New knife for the Moot....

[Graham_S]

After a few years of not being able to attend, I'm off to the Moot this year (Yay!)
To celebrate I'm planing to get myself a new big blade to play with....

So my front runners are...

1. Tops Tom Brown Tracker
2. Condor K-Tact Khukri
3. Fox MD Parnabas
4. Fox Parang Bushcraft

Anyone got any opinions experience of them?

 

[Stew]

I've not used any but I'm curious what appeals to you with them.

To me, I'm put off by the Tracker blade though I know some like it - I should try one and see.

Both of the Foxs, the handles put me off. Blocky but also grooved. The handle is the most important bit to me!

The Condor, I could go with - pretty sure that was the knife Alan from season 2 (I think ) of Alone used and it was clearly capable.

 

[Graham_S]

I’ve no idea why the Tracker is appealing to me at the moment.
I’ve just got an itch to try it out.

The fox blades, I like the look of them both, and I like the look of them.

As for the Condor, I’ve got a traditional Khukri, and like it, but I find the handle is a bit small for my hands.
The condor looks a little more substantial.

Anyway, I’m planning on getting one of them.
Just haven’t decided which yet.


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[Stew]

I know what you mean about the traditional kukhri handle! I've rehandled a couple for folk because of the size issue.

I'm actually working on a rehandle of the cold steel gurkha kukhri right now - I think that's a great big blade and would love to have one of my own at some point.

 

[Graham_S]

I have a CS LTC Khukri that I picked up about 25 years ago that is a fantastic chopper and holds a fantastic edge.

As to the Tracker, it’s a classic design.
I’d like to see what I could do with it.
I’ve carved spoons and trap triggers with a machete and a Khukri just to prove I could, I’d like to see what the Tracker can do.


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[Janne]

Go for a very short bladed knife, and be surprised how much you can do with it!

 

[Mesquite]

None of them.

Get yourself one of Dave Budd's own design 'bushcraft bills'

Blade at the top of the picture is his design

 

[Graham_S]

Go for a very short bladed knife, and be surprised how much you can do with it!

I’d not be surprised at all.
One of my main bushcraft knives has a 1.5” blade, a little BRKT knife.
I just fancy something bigger for a change.


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[BushBob]

Have a look at the Varusteleka Skrama. The handle is the main thing for me. It's the right shape to grip and is oversized so you can hold it close to the blade for finer chops and at the opposite end when you want to swing a bit.

 

[Janne]

Ok, if you want to try something larger ( and easily available) then the Finnish Marttiini make some nice largish knives, of a trad nirthern Scandi style.
Marttiini Lapp knife 250

 

[Graham_S]

How does that compare to a Lekku.
I’ve got a nice knivsmed Stromeng one.


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[Janne]

Leuku is the finnish name for a ‘large knife’, a large Sami knife
In Sweden we call them Huggare.


Translate the Finnish and Swedish and you get ‘chopper’ in English.

Strömeng does those large knives well. Norwegian, so they speak Norwegian and not Finnish!
They call them Strömeng Same Knife ( plus the size in centimeters
You can not buy a Strömeng Leuku!

 

[Graham_S]

The guy in the shop in Norway that I bought it from called it a lekku.
Good enough for me......


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[Nice65]

Get a Skrama, it’ll make you grin. Secondhand market is always strong should it not work for you. But I think it will.

 

[Graham_S]

Get a Skrama, it’ll make you grin. Secondhand market is always strong should it not work for you. But I think it will.

I’ve had a look at pictures, and I just don’t like it.
Sorry.
The Condor is the front runner at the moment.
Still fancy trying out a Tracker though.


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[Nice65]

I’ve had a look at pictures, and I just don’t like it.
Sorry.
The Condor is the front runner at the moment.
Still fancy trying out a Tracker though.


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Be a boring place if everyone liked the same thing.

 

[Graham_S]

Be a boring place if everyone liked the same thing.

Wouldn’t it though.
At the last Moot I managed to get to, I had a play with the Wilkinson Sword Survival Knife.
It was quite useable despite its size and weight.
I wouldn’t mind laying my hands on one, but they’re a bit hard to get hold of these days.
I remember lusting after one in the “Survival Aids” catalogues when I was younger.


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[Toddy]

Did you not get one of the Mods Spyderco's that Chris made ?

If you're looking for something bigger, speak to Russ he was clearing out a while back, and I don't think they all sold.

M

 

[TinkyPete]

The Skrama can now be bought without handle so you can self handle it.

A Dave Budd large knife or Skrama will always get my vote but a Kukuri is a third option. Most don't like the look of the Skrama but once you get it in your hand and use it; it is a different matter. Been called Fugly by many people but works like a dream and with the two different angles of grind is very practical. For a large blade it is very reasonable in price too.

HERE is a link to the Varusteleka site and knife 71 reviews of it and many you tube videos most say it's ugly BUT it cuts like a dream and can easily be used for fine work too, not many big knives can say that.

On the Fox knives I have heard bad things about the handle, giving a lot of blisters. I did like the look of them and when I was first looking for a large knife I did look at them but speaking to a few users and also looking and proper you tube videos turned me off the knife. I was going to head down the Becker BK7 or Hoods Hoodlum route, but then I landed of a very sweet knife of Dave's and haven't look back since.

The Skrama I bought after handling JohnBoy's when they first came out and I immediately got two because of how good it worked and felt in use. I had one as a beater to test on and after 6 months of heavy use and handling everything I had put it through I passed on that on and kept the other. When I put it up for sale at the gathering I was not sure if I should and went back half an hour later and it was already sold. The second hand market is great for them and I have only seen one negative review for it and that was PreparedMind 101 and he did not get on with it because it was too light for him and he very much likes the large Bark River knives.

 

[Graham_S]

Did you not get one of the Mods Spyderco's that Chris made ?

If you're looking for something bigger, speak to Russ he was clearing out a while back, and I don't think they all sold.

M

I have one of the Spydercos, but mine wasn't customised by Chris. I'm not sure why, I think I was a Mod at the time.
*edit*I've been looking back through my messages to find out the maker of my sheath, and it looks like I wasn't a Mod when I got the knife.
I became a Mod a couple of months later, so just missed out. I remember you all getting them though, so it must have been close.*edit*
I do have a fantastic sheath for it made by one of the members, Luckylee. It's a great knife, and I'll be bringing it with me to the Moot.