Why The Bushcraft Knife?

[Askdamice]

I have been a fulltime knifemaker and leatherworker "officially" since Oct 1st '07. I make only a few knives based on designs that I personally have used in the bush and have performed well under some serious abuse. One is very similar to the popular "Bushcraft" knife of the UK (only difference being mine has a symetrical handle) .... great design!

That design (the Woodlore type) is so prominent in all the bushcraft sites on your side of the pond. What took that knife to the top of the foodchain? Was it Ray Mears? Is it the fact that the knife laws are more strict there and that blade has become synonimous with bushcaft tools? I know the Scandi-type "Puuko"(sp?) and Mora are also popular but they have been around a LONG time. Forgive my ignorance if I'm way off the mark on this... but is there more to the Woodlore's quick rise?

Rick

 

[slamdunk]

My guess would be this; Most folks got in to 'bushcraft' because they saw Ray Mears on TV and in books. He uses and 'recommends' his woodlore knife for bushcraft (as it says in the book, he apparently 'tried many and never found anything perfect for his needs' etc etc). That doesn't mean it's the best/perfect/better than anything else though!

The association, therefore, is that for bushcrafting, the Ray Mears style is the best one and many folks just bought that; celebrity endorsement is a powerful sales tool and many people need no more than that to buy something. Many have probably never tried anything else. In my opinion, the design certainly meets the 'does most things pretty well' criteria and therefore succeeds as a bushcraft knife. There are other designs that are more suited to fine carving, game prep/skinning etc etc but I think this design can be pressed to most things with good results. As ever, the tool is only part of the story, the knowledge and skill are more important.

What's probably even more baffling for you are the prices the woodlore knives command...

 

[jojo]

It's got the "celebrity status" that RM has reached through his exposure on TV. Just like many companies pay large fortune to "celebrity" football "stars" to get their product noticed.

I believe people will think: If I have RM's knife, I'll be as good as he is, or I can do what he can. Instant success, instant gratification, many don't see (or don't want to see) that they need to gain the skills, experience and abilities before they can do what he is shown to be doing on TV.

The knife is fine, for what it is, but no better than the myriad of similar knives on the market. Knives have been around for thousands of years. RM has not invented anything special really, just something that suited him, and it's become a money spinner.

 

[Fin]

Definitely a RM influence for it's popularity. One of the fundamentals of bushcraft is "know more, carry less" and that, I think has led to most people looking for the "Holy Grail" in field tools - the do anything and everything in all environments knife.

Truth is - that knife doesn't exist and any design along those lines is going to involve a lot of compromises. The Woodlore design is a good all rounder for mixed coniferous/ deciduous woodland environments - i.e. where most of us live. It's not a fine carver - nor is it a bushwacker along the kukri/ machete lines. It carves OK and at the same time, is sturdy enough to baton. There is enough of a curve to the edge for some slicing and the edge is straight enough for some shaving/ drawing - it's not an out and out skinner, nor is it an out and out draw/ shave/ plane tool. It's small enough to be discreet/ non threatening (very important in UK) but too small for most heavy work (batoning excepted)

Personally, I think Nessmuk with his trinity and the Sami with their Leuku/ Pukko combo's have it about right. For my needs - it has to be a fine carver partnered with a general purpose camp/ food prep/ skinner (a 3mm Nessmuk in my case) and a heavy duty tool which would be an axe or a Leuku depending on whether the environment is going to be predominantly coniferous or deciduous. I have a bushcraft/ Woodlore design knife which rarely sees daylight nowadays.

Like anything else - it's horses for courses. That and the fact that knife making allows the maker to exhibit beauty and craftsmanship, will keep forums such as this one and British Blades busy enough - pretty much forever!

 

[John Fenna]

That realy sums it up nicely Fin!
However I have a Bushy, in Damascus, which is my EDC at the moment - mostly for its beauty!
The Leuku/puuko combi is great and I am thinking of making a carbon set to replace my s/s set - purely as I prefer carbon...
Personal preference is as big a factor in chosing a knife as how good others find it performs.....

 

[demographic]

Although a very good knife I suspect that the amount wanting a clone of Rays stuff has happened for the same reason that people buy motorcycles that their heroes race.
The fact that the UK is so small means that its simpler for one "brand" to get a monopoly and if its promoted by someone thats on the TV a lot it was bound to happen.

Theres many cultures that have got on just fine without them made to that design so theres by no means just one design thats capable of doing that job.

Its the RC30/GSXR of the knife world or to put it another way have you noticed that pop songs that are very popular in the UK take several years to make it big in the US? Thats cos theres so many differing channels over there and the song takes far longer to get to number one.

 

[Fin]

That realy sums it up nicely Fin!
However I have a Bushy, in Damascus, which is my EDC at the moment - mostly for its beauty!

Ha! Ha! - and that's reason enough! Let the knife do the normal camp chores and then sit back and watch bushcraft TV (the way the firelight plays upon that surface - Mmmm!)

Selective quote, by the way, John (as ever) has other useful things to add in his post above!

 

[British Red]

Actually I am with John (Iknow Fins quote was tongue in cheek). My Bushcraft knife was custom made and engraved with my squirrel avatar and heavily personalised. Guess how much the engraving and the sheath improves performance? Yep not one bit! But I still love using it! Why? Well a beautiful example of British Craftsmanship is just a lovely thing and I unashamedly enjoy that! Why have a Purdey shotgun? Or a Morgan +8 or....well you get the point - just cos you can and some things have a value just in promoting the beautiful work of a real craftsman. The things my "friends" have made for me -

Stu Mitchell, Cegga, Singteck, Leon, Ogri, RB, Bushwacker Bob, Libby, Firebreather, Weaver, John etc. have more "soul" to them than any mass produced item. I love using them and feeling a part of them is with me on my trips.

Call me a sentamentalist, but thats how it feels to me

Red

 

[Fin]

Oh Sugar! The perils of the written word!

My previous post was bang on line with John's and also with Red's (more eloquent) thoughts. John Fenna is well known on this forum as an experienced practitioner and I liked the input on the Woodlore Damascus "mostly for it's beauty" Beauty and hand built craftsmanship play an increasingly significant role in my bushcraft tools - my "Bushcraft TV" remark was actually deadly serious. Being utilitarian is all well and good - but there is a joy to be had when utility also takes the form of beauty - Red's SM bushcrafter, John's damascus bushcrafter, my jojo Nessmuk (a more elegant example I defy you to find!) - caring for these tools and getting them to perform as designed, doesn't kill time - it fills it.

Sorry for any misunderstanding peeps!

 

[Wayland]

I travelled 2000 miles through Scandinavia looking for my perfect bushcraft knife. It had to feel right in the hand, have a decent blade and look like a work of art.

I found the one top left in Karsjok and wouldn't swap it for anything.

 

[Toddy]

I agree,
I have a lot of knives but My knife is the one that Leon1 made to suit me; it's unique, the whole set, blade/ scales/ sheath is just right, a friend made it for me ......and besides, it's a damn good tool that's incredibly well suited for it's job.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Fin]

I think you might have your answer there Askdamice from a handful of the most experienced bushcrafters on this site (myself excluded).

As a maker, you can churn out generic designs (woodlore?) as your cash crop - as it were, but some/ most? of us want MY (and I can't put it any better than that, Toddy) knife. There are some great forum topics/ projects - Red/ Stuart Mitchell springs to mind (do a search on this forum) - a more beautiful bushcraft knife you'll never find - now there's a challenge for any maker!! Plus there was a recent double knife collaboration too.

If the likes of John Fenna are using a Woodlore design damascus. If Red is using a museum (let alone a drawer) piece (and I still cringe and applaud the first time he cut that blade)- if I can still featherstick with my jojo Nessmuk...

Then we come back to Toddy's quote:

"Make MY knife!"