Best BUSHCRAFT blade for @ $200?

[Shotgun]

Shotgun, I do not demean your experience in any way.

However, of dozens of knives I own from the Nordic counties, custom, production, and factory, less than 5% came with a so-called "Scandi Grind" popularized by British "bushcrafters": low saber with no secondary bevel whatsoever.

Most with the "Scandi" label had a secondary bevel, a concave primary bevel (Grinding wheels do that.) with secondary bevel, or a convex grind. The custom makers whom I asked said they did not use the British "Scandi Grind" because it was too easily damaged. They were not, of course, thinking of you in particular, and Webster Marble called his thinnest knife the "Expert."

You will recall that those makers will turn out clipped point knives with double guards -- because someone will buy them. Heck, they will even call one of these bowie-style hunters a "puukko."

A Norwegian maker, "Trond," was the mod of the Scandinavian Forum at BritishBlades but finally gave up in part because the British members would not may any attention to him, or the other makers from the Nordic countries, when they tried to explain the problems with the British "Scandi Grind."

Even the Spyderco Puukko" designed by one of the few master makers in Finland came with a secondary bevel (and a handle edge uncomfortably sharp on the bottom edge.)

A large Internet seller of Lauri blades describes them as "traditional Scandi" ground, and they are traditional. Every picture on his site shows the bright line of a secondary bevel on the blades by the largest supplier in Finland. http://www.thompsonsknives.com/lauricarbon.html

So one solution for sellers wishing to satisfy the demand for the "Scandi" grind is to call that they have - overwhelmingly with secondary bevels - "Scandi." After all, they work.

No offense to you but I'm past the semantics debate. If you say "scandi grind" to anyone on this board, they know what it is even if it's not technically Scandinavian. Call it what you like. I'll still use the term "scandi grind."

 

[Thomas Linton]

You and I agree on what "Scandi Grind" is supposed to mean in order to communicate clearly. That is not how the word is used, even here.

From BF

BY a noted maker of "Scandi Grind" knives sold on this forum:

If we are going to get down-n-dirty about micro-bevels....even my zero-bevel scandi-ground knives all have a slight convex "nano"-bevel to them because I strop them as the final step. This has been proven by others smarter than me (with fancier scientific equipment) over and over again.

Other posts from this forum, describing their "Scandi grind/ground" knives:

Basically all been said, but be aware older scandi blades actually started off as hollow ground bevels done on big stone wheels.

I put a micro convex on my scandi's to keep from chipping the full zero edge. I use 6000grit sand paper on a pad that gives a LITTLE and then a leather strap.

I just got an Enzo Birk in the mail with a scandi grind, and it looked like it came with a microbevel.

[It did.]

first is one home made by me, very good at carving, has chisel grind slighty convex, hand made leather seath second fallkniven f1 [convex] and third one is a tops cat 201 complete modified [?]

What is a micro bevel on a scandi grind? Hi Guys, I am posting this question here because I see you as the main users of scandi grinds. I need your combined advice The story: I have received a 4" custom Woodlore clone in 01. My first custom. Lovely knife. No names.....and the maker will remain private. The grind from the website is a scandi with a “secondary micro convex bevel”
What is reasonable to expect this to be. I am going to defer to your greater knowledge in making up my mind what to do.

[So he sorta knew but wondered.]

You are correct in thinking that you'll have a very obtuse bevel if you don't limit the microbevel with each sharpening. An inclusive angle of 25-30 degrees should still leave you with a very resilient Scandi edge.

A microbevel is a feature that makes a scandi grind usable in the real world. No really, when I had a scandi I put a small convex microbevel on mine and it worked just fine.

The result is that you can't rely on the word "Scandi" to tell you if a knife is a low saber with a zero bevel (no secondary bevel) or not. I wish it were otherwise, but I could fill pages of pictures of "Scandi" knives from this forum that are anything but, like that page of Lauri blades linked above.

As to the sellers using "Scandi" to mean all sorts of things, ask yourself what they are actually selling.

 

[ctrsurf]

I'm really digging my Benchmade 162 in S30V! An under-rated choice IMHO.

 

[Brian77]

As many others have said... to define best... it is needful to give as much detailed thought and explanation to what the tool will be used for...

 

[DeadboxHero]

Whats crazy Thomas is your correct but they are still scandi grinds
Some are just ground to zero and some have a micro bevel. Key word microbevel.
This helps remove the burr on some steels and helps against chipping.

Its different then a secondary bevel.
Micro bevels are even used on chisel ground knives in Japan, for instance the Yanagiba. But its still a chisel grind.

Fallkniven puts micro bevels on there convex grinds and they are still convex grinds.

So ease up a bit bro, don't get too caught up in the semantics

Fun fact. The convex scandi is the more traditional used by the Sami people in Scandinavia. Neat

 

[supertac916]

I have a collection of Bark River's, Swamprat's, Infidu, Survive, Fallkniven, and a Benchmade 162. All of them are great knives, but I would put the Ratmandu, Survive GSO 4.1 and 5.1, along with the Bark River Bravo 1LT at the top of my lists. However, the "Best" is personal opinion because all of them will handle virtually anything we can throw at them. The Survive GSO series has become one of my favorites for the amount of CPM 3V you get for the price.

 

[155440]

I'm surprised by the overwhelming love for Buck :thumbup:
Their 100 series is in my opinion the best thing they offer. The 102 might be my perfect fixed blade all though I like the 119 as an overall camp knife.

 

[Thomas Linton]

Whats crazy Thomas is your correct but they are still scandi grinds
Some are just ground to zero and some have a micro bevel. Key word microbevel.
This helps remove the burr on some steels and helps against chipping.

Its different then a secondary bevel.
Micro bevels are even used on chisel ground knives in Japan, for instance the Yanagiba. But its still a chisel grind.

Fallkniven puts micro bevels on there convex grinds and they are still convex grinds.

So ease up a bit bro, don't get too caught up in the semantics

Fun fact. The convex scandi is the more traditional used by the Sami people in Scandinavia. Neat

Yes. Exactly. Semantics. Meaning. "Scandi" means so many different things to different people that it communicates nothing exactly - except a desire to get on the fashion bandwagon. Not as bad as "tactical," but getting there.

Another fun fact. MORAs cut as they do as a result of a quite thin blade and an acute bevel. What that has to do with a 1/4" thick of steel with a low saber grind and obtuse "zero bevel" is --- nothing.

 

[knoefz]

Enzo makes some nice blades... like the little Elver:

Scales by sixthreeknifeworx