bushcraft knife tips (no, I don't mean suggestions)

P

PB Wilson

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Jul 17, 2006
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I'm curious about folk's preferences with the tips of their bushcraft knives.

I'm talking about knives with no drop or a straight spine (traditional puukko style), slight drop (Skookum Bush Tool for instance), drop point (Koster Bushcrafter) or a spear point (Fiddleback Arete perhaps). Throw in a clip point (think most Mora blades) and you've got most of what most people think of when they think "bushcraft."

What do you prefer and which ones have you found better for certain tasks?

I like my Koster Bushcrafter for drilling, but I find myself favoring the looks of the straight spine blades more and more. I haven't had as much time in the woods with this style, but I'm looking to find out how they stack up. I'm hoping to get my Skookum sometime soon and I'm nearly finished with a handle project with a Brusletto Nostagi blade I modified (took a bastard file to) to have a straight spine. I'll put them to the test this summer.

Whatta you think?
 
I'll fire off first...a bushcraft knife must match an individual's or group's mission. What is the mission, then match the knife to that mission. So, part of my mission profile for a bush knife is the need to process wild game. Every tool, including a knife has trade-offs. A spear point knife may have some great assets in drilling holes and doing other tasks it isn't as effective in processing game. Can I process game with one? Absolutely! Have I? Indeed I have.

So, in my mission profile, while I can work around with technique a spear point blade like the Aurora and similar designs I tend to stay away from them. The last thing I want to do is rip open the intestines, stomach or other innards because I'm cold or surviving/living in a hostile environment/circumstances when my hands are shaking from one or the other - or both.

While I know some will tell me I need to "do this or that" to work around the knife design, I'll retort back and say "yes, I understand the technique and I done that." But when you're opening up and eventually skinning an elk after dark in a blizzard when the temp is hovering around 15 with a wind chill of sub zero and numb hands it sounds better on a forum than it really does in practice.

I've been privileged to be successful as a hunter of small, medium, and large game in all conditions including spending a night next to my elk waiting for better weather and some help to arrive. Knowing my bush knife needs to double as a food processor (no pun intended) I find the bush craft knives of old with the clip or drop point more advantagous for my mission. But that is me. My gear (knife) must match my mission. Your mission may be entirely different, thus your need (knife point) may be entirely different. Is a Spear Point or Puukko better as a bush knife than a Clip Point or Drop Point? I guess it all depends upon your mission.
 
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PB,

I'm not sure I'd categorize a "bushcraft" blade soley by it's point, if it could be said there is a specific "bushcraft-style" of knife at all. Most would argue there is no consensus on the form a knife takes that is "perfect" for the role a "bushcrafter" may put to it. That said, I think there are some common themes, regardless of some of the details.

From what I have seen, the theme (or perhaps, trend) is that form follows function. A reasonably long blade featuring a somewhat less acute point in favor of a relatively deep belly are probably the most common. I wouldn't read too much into that, as the market push to court the "bushcrafting" demographic has as many interpretations as there are participants in this subculture.

I can't speak with any great expertise on the lifestyle one way or another, though I've looked on with great interest as others willingly subject themselves to isolation and deprivation for the sake of advancing the nearly forgotten skills of survival science. ;)

If there is anything regarding a serviceable knife that most "bushcrafters" would probably agree with, it is for a knife that is the pinnacle of simplicity and thrift. To my eyes, most knives favored by the bushcraft types appear possible to fabricate with relatively basic skills, a belt grinder and a billet of tool steel.

As for overall knife design, the clutch of knives I've seen carried in the forests not far from where I live appear to be typified by blades with flat grinds with a majority carrying the simple V profiled edges and a few more "hardcore" types managing to keep their convex edges shiny with a steel burnish. Most of the blades had a fair amount of belly in their blades and a rather less acute point, but then again plenty of variation exists as this is not a specific "style" but a trend in form. From the types of activities I've heard described, from fire starting to shelter and trap building, a slight loss of performance in piercing in exchange for enhanced slicing seems a reasonable compromise.

Full tang construction is the probably the most common of the types I've seen, though a few rat-tail and partial tangs also occur (particularly if the Scandinavian Puuko and Leuku are incorporated into the archetype). The haft is where I have seen the most variations, sometimes incorporating one or two swells in the haft upper or lower portion of the haft to afford a more secure grip. The omission of bolster or buttcap are common characteristics as well.

From a material perspective, high carbon steels appear to be the most common for their simple blades. This preference appears to be reflected in the various custom and factory makers courting this market. Stabalized and unstabalized hardwoods, antler and some of the more rugged looking synthetic materials like linen micarta materials appear the most common for the haft scale slabs. The particularly good examples have relatively rough surfaces to afford a secure grip at the expense looks. Once again, form follows function.

Probably the most interesting issue is the presence of a lanyard hole. Some users swear by the various lanyard secured grips while others deride the lanyard tethers as yet another obstacle just getting in the way.

There are almost as many opinions on this topic as the "perfect knife" in any other context. I'd prefer a long Khukuri and it's companion Karda for all the tasks required, but I would probably break down and choose to set camp in a more "conventional" fashion, with tent, inflatable cot and several rolls of plush toiletpaper.

Cheers,

-E
 
It really depends on the ergonomics of the handle and the balance of the blade, as to which point I prefer. As nice as it is to have it centered on the handle axis, this also tends to reduce useable belly. I don't like distal tapers at all-full spine thickness all the way down to the point. Clip points are effective, as are drop and spear. As long as the tip is strong and... deliberate.
 
Clip Point, Drop Point, Spear Point...I really don't care as long as it has a good sharp point. I have learned the hard way that I can skin with a spear point a lot better than I can bore holes with a knife with a lot of belly but no real point (Think Old Hickory Butcher knife). Anything less pointy than an RC-3 or 4 doesn't have enough point to suit me.
 
I dont really care what kind of tip it has, as long its sharp. I did found that less upsweep in the belly is easier to sharpen for me though.
 
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