Does anyone have a Skrama?

[John A. Larsen]

I have one, a gift from a good friend in Finland. It is an excellent chopper. John

 

[GREENJACKET]

Well thats one in the USA

 

[The Zieg]

Since my weekday job has me training horses, it would necessarily be a weekend warrior tool for me; if that warfare is clearing a break in the willow thickets to get at a favorite trout stream here in the Rockies (which I hope is soon!). I have machetes but this one would probably be a better tool for more extended camp work. I saw this thing about a year ago and would like to get my hands on one. If I do, I'll get some pics of the clearings I can make with it and post a quick review.

EDIT: Seems the relevant comparison would be Buck's Compadre Froe. Lengths are similar, handle a bit longer on the Skrama, no point on the froe, and the Skrama seems quite a bit thicker. After shipping and conversion of Euro to Dollar, the price looks in favor of the froe, which comes with a leather sheath while the Skrama takes you up to about €100.

Zieg

 

[Losermensfriend]

 

[Bill Siegle]

I have one and it's a real beast around camp! Until you hold one it is hard to believe so much can be achieved in one tool. It's not too heavy to carry around, it is ground by folks who know their geometry, and the handle works well in both positions. I'd have little fear over the handle coming off. The material has some give, but it is not soft.

 

[GREENJACKET]

I am pretty sure the Buck's Compadre Froe isn't a bad tool at all. For brush work, I have a few choppers like billhooks, and long handled brush hooks and ditch blades. I also have the Martindale Golock and few other large choppers. However, comparing the Skrama to them is missing the crucial point about how the Skrama can have a neutral centre hold. Add that to the grind the Skrama is as much knife as chopper. Its better built than your average gardening or agricultural tool too. Many an agricultural tool will bludgeon its way through material through pure force. The Skrama is far more refined and cuts. If you were never to sharpen the Skrama up ever again you could turn it into a buster, but that would be a waste. Its a large keen edge carrier not a wedge smasher.

Last word on the handle. Its full tang, not some stick tang. I found a picture somewhere and its pretty meaty. That and the moulded rubber give the neutral balance to the blade which makes it so different and controllable when a forward choked grip is used. This moulded rubber is not going to break or do anything bad. OK one person has reservations and prefers screwed on scales. I like screwed on scales they have their place, but they have their own disadvantages too. Many a tang has failed on the screw through holes. Frankly, this reservation is a non starter. The Skramas rubber moulded grips are firstly very comfortable, have no hot spots whatever the grip position, and most importantly are well able to take any amount of abuse that this kind of tool is likely to encounter. I doubt there is a better grip to be had for this particular tool.

As you can tell I'm a huge fan of this Skrama. Its ingeniously simple and practical; a thinking man's golock. I like the price too for both the design but also the steel. Its not for everyone, but then there isn't anything quite like it. Those who have them like them.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

My concerns regarding harmonics and performance maximization actually stem from the tang being near-full as opposed to a well-executed hidden slim taper. Seems to me that could throw the harmonics off and add excess weight while reducing chopping ability. Not saying it's bad as-is, but if my suspicions (which, again, are based on experience with other tools rather than this one, which I haven't handled) are correct then it's not as optimized as it could be.

 

[GREENJACKET]

I think you had better get your hands on one somehow. Most bushwhackers are front heavy and fully biased towards heavy chopping. Many are designed to get the most chop to a sweet spot so only part of the blade does most of the work. Many have stick tangs to maximise the front forward bias that heavy chopping requires. With such front heavy tools then its difficult to control for finer tasks (you can hold them in a different way to have them as a stationary edge). If optimised for chopping is whats important then they are as they should be.
The Shrama is a different tool, for the weight distribution of the whole thing allows for a neutral balance with a front grip. At 1.2 Lbs neutral then they can be used as a large but controllable knife. Hold it further back and you get a decent chop. Two functions which gives it more versatility.

Frankly if I have something that really is tough or big that needs chopping then I'll use an axe. I its stupid I'll use a stump grinder.

Not sure what you mean by harmonics. To me that means vibrations. The Skrama is relatively short and thick to be rigid enough that there are no annoying vibrations as found when thin long machete's hit hard stuff. Horrid vibrations are why I'm not a fan of anything too thin or springy, Cold Steel offerings or jungle machetes. Thin is fine for vegetation but not much else. The Fins who make the Skrama know what they are doing.

Here is a Skrama next to a Ben Orford Snedding Parang. The Ben Orford is a full tang parang that gives it a neutral balance so it can be choked up in the centre for whittling controlled work. They both do a similar task, though I like both I prefer the straighter edge on the former. The point I'm trying to make is they are not all out choppers, they are more versatile than that. Better than a big knife too.
I'm happy taking either for lighter tasks over an axe; and they can handle more than most knives.

 

[Insipid Moniker]

Since my weekday job has me training horses, it would necessarily be a weekend warrior tool for me; if that warfare is clearing a break in the willow thickets to get at a favorite trout stream here in the Rockies (which I hope is soon!). I have machetes but this one would probably be a better tool for more extended camp work. I saw this thing about a year ago and would like to get my hands on one. If I do, I'll get some pics of the clearings I can make with it and post a quick review.

EDIT: Seems the relevant comparison would be Buck's Compadre Froe. Lengths are similar, handle a bit longer on the Skrama, no point on the froe, and the Skrama seems quite a bit thicker. After shipping and conversion of Euro to Dollar, the price looks in favor of the froe, which comes with a leather sheath while the Skrama takes you up to about €100.

Zieg

You've got the thickness backwards, my friend. The Compadre Froe is .25" at the spine, the Skarma is .157". That's honestly one of the reasons I'm drawn to it. Most chopper knives are too damn thick to do any actual knife tasks, they just chop and split, but this is a slightly different beast. Honestly, it's the first knife-style chopper I've found appealing in ages. Most of the time I'd much rather rely on a heavy machete for versatility or an axe for efficiency.

 

[The Zieg]

You've got the thickness backwards, my friend. The Compadre Froe is .25" at the spine, the Skarma is .157". That's honestly one of the reasons I'm drawn to it. Most chopper knives are too damn thick to do any actual knife tasks, they just chop and split, but this is a slightly different beast. Honestly, it's the first knife-style chopper I've found appealing in ages. Most of the time I'd much rather rely on a heavy machete for versatility or an axe for efficiency.

You're right, I even looked it up before posting and didn't realize my typo until reading your post. The froe is thicker. By far. And I agree with you about it being more versatile as a result. Don't know how much knife-type work would be possible with the froe, but as a wood processor it might be better.

Zieg

 

[GREENJACKET]

Willow thicket regrowth, in fact loads of woody regrowth, is a pain to cut as its too whippy for an axe and a bit tough for a machette. The old boys used billhooks and long arm ditch blade. Frankly ratchet loppers are best but they are big and heavy. I think the Skrama will do well being having a keen grind to catch and cut these tricky shoots. Its why I will put mine in the chainsaw bag with a Zerbat saw when required.
Your call, but I recommend one.

 

[dogrunner]

I like the look of it. As GJ suggests, the proof is going to be in the use and I don't know how you can judge the feel of it without trying one. The price seems reasonable to me too. I like a well-executed rubber grip too (think res-C on Busses, not the rubber handled CS knives).
I want one but am a little hesitant to order from an unknown overseas vendor (I've had CC info stolen before and not saying this vendor is not trustworthy, but still nervous). OTOH, 42blades is my go-to source for bushwhacking equipment ...

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I think you had better get your hands on one somehow. Most bushwhackers are front heavy and fully biased towards heavy chopping. Many are designed to get the most chop to a sweet spot so only part of the blade does most of the work. Many have stick tangs to maximise the front forward bias that heavy chopping requires. With such front heavy tools then its difficult to control for finer tasks (you can hold them in a different way to have them as a stationary edge). If optimised for chopping is whats important then they are as they should be.
The Shrama is a different tool, for the weight distribution of the whole thing allows for a neutral balance with a front grip. At 1.2 Lbs neutral then they can be used as a large but controllable knife. Hold it further back and you get a decent chop. Two functions which gives it more versatility.

Frankly if I have something that really is tough or big that needs chopping then I'll use an axe. I its stupid I'll use a stump grinder.

Not sure what you mean by harmonics. To me that means vibrations. The Skrama is relatively short and thick to be rigid enough that there are no annoying vibrations as found when thin long machete's hit hard stuff. Horrid vibrations are why I'm not a fan of anything too thin or springy, Cold Steel offerings or jungle machetes. Thin is fine for vegetation but not much else. The Fins who make the Skrama know what they are doing.

Here is a Skrama next to a Ben Orford Snedding Parang. The Ben Orford is a full tang parang that gives it a neutral balance so it can be choked up in the centre for whittling controlled work. They both do a similar task, though I like both I prefer the straighter edge on the former. The point I'm trying to make is they are not all out choppers, they are more versatile than that. Better than a big knife too.
I'm happy taking either for lighter tasks over an axe; and they can handle more than most knives.

Harmonics has to do not only with vibration, but also the zones of maximum power transference. I'm well familiar with neutral balance tools, so I do understand what the tool is trying to accomplish. As far as thin vs. thick, mass will dampen shock, but if a machete is jarring you when striking hard targets, it's either too light of a model or you're striking with it outside the sweet spot. Something like a flared panga pattern, for instance, delivers almost no shock to the the hand when chopping with the sweet spot. When chopping are you "hammer-swinging" from the arm or using a fluid snapping "cast" of the mass at the tip?

 

[GREENJACKET]

With the handle length you can hammer cut or whip cut depending where you put your hand along the grip. With a bit of use it becomes quite natural, so you end up using enough chop to get through without having too much to stop once through. The long edge is all useful and its not really trying for any "zeroed in" sweet spot that lets say my Marauder hardwood machete is trying for. The Skrama will tell you if you are trying to tackle too much, or too hard, but its not from vibration just that it edge won't bite as deep as it usually does. Its not a chipping action axe edge.
Big spade billhooks and flared pangas are trying to keep mass behind a chopping edge. So do chopping Kukris. Jungle machetes are too springy for much more than grass where I live, and not much cop as they vibrate horridly when used on tough wood. In jungle they work as they give reach on spiky green stuff to clear; to clear an area for axes and the chainsaw.
For hedge laying you don't actually want to cut all the way through, and the big spade belly on things like billhooks is used for the split too. Their edges may be sharp but not overly keen either. For long hours of work then heft is desirable as its best to let the heft of the tool do the work, but then who wants to carry a hefty tool on the trail. Hefty tools are for truck or mule carry. Mine are in my forestry tool box with the chain oil and wedges, not a box I want to travel far with (I don't take it hunting).

This Skrama is for packing light for mobility. For stick and pole cutting, and snedding. Clearing a camp site and building a temporary shelter. It can sharpen stakes and cut things up. Cut and dress out a hide, do the kindling for fire. Think of it as a better big knife for woodland use. For greenwood, thin hardwood and brush. Its not too long, not too wide, and not too heavy and it carries a hell sharp edge. Compliment it with a small knife and small saw and you are good to go. Want even more then get the specialised tool be it axe, saw or power tools and put them into the truck, because you ain't going to carry them far.

 

[GREENJACKET]

I have nothing to do with the company that you can get them from. What I can say is that they have an excellent reputation and go the extra mile. They have never let me down.. Think they are the good guys.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

For long hours of work then heft is desirable as its best to let the heft of the tool do the work, but then who wants to carry a hefty tool on the trail. Hefty tools are for truck or mule carry. Mine are in my forestry tool box with the chain oil and wedges, not a box I want to travel far with (I don't take it hunting).

This assertion is, in part, one reason why a reduced tang can be of advantage. It's possible to yield an overall lighter tool with greater chopping ability and better harmonics by shifting the balance point forward. The ability to choke up still enables knife uses with a blade that short. This is all rule-of-thumb stuff, though. Do you know of any sources for an image of the tang? I wasn't able to locate one in a cursory search. My biggest problem with most "hand and a half" knives is that handle material often adds a lot in terms of weight on the back end, and it makes the tool behave in odd ways if certain things aren't taken into account with the design.

Again, this is more general commentary expressing why I have reservations upon looking at it from afar instead of having an immediately wholly favorable reaction to it. It does seem to impress a lot of folks, and so it at least hits a certain performance threshold. My questions are more to answer my own curiosity.

 

[sideways]

I like the look of it. As GJ suggests, the proof is going to be in the use and I don't know how you can judge the feel of it without trying one. The price seems reasonable to me too. I like a well-executed rubber grip too (think res-C on Busses, not the rubber handled CS knives).
I want one but am a little hesitant to order from an unknown overseas vendor (I've had CC info stolen before and not saying this vendor is not trustworthy, but still nervous). OTOH, 42blades is my go-to source for bushwhacking equipment ...

Varusteleka is a little special (look up their marketing on youtube or facebook) but it is a legitimate business. There is both a bricks and mortar walk in store and a web store. It's one of the biggest military surplus stores in Europe to my knowledge.

 

[dogrunner]

Thanks sideways and greenjacket. The vendor review is very helpful!

 

[GREENJACKET]

Here is an article in French, it has a picture of the tang. Looks like the author beat one to destruction and forced chip outs out of the blade. My French isn't very good but think he was a fan.
http://www.tacticraft.com/review-varusteleka-skrama/

All I can say is the knife behaves for a 1.2 lbs knife.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Ok--that's actually a nice stick tang. A good deal narrower than I was expecting based on your description. Should give a decent balance with that build. :thumbup: