Bushcraft knife design?

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featherstone45

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Oct 15, 2003
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I have noticed that most of the knives labeled "bushcraft" knives all share a similar design. I just recieved a BRK&T Aurora, and was wondering if someone can explain this design to me. Why is it useful over other design's , why is it shaped the way it is?

Thanks a bunch.
 
generally a "bushcraft knife" is not too thick in the blade, so it will cut well. many have scandi edges because they cut wood well. others have flat or convex grinds, because they also cut well.

they mostly have fairly narrow blades, so that they are easy to maneuver in wood and easy to handle.

for the most part they have comfortable grips that give alot of control over the blade.

the blade is often around 4" long, because that is a good size knife to work with for precision cutting and trimming, it is normally pretty light weight, making it easy to carry.

they are just in general handy knives in the woods, and they make great companions for a larger chopping knife or axe or saw.
 
There is a good article in an old issue of Bushcraft UK about Ray Mears and Alan Wood and sort of the development of it. I'll try to find and excerpt it :thumbup:
 
While not a "Bushcrafter" necessarily and certainly not the expert, I'll stick my neck out and kick this one off because I know a lot of folks might be "thinking" their answer but not verbalizing them because there are probably many answers instead of just one.

I don't think their is a written specification on a "Bushcraft" knife but the pattern has a certain visual appeal through its association with the craft and the tasks. I believe the primary focus of a cutting tool for Bushcraft tasks is pretty much woodworking. If you ask a dozen people who make "tent" stakes, shelter poles, trap pieces, camp fire standards and pot hooks and make kindling, harvest tinder, etc., to list the features of the knife they would want for such work, that list could be materialized in a knife by a dozen different knife-makers and come out looking generally very similiar - because the key features seem to be pretty well agreed upon and are fairly precise.

I have used a lot of knives for such tasks, almost to exclusion, and have found many that worked fairly well but it was not until I got my hands on my own first "true" Bushcraft knife (from Muskrat Man) that I realized how that combination of features constitutes a very well-suited tool for the required work. Being a woodworker to begin with, I looked for certain features in my knives and found some, but not all, in many knives. The typical Bushcraft pattern seems to LOOK like it does by virtue of the functionality it requires and it is not just an aesthetic thing. Yes, you could have a perfectly functional Bushcraft knife that does not look exactly like a "Bushcraft knife" but it would likely be very close to one of the many variations. The funny thing is that I designed (and had made) two knives which I felt would have all the features I needed for such tasks and, by the time I was done, they looked just like a couple of the already available Bushcraft knives. I did this without being really concious of the common "look" of the available Bushcraft knives. Even the BRKT Aurora looks a lot like the others if you start looking at the key features - because Mike Stewart was listening to peoples' lists of requirements and his own knowledge thereof.

There are scads of subtle details born of personal preference that differentiate one from the other but the basics seems to be pretty common. I have to admit that for the short time I have been using mine, it has convinced me that it's not just a "look" and the pattern is not necessarily being "copied," rather that the design requirements congeal and are realized in a similar-looking knife across many makers. I am sure some subtle details are inluenced by the fact that it should "look like a Bushcraft knife," however.

OK. That's my neo-bushcrafter's (maybe I give myself too much credit) interpretation of how we have come to have a Bushcraft "pattern." Feel free to corobborate or discredit, in whole or in part, as necessary. I am not utterly certain of all that I said - it just "seems to me..."
 
Thanks everyone.

Jeff, appreciate the detailed answer. Its always been my experience that with a heavier blade, one could remove more wood with less effort, but something tells me the bushcraft type of knives are not about that, but designed for more detail work.
 
The key features of a bushcraft blade that make it useful to me are as follows:
Cutting edge comes right up to the handle = intricate work possible
Tip in-line with spine, not dropped = max belly for slicing
Thin blade = fine slices
Scandi-grind = very fine slices and easy to resharpen
4ish" = large enough to have power, but small enough to have control
 
featherstone45 said:
Thanks everyone.

Jeff, appreciate the detailed answer. Its always been my experience that with a heavier blade, one could remove more wood with less effort, but something tells me the bushcraft type of knives are not about that, but designed for more detail work.
Click to expand...

What I learned to do was remove the bulk of the wood with my hatchet or chopper. For example, say I'm making a spoon and need to thin down the handle. I'll notch the wood on either side to make a stop, then use my hatchet/chopper to take the bulk of the wood off.

My phases of bushcraft are:
Piece of wood -> hatchet/chopper -> rough shape of craft
rough shape of craft -> bushcraft knife -> usable craft
That's good enough for field use, then if I want to finish it up for keeps
usable craft -> sandpaper -> finished product
 
Noshtero said:
The key features of a bushcraft blade that make it useful to me are as follows:
Cutting edge comes right up to the handle = intricate work possible
Tip in-line with spine, not dropped = max belly for slicing
Thin blade = fine slices
Scandi-grind = very fine slices and easy to resharpen
4ish" = large enough to have power, but small enough to have control
Click to expand...

I'd have to agree with that, with one exception. I think it is fairly common to find slightly dropped points as well as straight spines. Although, the point should never drop below middle of the blade/handle (i.e. warncliffs would be a disqualification, there should still be a nice belly)

Also, to add to your list. Generally blades are no wider than 1".
 
Curiously,I find a lot of bushcraft blades without a guard or finger notch. To me,this is a bad design,indicating a maker who didn't care about the users fingers. I like the Fallkniven F1 out of all the bushcraft blades,at least there is a small integral guard.
 
TWBryan said:
Curiously,I find a lot of bushcraft blades without a guard or finger notch. To me,this is a bad design,indicating a maker who didn't care about the users fingers. I like the Fallkniven F1 out of all the bushcraft blades,at least there is a small integral guard.
Click to expand...

I agree. I do alot of bushcraft type work, but don't use what would typically be called a bushcraft knife, simply because I want a quality knife with more of a guard than the better bushcraft knives provide. I'd love to see a bushcraft knife with a handle profile more like a RAT Cutlery RC4.
 
I'd actually disagree about the value of a guard, for me personally. I've never found them to be as comfortable as a knife without, and I don't recall finding situations where I felt the guard saved me from finger slices.

I've actually thought about grinding down the guard on my F1!
 
I like guards for field dressing, when your hand is covered in blood and really cold (winter is the best time for hunting), Its surprisingly easy for your hand to slide up the blade. I don't care if they are there or not for bushcraft stuff.
 
Another lack of guard guy here (blame it on my nordic roots). I have used my BRKT Lil' Bird and Trout for the past couple of months and I still have all of my fingers and all of the skin on them too!
 
So,I take it bushcraft is defined as light woodworking with natural materials? I thought it was about living in the wilds,which does involves dealing with wet,slippery,and sometimes, bloody things. Working under optimal conditions a person might find a guard a nuisance,but you can't count on having optimal conditions. I prefer an extra measure of safety to prevent injury.
 
I don't like a guard, per se, but I do like having a bump at the end of the handle or something to provide a stop. I like the palm ridge in a lot of the Himalayan Imports products. I also prefer to not have a choil, but they don't really bother me, either.
 
TWBryan said:
So,I take it bushcraft is defined as light woodworking with natural materials? I thought it was about living in the wilds,which does involves dealing with wet,slippery,and sometimes, bloody things.
Click to expand...

It IS about living in the wilds, with wet, slippery, and bloody conditions.

The majority of my knife use is cleaning and filleting fish, which is a very wet, bloody, and slimy activity. I have never found a use for finger guards, they just get in the way.

I also never had a problem cleaning and skinning rabbits and squirrels in -2F in the snow back east, with nearly frozen, wet hands and toes.

The only thing a guard is good for is for stabbing, and even that can be done safely without a guard, by placing the handle butt in the palm of your hand.

It is hardly a safety issue as much as a comfort for your mind, if you think you need it then you probably do. But, if you REALLY know how to use a knife you will find you hardly miss finger guards once you start using knives without them.

BTW, how many of you, that think finger guards are necessary, have kitchen knives with finger guards? Or pocket knives with finger guards? Have you ever thought about that? It seems that the only knives that people demand finger guards on, are fixed blade field knives, yet they get along so well in there kitchen and with there folders.
 
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kitchenguard.png


:) :)

Sometimes I like a guard on my outdoor knives - my preference is for an integrated guard. I find it just feels good especially when it terminates at the end of a finger choil.
 
stingray4540 said:
BTW, how many of you, that think finger guards are necessary, have kitchen knives with finger guards? Or pocket knives with finger guards? Have you ever thought about that? It seems that the only knives that people demand finger guards on, are fixed blade field knives, yet they get along so well in there kitchen and with there folders.
Click to expand...

Well, most of my cutting knives (as opposed to butter knives) either look like the one above, or have the little dimple at the end of the handle that I described as liking, kind of like this:

7386.jpg
 
KGD: :foot: well, obviously... I was think more along the lines of your steak, paring, boning, utility knives, which are the ones that get the majority of the use in my house. Well, mine don't have any kind of finger guard or finger notch anyway.

P.S. You know what, maybe that isn't a very good example. Just from googling kitchen knives it seems that a lot of them, even the steak and paring knives have some kind of notch or something. Mine don't, I guess I just got used to seeing mine and forgot how many different variations there are out there. :foot: again.

I still hate guards and don't see the point, but to each his own I guess.
 
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I was just having a little fun with yeah Stingray......Cpl Punishment captured the kind of thing I like. Again I find it more a comfort thing than a 'major' safety issue.
 
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