. but on second thoughs... ):

 

[Moonraker]

yeh i think your right.. what was i thinking :?:

i could kind of imagen nice curly shavings coming out the back.. but on second thoughs... ):

And I thought you were too young for a shave tomotom

 

[tomtom]

:stupid: whats that go to do with anything

:rolmao: i shave.... just not that often :sulkoff:

 

[Moonraker]

I meant elsewhere apart from your face ):

 

[rlinger]

Nicely done pictorial. Are the spine edges of the NorthStar slightly rounded? I ask that because that would be a cause of not striking a firesteel well. Another cause is a soft spine, even though the edge could be plenty hard.

Thanks.

RL

 

[RovingArcher]

I use the thumb grooves to strike the steel and it does a decent job, but I prefer to use the awl on my German mil. utility knife for fire starting duty.

 

[JakeR]

:twak: Martyn, im talking comparatively to the woodlore, this is a better cutter...

Roger, i think the NS does have a less angular spine.

 

[grumit]

hi guys my fox river got here yesterday i have big hands it feels better to grip than the north star the only thing i can see different is its wider the length is the same i find that the corners on the butt are a little wide but think that could be a simple fix just needs a little sanded off which i wont do as i have no idea how to get the macarta to its nice finnish again the blade shape is nice the type off blade i prefer and it was shaving sharp out the box it looks nicer in the pouch sheath from the highland then the one it came with going out today to try it out hope this helps you out over the difference in the two

 

[JakeR]

Let us know grumit....

 

[rlinger]

Grumit,

You can sand it down especially if not much needs to be removed to get it to your liking. If you have no better means, a Dremmel with a buffing wheel saturated with buffing compound will bring your work to a high sheen. Before buffing the micarta should be hand sanded to about 600 grit or finer. You can and want to start out course and then take it down in steps to 600 grit, then buff to a high sheen. Take care not to spend much time in one spot with the Dremel. It can dig dips into the material being buffed.

RL

 

[Martyn]

:twak: Martyn, im talking comparatively to the woodlore, this is a better cutter...

Not in my opinion mate.

But I deliberately didn't comment on the cutting prowess of the NS in my review because it's so subjective. When you say it's a better cutter, what do you mean, better at slicing tomatoes or better at shaving wood? Perhaps its better at being hammered through a piece of wood? How do you determine it's better than the woodlore? Did you do a side by side comparison using the same wood under the same conditions? Statements like "this is a better cutter" need qualification. How is it a better cutter, why is it a better cutter and how did you determine that.

 

[JakeR]

:sword: :BlueTeamE

:rolmao:

Yeah but no but yeah but...

 

[Martyn]

sorry jake, I edited my post while you were replying.