Your favorite bushcraft knife with 3 to 5 in. blade?

[TXscout]

I really like my Busse Skeleton Warden:

 

[Jeff S1]

My favorites and most used field knives:
Birch bark scandi I made: very sharp & classic barrel shape is VERY commfy! Fallkniven F1: just about perfect in many ways. Pure function in the F1. Buck 105 Pathfinder I use for deer hunting & removed the upper guard for better control. Blind Horse Bushcrafter...which may be the best quality knife for the money out there. I really like this one & use it the most when out doors.

 

[chenko]

I love both the skandi-edged Moras or Bushcraft by Dan Koster and the full-convex Bravo-1 by BRK&T. Very different types of knives, but they all perform great.

 

[randomlooker]

I just got it, but so far I'm really liking this BRKT Rising Wolf.

 

[bcornelis]

Charles May Big Woods
Swamprat RMD
Dozier Master Hunter
Fallkniven S1
Bob Lay Canadian Hunter

 

[Fiddleback]

my fiddleback bushcraft jr!!! speaking of which i need andy to pretty her up again.

Man! Thats an old one. Prettying up service is free. Send her in and pay return shipping. Anytime.

This is what im using at the moment ,one of mine:thumbup:

Bondy, thats fine work. Nice one.

I am quite torn by a couple at the moment at I don't want to decide.

One is the super light, skinny (3/32") Anorexic Terrasaur.

And the other is my slim jim.

B

Both fantastic. Great work Brian.

I actually, finally, own one of mine. Loving it too. I've used this one to skin some Maple, that I once again have cut intending to do a bow.

And Chris and I did a bunch of Bushcrafting with this Recluse.

 

[Warriorsociologist]

Current / Was = SRKT Howling Rat (original, Gen 1)
Likely new favorite = Koster 3V Bushmaster (we'll see after this season of use)

Well, I figured I should have posted a pic of my newcomer to go along with the pics of everyone else's blades. This one is still a virgin and has only seen a coat of Obenauf's LP. Again, it's a Koster CPM-3V Bushmaster (Burgundy Canvas Micarta + black liners + brass pins). I'll be using it in less than a month for a little over a week straight on my next trip to the BWCAW -- so afterwards I'll have a better feel for its actual performance. Based on feel alone so far, though IMHO its blade needn't be this thick (3/16"), I have high expectations.

 

[mtnfolk mike]

sure.. i'll post these favorite's up again, plus a few others..



convexed bushcrafter by knifemaker Mark Wohlwend..

Ray Laconico/Mark Wohlwend collaboration, un-scandi bushcrafter..

Fiddleback Forge "Terrasaur" bushcraft knife.. sheath made by me.. this knife is amazing..

Bushcraft Northwest BCNW-O1.. and Blindhorseknives "boat tail scandi"..

cheers.. Mike

 

[Ron Athay]

Here are three of my favorites.

They are BRKT Nebula, BRKT FT Kepart, and BA Bushcrafter.

 

[Mentor]

My favourite knives in that range are:

My EDC Scandi, which has a short, thin blade with a wide edge. It is great for fuzz-sticking, notching, and most basic cutting tasks.

A Grohmann DH Russell No.1 or No.2. Below is a shot of my No.2 with carbon steel and a traditional grind. I also have a No. 1 in stainless with a flat grind. They are both terrific slicers, and they are great for woodworking and camp chores. The No. 2 (bird and trout) is useful for cleaning my shore lunch.

Lately, I have been carrying either my JK Anniversary Knife or my JK ACEK as a primary belt knife on wilderness outings. They are both great for bushcraft, and they have more heft than the above blades. The ACEK is a little over 5" in length, with a bit of a Nessmuk-meets-Mora 2000 design. I intended it to be an effective all-around bushcrafter, and so far it hasn't disappointed.

And, last but not least, here's a shot of my Delta 5 (a kit knife designed by Darrel Ralph). Yeah, it's AUS-8, and yeah, it has a hollow grind (!!), but I used almost exclusively for the better part of a year as part of my Nessmuk Trio challenge, and it does a fine job in the bush. A flat-ground model with thicker handles would be damn-near ideal, in my opinion.

All the best,

- Mike

 

[mountainranger]

Warriorsociologist,
I was very interested in the Koster CPM-3V Bushmaster. Wanted a CPM-3V blade, liked the blade shape and handle shape. However, I read and heard terrible things about Dan Koster's service - basically tons of owners said that if you need any repair service, you're out of luck, as he focuses only on new orders. I'm not speaking from my own experience, but from what I read and heard. 3 owners of this knife that I PMed responded with the same and all 3 said they would not buy from him again. I was so disappointed as I thought that knife was very close to what I was looking for.

Were you not concerned about the lack of support and service?

 

[Esav Benyamin]

Were you not concerned about the lack of support and service?

Perhaps ... the reported lack of support and service?

It's easier to report someone else's negative review than to speak from one's own experience -- none of us has all that much experience. But especially when using colloquial, hyperbolic negatives (tons of owners?) you should balance questioning his service with a respect for the possibility that so many positive experiences may outweigh the negative. -- He keeps on selling a lot of knives.

I don't know. I have seen Dan admit to slipping up. He gets himself into overwork situations. I'd like to keep that in context, though, and keep it where he can speak to the issues for himself.

 

[mountainranger]

Esav Benyamin,

Don't disagree - I pointed out it wasn't my experience, but the experience of many posters (not a few) I read on the forums and several I PMed. The warnings I received by PM were very strongly worded.

I'm highly interested in this knife and asking a valid question - I just want to know if anyone can get any support for repairs/defects from Koster. Because if your are buying this knife as a real user, you are going to need that support one day.

Does Koster stand behind his knives and support his customers? Do owners of Koster knives have to get their knives repaired elsewhere, and if so, where do you get your repairs done?

I strongly support cottage gear manufacturers - I've bought from many before, but always try to buy from ones who stand by their products.

One great thing your hear about Bark River, besides the quality and workmanship, is the ironclad support and service. If Bark River had a similar 4-4.5 in. blade in CPM-3V with a handle like this, I'd snap it up in a second. Basically an Aurora in CPM-3V with a thinner handle, or a 4 in. Gunny or Nebula in CPM-3V with a 4-4.5 in. blade (the CPM-3V Liten Bror handle isn't comfortable in my hand - not deep enough).

 

[CUTS LIKE A KRIS]

Esav Benyamin,

Don't disagree - I pointed out it wasn't my experience, but the experience of many posters (not a few) I read on the forums and several I PMed. The warnings I received by PM were very strongly worded.

I'm highly interested in this knife and asking a valid question - I just want to know if anyone can get any support for repairs/defects from Koster. Because if your are buying this knife as a real user, you are going to need that support one day.

Does Koster stand behind his knives and support his customers? Do owners of Koster knives have to get their knives repaired elsewhere, and if so, where do you get your repairs done?

I strongly support cottage gear manufacturers - I've bought from many before, but always try to buy from ones who stand by their products.

One great thing your hear about Bark River, besides the quality and workmanship, is the ironclad support and service. If Bark River had a similar 4-4.5 in. blade in CPM-3V with a handle like this, I'd snap it up in a second. Basically an Aurora in CPM-3V with a thinner handle, or a 4 in. Gunny or Nebula in CPM-3V with a 4-4.5 in. blade (the CPM-3V Liten Bror handle isn't comfortable in my hand - not deep enough).

This would likely be a good thread for GB&U rather than this one (plus BRKT by far is not ironclad).

 

[revolverman357]

I really like these two:

 

[Joezilla]

Brian, ready to take one of those anorexic Terrasaurs off your hands whenever you are!

These things are LITE!! And still able to take an immense beating! I love mine!

 

[Warriorsociologist]

Warriorsociologist,
I was very interested in the Koster CPM-3V Bushmaster. Wanted a CPM-3V blade, liked the blade shape and handle shape. However, I read and heard terrible things about Dan Koster's service - basically tons of owners said that if you need any repair service, you're out of luck, as he focuses only on new orders. I'm not speaking from my own experience, but from what I read and heard. 3 owners of this knife that I PMed responded with the same and all 3 said they would not buy from him again. I was so disappointed as I thought that knife was very close to what I was looking for.

Were you not concerned about the lack of support and service?

Am I concerned with service -- well, possibly. I doubt I'll ever need it. I have also received a number of PMs on the topic. Personally, that's the way I'd prefer to write about this any further.

 

[pitdog]

Seems some people think this is whine and cheese, LOL, let's try and bring it back on track.

My current favourite small blade:

 

[jds1]

A 3" blade seems to be about perfect for my needs and I really like back pocket carry. I got this one a couple of weeks ago and I REALLY like it. It's been living in my KSF pocket sheath. Good handle to blade ratio, very useful blade shape with a perfect tip for detail work.

Jeff

 

[Fletcher Knives]

I thought about what my perfect bushcraft knife would be and made it. The Delta Foxtrot is by far my favorite. The only thing I changed on the newer Delta Foxtrots was to make the canvas micarta handles rougher. Now it's the perfect amount of grippy no matter what gets on it.

Followed closely by my Fiddleback Bushcrafter, Koster Nessmuck, and ESEE RC-4.