Bushcraft Knife Challenge results!!!

[Marcelo Cantu]

Nightman’s entry

We have not obtained a bio or thoughts on this knife from Nightman. We will update this post when he returns from deployment. We thank him for the service to our country and wish him a speedy and safe return

Specs:
Blade is drop point style roughly 4 ½” 01 tool steel , 5/32” thick.
Handle is roughly 4 ½” green canvas micarta with red liners.
Sheath is kydex with copper pins and firesteel loop holding a GCM handled firesteel. Chicago screws round out the hardware attachments.
This was one the first knives to arrive and we were able to test it before the weather got too severe this winter. I was immediately interested in this interpretation of a bushcraft knife when taking it out of the box because to me it looked slightly tactical. I started trying out various grips, feeling the balance and inspecting the fit and finish. It’s clear this is not a knife made to sit in a case. The fit on this knife (glue-up, symmetry, pins/tubes, etc. is very good and the finish is good, not perfect. It’s not shiny anywhere. The finish is a sort of 250 to 400 grit rubbed finish with a forced patina that gives it a gunmetal grey look to it. Pretty cool in my opinion. Upon realizing that this knife is made by a serviceman it made sense to me. This knife feels like it is part of a tool kit. Take it out use it put it back, maybe clean it later, maybe not. It’s very comfortable in hammer grip and kitchen pinch grip, comfortable in fencing grip (thumb on flat of blade, and not very comfortable in chest lever grip. Many people like the look of finger indentations of knife handles and in many cases it can provide a more secure hold on the knife but it impedes position changes.

The initial sharpness was good, it bit into both soft and hard woods well enough. Push cuts through fibrous material were well executed, in the middle of the pack here I’d say. This knife has a nice convex edge, not as thin as some tested but not a thick others. This type of grind works great on a utility knife that may or may not get maintenance at the end of the day. Edge retention was great. It batonned great. This is another knife that begs to be used hard and I was not afraid to use it roughly.

The point drilled fine, no issues here.
The sheath is secure. The copper rivets add a bit if rustic charm to the kydex. The added firesteel in its loop added a measure of usefulness. Again this rig is made to go to work. No beauty contests will be won by the sheath but it gets the job done.

Overall I feel that this knife would make a great work site utility knife that would give years of service. For use in the woods I would minimize the knob after the index finger indentation and five it a thinner edge. However I know that this knife is currently giving its maker all the use he can give it overseas and I’d be curious to hear what he has to say about it later.

 

[Marcelo Cantu]

Big Mike expounds:

Nightman:

"I really like this knife; the wide blade appeals to me, the edge bevel is a bit obtuse but the edge itself was nicely done and the knife cut quite well; the handle was hand filling and very secure, I like the single finger grove and the rounded butt; the sheath is a very serviceable Kydex unit that worked well but did have a slight rattle. This knife is capable enough to rise to the role of a survival/camp knife, I suspect it will serve its owner/maker well in the sandbox, nicely done my friend, stay safe and thank you for your service."


My in-hand photo:

 

[tonym]

Nightman
The Nightman entry was interesting. The style of knife with the finger indents has never been my cup of tea, but the blade profile I like. So I was determined to give this knife a fair work out.


The handle fit to tang was good, and the use of liners added some thickness to the handle which helped on comfort. The finish on the handle wasn’t very fine I assume that was done to give it a grippy texture. Which it did. The blade finish wasn’t taken to high grit either. The knife screams; “Use me, beat me”, and that’s what I did!

The drop point blade didn’t have much of a pronounced tip, but it still drilled ok. The grind was a little different, he made it thinner on the first few inches of the blade, and a little thicker towards the tip. I like that feature on a do all woods/ survival type of knife, but not so much on bushcraft knife. In detailed carving; ie making a spoon, I prefer an equally thin grind for cutting efficiency.
The knife cut good, specially at the thinner part.

The handle was very secure and comfortable in the hammer grip do to the finish and finger indents. He also had a little contour which helped. The maker took care to round all the edges on the handle which I liked. In the reverse grip it was not comfortable to use for any extended period. The chest leaver grip was okay, and the thumb ramps helped that.

All and all it was nice package from Nightman. Not my preference for a bushcraft knife, but definitely a hard use outdoors tool. It did well in all tasks I put it through, it just wasn’t the most comfortable for me to use. The knife has a tactical look and feel to it, and I can see it serving a soldier or anyone in that one knife scenario very well!

 

[Marcelo Cantu]

Donavon Phillips Bushcraft

I made a similar knife to this one only on a smaller scale to start developing my idea of a “bushcraft” knife. On the original design I made a 4” blade out of 3/32” S35VN steel, it has a small handle. I built it for a backup knife that stays in my bag. The “challenge” knife is a bigger version of it. The blade is slightly longer than the original design. The blade is also wider and of thicker material. This to me changed the original design from a backup/neck knife style to a primary belt knife.
The reason I changed the design of the knife for the contest is because I usually make knives for hunters to process game. The other genre I make is what I classify as "survival knives". These knives have 7-8" blades and 1 7/8 - 2" wide at 5/16" thick. I also make competition choppers for my use in BladeSports International competitions. The competition knife that I use is 3/8" thick. I did not currently make anything in the range that I felt would fit into the “bushcraft” realm.
On the handle material, I use a lot of rubber for my personal knives and on survival knives that I sell. The rubber, although not pretty, is to me about as functional as you can get. It grips the hand, has some cushion effect for the more difficult cutting, and is non-slip. I use G-10 on the greater percentage of knives that I sell; I also laminate different colors of G-10 together. I have been contemplating laminating G-10 and rubber for awhile now. I decided that this knife would be a good testing ground for this. This idea did not prove to come to fruition as easily as I imagined. I made four attempts to laminate the handles on this knife.
The sheath is Concealex. The band around the sheath to hold the belt loop can be shaped to hold a ferro rod or other items. On my personal hunting knife, I have a ferro rod, a piece of fatwood, and a CRKT pelvic tool. I left enough room in this sheath for a ferro rod. This band system can also be disassembled and reconfigured for left handed vertical carry, or horizontal carry for right or left handers.
This contest was meant to showcase the “usual” work of the maker. This is why I used CPM-M4 steel even though it is not the preference of most who frequent W&SS. M4 is my preferred steel for my personal knives and I use it a good bit in the knives I sell. I do recommend diamond hones for this steel and it loves a strop. As stated above, my primary handle materials are G-10 and rubber. This is one reason why I combined the two for this contest. All aspects of the work performed on the knife are done by me.

Thanks,
Donavon

Maker: Donavon Phillips
Blade Length: 4 1/2"
OAL: 8 7/8"
Steel: CPM-M4
Rc: 62 - 64
Handle Material: Rubber over Orange G-10
Sheath: Concealex
Heat Treat: Myself in Evenheat 22.5" kiln
Quench: Aluminum Plates

This knife immediately caught my eye when I opened the box. I said to myself, “This is a hunting knife”. The next thing I noticed was the M4 imprinted on the flat of the blade. I’ve seen other knives in the makers’ classified before with the “horse mat” handles and was curious as to how they would perform. It is immediately comfortable in the hand. It is a straight forward handle design, oval in cross section, rounded pommel, generous 4 3/8” , and very nimble. The handle has no hot spots in any grip, the rubber proves to add a great deal of security even when wet.

The fit and finish on this knife is very good. Any difficulty Donavon might have had laminating the G10 to the rubber is not apparent. There are no gaps and every aspect is symmetrical, smooth and even. The full flat grind is smooth, even and brought to an almost mirror polish. The final edge is even and very very sharp.
The sheath is okay and holds the knife securely but there is a bit of rattle and the edges would benefit from some sanding and rounding off. I like the extra loop in the front and one can use it to store basically anything that will fit, and it can be heated to form as well.

In testing, this knife is a true performer. Tony and I were the second and third testers without any edge maintenance. None was required. It efficiently and quickly eats through all the fibrous materials as well as soft and hard woods. It bites deeply but is easy to control. Drilling was also no problem in spite of the slight drop and semi-prominent belly. Batonning was equally easy and smooth due to the flat grind. As a side note, for me, the main testing purpose for batonning is not so much to test ability but more for durability and handle comfort due in both respects to the shock involved. The M4 came through unscathed, as did my hand. In fact, this knife screwed us in the ease of sharpening department as after all three of our test circuits, there was no real appreciable loss of bite and to be honest, the stropping we did was more for consistency’s sake.
The only issue that became apparent is the rubber grip. One technique that we employed was when processing wood into kindling, was to drive the tip into a wood sliver at most an inch and a half thick, with a baton to the butt of the knife. Then simply twist the wood using the knife as the axis to split it into finger and then pencil thicknesses. The pommel did suffer a bit of wear from this.

Overall this knife performed beautifully. A benefit of his design is that it can easily be used as a hunting knife, utility knife, and bushcraft knife. It is a well thought out instrument using the k.i.s.s. principle.

Excellent job Donavon!

 

[Marcelo Cantu]

Big Mike say:

Donavon Phillips

I really like this blade, a cutting machine for sure; funky handle material, though it work well enough in my testing (with gloves on); sheath fit poorly and the belt loop was a bit small for my usage; I'd take this knife hunting any time.

　

 

[tonym]

Donavan Phillips

I never used a rubber handled knife or CPM-M4 Steel before getting this knife. I was excited to give it a try.

When Mike gave me the knife to use he said, “Tony, you’re gonna like this”, and he was right. The handle was super comfortable and very secure. Every grip was a pleasure to use and the rubber gave it extra traction with bulky winter gloves on. I even went inside and whittled a quick fuzzy with bare hands under the sink to simulate wet hands. The knife wouldn’t slip. This knife would make a helluva hunting knife, and so far it was proving to be a great Bushy.

The fit and finish was very good, Mr. Phillips put a mirror polish on the blade showing he will go the extra mile on his work. His secondary bevel was nice and thin, not perfectly even but nice and thin.. The tapered tang was a very nice touch and the handle fit to the tang was perfect.

The sheath was had a little play, but the knife wasn’t going to come out.

The balance of the knife was great. The knife worked as an extension of my hand. The tapered tang lightened up the weight beautifully. The blade shape while better suited for a hunting knife, worked all the tasks I threw at it with ease. That thin edge was went through wood and the cordage like a dream. Being the last to use the knife I was impressed at how sharp it still was. The M-4 steel held up superbly! I would be hesitant to beat on the rubber handle to much, as when I did I kind of chewed up the rubber a bit.

All said and done this knife performed admirably! Another knife I would be proud to call my own! I would love to see Donavan make this knife with a spear point with edge having a slight continuous curve from tip to ricasso. That would improve power cuts so much, which was the only thing this knife didn’t do perfectly.


The knife fits so well in the hand.



Burp!



Here you can see the flushness of the handle to that tapered tang.(not an easy thing to do.)



Very clean cuts through that fibrous sisal.

 

[Marcelo Cantu]

Koyote Custom Knives by Christof Harper

http://www.koyoteknives.com

Great Basin Bushcrafter

caramel canvas micarta.

1080 steel, differential temper, convex scandi grind

explorer model sheath

"…if you just keep Doing Stuff, then Things happen."
I don't use patterns or pre-cut blanks, so each knife is a unique creation. I still have "models" or types of knives and can come very close to making exact duplicates, but my work is done freehand and by sight and touch.
The knives are designed to be used comfortably for hours at a time. My simple looking handle designs severely cut down on hot-spots and hand fatigue. This also allows for using a variety of different grips comfortably and safely.
My knives come with handmade leather sheaths that are formed to the individual knife and hand stitched with a two thread method. The sheath designs incorporate a minimum of stitching through the body of the sheath and often allow for multiple carry types without modifying the sheath.
…on this knife
There's a lot going on here. I did some light file work various places. Right at the back of the handle, to index when choking back on the grip, on the bottom of the guard because I find that I will hold there sometimes. A bit on the minor thumb ramp and a crosshatch on the top of the spine. That's only really there for when the spine wears on the corners from scraping, so you still have a firesteel striking point.

Here’s another guy that marches to the beat of his own drum. Everyone said “Whoah!” when this knife came out. It has a very large handle on a knife this size. If you look at most old fashioned hand tools you soon start to notice a commonality among them; a simple hand filling handle. That’s what you get with a Koyote. I can’t avoid cliché and say it any other way other than it is a knife meant for work. Admittedly I was at first a bit skeptical about such a pronounced guard on a bushcraft knife. I played around a bit with different hand holds on this knife for a while and I could not find an uncomfortable position. I was soon convinced after about five minutes of testing. (Christof took better pics than we did of all the different grips and can be seen here.)
Despite the rustic appearance of this knife, the fit and finish is spot on; even grinds, no gaps, slight glue residue, even file work all around. The handle is perfectly finished.

The sheath is one of the best leather sheaths I have see thus far. There is not a flaw that I can detect on the workmanship anywhere. The design is again, a step away from the beaten path. It comes with two belt loop options; one with holes in it to use with cord to tie it down to the sheath, and one that employs Chicago screws. They both hold securely however the consensus on these is that the tie-down version leaves too much play when unsheathing the knife, requiring the hand to be near the arm pit by the time the knife is out. The screw down version works much better and has the added benefit of some adjustability. The securing strap is well thought out and there is minimal chance for the blade to cut it. I like the way the leather comes up the front of the handle for added protection and guidance when re-sheathing.

In testing, this knife did not disappoint. Along with my initial issues with the guard, I was a bit leery about the width of the blade. At nearly 2” wide it’s not your typical “bushcraft” shape. Come on Christof, conform! I was quickly proven wrong on both points. The guard actually added to the degree of control in several grips. The wide profile tapers toward the point rather quickly and so you end up with a very sharp point for drilling and scoring. The scandi-vex grind is a joy to use as it cuts like mad, retains its edge for a long time and is easy to sharpen.

The knife ate through the fibrous push cuts and the soft and hard woods. It was easy to control the size of the wood shavings from the finest curlies to big chips. The big handle allowed for great ease and little fatigue while battoning and the thin stock went through quite effortlessly. There is plenty of belly on this blade for scraping or skinning, and enough straight for good power cuts. The only task that I found to be slightly more difficult is when I wanted to do controlled scoring cuts and hold the knife like a pencil or an exacto blade.

Overall this is a terrific package that was a pleasure to test and use. There appears to be no limit to the variety of designs and sizes coming from Koyote’s shop. I’m sure we’ll see more of his work in upcoming challenges.

 

[Marcelo Cantu]

Big Mike told me:

Koyote Knives.

A very fine knife; I like the scandi-vex geometry; the handle feels good in my large hand, but in extended use I found it a bit too big in places to be comfortable, especially toward the rear; I don't like the various notched; I do like the sheath.

 

[tonym]

After owning many Koyote knives, I have learned not to judge a book by it’s cover. Not that his knives aren’t good looking, cause I tend to prefer the distinct look of Koyote Knives. But I don’t judge the comfort of them until I get them in hand.

When this knife came to me I said “Damn, that’s a huge bitch!” I looked it over and immediately starting seeing little file work here and there, it made me think. Knowing Christof if he put something on a knife it is there for a reason.

Like this bit below. Now in detailed carving I like to keep my hand close to the edge as possible for control. So these little grooves on the guard and ricasso are like a little sign saying “place your index finger here!”



Then there were groves in in the butt end of the handle. I found them kind of useful for gripping the knife in a 3 finger grip toward the rear for chopping.



There was also some file work on the spine. Which wasn’t too aggressive and a little different then your normal thumb grooves. I liked that.

The fit and finish was very good. The handle was fit to the tang perfectly and the micarta was finished beautifully. The flats of the blade were left kind of rough giving it a rustic look. The scandi/convex bevel was beautifully polished and came screaming sharp! There was a minor hiccup at the edge where it meets the ricasso and a tiny bit of glue residue causing the knife not to score perfectly on fit and finish.

However, we judged this contest mainly on use, so lets talk about that. The handle was comfortable. It was very big, and very wide. He rounded off all the edges of the handle, which I like. However, the handle was so wide that the rounded edges with thick gloves are were a little slippery. Ungloved, it was great. I guess I can get gloves with better grips though. Anyway, I felt safe due to the big guard, and it was very comfortable in all grips I used it for.

The blade shape was very different than any other knives I have used before. It was very wide and had a very long clip to it. The width made it very easy to choke up on in a pinch grip. The long clip tapered down making it easy to get in tight spaces to carve. (think hollowing out a spoon) It took me some time to get familiar with this knife in terms of control and cutting efficiency, but once I did I was tearing through wood with grace. If you never used Koyote’s “Scandi-vex” edge before, you owe it to yourself to try it. It is the perfect balance between cutting ability of a scandi and strength of a convex. I have no clue what type of steel he used, but it held it’s edge great. The knife was equally sharp through out the edge, and the tip was a drilling machine.

If you are like me, and a sheath will mean the difference between a knife being carried or not, then you will absolutely love the design of this sheath. The finish on the sheath is outstanding. The carry options are plentiful. From normal belt carry, to drop belt carry, and even horizontal. The retention strap holds the knife very securely, and their isn’t a chance in hell you will cut it. The sheath has a tall back side that guides the knife in and out as well. I loved this sheath! Marcelo set it up with the Chicago screws and that was my favorite way of carrying it.

In conclusion I enjoyed using this big innovative knife from Koyote Knives. It is a knife meant to be used and used hard. The handle IMO is not the best for big gloves as it’s a little slick, but it does give you plenty of purchase with big gloves on. The cutting efficiency was stand out noticeable! I like a smaller handle on a Bushcraft knife, but on this knife I wouldn’t change the length. I would maybe thin it a bit. That is all. Great Job Christoff!

Making divots with ease



A good sharp spine throws great sparks



No need to baton, just push the scandivex knife through the wood.

 

[Marcelo Cantu]

Here are the specs for my WS&S bushcraft challenge knife:

Steel: 1/8" 1084
Blade: 4"
Handle: 4 1/4" cocobolo
Main Bevel: flat, high sabre grind, machine finish
Edge Bevel: semi-convex micro bevel
Pins & Thong tube: copper
Sheath: 8/9 oz vegi tanned tooling leather, dyed, hand stiched and waxed
Heat treated by me in my propane forge.

The design was loosley based on the Canadian Belt Knife pattern, but less extreme and with a BAC twist. I started making knives (part time) three years ago and mentored under the semi-retired bladesmith D'arcy Ellis. Most of my knife designs are simple and made to be used.

Bruce

This knife came out of its mailing tube in my car on the way home from the post office. I was immediately struck by the simple clean lines, striking combination of cocobolo wood scales and copper pins and ideal proportions. The satin flat high saber grind contrasting with the forged finish flats on the willow leaf blade is almost mirrored by the handle shape.

On close inspection, the fit and finish is flawless. Not an imperfection to be seen. The thick scales are rubbed to a smooth satiny finish with no visible sanding marks. Smart touches are everywhere on this knife from the generous butt to the tapering scales near the handle to the very minimal guard make this knife a pleasure to hold, and behold.
The sheath is very high quality thick leather simple pouch finished with the same attention to detail as the knife. If any sheath can be bombproof and elegant it is this one.
In performance it simply excelled at every task. The grind geometry is right where it should be in terms of strength and cutting ability. The heat treat is as well, to the point that there was no noticeable tradeoff or compromise in any area of performance. The edge held p fine after repeated push cuts, whittling, batoning, scraping, etc. In fact we probably cut more with this knife than others simply because it did it so well. A light stropping is all it took to bring the edge back to hair popping sharpness. The spine gave decent sparks on a firesteel.

This is a very impressive knife from a skilled maker I was previously unfamiliar with and was yet another knife for which I was beaten to the punch, proving once again that nice guys finish last. This knife in contrast contends to be among the top finishers.
From its super comfortable handle that facilitates long term use, to a sharp, strong, efficient blade that makes all tasks a joy to perform, to its classy aesthetic appeal, this knife combined all of the ideal qualities that I look for in a bushcraft knife.

 

[Marcelo Cantu]

Big Mike writes:

Bruce Culberson.

Great knife; fit and finish, ergonomics, performance and sheath are all top notch, excelled at food prep.

　

 

[tonym]

Bruce Culberson Knives

This knife appealed to me at first sight. I patiently waited for my turn to use this knife. (Although other’s may say that my constant “are you done yet, are you done yet”, got quite annoying...)

After weeks of heavy snow and frigid temps it was finally my turn to use this knife. The sun came out and temps raised to a balmy 38 degrees that day. The satin finish on the primary grind reflected the sun in my eye like it was taking credit for the lovely day in which it was.

Okay, enough of that crap. When I picked up the knife I immediately felt the comfort of the well designed handle. The beautiful finish of the wood with the copper pins had an elegant look to it. But the knife felt robust, nimble, and ready to work. After studying it a bit, I came up empty on trying to find a mistake. The grind lines were perfectly even, the handles perfectly mated to the tang, no tool or glue marks. The maker took his time with this knife with little details.

The sheath was a deep carry pouch style. Very tight stitches and a slim profile. A good solid construction sheath, that was appealing to the eye. The retention was excellent, and Bruce added a little lanyard to help retrieve the knife from the sheath.

The blade shape was unique. A drop point with a lot of extra belly! Knowing Bruce is a hunter, I can see why he added the extra belly as it would aid in skinning game. If you look closely you can also see that the edge has a slight curve from the tip to the ricasso. This feature helps so much in cutting ability. There is a very tiny secondary bevel. The knife also has a small rounded guard at the ricasso which finishes the blade off quite nicely.

It is easy to see the handle was made by someone who uses knives quite regularly. It was thin where it needed to be thin and thick where it needed to be thick. The pommel was perfectly rounded and left a bit wide in case you needed to grip the knife back there. The thumb ramps were done to perfection, slightly sloping towards the tang with out making it too thin. As simple as this handle may look, it was the most comfortable of the bunch in every grip for me.

When it came down to performance this knife shined. The thin edge parted wood and fibrous material with little force required. The tip drilled great. It could not batton large rounds like the Koyote, or other 5” long knives, but it split the small stuff with ease. Never wedging as the grind slowly pushes wood apart. The blade profile is thin which I prefer in a Bushcraft knife, however with the extra belly you can pinch grip it. I always felt in total control while using the knife, with both bare and gloved hands. With the superb cutting edge limbing branches was quick and efficient.

Not much else to say about this knife other than I liked it so much that the only way it will make it back to Canada is on my belt!

A beautiful finish



In this pic you can see the slight continuous curve from tip to ricasso. Too much curve and I feel it sacrifices control, too little and it looses power, but just right; it stays on my belt.



I am not left handed, but I made this fuzzy left handed to demonstrate the control and lack of force needed to whittle wood with this knife.



Mine!

 

[Marcelo Cantu]

Gray Wolf Knives by Aaron Gray
www.graywolfknives.com
Custom #5 General purpose bushcraft knife

Blade: @ 4” Blued HT finish 1095, 1/8” thick, 1” wide
Handle: @ 4 ½” White Oak, Brass lanyard tube
Sheath: Leather fold-over, hand stitched

May name is Aaron and I’m a knife maker in southern Ohio. I started making knives as a hobby about two years ago and in August I decided to turn my hobby into a business. The knives I make right now are simple scandi ground bushcraft knives. I really like the scandi grind for ease of use and sharpening. The primary steel I use is 1095, but I can use 01 if requested. For my handles I use both hardwood and micarta.
Aaron Gray
graywolfknives@hotmail.com

Aaron’s designation for his custom #5 is exactly that. This is a no frills, user friendly, effective knife designed tackle any cutting, whittling, carving task that comes to mind when in the bush.

The fit and finish is precise. There are no gaps or glue marks. Every joint is flush and smooth. The wood grain on the oak slabs is left with a slighty raised texture for a secure hand hold. There is a slight scorch around the thong hole.

The blued finish on the flats is smooth and even. The transition line on the scandi grind is crisp and clean. The plunge on either side are clean and even. The edge and point are lawlessly executed.

The sheath is basic but sturdy, with strong stitching and it holds securely.

In use, I could not find any issues to note. This was one of the sharpest knives we tested. Cuts in fibers, saplings, paper and material were easy and smooth. Control during carving and whittling was precise and effortless. Batonning/kindling processing was equally effective and only limited by the blade’s length.

The only comment I can add is that this knife was fun to test and use. Oh yeah, guess who didn’t get to buy this knife.

This quote comes to mind as I end this review:

"The art of art, the glory of expression and the sunshine of the light of letters, is simplicity." - Walt Whitman

 

[Marcelo Cantu]

Big Mike writes"

Graywolf Knives.

Simple but classic style scandi bushcrafter; worked well; excelled at food prep.

　



　

 

[tonym]

Gray Wolf Knives


Oh my, another scandi ground Bushcraft knife to test! But who the hell is Gray Wolf knives? As a lover of full tang scandi ground knives surely I would have heard of him before if he was any good right?

WRONG!!!

What an awesome surprise using this knife turned out to be! Okay let me calm down and talk specifics first.

The sheath: Nothing fancy here, just a solid deep pouch sheath, that holds the knife very securely and has a solid fold over belt loop. The stitches are strong and tight, but not perfectly even. The edges aren’t beautiful, but good. So it ain’t the prettiest, but it is not bulky and it works!






The fit and finish of the knife: The wood handle was perfectly flush with the tang, pins were sanded flush. A little dark circle around the lanyard tube, but not bad. The wood handle was rounded nicely every where except the top. The handle slabs were symmetrical. The finish of the wood was good, it may benefit from another soaking in linseed oil.





The blades grind was perfectly even. The flats had either a forced patina or was blued. ( I can’t remember) There was some tool marks here and there on the tang, but nothing horrible.
The Scandinavian grind was perfect and very, very sharp!





Okay, lets talk performance! In a word: OUTSTANDING! The sharp scandi cut through all the cordage with minimal effort It bit deep into wood when you wanted it to, and was easily controlled for detailed tasks. It battoned small stuff great, but obviously you weren’t going to split anything big with this small knife. The spear point made for a superb driller as well. It was a strong knife through out the use we gave it. It was very comfortable in the hammer grip and the finger indent gave it serious control in that grip. It wasn’t that comfortable in the chest leaver grip due to the sharp 90 degree edge of the handle. Reverse grip was okay. The spine was very sharp for striking firesteels as well as shaving wood. Extended use of this knife was not necessary because it made short work of all tasks…

I wish this part was rounded off like the rest of the knife



A good full size handle



Even hard Maple was easily curled





So as I finished testing this knife I was kicking myself for not owning a few of GrayWolf’s knives. I very much enjoyed using this knife, and I am quite sure the lucky new owner (Rescue Riley) is more than happy with it as well! Excellent knife from Gray Wolf!

 

[Marcelo Cantu]

NWA Knives by Nick Allen

Mantis

5/32” D2 tool steel heat treated to 60 -61 Rc.
4 3/8” cutting edge
9 ¼” OAL
1 3/16” wide @ widest point
Natural canvas over black paper micarta handle
Stainless pins and tube
9 oz. leather dangler pouch type sheath treated in beeswax
Matching firesteel

This knife was designed for everyday use while out in the woods. The blade is a full height flat grind. A standard v-type secondary bevel is put on as I feel this is the easiest to reproduce. The spine is square for easy striking of the firesteel. The handle is contoured for comfort in nearly any position.
I chose D2 for its ability to resist staining and its amazing ability to keep its edge for an extended period of time.
His one should also handle kitchen and food prep very well with the full height flat grind.
Thank you for letting me be a part of this evaluation.
Nick Allen

www.nwaknives.com
nwaknives@yahoo.com

Expectations for me were high as with any of Nick Allen’s knives. The mantis did not disappoint. Nick seems to be a perfectionist with his work and this example is no exception. From the flawless hand rubbed finish to the mirrored edge to the way that the knife just clicks into its well crafted waxed sheath, this is typical NWA quality craftsmanship and sharp looks.

The handle on this knife excelled in hammer and saber grips. The generous palm swell and the tapered scallop near the front of the handle are features well thought out and add comfort and control in various grips. In reverse saber and chest-lever grips however the area between the guard and bird’s beak was a little cramped for my attractive size-large hands.

There is nothing but a sense of security in regards to Nicks sheaths and this one is no different. The way the sheath is engineered, it's like the knife knows where to go the moment it's inserted. No fear of the knife coming through the stitching either as it's guided to its final click. The dangler is a nice touch for when wearing a pack. The firesteel is comfortable to use and worked well with various knives.

In use, there were no surprises. It easily cut through all fibrous materials and saplings. Carving and whittling results were equally impressive. The sharp spear point that is center line to the handle provides great control for drilling without any fear of damage to the tip or any appendages. The jimpimg on the spine is consistent and cleanly done, facilitating a shower of sparks, yeow!

At the top level of cutting performance, where this one dwells, it is still easy to feel the minute differences between knives but it gets difficult to express. This one is definitely in the top 10 % of the cutters. For me however there was a definite distinction between knives that have a “zero” edge whether convex or scandi, and knives with a secondary bevel . There is definitely trade off in strength and durability however. The Mantis I feel exhibits an ideal balance and shows that Nick knows what he is doing. Kudos to you Nick!

 

[Marcelo Cantu]

Big Mike writes:

NWA Knives

One of my favorites; top marks in all around, excelled at food prep; I want this knife!

　



　

 

[tonym]

NWA Knives


Another maker I am pretty familiar with. I expected no less than a great knife after owning a few of Nick Allen’s knives, and my expectations were met yet again.

Nick’s fit and finish is perfect. From the handle to the blade, I couldn’t find a flaw.

Nick has his own style which makes his work easily identifiable. This knife he sent in is one of my favorite yet by Nick.

The knife has a rich look to it, but no matter how pretty it is, the functionality of the blade shape and handle contours make it a working knife.

I love and prefer leather sheaths, and Nick makes one of the best. It is hard waxed and built to endure. It locks the knife in securely as well as any Kydex. The drop style belt loop gives you the option of carrying it below the belt line, which I like allot. The fire steel loop is perfectly executed and IMO a great novelty in a bushcraft knife package.

When I first saw the pics of the knife the handle looked nice, but I am not crazy about the birds beak butt of the handle. Specially coupled with Nick’s signature ricasso/guard which is rather pointy. However, he left plenty of room for a big hand in between them. The contours of the handle made for very comfortable use in the hammer grip and reverse grip. Chest leaver grip was ok, but not great for me.

Here you can see if you rest the birds beak pommel comfortably agains your hand the guard will dig in a little(even in Marcelo’s little girly hands). With a rounded oval shaped pommel you could grip the knife comfortably below the guard.




I opt to go below the guard and make use of those great thumb ramps NWA put in. The birds beak is allot less sharp than the guard, so it wasn’t all that bothersome.




The blade shape and thickness was perfectly suited for bushcraft. It was wide enough to pinch grip, but narrow enough to easily go through wood. The tip was very pointy and strong. This knife made drilling divots or even holes very easy.. In carving I normally don’t care for a full flat grind. NWA however makes one of the best FFG’s I have ever handled. It is perfectly tapered to the very thin polished even seconadary bevel. Carving wood was smooth and easy. The knife was very easy to control with or with out a glove on through out it’s use, and I never was fatigued. The spine was very sharp and made an excellent firesteel striker and also very good at shaving wood with the spine. The double thumb grooves are perfectly executed and allows you a place for your thumb if you are backing up on the handle or choking up on it. Very well thought out!

At 4” long blade this wood may be a little too thick to baton, but the tip is very strong and held up just fine.



The knife cut deep when you wanted it to, and easily controlled for finer whittling.




In conclusion the NWA performed with the best of them. This challenge was proving to be very tuff to judge. The whole package this knife offers with the matching handled firesteel would make any outdoorsman very happy. The only thing I would change is the butt of the handle. Although the birds beak looks good, it is not needed on a knife this size and limits it’s comfort IMO.

I know there is that nonsense out there about D2 steel being 2 brittle for woods use, but we beat this knife hard. Battoned with and against grain. The edge niether rolled or chipped. It actually held up great and was still very sharp after all three users had their turn with it! Great job Nick!

 

[Marcelo Cantu]

Scout Knives
Bush Craft Challenge Knife
By Chuck Cook

Hello,
I have been making knives since 2005. When I first started, I used a lot of recycled steel, but in the last year or so I have switched over to mostly 1084 and 01 tool steel. I like to use a good mix of wood and micarta, favoring stainless steel pins and tubing for holding them on, but use other materials when it seems right.

I started backpacking as a kid and started hunting as a teen. I try to spend as much time as I can in the woods, which can be hard at times with a day job and knife making. I have a love of carving traps. At one point I was carving a figure 4 trap every day until I could carve one blindfolded.

The knife is made from 01 tool steel and measures .34” thick. The blade is 4 7/8” long and 1 3/6” wide with the overall length being 9 3/8”. The handles are walnut, wet sanded down to 600 with linseed oil and paint thinner, then finished with hard wax. The blade is protected with a mustard patina.
Chuck Cook
Scout Knives

To the eye, this doesn’t look like a bushcraft knife. This knife is reminiscent of a scaled down mountain man’s knife. The knife is nicely crafted and there are no issues with fit and finish. The lines are pragmatic yet stylish in their simplicity. The mesmerizing pattern of the mustard patina adds a unique look and an element of protection from corrosion. The sheath is well crafted and pleasing to the eye with its basket weave pattern.

Fit and finish is very good on this knife. As mentioned earlier, there was a tiny bit of shrinkage where the wood meets the tang but nothing to cause discomfort.
The blade is pure function at its core. The thin full flat grind makes this knife a superb slicer. Whittling on soft and hard woods is easy and precise due to the excellent edge geometry . The point is very well suited for drilling into a hearth board. The nearly 5” blade makes batoning easy.

The Handle is well suited for tasks ranging from carving, slicing, scoring, scraping and skinning. The subtle contours make this knife very comfortable and despite its slim profile, I did not experience ant hot spots or fatigue during prolonged use.
Overall this is a well executed cutting tool that would give anyone effective performance in the woods.

 

[Marcelo Cantu]

Big Mike's review

Scout Knives.

Chuck Cook did a nice job on this knife; the simple handle shape works well for me, I like the pinky hook; the blade, with that very attractive pattern etched into it's surface, looks as good as it works, and it works very well; I was a bit concerned about the blade pattern surviving the testing, but it held up very well; as with the knife, Chuck did a nice with the sheath, the one flaw I noted was that the belt loop was too small for my wider belts.