Aurora or North Star?

BlackKnight86

BlackKnight86

Say my name, cheesers!
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Oct 14, 2003
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I've heard both referred to as the quintessential Bushcraft knife. Looking at the specs, it looks like they're very similar...same steel, same width, same pointed blade shape - Aurora has slightly longer blade and a bit longer handle. North Star appears to be angled down slightly. What would the key functional difference between the two be? Is it just the lengths - essentially a "how does it fit your hand" question? Or is there something more?

And what makes a blade a good bushcraft blade? 4-5" blade for finer work? Point for boring holes? Saber grind? Is there anything else key, or is the category "bushcraft" not really as specific a category - as far as knife characteristics - that folks sometimes make it sound?

Thanks!
 
I had a nebula which is slightly smaller then the aurora, it was a great blade but the handle was too slim for me.
 
I much prefer the Aurora over the Northstar because of the handle. The Northstar handle is sort of a straight wedge shape tapering toward the blade with nothing to keep your finger from sliding onto the blade. The Aurora has a shaped handle with palm swells and small swell at the lower front to keep you finger off the blade. Aurora is definately a bigger knife.
 
I'm mixed on the aurora. It's a step in the right direction, but the proportions on the handle are off. It's long in an effort to promote comfort in different grips, but ends up being a bit less comfortable in most of them as a sacrifice. A little thin closer to the blade too.

Out of the two, if you've got small hands, go for the northstar.
 
I think of the Northstar as a sort of minimalist bush knife. The blade is almost as large as that of the Aurora, but the handle is considerably smaller. Consequently, the Northstar is lighter and easier to pack. However, the larger handle of the Aurora makes it easier to execute the heavier duty chores you may face in the wild. The Aurora is a no compromise bushcraft knife.
 
i have the nebula (the stick tang version of the aurora) and it is an awesome knife. i have canned-ham hands though, so that may be something.

the large heavily contoured handle feels great and offers alot of comfort and no worry about slipping around or losing my grip. the blade shape is great, and the convexed scandi grind is great. it has a really robust tip and is a very sturdy knife. i regularly baton mine and it has had no issues at all. it is even pretty enough for me to wear to weddings with my suit. i have the antique linen micarta version, in stainless. this means it stays minty fresh looking even after a long weekend in the woods. i'd like to have it in A2, but this stainless is holding up to its reputation.

my impression of the northstar through limited use is that the handle is not nearly as comfortable and i never felt entirely secure using it, as though it would not take much for me to slip up onto the blade. the blade shape is also great, and it has a full convex grind instead of the scandi type, but i have found that both cut great.
 
On paper the Aurora and the Northstar look pretty close in dimension. Having owned both, I can tell you that the Aurora is bigger in all the right places. Those little measurements make a huge difference. The Northstars that I owned were always a bit small for my hand (and I do not have large hands). The Aurora is a handful. I like everything about it.

I sold my Northstars but still own the Aurora.
 
I also sold my northstars..I have bought 4 over the years! they keep calling..I really love the knife, but once I own it..it stays in the trunk, and the Aurora goes for the ride. I say Aurora..the Nebula is almost the same..slightly thinner handle and wider swell near the blade..actually, I liked the grind on the Nebula better. But the handle/ blade combo of the Aurora is a the best by far. Gene
 
When I was considering between the two, I asked on the Other Forum, and the answer I got was the Aurora is the one made to fit human hands.

Put another way, if you have medium-small hands the Northstar will probably be fine. If you have medium hands, the Aurora might not fit perfectly, but it does just about everything well. If you have large-huge hands (like me), the Aurora fits perfectly.

I posted a review of the Aurora around here somewhere. The short version is, I batoned it through some old, seasoned birch that gave everything but a full size axe trouble. The baton was destroyed in the process, the wood was split, and the Aurora didn't have so much as a scratch from it all.
 
I have both.

I think the Aurora is a fine blade. However for me it seems long and thin. The handle has the right contour but for me the palm swell is too far back on the handle for me due to the length.

I like the Northstar. It is more compact and seems like (to me) I can use it less clumsily than the Aurora. The problem with the Northstar is some larger handed folks find the handle too short, and with the shape of the handle and the way the G10 and Wood is polished if you hand is slippery it CAN slip up onto the blade:eek:

Still, I don't run into those wet situations often and my Northstar has had WAY more use than my Aurora.
 
Black Night 86 Have you ever thought about getting a custom to your liking
The few pics I have of a knife I made for a fellow who wanted a custom
knife made for him. His knife has an Aurora look. The customer had some thoughts on waht would make his perfect bushcraft knife. He sent me his drawing and the spects that he wanted for his knife. Blade length 4.5" long by 5/32" thick 0-1 steel the blade width at 15/16" wide and a 5" handle with the tan micarta for the scales. Then he wanted a palm swell with spects like the ends of the handle .630 for the width and the middle .850 for its width. I was not sure how that would all feel this was the first time I have such spects like this for the handle. But it did feel really preety good to me I like a 4.5" long handle the best. that extra 1/2" was ok to me. Anyways when you make up or mind between the two knives or want something extra or something different maybe a custom is the next step.

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Not a bad looking knife for less than a $100. If I could help you out let me know.

Bryan
 
cool looking knife bryan..:thumbup:

i have had a northstar for years.. i love it.. it's an awesome all around bush knife... i have never handled the aurora, though i think it looks cool, i do think that the handle would be too big for my liking...:o
 
I have big hands too. I found that nearly all the bushy type BRKT's where way too small for them. I love the Highland Special, but nicked my index finger nearly every time I had it in my hand. I will say I have used guardless knives for years and have really grown to love them, so guardless is no problem. Funny thing all of my buddies here have hands about the same size as mine so what gives? Do manufacturers make smaller handles to save materials??? I think about 4 1/4 would be the absolute min. for me and that would be pushing it a bit for heavy use. 4.5 would give me a tiny bit of room to work around dif. grips and such. All IMO.
 
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I find that the Northstar fits my medium-sized hands okay, although the blockiness of the butt is slightly irritating. I find myself gravitating unconsciously to a 3 -finger grip when using it, with my pinky curled around the butt. This probably indicates the need for a larger handle, but I still like the knife.
 
I own a pair of Northstar's & love 'em so my vote is for the NS ..I will hopefully own a Aurora one day . BRK&T are great so it is a great choice either way.
 
Hi Mike thanks for the comments on the knife I made.
Blade frenzy The guy who wanted the knife must have some pretty big
hands to order that long of a handle. This last weekend I invited a customer to come out to where I make knives. He was a pretty big guy his hands were way bigger than mine. Well when he got here on sunday we chatted about what he wanted in a handle length ,after he tried the 4" and the 4.25" and
4.5", 4.75" and 5". He said the 4.75" felt the best. I am with ya on the med. sized hands the 4.25" is the minamal. I like the 4.5" long handle and it fits me the best. Why so many knives and there makers make small handle I do not know. It does not make sense.

Bryan
 
Thanks for the comments, guys!

Sicily02, that's a beautiful knife...yes, I've thought about customs a lot. The thing is, I just don't know what I'd like it to look like, in terms of functionality. I like the looks of your knife, though...

My problem is, I don't think I've really pushed a knife to the point where I'm able to learn what I really need from the experience...at least not to a great extent. I've got a number of production knives that I enjoy; but they run a wide range of styles...it depends on my usage. I've got some knives with short handles, and my hands are fairly big; but for how I use them, short handles do not seem to cause a problem. In fact, it makes them better for some types of finer work. But I have not done a lot of "bushcraft"...not really. I'd like to start, though. I was looking at the BRKT for their reputation, which is what led me to ask my initial question.

So, Sicily02...if a new customer came to you and said, "I'd like a good bushcraft knife for a person who wants to learn; but I don't know what I want it to look like", what would you advise him?
 
I have an '07 LE N S - pretty, and missing it's tang extension/lanyard slot. It got my forefinger the first time I used it. The dropped point is better for drilling than the straighter Fox River I have, which I prefer over the N S. Even better to me, safety and hand fit- wise (medium+ hands), is the Gameskeeper. Sadly, I really like the N S - and, for now, have no plans on selling it - the Barkies are just keepers!

Stainz
 
Black night My suggestion is get the BOS knife and if you need info on it contact Bear the dog here on the forums he is about a bushcrafty as any I know. He can give you the heads up on bush craft 101 skills for someone just starting out. He called me the other day and we chatted about about this very thing someone just getting into bushcraft and what knife to go with. The BOS knife is the way to go. You can see pics of the BOS knife at Off the map outfitters. Brian Andrews has that web site he just got in a 2 of BOS knives from me yesterday.

Bryan
 
BlackKnight86 said:
My problem is, I don't think I've really pushed a knife to the point where I'm able to learn what I really need from the experience...at least not to a great extent. I've got a number of production knives that I enjoy; but they run a wide range of styles...it depends on my usage. I've got some knives with short handles, and my hands are fairly big; but for how I use them, short handles do not seem to cause a problem. In fact, it makes them better for some types of finer work. But I have not done a lot of "bushcraft"...not really. I'd like to start, though. I was looking at the BRKT for their reputation, which is what led me to ask my initial question.
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This, in my opinion, is one of the most useful things about Moras. People here can easily recommend them because you won't have to break the bank, but you'll have a sharp, easy-to-maintain blade that will serve you well while you decide what you do and don't need out of a knife. You won't be afraid to use the crap out of it either, since it'll run you a whole ten bucks. They can be made as sharp as anything else, and will work juuust fine at 'bushcraft'. Here are some Mora's:
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