Choosing the right Bushcraft Knife

A bushcraft knife is a very individual thing, we all have our preferences, but when we look at a bushcraft knife there are a few pointers that I think most people will agree on.. Iit’s important to carefully consider what jobs you’ll need your knife for, and there are knives made specifically for certain jobs, for example skinning and filleting. For Bushmen who rely heavily on their knives as all-purpose tools, there are a few things to look for in an all pourpouse bushcraft knife. A Bushcraft knife is generally suited for light and medium duties, such as skinning game, general food preparation, carving wood, cooking, making feather sticks, shaving tinder and so on. You can choose these in either fixed blade or a folder, but generally a fixed blade is best for endurance and for reliability.as your knife needs to be able to withstand splitting heavy wood, chopping through  branches, prepping material to make a shelter, splitting wood for the fire

KEY FEATURES:

BLADES
Bushcraft knives are generally about 4 to 5 inches long, which is a good compromise between size and dexterity. As we talked about, you’ll want a knivs for finer work so a small or medium sized blade allows you to do finer work than a large blade.  I still refrain from buying anything larger than 6-8 inches, but again this is a personal preference, partially determined by your environment. There are exceptions where you choose a machette or perang over an axe for chopping

ALLOY
There are many types of alloys which are used to make the blades. Most often you’ll have to choose between stainless steel for your blade, or carbon steel. As a rule of thumb, carbon steel is harder than stainless steel and will stay sharp longer. Most people prefer carbon steel for this very reason, as having to resharpen your blades continuously is rather inconvenient to say the least. The downside is once carbon steel is dull, it’s more difficult to resharpen. Stainless steel also tends to cost more, because it’s more complicated to manufacture than other types of steel. A warning to the wise, some people believe stainless steel is impervious to rust. This is not true, so caring for your knife, wether you choose stainless or carbon steel, properly is important regardless.

GRIND
One last thing we need to know about blades is the grind. This is the shape of the sharp edge. The two most common are the Scandinavian grind or scandi grind, and the Flat grind. The scandi grind is used on thinner blades that require a very sharp, keen edge, where the flat grind is usually found on thicker blades. The flat grind will not dull quite as fast, but the tradeoff is it’s not as sharp, but only mildly so. Neither are difficult to resharpen.

HANDLE
The Tang is the part of the blade that sticks into the handle. This is where the handle attaches to the blade. This is one area where you should not compromise because it greatly affects the strength and durability of your knife. Look for what is called a Full Tang. The blade and tang are one solid piece of steel. A full tang is the same size as the handles, and the handle is often visible around the edge of the handle. Generally the handle is two pieces sandwiched around the tang. Some knives have a hidden full tang, so it’s not as apparent, but always check, if you’re not sure.
Stay away from those “survival knives” with the hollow handle full of useless tools. This greatly compromises strength and is not suitable for serious outdoor work.

As far as handles go for your bushcraft knife, you’ll want one that fits comfortably in your hand and offers a grip that will not be slippery, especially when wet. There are hundreds of knives that look stunning with a fancy, designer handle, but in the back country, your outdoors knife needs function over form first. Stag bone, seems to be a popular choice. Ask around for the best bushcraft knife recommendations from someone you trust, try some out, borrow from friends if you can. Your knives will get wet, so you may want to see how it performs under different conditions, you dont want it slipping out of your hands! You will know if the handle is for you after working with it for a few hours.

FURTHER INFORMATION
For more information on Knives and the specialists that make them, there are two great sites/forums where you can learn everything there is to know about knives. You can even purchase custom built knives there too.
They are UK Blades forum and European Blades forum.

Kind regards
Shiver