[quote]Uncle Gabby wrote:
I’m not much of a survivalist, but as far as hunting gear I love my Bark River Bravo II. It was sharp enough to shave with out of the box, and after field dressing 3 deer, chopping some brush, and cuting up some thick cardboard for the hell of it, it is still sharp enough to shave with. You can’t beat a convex grind.[/quote]
Bark River make okay knives but they’re not one of the top US makers. Not knocking them. Their bushcraft series are okay. an edged tool aficionado and the bushcraft knife is standard kit for me. I own eight or nine I think. The finest one I already posted on another thread. It’s a design that has been copied the world over and originates in the UK. They’re blade with a “scandi” grind.
literally hundreds of years of trial, error and use. It’s the pinnacle.
Essentially, it began as the Scandinavian/Finnish hunting and skinning knife called the “Puuko”. These guys needed a sharp, effective, durable, reliable and sharp knife to survive for everyday existence. They did not use the stainless steel that is popular with knife and cutlery makers because stainless steel does not have the right properties for edged tools of any kind. Avoid knives made from 440 and other stainless steel. They’re crap. Makers use it because it doesn’t rust easy but it makes a terrible edge, is hard to sharpen(especially in field), and it’s way off on the Rockwell scale - for a multipurpose knife like a bushcraft knife you want around 58.
Now, as for a convex edge I know they’re popular but I’d never use them in anything other than certain axes in my survival kit. I know how to sharpen a convex axe blade so I’d have no trouble with a convex knife.
But convex grinds are not as sharp nor as easy to sharpen in the field than a scandi grind
Being a single bevel, flat, very wide, and a straight angle, the scandi grind could not be easier. And it is widely known as the sharpest tool grind there is. The bushcraft knife was developed, as I said by trial and error by the Finnish and Scandinavians who are expert steel makers. They use/d high carbon steel from the billet and mostly 01 or occasionally 02. The strongest steel that takes the sharpest edge.
They also innovated the the scandi grind as I mentioned. They use the pukko for both field dressing and skinning - butchering if they have to. The pukko has a round reindeer handle that is not very ergonomic though and a few other problems. The bushcraft knife makers in England took the best designs if the pukko and improved on it making the bushcraft knife.
The first model of the Britisj bushcraft knife on the commercial market was financed by the TV survivalist Ray Mears. He called it the “Woodlore”. It became so popular that there’s still a ten year waiting list to buy one as there’s only one guy with the skill to hand make them. Google “woodlore knife” if you’re interested.
As there was a demand for this new knife the bushcraft community choose one of the world’s best survival knife makers, Stephen Wade Cox, and got him to produce a knife on the exact specs as the a Woodlore. I got one of the first generation ones that has handles(scales) make from dark Iroko wood that was many centuries old when harvested in the 16th Century and then hardened further for 300 years as the pews of an African church that was being demolished. Pretty much the hardest and most stable wood in the world. Beautiful too.
Anyway, the pattern of the bushcraft or any authentic bushcraft knife must be as follows:
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A full tang blade made from high carbon steel; preferably a high grade tool steel from the billet
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A wide scandi grind going the length from the handle to the tip. The grind should be extremely sharp - grinded and polished with increasing king fine grit. I use the Japanese water stones used to sharpen Japanese swords traditionally. I work my way down to a 10,000 grit then I polish with a special ultrafine grit paste and strop on leather, then polish with a synthetic material to give that mirror shine that cuts paper with ease.
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Two “loveless” brass or some people like titanium rivets and a lanyard hole with brass inner.
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An extremely thick blade(at minimum 5/16 inch) that is often tapered towards the handle to make the knife perfectly balanced. The thickness is maintained until it reaches the single bevel then it goes on a straight line as the scandi grind.
All of the above is further strengthened by using expoxy resin to hold the handle(scales) and rivets, lanyard inner in place.
As I said, I’m a collector of bushcraft knives. When I get the chance I’ll post some pics. I have a Spyderco bushcraft with black micarta handle - great knife even though it’s made in Taiwan, Condor Bushlore - great for the $ and can be made very respectable with some sandpaper and oil and beeswax, a L T Wright Genesis, the Steven Wade Cox one I posted in another thread.
Attached is a miniature bushcraft knife a friend made for me. The handles are top grade elephant tusk with a nice tusk disc attached to the leather lanyard. It had red spacers between the handles and the blade. It’s a shame the pic didn’t come out well. I’ll post another pic to show how thick the tool steel blade is. Yes, I’m a scandi grind man for sure. Nothing is sharper, stronger, more reliable and easy to clean than a scandi grind. I’ve been using these knives for years.
