Purchasing a knife for bushcraft, but what length?

[Dannytsg]

I am interested in purchasing a knife for use when out and about camping and for bushcraft but with all the types that are out on the market i was wondering what the experienced bushcraftsmen and women would recommend as a suitable knife length *both blade only and overall knife length* which will be suitable to stand up to the trails of the bushcraft.

Thanks in advance

 

[Bernie Garland]

One of these should do you.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Limited-Edition-Ray-Mears-Woodlore-25th-Anniv-Knife_W0QQitemZ200263834374QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item200263834374&_trkparms=72%3A1301|39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Bernie

 

[saddle_tramp]

One of these should do you.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Limited-Edition-Ray-Mears-Woodlore-25th-Anniv-Knife_W0QQitemZ200263834374QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item200263834374&_trkparms=72%3A1301|39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Bernie

be a good one to lose, or see the dog chewing, or have confiscated in a stop n search, and have to sign a disclaimer for it, ouch!

 

[Wallenstein]

I am interested in purchasing a knife for use when out and about camping and for bushcraft but with all the types that are out on the market i was wondering what the experienced bushcraftsmen and women would recommend as a suitable knife length *both blade only and overall knife length* which will be suitable to stand up to the trails of the bushcraft.

Thanks in advance

Unfortunately it's all down to personal preference.

I find that a Mora Clipper serves me very well - just over 4in blade - and is ideal for general camp use.

Other people will prefer a more hefty blade - 4mm thick and maybe slightly longer.

The best thing is to try out a few - you can pick up a Mora for £8 which makes it an ideal starter knife; even if you then move on to a different type they are still an excellent backup knife.

My suggestion would be to pop along a BCUK meet and have a look at the various knives people use - without holding a knife in your hand and trying a few techniques it's hard to gauge exactly what will suit you best. Bit like a pair of shoes - what fits one person won't be right for another, even if they are both Size 10.

 

[Dannytsg]

Ok thanks, i'll have a look about and get my mitts on some to see what feels best.

 

[alpha_centaur]

One of these should do you.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Limited-Edition-Ray-Mears-Woodlore-25th-Anniv-Knife_W0QQitemZ200263834374QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item200263834374&_trkparms=72%3A1301|39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Bernie

I think I'll stick with the mora and a virtual £890 quid in the pocket (I wish)

 

[Dannytsg]

Just as an addition does anyone rate knives made by Gerber/Winchester/S&W etc and what is the quality of Damascus steel in blades?

 

[novembeRain]

Just as an addition does anyone rate knives made by Gerber/Winchester/S&W etc and what is the quality of Damascus steel in blades?

I think damascus is more of a decorative thing mate, they use it in shotguns - perticularly those that are made to look classic, posh and / or expensive.

I may be corrected though.....

 

[spamel]

I'd stick with a basic knife, scandi ground is easy to maintain and learn to sharpen but it may not be your cup of tea. Depends what you want to do with it really. For meat and veg prep, a full flat grind with a secondary bevel, keeping the blade under 2mm thick would be best. For more heavy duty work around camp such as battoning wood and carving pot supports, tripods and tent pegs, a thicker scandi blade or a convexed blade would suffice. For real heavy chopping, get an axe.

 

[Native Justice]

Gerber/Winchester/S&W are pretty much chinese made very low end, low cost knives. The ones I've handled, except some of the higher end Gerbers, were junk. The heat treat is rather poor on the mystery steels so the edges are rather soft and don't take much of an edge. The damascus is also soft, a lot like the steel you'd find on the Bear GMC line of damascus knives. I'd avoid them if I were you. Save your money for a Mora.

Be safe.

NJ

 

[Dannytsg]

Thanks. I appreciate the input and intend to check out the Mora that's been mentioned.

@ Spamel - I have a hatchet that i use for chopping any wood that may need chopping so I'm sorted with that lol.

 

[charlesr]

Ive also been looking at a good knife to use and found this sites sister site British blades to be a great inspiration. If you are looking for a custom made knife you will find one which is just like the Ray mears woodlore one for around 150 quid and if you are looking for a factory made one that is a little better than the mora try a Fallkniven F1 which is a really good knife for around 65 to 70 quid.

 

[British Red]

Hmmmm beg to differ on the F1 - its a marmite knife - some love it - some (like me) hate it. I'd certainly try before you buy.

Nothing at all wrong with a More or clipper - great knife for the money in all the steel variants - you won't go far wrong

Red

 

[Singeblister]

It all depends on what you want to do with it , I personaly use a knife with a 65mm long blade flat ground to 0 point , this I use for cuts, I use an axe or machete for chopping , I would say buy yourself a mora clipper they cost very little , start using it and see how you get on , you can then make your mind up if you want a woodlore stlye clone knife which can do most things but in my opinion is master of non, or go for the small super sharp cutting tool paird with an axe or machete.

 

[littlebiglane]

You'll find some good makers on here (Mick Spain, Elma, Bernie Garland, JoJo to name but four) and numerous more on BB. You could get a customer knife made from as little as £70 but more like £140+. Knives appear second hand in the classified now and again. I just sold two Elmas that way. If you want a high quality production knife I would recommend the Enzo Trapper (I particularly like the D2 version) but some people like a more rounded (thicker) handle - you can get these from Brisa Knives www.brisa.fi

LBL

 

[crwydryny]

well it depends on your preferance. personaly I would go for a knife with a minimum overall length of 1 1/2 the length of your hand to a maximum of 2 1/2 the length of yoru hand. granted the larger knife would be for if you plan to use it for heavy chopping like a hatchet while the shorter length would be better for everyday tasks. the handle should be a little longer than the width of your hand to allow for a variaty of grips. the grip it's self should be a blunt oval shape which I find is the most comfotable, a square grip can cause blisters while a round grip would cause you to clench the knife and tire your hand (which can lead to accidents) also advoid finger notches and the like as they can make it hard for you to vary your grip during use.
personaly I prefer a solid wood handle or a soft ruber coated handle as they are generaly the most comfotable but some people like full tangs with a scales attatched to the side of the handle. personaly I find these uncomfotable, especially if the plates are incorrectly attached. but this can be remidied witha good peice of the ever reliable duct tape.
personaly I like to have a knife that is slightly blade heavy as this makes it less tiering to use and can be an advantage when chopping, just make sure it's not too blade heavy (think of it like hitting in a nail with an iron bar. you could use a long light bar which would do the job but will be hard to controll, or you could use a shorter heavier bar which will work just as effectivly but would be easier to control)

when it comes to the blade I like one where the point of the knife points directly forward as apposed to curling back as it makes skinning easier, also if the point drops below the centerline of the blade then there is less chance of the point snagging during skinning.
obviously the knife you chose will depend on the task at hand and these points are just as a guide. for example if you plan to chot a lot of wood you'll be better off with a large knife like a machete while if you plan on doing a lot of camp craft or prepairing of animals then a smaller knife of about 3-4 inches would be better

 

[SimonM]

Ok thanks, i'll have a look about and get my mitts on some to see what feels best.

Hard sell now.... come to Middlewood and have a go at winning one of Bernie's Bushcrafter's for £1 a ticket. Even if you don't win, the money goes to BcUK.

And you can see a huge range of members knives whilst you are there!

Go on ... you know you want to!

Simon

 

[Dannytsg]

@ Simon - I may well pop down if time is good as i am in work in Trafford both evenings of the weekend *working nights has it's downfalls*.

I'd like to say thank you to you all as i have decided to buy a blade blank off British Blades and handle it myself so it fits my taste to a tee. I have purchased a blank off Mick Spain and have decided to go for "Dymondwood" for the handles with either brass or stainless pins and a simple contoured handle.

Has anyone got any inkling as to the type of 2 part epoxy to be used when fixing the scales to the handle itself?

Here a few pics of the potential project itself;

Knife blank of top quality courtesy of Mick Spain, Made in 4mm o1 heat treated & double tempered to a tested 58/59HRC with extra grooves for adhesion to scales. 5mm pin holes and an 8mm lanyard hole.

BLADE = 105mm x 28mm x 4mm
TANG = 115mm

"Dymondwood" for handle scales. The complete one is just an example as i bought the rough cuts from ebay.

ROUGH CUT = 125mm x 37mm x 12mm

Well that's my project for the next week or so once material arrive.

 

[Wallenstein]

Fantastic - think you've made a great choice there!

Keep us posted on how you get on!

 

[SimonM]

Good man Danny - Hope to see you there.

Simon