Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades "Bushcraft" knives?

Dang...I didn't know ESEE had produced a modified handle version of the "3" and "4" models. I am going to have to pickup one of the "4" models.

Troy, "Bushcraft" means different things to different people. I tend to think it of more to do with making life livable and comfortable when afield. The ability and skill to make fire, shelter, find or treat water, trap small game, fish and other wise enjoy being in the woods.
This one, by Mark Hill in the UK, is typical of the sort of knife I like for bushcraft stuff.
O1 steel, 4 inch blade, scandi grind, bocote wood handle. It does everything asked of it, and makes it seem easy. Handle is very ergonomic, comfortable, and will work for hours with no hot spots.

That is a beautiful knife, Sam.

Where you been Sam? Nice blade. I'm thinking of a boker bushcraft knife? It's only 60 bucks and it's made of D2.

some folks say D2 tends to chip, when working with hard woods. I'm not so sure, but there it is.

Yeah, I have not been on in a few months. Just busy mostly. Lots of travel. Tuesday, I drove to Birmingham. That is 425+ miles. Got up early Wednesday, and drove back, another 425 miles. I'm pooped. lol

to be a good bushcraft knife, it does not have to be scandi grind, or have a 4 inch blade, or be O1 steel. This one, a Busse CABS, has a convex grind, and is very close to perfect.

Another of my designs, in S30V, made by Tim Olt, is this one I called my Osceola Companion. It has gone with me on the Applachian Trail, the Florida trail, a ton of kayak trips and has gone fishing a bunch. It is a stirling performer. It's a regular saber grind knife.

I need a stainless small knife for canoe camping and float fishing the river. I should have bought a stainless Izula when I had the chance. I know you have one, I remember you posting pics of it. Wishe they made a IzulaII in stainless, I have wide hands.

Those are nice knives Sam, especially the first one.

If you're wanting stainless then this one warrants consideration:
Fallkniven F1

You know what they say about opinions....

I also really like the Woodsman Pro, mines from before the split but same design and matl as Battle Horse Knives. It is usually on my belt the most.
Bark River Knives makes several that I like, and most recently I purchased a Classic Hunter that is a Loveless pattern. They also have an Aurora, Bushcrafter, and one I've not used but seems to be well liked is the Fox River.

Benchmade has one called the "steep country hunter" in S30v from Knives ship free that's under $100, that would be a great one to try.

Fiddleback Forge has one called a bushfinger that is very appealing to me, as well as a couple others.

You'll find a lot of different opinions on what "bushcraft" really is. My personal choices are based on using a knife for what I need it for. I don't need to slice tomatoes with the same knife I used to clean my animal and build a fire with. I can, but it isn't a need. Usually most knife nuts carry more than one anyway. Why not carry a couple for different uses? I usually have a trapper style slip in my pocket that's fine for most little things like food, etc. and the BHK Woodsman Pro for everything else.

Happy Hunting, for the "perfect" knife.

I like Bark rivers too I trying to convince myself that I NEED a mini bush crafter.

Tag

The bark river gunny hunter in elmax is rather nice looking.

I'm going to post a link to a video done by a true knife nut. English is probably his second or third language so a bit of patience is needed, but he's probably one of a handful who use knives on video like most of us would, discusses sharpening of each type of steel, and will even admit when he changes his mind finding a steel he thought highly of later isn't what it's cracked up to be.

I have watched several of his videos when interested in a new steel. He's to blame(partly at least) for my choice of a BRKT "Classic Hunter" being in CPM-3v. I was going to try Elmax but his review and opinion, then his correction and explanation, made me change my mind. I've been a proponent of tool steel myself but some of these newer nearly stainless ones are pretty amazing.

reviews of blades

First Elmax video

second Elmax video after more use

I had seen the first two videos but not the last. Thanks Nate.

Check out the BRKT Bushcrafter. It has a true scandi grind and would be great for what you're asking about. I'd get it in A2 if they offer it so a ferro rod would strike easily. I really like the geometry of it and the canadian special.

Well I'd post a pic but photobucket is being a biotch this morning for me. Wifey got me a Condor "Kephart" blade for christmas. I stuck handles on it and made a sheath. It's a nice for the money, slim, easy to use blade.

My issue with most of the bushcraft knives is they all tend to be too thick and heavy. Seems the lot want knives they can tear up concrete sidewalks with as well as perform simple camp/kitchen chores. JMHO.

How does the Condor blade hold an edge? I'd have been more apt to try one myself if it had been at least 1095, better yet 5160, O1, or A2. Condor makes a great axe.

Greetings Big Nate!

The little knife seems to hold an edge just fine for me. Understand that my general knife tasks are food prep, butchering, cleaning, and light camp chores and cutting maintenance. Then again I like to sharpen and clean my knives a bunch too.

I think it was well worth the $10 or $12 bucks the Wifey paid for it on Amazon.

10 or 12 buck! That was free!

The whole "bushcraft" thing cracks me up... It must be a metric fook ton tougher to survive in a backyard in a US city than it is here on our ranch in central Idaho, and my wife's family place in Argentina...and this from a guy who spent a large portion of his career in Aberdeen, Scotland and the Lakes region of the UK, where "bushcraft" supposedly emerged, as well as 4 years in Norway and Denmark...yet despite shooting clays at the international level each week, F Class and Hunter Class benchrest, and hunting birds, roe, red, muntjac, fox yada, yada on a steady basis, never heard the term until I returned to the US and became an internet addict...

Sorry about this but I was thinking of Council Tool out of North Carolina. Council Tool Hudson Bay camp axe Hopefully nobody bought a Condor axe based on my comment!

Came back to this thread to see if anyone else had added something.