Question: What defines a bushcraft knife?

[addyb]

Hi guys,

Ever since I joined this community, I've always snooped around here, but I do most of my posting on Kit Chatter. (I'm a total gear-junkie) I keep reading threads by posters who spend exhonerant amounts of money on what is called a "bushcraft knife," like a Ray Mears, or a Woodlore knife.

My question is: What is so special about a bushcraft knife? Why spend hundreds of $$ on a knife? Why not just go to a surplus store and pick up an old beat up Ka-Bar?

Forgive me for being ignorant, but it's a question that's been making me antsy ever since I joined this community, and today I've got the courage to ask it!

Cheers,

Adam

 

[Tantalus]

if ray mears has ever used one it is a bushcraft knife

all others are fakes, beware of cheap copies

please watch and study all of rms programs minutely

Tant

 

[Tantalus]

ok so i wasn't entirely serious



There are knives suited to particular tasks, chopping, butchers knives, skinning, fish filleting etc etc

A bushcraft knife can be expected to be used for most of these tasks at some point

Hopefully with the omission of fighting, but even though it is not possible to talk about it there are such knives on the market too

Your choice of knife would be suited to your other kit and your style of bushcraft

No point carrying a knife that will split logs and firewood if you already carry an axe

Similarly not much point in only carrying a filleting blade and expecting to be able to cut firewood and carve spoons

It is the best compromise and hopefully when everything else fails your bushcraft knife will make a reasonable job of the widest range of tasks. Enabling you to carry the least amount of kit but with the maximum usefullness.

I guess there is no single perfect knife that would suit everybody and every climate. Even Ray Mears uses different knives from machetes to moras, despite having designed his own blade.

Take your pick, it's the one you would least like to be without

Tant

 

[Stuart]

A good Bushcraft knife could be defined as any knife which you find suits you well for Bushcraft.

there are certain characteristics that are commonly sort after in a Bushcraft knife, the majority of the tasks in Bushcraft involve wood so the knife should be good at carving whilst still able to undertake a wide variety of other jobs.

the majority of people feel that a 3-4mm thick, 3-5 inch long, flat single bevel or full convex ground blade with a good strong point is ideal. A comfortable handle which does not cause blisters is always popular and if it is made of a non absorbent and resilient material this is also a plus.

features such as finger guards, curved or clip pointed blades, and a double edge are usually the most avoided as these prevent or hinder woodwork.

as to why people spend so much money on a knife, it is their primary tool for there pastime and as such they will spend a huge amount of time using it so they want it to be just right for them searching for a knife that can do everything well is no easy task. (in fact its impossible but we still try!)

There is of course some marketing involved, the woodlore knife would never normally sell for the price it does if it wasn’t for the celebrity backing, but people are prepared to pay for the assurance that it is a good product. Others spend equally huge amounts of time and effort designing and making there own knives exactly the way they want them.

Why do skiers pay so much for their skis? Why do fishermen pay so much for their rods? And why do mountain bikers spend so much on bikes?

 

[addyb]

*nods*

I guess that makes sense. The spending part I mean.

After what you guys've said, I guess it's not so bad paying that much for a knife. Mind you, I'm totally happy with my $25 dollar Victorinox, it suits me fine.

On the other hand, I didn't see any problem with paying $350 for my Salomon mountaineering boots.

To each his own, they say!

 

[The General]

Given the example, the Ka Bar is a very good knife in high carbon steel, but its a bit large at 7" and the double guard is a bit fiddly to be honest when using for fine work.

Heck I have very happily used several Ka Bar's for bushcraft and wrote a review of three models. However... I still find a smaller 5" blade or less more usable for most campsite tasks.

Larger blades can do more, but are hard to use for fine tasks. I find the fine tasks those most often performed. Every tool has its uses.

 

[Squidders]

To me, the defining factor for a bushcraft knife is that it gets used heavily outdoors.

I don't think it matters if the knife falls apart as a result or if it lasts for 100 years, if you're using the knife for bushcraft, it's your bushcraft knife.

Why do people never ask what defines bushcraft socks or boxer shorts?

Joe

 

[Tantalus]

Sorry Squidders but I think it does matter if it falls apart

not meaning to be crass but it should be something you can depend on taking some serious hard work

as for bushcraft sox well............. i think ebay have them

Tant

 

[Laurence Dell]

To me, the defining factor for a bushcraft knife is that it gets used heavily outdoors.

I don't think it matters if the knife falls apart as a result or if it lasts for 100 years, if you're using the knife for bushcraft, it's your bushcraft knife.

Why do people never ask what defines bushcraft socks or boxer shorts?

Joe

Why do you have "special Bushcraft Boxer Shorts" with the Ray Mears logo on them hahaha

Saying that I have got a pair of green boxer shorts, new line of Realtree clothing anyone.

 

[Laurence Dell]

To me, the defining factor for a bushcraft knife is that it gets used heavily outdoors.
I don't think it matters if the knife falls apart as a result or if it lasts for 100 years, if you're using the knife for bushcraft, it's your bushcraft knife.

Joe

He is right in principle though, a Mora is a less durable knife than a Woodlore but that doesn't make it a bad knife. Both are suitable for Bushcraft but one will last longer than the other with the same amount of abuse.

 

[Squidders]

Tant: no no no... durability and longevity are traits of a good bushcraft knife. Not meaning to get picky but the question was "what defines a bushcraft knife?".

I thought this interesting because it's not the usual "what's the best..." type unanswerable question.

In the most basic sense, a bushcraft knife is a bladed tool used for bushcraft... If a knife falls apart, it's simply a poor bushcraft knife but that doesn't stop it from being one

There are no hard and fast rules, to answe the question properly you have to define bushcraft... for tracking I could use a butter knife, for hurdle making I could use a billhook, for cooking I could use a fillet knife, for carving blah blah blah waffle waffle waffle....

You end up with the worlds biggest swiss army tool

I follow a relaxed camp craft bushcraft path so I like my knife to be strong, able to perform woodworking duties without hurting my hands, to stay sharp and to resist resins and just as important, to look good... it can be rubbish for food prep or anything else really.

If someone else has a more plant knowledge, natural remidy making fungus identifying enjoyment of bushcraft then they may well want a complete other set of qualities in a knife but you can't try and pigeon hole bushcraft in to what you alone enjoy and practice.

So, for me a bushcraft knife is one that gets used for bushcraft... whatever that is!

 

[Stuart]

There have been a lot of threads asking questions along the lines of 'what is the best bushcraft knife' and 'what is a bushcraft knife?'

all of the knives below are bushcraft knives, and each design is endorsed by one of the worlds finest bushcraft practitioners. (except for the one at the top which only used by me)

the knife on the lower left hand corner is the type used by the Kalahari Bushman there is no doubt that these guys live and breath bushcraft from the moment they are born. the 4inch double edged dagger blade is under 1mm thick and made from mild steel, partial tang. it looks like it may have simply been made from a piece of discarded metal hammered flat.

the next knife up is a puukko design used by the Sámi of northern Finland also renowned for their bushcraft. the 3.75 inch 3mm thick blade is forged carbon steel flat ground with a full stick tang.

next is a Swedish clipper model knife from the frost company it is endorsed by ray mears and the non rubberised version is endorsed by Mors Kochanski. it has a 4 inch long, 2mm thick blade made from laminated steel and a partial tang

the knife at the top of the image is one I made to my own design with the help of Chris claycomb the blade is 3 1/2 inches long and 3mm thick carbon steel with a full mortise tang. it is the only knife here not used by an expert.

finally the large blade on the right of image is a parang the Bushcraft tool used by the Penan, a nomadic tribe living in the jungles of borneo, the blade is 17 inches long 4mm wide convex ground one side and double bevel hollow ground the other side. it is forged from discarded logging truck leaf springs.

These knives are all very different yet I have witnessed those that own them create everything they need with astonishing skill using one of these tools. (except mine obviously)

They are all bushcraft knives in the hands of a person who has the skill to use them, and worthless in the hand of a person who doesn’t.

 

[Tantalus]

They are all bushcraft knives in the hands of a person who has the skill to use them, and worthless in the hand of a person who doesn’t.

and none of them are broken..................



Tant

 

[lardbloke]

For me it is what is comfortable and what works for the jobs at hand......

My main knife is my Mora clipper but I also use a Bushman graduate by Paul Baker, its a good knife for what I do and is reasonably priced, so I will not to miffed if I loose it.

 

[BorderReiver]

Take your pick, it's the one you would least like to be without

Tant

That'll be my SAK then.

 

[BorderReiver]

[
the knife at the top of the image is one I made to my own design with the help of Chris claycomb the blade is 3 1/2 inches long and 3mm thick carbon steel with a full mortise tang. it is the only knife here not used by an expert.

I think that you are being too modest.

 

[Squidders]

come on Tant... a broken bushcraft knife is still a bushcraft knife, it's just a bushcraft knife requiring some attention...

you know i'm right

 

[Tantalus]

good point

Tant

 

[RovingArcher]

There have been a lot of threads asking questions along the lines of 'what is the best bushcraft knife' and 'what is a bushcraft knife?'

all of the knives below are bushcraft knives, and each design is endorsed by one of the worlds finest bushcraft practitioners. (except for the one at the top which only used by me)

the knife on the lower left hand corner is the type used by the Kalahari Bushman there is no doubt that these guys live and breath bushcraft from the moment they are born. the 4inch double edged dagger blade is under 1mm thick and made from mild steel, partial tang. it looks like it may have simply been made from a piece of discarded metal hammered flat.

the next knife up is a puukko design used by the Sámi of northern Finland also renowned for their bushcraft. the 3.75 inch 3mm thick blade is forged carbon steel flat ground with a full stick tang.

next is a Swedish clipper model knife from the frost company it is endorsed by ray mears and the non rubberised version is endorsed by Mors Kochanski. it has a 4 inch long, 2mm thick blade made from laminated steel and a partial tang

the knife at the top of the image is one I made to my own design with the help of Chris claycomb the blade is 3 1/2 inches long and 3mm thick carbon steel with a full mortise tang. it is the only knife here not used by an expert.

finally the large blade on the right of image is a parang the Bushcraft tool used by the Penan, a nomadic tribe living in the jungles of borneo, the blade is 17 inches long 4mm wide convex ground one side and double bevel hollow ground the other side. it is forged from discarded logging truck leaf springs.

These knives are all very different yet I have witnessed those that own them create everything they need with astonishing skill using one of these tools. (except mine obviously)

They are all bushcraft knives in the hands of a person who has the skill to use them, and worthless in the hand of a person who doesn’t.

Well said Stuart, I totally agree. Great looking blades too!

 

[The General]

Behave yourself Stuart... You are an expert and anyone who says otherwise can argue with me!