Condor Hudson bay mini or similar

H

HFinn

Joined
Sep 6, 2012
Messages
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We went for a small cycling trip to the achipelago. Had a good time, there was supposed to be a jazz festival but it was canceled for the covid. Anyway, I noticed that the knives in the cabins we had rented are allways dull as butter knives.

I have thought about getting a traditional knife to be used mainly for kitchen duties during these trips, but since I try to avoid carrying too much equipment it should be able to do multiple things. Food prep is an important factor, so it should:
have blade lenght of 120-150 mm
have flat grind
be wide enough so my knuckels don't bump in to cutting boards or similar and have no need of a "guard", the blade width will act as a guard
have a grind that gets close to the hand
be sturdy enough to handle also some firewood
not be expensive
look nice and trad while doing this all.

So I'm seeking a not too large and heavy camp knife with good food prep characteristics. I don't know about the grind on the Hudson bay mini, but it looks like it has the design I need. Any opinions or options?

ctk2816-49hc$01-condor.jpg
 
One reason I want a fixed blade is hygiene. I had with me folder large enough for the food prep (Antonini Old Bear XL) but after it got covered in grease and crud I started to thing what kind of germs will grow in the pivot area, that is impossible to clean thoroughly. Of course one option is getting a small cook knife, but these are almost allways too thin for woodwork. Something like Grohmann with flat grind would be optimal, but these are are hard to get. I have used my Brisa Nessmuk for kitchen, but the scandi grind just does not work well in this use. With a flat grind it would be spectacular.
 
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How about a Kephart. I used my BK62 to prepare dinner last night and it worked a treat, much better than my buddy’s Farberware kitchen knives that I had just sharpened for him. (Sorry, no pics.) Not cheap, but not real expensive. Condor makes a Kephart, too, but it will want some thinning of the grind and even then will not approach the Becker.
 
Henry Beige said:
How about a Kephart. I used my BK62 to prepare dinner last night and it worked a treat, much better than my buddy’s Farberware kitchen knives that I had just sharpened for him. (Sorry, no pics.) Not cheap, but not real expensive. Condor makes a Kephart, too, but it will want some thinning of the grind and even then will not approach the Becker.
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Good choise. Not really what I had in mind, but I must think about it.
 
LT Wright BushcrafterHC is a Kephart style version, or if you want smaller, the LT Wright Coyote if can be found or the Battlehorse knives Birch river.
 
HFinn said:
Something like Grohmann with flat grind would be optimal, but these are are hard to get.
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If it's going to be mostly kitchen it would be pretty hard to beat that offset handle and continuous-belly blade.
xhWU5g9.jpg

The original is shorter than you want, though.
 
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scrteened porch said:
If it's going to be mostly kitchen it would be pretty hard to beat that offset handle and continuous-belly blade.
xhWU5g9.jpg

The original is shorter than you want, though.
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I have the boat knife at the summer cottage. It's not bad, but I'm almost decided on the flat grind. But then I could bring the boat knife home and experiment with the bevel.
 
I notice the Grohmann #4 survival knife has a 5.5" (140mm?) blade and can be had in carbon or stainless, saber or flat.

I was thinking Boker's nicker, but it's a 4" blade.
Dexter Russell lamb skinner?
 
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Brisa (the factory that made my nessmuk) imports all kind of blades. Maybe I should take a look, I could make my own knife and sheath.
 
I almost bought the Grohmann #4, but it's too much like my Western skinner for me to spring for it. Maybe when the Publishers Clearing House checks start rolling in.
uJON2nz.jpg
 
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I got the Grohmann boat knife back in my hands and did a quick sharpening with diamond files and stropping on leather. Tomorrow I will use it making a barbeque of some pork and wegerables. Let's see if this changes my idea about camp knife.
 
Sometimes I have to admit I was wrong. I did some nice chicken breasts and the Grohmann sliced excellently through onions and garlic among other things. Then just to test it I made some fuzzy sticks with it with no problems. I even batoned it through dry firewood, knots and all with ease. And the knife shawed hair off my arm after all this. Not bad. Sometimes you just are wrong about knives and their steel. The no-name stainless (1.446?) did well. In mostly kitchen duties when traveling this will do fine and then some.
 
HFinn said:
Sometimes I have to admit I was wrong. I did some nice chicken breasts and the Grohmann sliced excellently through onions and garlic among other things. Then just to test it I made some fuzzy sticks with it with no problems. I even batoned it through dry firewood, knots and all with ease. And the knife shawed hair off my arm after all this. Not bad. Sometimes you just are wrong about knives and their steel. The no-name stainless (1.446?) did well. In mostly kitchen duties when traveling this will do fine and then some.
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Congratulations on your discovery. It's like getting a new knife for free.
 
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