Bushcraft knife - any suggestions??

schmittie

schmittie

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Gentlemen, I have been considering getting a custom Bushcrafter. So far, I really like the looks of Brian Andrews', Koster and M. Wolhwend knives. (scandi of course). But I am really having trouble making a decision. Can you help a guy out? What do you carry? Have you used any of these? I would have to say the biggest issue with any of these is the wait time. Do you know of any for sale?
 
I have some knives from two of those makers. I have not had the pleasure of a Brian Andrews knife yet...:)

You can watch the for sale forum here and on a few other websites for offerings from these particular makers. I have particularly enjoyed the Bushcraft in CPM 3V from Dan Koster, but as far as I have read his warranty is only good to the original purchaser of the product. Unless you can order straight from Dan and do not mind what can turn into a very long time I would go for one of the other two makers. Since I have not landed an Andrews yet that is the way I would lean.

I do not think you will go wrong with any of the makers, but again, if you are shopping the secondary market, I think I would avoid Dan or at least send him an email or PM to see if he has changed his policy recently.

Best wishes, Doug
 
schmittie said:
Gentlemen, I have been considering getting a custom Bushcrafter. So far, I really like the looks of Brian Andrews', Koster and M. Wolhwend knives. (scandi of course). But I am really having trouble making a decision. Can you help a guy out? What do you carry? Have you used any of these? I would have to say the biggest issue with any of these is the wait time. Do you know of any for sale?
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I just got this one from Brian. It has a flat grind though, not a scandi. Works well cutting, splitting wood and with kitchen tasks. There was a wait for it.
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Another suggestion is the Spyderco Bushcraft UK knife. No wait, and a dang good blade. I love mine. Still the most comfortable, best fitting handle I have ever experienced.
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ChapmanPreferred said:
I have some knives from two of those makers. I have not had the pleasure of a Brian Andrews knife yet...:)

You can watch the for sale forum here and on a few other websites for offerings from these particular makers. I have particularly enjoyed the Bushcraft in CPM 3V from Dan Koster, but as far as I have read his warranty is only good to the original purchaser of the product. Unless you can order straight from Dan and do not mind what can turn into a very long time I would go for one of the other two makers. Since I have not landed an Andrews yet that is the way I would lean.

I do not think you will go wrong with any of the makers, but again, if you are shopping the secondary market, I think I would avoid Dan or at least send him an email or PM to see if he has changed his policy recently.

Best wishes, Doug
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I agree! +1

You would be better served with one of the other two makers that you are considering.
 
Of those I've only had the Brian Andrews bushcrafter. He does impeccable work. Because I've never been able to warm up to the scandi thing I traded it away...couldn't have a knife that good just sitting on the shelf.
 
+1 on the B.G Andrews if you can get one. He made me a beaut with my wood for scales.--KV
 
I like all the makers you mention and have blades from all.

Here's my observations based on the samples I have.

As far as fit and finish I think that that Brian would be #1 Koster #2 and Mark #3

As far as tempering I think Koster and Andrews are tied with Mark being behind them. The 2 knives I have from him vary slightly in their edge holding ability.

As far as eveness of the grinds Andrews #1 Koster #2 and Mark #3. The Andrews ones I have owned or used would shave from tip to ricasso out of the box. The Kosters were even but I had to sharpen them to get them to max sharpness. The ones from Mark one was perfect and the other I had to spend considerable time evening up the grind esp near the tip and ricasso. It was very sharp in the middle of the blade though.

As far as personal service Mark #1. He will make you exactly what you want a true custom knife. Also in my opinion if you have an idea he comes closer than any other maker I have worked with to actually making what I asked for. Brian is also good at this so I give him #2 but I'd give Mark the edge. He's also nearly as quick as getting back to you as Mark was. Dan is for sure #3 here. I don't consider his blades custom as much as semi custom. VERY hard to get a hold of due to the volume he's cranking out. Probably due to him being a 1 man operation. For instance Bark River is also semi custom but it is very easy to get a hold of Mike Stewart the owner. Also no chance of getting any sort of design tweaking from Dan. Also I got a Bushcrafter from Dan one time and loved it. So I ordered a second with Osage Scales. When it came he had changed the way he ground them to where the edge did not come all the way down to the guard like on the first I ordered. I asked if I could get a return. NO. Interestingly later due to consumer demand he changed them back. Comparing that to say Bark River if you don't like it for whatever reason they will fix it. I have no experience with returns from Andrews or Mark.

As far as what you get for the money I'd say Mark and Andrews are a tie. Andrews is more expensive but his knives are more higly finished. Koster I THINK is slightly less expensive than Andrews last I looked, but the blades don't come as highly finished or sharp and I don't like his handle contouring that well.

As far as the actual Bushcraft model I can't comment on Mark's because the 2 I have from him are true customs and really nice. I prefer the Koster Bushcraft to the Andrews one because the Koster is smaller and more compact although I think for people with bigger hands Andrews would be a better fit and he puts a lot more work into his handles.

Hope this all helps.
 
Mannlicher said:
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Looks like we both got the same knife! This one is still my 'one' when it comes to a bushy knife that has everything I want in my outdoor belt knife. Here's mine.

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JCavSD said:
Of those I've only had the Brian Andrews bushcrafter. He does impeccable work. Because I've never been able to warm up to the scandi thing I traded it away...couldn't have a knife that good just sitting on the shelf.
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Your loss was my gain :D I have 3 B. Andrews knives and I really like his work, but he is also one of my pals! Mark's stuff looks very good as well but I never handled one of his. I've been tempted many times by his offering in the knifemakers for sale area. He still hasn't clued in on how much he should be charging for his work and is undercharging.

I would try to contact each of the makers, get their feedback about their design recommendations and anticipated wait times.
 
Andrews next to Charles May Skifa
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Koster Gen 1 second from Bottom
Andrewe second from Top
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Handle comparison. The green is the Andrews, beside it a Skookum, far left Charles May. The koster and shing were handled by me.

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Couple of Marks of my design handled by me
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Brian Andrews custom (3 1/8" blade) next to an 01 Koster handled by me.
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Koster in the field(one of my favorites)
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Older and newer Koster both handled by me
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You have picked 3 great knife makers, as some have already mentioned Dan Koster makes an awesome product but there does sometimes appear to be issues in the wait time and communication department.

Another good option would be Blind Horse Knives !
 
I'm rather fond of the JK Rule #9 personally.
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I'm sure that John would put a scandi edge on one.
 
Thanks for all the comparisons HD. Seeing the knives side by side really helps.

You guys have given me a lot to think about. I may just be patient and keep my options open.
 
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Wow! There is a whole lot of custom maker love in there :) :thumbup:

I really wish I could crank stuff out faster. Heck, I have been working on a knife for me for about 2 weeks now :) But then I wouldn't like it so much and it would show.

I won't state my preference to your question, but will only mention that it is hard to get just about any custom knife without a wait. If you absolutely have to have some thing now, you might want to consider Blind Horse. I don't know what their wait is exactly, but it either might be immediately available, or if not quicker than a custom.

Good luck!

B
 
Wait for one of Brian's, really you will not be disappointed. I have two (bushcrafter and terrasaur) and am working on my third (another terrasaur). If you'd like another suggestion take a look at Fiddleback Forge, Andy Roy's work. I'd put him up there with the three you've mentioned but I'm still putting Brian #1.
 
I can't speak to Koster or Andrew because I haven't had the pleasure (yet) of owning one. I do have 2 compact bushcrafters by Mark and they are top notch. The sharpest blade on a custom I have gotten to date. He does a really good scandi grind. I have used one of them on 2 camp outs and batoned a lot of wood with it. It still runs through paper like butter.

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Brian Andrews said:
Wow! There is a whole lot of custom maker love in there :)

I won't state my preference to your question, but will only mention that it is hard to get just about any custom knife without a wait.
B
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Oh come on Brian! I would still love to hear your opinion. If it is specific to what you make, then I see no issue with a maker that is passionate about his work. I am asking for opinions afterall......:)
 
Brian Andrews said:
....but will only mention that it is hard to get just about any custom knife without a wait.
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I'd say place an order with the maker of your choice then sit back and enjoy the anticipation of the great custom knife that is being made for you!

BTW my answer may be biased as I'm also a maker:D
 
Bruce Culberson said:
I'd say place an order with the maker of your choice then sit back and enjoy the anticipation of the great custom knife that is being made for you!

BTW my answer may be biased as I'm also a maker:D
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What he said is the truth. (And not just because I am getting another knife from you, either) It's just like a little kid waiting for Christmas. The closer it gets, the more you are looking forward to it. Once it arrives, you are very happy that you happened to wait for it rather than buy something else. :thumbup:
 
Hell...I own a knife from most of the makers lister on here. they are all great and i always have a hard time making the decision on which one to carry.

Bruce who just posted above me makes a killer bushcraft knife (see below).
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I had him make me one as soon as I saw it in the W&SS Bushcrafter Competition thread (see fere for the results of the competition. lots of great knives from amazing makers with detailed reviews...http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...llenge-results!!!?highlight=Bushcraft+results). it is one of my absolute favorite knives. In my opinion if you are looking for the absolute best bushcraft knife I would talk to Bruce...however if i find one I like better I will be sure to let you know :)

I also highly recommend Bill Akers (Backwoods Custom Knives) and Chris Bowden (Knives For Use). They share a forum in the hosted makers section. They both have very fast turnaround...or a short wait time if you prefer to think of it like that ;).

Bill makes some fantastic custom knives. There is allot to see on his forum. under his order thread it says he is not taking orders right now, but that just went up today. I am sure he will be taking them again in the next couple of days. I ordered a damascus drop point from him and he finished it in less than a week. It should be here before Friday. His turnaround is absolutely amazing. The knife below is his Full Throttle Bushcrafter. he has several others if you are interested I suggest taking a look on the forum. These knives look fancy, but trust me they are made to be used.
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This is Chris's version of a bushcrafter. I have one of these on order I expect it to be done in the next week or two.
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Chris doesn't currently do Scandi grinds, but he mentioned that he was working on getting a jig so the could. If you interested I would get in touch with him on the forum.

Andy Roy also makes some awesome knives. I have a couple of his as well. you can't go wrong with his work. I am still trying to get my hands on one of his Bushfinger knives when availability and money align with the stars.
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I probably own the most knives from Mark at this moment. He is a great guy, and makes a great product. From left to right the pic below shows his Pukko knife, Compact Bushcrafter, and a FNBk
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ultimately the best bushcraft knife will be the one you like use...or the one you have on you at the time :P

best of luck in your search
 
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