Educate me on Bushcraft. Survival or sport? Knife props of a 'Classic' Bushcrafter

[sodak]

To me, the whole "bushcraft" thing is a passing fad, more of a sport. We all like to play in the woods, and for some reason this term provides a sort of cohesion around a lot of outdoor activities for people.

Like others have said, lots of knives work well, and I've talked to a lot of folks with a ton of experience, and they all have different opinions on what works best. The thick grind of a scandi gives it good resistance to damage while not having a thick blade to start with, which (I think) is a major contributor to it's popularity. The convex works well also, with a similar story.

I look at survival as more long term, like what Dick Proenneke did.

 

[neeman]

I've been into "bushcraft practice" for a while, and am a rank amature by any standard..but I have used a vairety of blades scandi and others... the real honestyof it is you just need something that you feel comfortable with (don;t worry abuot the gold standards, Scandi grinds are preferred largely because in bushcraft your knife is not a stand alone tool.ais used primarily for detailed wood working involving precise cuts... an axe is used for heavy work....
in amore minimalist perspective a knife with amore robust grind might be more beneficial as a multi-tasker though a less efficient carver....in other words if I had an axe Icarry a scandi ground knife...if not... I carry something a little bigger with a flat or covex grind

40 years ago, I learnt 'Bushcraft' in scouts, then it was called woodcraft.
This was before anyone declared there was 'bushcraft or survival'

The presumtion was that you carried an axe, either a hatchet or a Hudson Bay.
The axe took care of any heavy work
Your knife was for lighter work and cooking

We also carried a small sharpening stone and a gardening trowel for digging, turfing, and personal latrine

The knife blade was less than 4"
We used a classic bowie blade that had a point to be able to 'drill' holes in wood and cut fine details.

 

[PatriotDan]

My opinion: No, I don't think bushcraft is a sport or survival. It's not based on the idea that you're struggling against nature or other humans, it's about having the knowhow, skills and the tools to live and work in a rural environment. For a lot of people, it's a necessity for their living environment. I certainly don't think it's trendy.

 

[akennedy73]

Blade length ~4" (4-6?)
Scandinavian (Scandi) grind
Carbon steel
Guardless, neutral (simple) handle
Natural (organic) handle materials
Typically leather sheath


My question is, are there really advantages of those 'classic' bushcraft knives vs modern knives, and can those advantages overcome the shortcomings of the design in a survival situation? Or maybe my understanding of the Bushcraft is wrong?

just my opinion FWIW

Blade length ~4" (4-6?)

~3" to ~4.5" - anymore isn't especially useful and makes fine detail work more difficult

Scandinavian (Scandi) grind - good grind for carving wood which is a common activity for bushcraft

Carbon steel - easily re-sharpened in the field with any flat or even round stone or rock with a smooth even surface

Guardless, neutral (simple) handle - allows for many different hand holds and grips

Natural (organic) handle materials - probably an aesthetic preference

Typically leather sheath - good for stropping a blade after sharpening

So yes there are advantages, not shortcomings, when compared to many modern knives :thumbup:

 

[untamed]

Sorry I haven't read thru the entire thread. Just the proverbial .02 centavos though. . .

The world is a big mosaic isn't it?

Filipino itak

African chokwe

Argentinian facon

Saami leuku

Uzbek pichok

Inuit ulu

Nepalese khukuri

Considering what it essentially is; bushCRAFT, its about native, indigenous and traditional arts and skills that have allowed peoples and cultures not only to survive but to flourish within their immediate environments.

Although there had been many notable fellows who became seriously engrossed in learning these arts and skills, sometime ago, a wonderfully brilliant English chap (yes, Ray Mears) began to develop his own particular knife design as distilled from his personal knowledge and experiences. It was heavily influenced by the Nordic (Scandinavian) design which had a grind on the blade that specialized in shaping and processing wood. As many people admired him, this design caught on.

I think were are all somewhat familiar with the image of a classic "bushcraft" knife from the school of thought espoused by Kochanski/Mears from a boreal forest/Northern hemisphere setting, preferably coupled with an axe as well. Here in my part of the world though (SE Asia), the knife tends to be longer since it not only shapes wood but may also be used to clear vegetation or establish trails.

So what then is the common bond between these seemingly disparate bushcraft perspectives? My attempt to answer your question is: in the long run, it's still the the skill (software), not the tool/knife (hardware) that makes it all happen.