Bargain Bushcraft Knife?

Horn Dog

Horn Dog

Joined
Sep 9, 2005
Messages
4,363
You know him. You love him. He always has stuff on sale that you never realized you needed. Polish commando sweaters, Mexican fireplaces, genuine pith helmets, and now, the Official Kriegsmarine Knife! Okay,the Bund Marine or Navy knife. Only $29.95. It even has an official looking federal stock number. Fool that I am, I ordered a couple. What the heck? The Sportsman's Guide. Seems like nearly everyone gets on his mailing list sooner or later.
Fit and finish was......well not really terrible. My plan was to regrind it and make a light bushcraft blade. Blade is just under 5" long and about 3 mm thick. Handles are some kind of wood. Blade is some kind of steel, but it's German so how bad could it be?
Donges001.jpg

I thought that it should be a bit pointier for drilling, so I ground a more acute point on it.
Donges003.jpg

I could tell from ginding it on my belt sander, that the steel is pretty hard. It eventually took a good sharp edge. I'll be trying it out the next few days just to see how it performs. It came with a plastic lined leather sheath.
Donges002.jpg

Of course, I could have just got another Mora. I'll let y'all know how it works out.:D
 
:thumbup:Not bad. Did you drop the point a bit more on the top one or is that just the pic angle? Looks like a slight recurve too.
 
I lengthened the top taper to the existing point and ground some of the belly straighter to the point. I took the knife out back just to check it out. The sheath is not bad at all.
Donges005.jpg


Well, it cuts this pine easily.

Donges006.jpg


Not the best wood for it, but it can make some slivers and curls for fire starting.

Donges007.jpg


It notches and drills well enough.

Donges008.jpg

Donges009.jpg


It survived some vigorous batonning.

Donges010.jpg

Donges011.jpg

Donges012.jpg


The edge was still plenty sharp after all this.

Donges014.jpg


I flexed it as hard as I dare holding the log between my knees. The blade returned to true. My left hand held the camera.

Donges015.jpg

The knife is fairly comfortable to use. The edges could use some rounding and the rivets could be sanded flush. It seems to be a pretty good knife with some quality steel. Further testing will determine just how good it is.
 
Kewl. That blade design looks like it might be at home in the kitchen too. I'll have to try one.
 
hannibal lecter spyderco said:
what sort of steel is it and where did you order it, nice post :)
Click to expand...


Judging by the lack of sparks and the hardness, I am guessing 12C27 Sanvik Swedish steel. Definitely harder than 440A. Whatever the steel is, it takes a razor edge and seems to hold it pretty well. And it has some "spring" in it. I ordered it from the Sportsman's Guide. Just google Donges knife.
 
Looks like you bagged yourself a bit of a bargain Vic, well spotted !!!

Great pics as usual by the way !!!!!!
 
So... you are thinking stainless?

How has the edge held up so far? Still shaving sharp, or has it degraded?

Thanks... looks like a cool knife...
 
I am pretty sure it is stainless. No sparks while grinding. It acts like the Mora stainless steel, which is 12C27 Sanvik. It is hard and holds an edge pretty well.
 
Impossible! If it didn't cost $400, it obviously isn't any good! ;)
 
reminds me of a couple customs I paid too much for lately, except it seems to take a better edge...
 
I saw that one in the 'Guide, but didn't give it a second look. Seeing your photos, particularly the batoning ones that show the kinfe's handle, make me more interested.

That knife looks fairly ugly in a straight profile view, but seeing the shape of the handle makes it look a lot more appealing.

Overall, I think "kitchen" and "food prep" when I look at it. Interesting.

Thanks for sharing the information,
desmobob
 
Looks great, and the price is a bargain, even if it is 2-3 times the cost of a mora. It appears to be sturdier than one.

BTW, next time you may want to bend the knife away from yourself when testing flex. If it snaps the way you're pushing it, you drive yourself into the knife and any pieces would come towards you. If you pull instead of push, you'd move away from the knife in event of a failure and any shards would move away from you.
 
These knives are called "Matrosenmesser". Rumor has it, that they have no handguards, because sailors get very drunk on shore leave and get into fights easily. So the design is supposed to keep them from stabbing each other.

Your knife (Dönges) is made of 1.4110 steel, which equals 440A. It's not much cheaper in Germany, so you made a good deal.

The company Löwen-Messer offers these in stainless and carbon steel for around 40€. I think these are the best of their kind.

There are also cheap (china?)copies in 420 for around 10€, but I don't dare to try one.
 
I think the design is/was made by various manufacturers with various steels.

As for a bushcraft knife, well doesn't beat a mora.
Mora are so much a knife for the money, they annihilate any attempt to search for a better bargain, that's really unfun, I hate moras cause nothing can rationnally beat them.

Screw rationnality nothing can prevent us to get more knives.

That post about german knife reminds me I steel need to get:
* a mercator
* a gravity knife
* a sodbuster
* some stag auto
 
Ravaillac said:
That post about german knife reminds me I steel need to get:
* a mercator
Click to expand...
www.otter-messer.de

Ravaillac said:
* a gravity knife
Click to expand...

Forbitten in Germany. :( I hope you can find one in France.
I had to throw mine away when the laws changed. :mad:

Ravaillac said:
* a sodbuster
Click to expand...
http://www.messergriffe.de/produkte/index.htm You can ge the so-called Hippekniep with about any Grip-Material you can think of.

Ravaillac said:
* some stag auto
Click to expand...
http://www.roedter-messer.de/hubertus.htm
 
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