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- Feb 23, 2000
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"I have a Skrama", was the write up I did for another forum. I thought it must have been well documented here are its pretty great, but after a search I couldn't find much. So here is a bit of a rehash of what I wrote:
Skrama:
Its not often when someone comes up with a design that is unusual, though something that we have been asking for for yonks but didn't quite know what we wanted. Well in the Skrama they have made something that answers a whole lot of wants and all in one package. Its a camp chopper, small hatchet, billhook, snedding parang, hardwood machete, and whittler all in one.
We all know the Martindale Golock and many of us bludgeoned our way through a forest or two with one. Sadly, they have some real limitations and for me they really don't hold a good edge, if at all, and any edge doesn't last long. Well I like to think of the Skrama as a thinking man's golock because its a better animal/tool altogether in design, materials, and utility.
Here it is:
The Grip:
Firstly the Skrama has a through tang and its a a meaty one. It sorts the balance out perfectly and not going to break, and its never going to come out of the grip. The man made rubber is of a very high quality that not only gives a superb grip but is going to last the life of the blade. Ergonomically its excellent, and I've used mine for hours without any hot spots and thats without gloves. It does everything you would want it to in heaps.
The reason the Skrama is so clever is that it has a hand and a half, read long, handle, that gives various grip positions. Most choppers are forward biased being blade heavy. The Skrama can be choked up and feel neutral. As it not unduly heavy it can do the finer tasks like feather sticks will ample control. In fact it has two grinds with one short finer section towards the grip for just such use; a very nice detail. Can't think of anything that does this as well other than a parang and then thats because parangs can be held to give a neutral balance by the central shaft. The Skrama's grip is excellent wherever you hold it and when held towards the rear end gives the velocity for deep chopping.
All very clever and really works well. Basically its a tool that would compliment an axe as easily as compliment a small knife. Made by Fins, who know a thing or two about forests and wood, its businesslike qualities are obvious.
Next, the Steel:
Its 80CrV2, 59 HRC. Its a tough steel and great choice for this kind of thing. I haven't put it in a vice and tried with a scaffolding pole extension to bend or break it. Can't see the point of that. I'm sure this thickness will be well tricky to be forced to fail. I haven't tried cutting breeze blocks with it either. If you must then break them with the with the spine. The edge is done keen so might may well take some damage if you hit something stupid hard. Its for working in the woods not a scrap yard. For the work its expected to be use for the steel and hardness are an excellent choice and well up to the task. Importantly the Skrama is man enough for European woodland use, which most machetes aren't. Its on the keen grind side so is a cutter rather than an axe chipper. Far superior to what I would expect at this price point. It comes "hell" sharp from the start.
Weight:
The Skrama comes in at under 1.2 lbs. A GB Small Forest Axe are 2lbs; GB Wildlife Axe 1.3lbs; Martidale Golock 1.25lbs; ESEE Junglas 1.4lbs. So its really not bad to carry being on the lighter side of "choppers". That weight makes it very controllable especially in the choked up grip which gives it such versatility.
Finish:
One of the things that makes this tool so attractive is it is "fugly". It is all functional and practical, with a business like finish that is well executed. Who wants to have money spent on something that is going to have to take a real beating and going to be covered in tree resin and muck? Its foremost a work tool and its ready for work from the start. No alterations, sanding, customising, finishing, or messing about required. I'm delighted the money has gone into the steel, quality of handle material, and not spent on anything not needed. Its kept the ticket price at a reachable level too.
Sheath:
The Skrama is offered with three options: a very basic plastic sheath (that fits the British Army Frog), a leather, and a Molle compatible cover to the base basic. The leather and Molle add to the costs. I'm a fan of the leather one:
The leather version is a leather cover for the plastic sheath, with dangler. As a carry system goes its excellent. The leather is vegetable dyed and nicely done. Both the leather and rivet fittings are mid quality wise though plenty adequate and will do absolutely fine. Looks well smart and no reason it won't last years and years; depends how you look after it.
For those who have the skill, or leather worker contact, then there is room for a custom quality to up the game further. The leather sheath option does add to the ticket price by quite a bit. However, I'm a fan of the plastic insert system for what is after all to carry a work tool and non stainless blade. This kind of tool is going to get mucky.
The British Army Scabbard is plenty good enough too.
Cost:
Well mine came in at under £60 base model with the Bushcraftuk discount from the only place you can get them; for $ then whatever the exchange rate is but even with post its not sell the kidney time:
https://www.varusteleka.com/en/category/tools-and-knives/417
Safety:
This blade may well be more controllable than some, but then you wouldn't want to get it wrong. Its a powerful tool and not going to take prisoners. It comes scary sharp and best kept that way, but it does have some weight so comes with some danger as is. This kind of weight, once it has some momentum, will take some stopping. Just don't put anything in its way you don't want cut deeply, because deeply it will go.
Same goes for many tools, but this one I think has more bite than most. Respect it.
Summary:
What it is for:
Its for all those smaller chopping tasks. It sneds and chops all the poles that a temporary camp construction could need. It can de-limb the poles, clear off small branches, and clear an area of all the annoying small stuff. Its keen bevel cuts deep into soft material and the three grips gives those cuts real control, far more than any kukri or machete. I found I naturally took up the correct grip that best suited the power and control I wanted for any given chop. I can't praise enough the neutral balance which gives smaller jobs the necessary dexterity that so many other blades just don't. At 1.2 lbs it can be driven without the usual total commitment that other heavier weight forward tools demand. Its also long enough to give it some reach and the real velocity with a rear grip that machete users so like. Clearing stuff was easy. What I like most is I wasn't forever trying to check the chop as I so often have to do with weight forward designs. It kind of chose the right power to get the job done without flying away once through.
I did sliced through most of the green stuff I tackled and on thicker stock it didn't jam much at all. I got no annoying vibration when it stopped dead, which for many thinner blades is just horrid (Cold Steel machete and such).
I gave it to my son, who knows enough about using blades. Immediately he said "its fugly". He also noted the neutral balance and was an immediate fan.
Its OK at battoning medium to small stuff, as good as any big knife.
It excelled at sharpening stakes and sticks. Its a big blade that behaves and being on the keen sharp side the control is very reassuring.
What its not: its not an axe. It cuts but does not have the grind to chip out wood chunks like an axe head does. My son agreed it was enough for poles but not for big heavy construction logs. Build yourself a camp but not a log cabin. If you want to fell a large tree use an axe, or saw. Its not a splitting maul either. Try and tackle something too hard and thick and its limitations are very apparent. On anything that it can slice through then its great.
I've yet to hit a rock with it so haven't put any noticeable damage on the edge. I haven't had to sharpen or touch it up yet either and I've done plenty of work with mine already.
It would certainly compliment an axe, as it does a whole lot of things better than any axe. For traveling light it would do enough so that you could leave the axe behind and halve the carry weight. (Both axe and Skrama are better when complimented with a saw). I think a Skrama would do well in the jungle too; just that I don't have one on my doorstep to prove so.
Lastly, there is a more stainless version which for boating, and tools left in the wet as on a daily use quod bike in Wales or Scotland, might well be the better option. I doubt anyone would really know the performance difference to worry much steel wise. They do two Puukko's to compliment it, and they are pretty keenly priced too.
Here is one on my forest camp pack:
Skrama:
Its not often when someone comes up with a design that is unusual, though something that we have been asking for for yonks but didn't quite know what we wanted. Well in the Skrama they have made something that answers a whole lot of wants and all in one package. Its a camp chopper, small hatchet, billhook, snedding parang, hardwood machete, and whittler all in one.
We all know the Martindale Golock and many of us bludgeoned our way through a forest or two with one. Sadly, they have some real limitations and for me they really don't hold a good edge, if at all, and any edge doesn't last long. Well I like to think of the Skrama as a thinking man's golock because its a better animal/tool altogether in design, materials, and utility.
Here it is:
The Grip:
Firstly the Skrama has a through tang and its a a meaty one. It sorts the balance out perfectly and not going to break, and its never going to come out of the grip. The man made rubber is of a very high quality that not only gives a superb grip but is going to last the life of the blade. Ergonomically its excellent, and I've used mine for hours without any hot spots and thats without gloves. It does everything you would want it to in heaps.
The reason the Skrama is so clever is that it has a hand and a half, read long, handle, that gives various grip positions. Most choppers are forward biased being blade heavy. The Skrama can be choked up and feel neutral. As it not unduly heavy it can do the finer tasks like feather sticks will ample control. In fact it has two grinds with one short finer section towards the grip for just such use; a very nice detail. Can't think of anything that does this as well other than a parang and then thats because parangs can be held to give a neutral balance by the central shaft. The Skrama's grip is excellent wherever you hold it and when held towards the rear end gives the velocity for deep chopping.
All very clever and really works well. Basically its a tool that would compliment an axe as easily as compliment a small knife. Made by Fins, who know a thing or two about forests and wood, its businesslike qualities are obvious.
Next, the Steel:
Its 80CrV2, 59 HRC. Its a tough steel and great choice for this kind of thing. I haven't put it in a vice and tried with a scaffolding pole extension to bend or break it. Can't see the point of that. I'm sure this thickness will be well tricky to be forced to fail. I haven't tried cutting breeze blocks with it either. If you must then break them with the with the spine. The edge is done keen so might may well take some damage if you hit something stupid hard. Its for working in the woods not a scrap yard. For the work its expected to be use for the steel and hardness are an excellent choice and well up to the task. Importantly the Skrama is man enough for European woodland use, which most machetes aren't. Its on the keen grind side so is a cutter rather than an axe chipper. Far superior to what I would expect at this price point. It comes "hell" sharp from the start.
Weight:
The Skrama comes in at under 1.2 lbs. A GB Small Forest Axe are 2lbs; GB Wildlife Axe 1.3lbs; Martidale Golock 1.25lbs; ESEE Junglas 1.4lbs. So its really not bad to carry being on the lighter side of "choppers". That weight makes it very controllable especially in the choked up grip which gives it such versatility.
Finish:
One of the things that makes this tool so attractive is it is "fugly". It is all functional and practical, with a business like finish that is well executed. Who wants to have money spent on something that is going to have to take a real beating and going to be covered in tree resin and muck? Its foremost a work tool and its ready for work from the start. No alterations, sanding, customising, finishing, or messing about required. I'm delighted the money has gone into the steel, quality of handle material, and not spent on anything not needed. Its kept the ticket price at a reachable level too.
Sheath:
The Skrama is offered with three options: a very basic plastic sheath (that fits the British Army Frog), a leather, and a Molle compatible cover to the base basic. The leather and Molle add to the costs. I'm a fan of the leather one:
The leather version is a leather cover for the plastic sheath, with dangler. As a carry system goes its excellent. The leather is vegetable dyed and nicely done. Both the leather and rivet fittings are mid quality wise though plenty adequate and will do absolutely fine. Looks well smart and no reason it won't last years and years; depends how you look after it.
For those who have the skill, or leather worker contact, then there is room for a custom quality to up the game further. The leather sheath option does add to the ticket price by quite a bit. However, I'm a fan of the plastic insert system for what is after all to carry a work tool and non stainless blade. This kind of tool is going to get mucky.
The British Army Scabbard is plenty good enough too.
Cost:
Well mine came in at under £60 base model with the Bushcraftuk discount from the only place you can get them; for $ then whatever the exchange rate is but even with post its not sell the kidney time:
https://www.varusteleka.com/en/category/tools-and-knives/417
Safety:
This blade may well be more controllable than some, but then you wouldn't want to get it wrong. Its a powerful tool and not going to take prisoners. It comes scary sharp and best kept that way, but it does have some weight so comes with some danger as is. This kind of weight, once it has some momentum, will take some stopping. Just don't put anything in its way you don't want cut deeply, because deeply it will go.
Same goes for many tools, but this one I think has more bite than most. Respect it.
Summary:
What it is for:
Its for all those smaller chopping tasks. It sneds and chops all the poles that a temporary camp construction could need. It can de-limb the poles, clear off small branches, and clear an area of all the annoying small stuff. Its keen bevel cuts deep into soft material and the three grips gives those cuts real control, far more than any kukri or machete. I found I naturally took up the correct grip that best suited the power and control I wanted for any given chop. I can't praise enough the neutral balance which gives smaller jobs the necessary dexterity that so many other blades just don't. At 1.2 lbs it can be driven without the usual total commitment that other heavier weight forward tools demand. Its also long enough to give it some reach and the real velocity with a rear grip that machete users so like. Clearing stuff was easy. What I like most is I wasn't forever trying to check the chop as I so often have to do with weight forward designs. It kind of chose the right power to get the job done without flying away once through.
I did sliced through most of the green stuff I tackled and on thicker stock it didn't jam much at all. I got no annoying vibration when it stopped dead, which for many thinner blades is just horrid (Cold Steel machete and such).
I gave it to my son, who knows enough about using blades. Immediately he said "its fugly". He also noted the neutral balance and was an immediate fan.
Its OK at battoning medium to small stuff, as good as any big knife.
It excelled at sharpening stakes and sticks. Its a big blade that behaves and being on the keen sharp side the control is very reassuring.
What its not: its not an axe. It cuts but does not have the grind to chip out wood chunks like an axe head does. My son agreed it was enough for poles but not for big heavy construction logs. Build yourself a camp but not a log cabin. If you want to fell a large tree use an axe, or saw. Its not a splitting maul either. Try and tackle something too hard and thick and its limitations are very apparent. On anything that it can slice through then its great.
I've yet to hit a rock with it so haven't put any noticeable damage on the edge. I haven't had to sharpen or touch it up yet either and I've done plenty of work with mine already.
It would certainly compliment an axe, as it does a whole lot of things better than any axe. For traveling light it would do enough so that you could leave the axe behind and halve the carry weight. (Both axe and Skrama are better when complimented with a saw). I think a Skrama would do well in the jungle too; just that I don't have one on my doorstep to prove so.
Lastly, there is a more stainless version which for boating, and tools left in the wet as on a daily use quod bike in Wales or Scotland, might well be the better option. I doubt anyone would really know the performance difference to worry much steel wise. They do two Puukko's to compliment it, and they are pretty keenly priced too.
Here is one on my forest camp pack:
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