errrr so whats the best custom bushcraft knife?

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gazaati

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I am trying to upgrade my barkriver Aurora, I am looking at the custom ones. I am in the waiting list or a Daniel Koster bushcraft knife.

What are the other usual suspects?

Would the skookmbushtool offer allot more than the koster one?
 
gazaati said:
I am trying to upgrade my barkriver Aurora, I am looking at the custom ones. I am in the waiting list or a Daniel Koster bushcraft knife.

What are the other usual suspects?

Would the skookmbushtool offer allot more than the koster one?
Click to expand...

Of the ones I have tried I think the Skookum is tops and the Koster a close second. The stock Skookum has a thinner blade and a wider handle that seems a bit more comfortable in a variety of hand positions and a wide variety of hand sizes, although the Koster with the 3V steel has a way better edge toughness than the Skookum.

There's a lot of nice ones being made right now though.

KBhandle3.jpg
 
I have a Krein Bushcraft and a Busharound that I made myself. I love Tom's knife, but for long extended use my hand gets a little fatigued (I have larger than normal hands. So Tom's is on the shorter end of the Bushcraft blades, but he is great to work with and so will change anything you want.
 
Use google and check out these guys. All do up a great knife IMO.

Charles May knives
Breeden knives
Gene Ingram knives
Diving Sparrow knives
Muskrat Man knives
ML knives

Good luck.
 
I just ordered the Skookum in 3V,

after studying the problem of which bushcraft knife to try.
 
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Personally I think once you get up to Aurora level, you're no longer looking at steps up...you're just walking around on a plateau, checking out knives which will do one task a little better and another task a little worse, and which one you choose will just depend on what you want your knife to do for you.
 
I own most of the knives discussed so far (those I don't I already have on order), and I don't think that you are going to get a "BEST" knife out of the list. The Aurora will hold up against any of them, I've tried to beat mine into submission for a year and couldn't find anything wrong with it..

The only difference you will really notice is the shape of the grip and the size of the blade.
 
First of, Thanks to you all for the info and recommendations

misanthropist, You got a point there, I want to try a scandi. In my mind, its a better grind because its simpler by design.

I probably wont give any knife I buy the work it deserves. I try to but I am a light camper. Love to have those fine knives though.

Cheers.
 
misanthropist said:
Personally I think once you get up to Aurora level, you're no longer looking at steps up...you're just walking around on a plateau, checking out knives which will do one task a little better and another task a little worse, and which one you choose will just depend on what you want your knife to do for you.
Click to expand...

Agreed:thumbup:
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by misanthropist View Post
Personally I think once you get up to Aurora level, you're no longer looking at steps up...you're just walking around on a plateau, checking out knives which will do one task a little better and another task a little worse, and which one you choose will just depend on what you want your knife to do for you.
Agreed
Reply With Quote
Click to expand...

I agree but since you ask

smbushcraft2we.BMP


Stewart Marsh Bushcrafter
01 tool steel
ivory Micarta handle
 
smbushcraftknife.JPG


smbushcraftknifews.JPG


A few more shots

A brief review from right after I got it.

I had been hankering to try out what our friends across the pond call a bushcraft knife. I could not bring myself to pay the asking price for a Woodlore but after some research I came across Stewart Marsh and his excellent clone of the Woodlore design.
I ordered it from Highseats in the UK on Monday. The next Monday it was in my hand!
On inspection I saw that the knife was very well made. It is a stout knife. Holding it the wood "Tool" comes to mind. Everything about it screams wood work and I guess rightly so. I noticed that the grind was slightly off center to the bar stock and several small dents on the spine of the knife attracted my attention. Also, the transition between the grind area and the tang was a little rough. Minor details that will not be noticeable after a few sharpenings. Speaking of that, right out of the box the knife would only shave hair on about one half of the blade. However, when applied to paper the blade cleanly engaged the paper and sliced cleanly, without drag, the entire length of the blade. Again more like a wood working tool than a knife. About ten minutes with 2000 grit paper and the flatbed hone solved that. My forearm is now smooth as a babies rear end. Sharpening the zero grind was straight forward, quick and easy.
:lol:
The sheath is very well made with a conventional belt loop, not like the Woodlore under the belt design. It is VERY tight and will take break in to be useful.
When I got home I made some fuzz sticks from downed limbs in my yard and carved a hearth board from willow so I could evaluate the knife's control and drilling ability. I found it superbly comfortable and easy to control. I am not sold on the zero grind, most of my knives are convex. time will tell I guess.
This weekend was hectic. I had a chance to get in the woods but not much chance to do any bushcrafting. Anyway, here are some shots of my new baby, a ivory Micarta Stewart Marsh Bushcraft with a handmade lanyard slide from white tail deer antler.
Enjoy
http://yerfrockethellhound.com/smbushcraftknife.JPG

I could not resist adding my screen name to the blade as I have a friend that does engraving.

http://yerfrockethellhound.com/smbushcraftknifewe.JPG


If you look closely at the sheath you can see a blemish. I got a nice discount of the knife due to this. Maybe enough to make up for the loop sided exchange rate between pounds and dollars.

LOL

http://yerfrockethellhound.com/smbushcraftknifews.JPG
Click to expand...
 
I've got a Koster Bushcraft and like it a lot. It's about as bulletproof a design as you could want. I've put mine through the paces and have no question it will hold up to whatever reasonable task I subject it to.

I like the Skookum a lot and wouldn't mind having one. I've seen a couple and they were all finished off a little nicer than the Koster. If I remember right, they were a bit heavier and balanced more toward the handle.
 
well, i guess the enzo could be a custom, if you put new scales onto it...or if you look at it like i do...it is custom cause you customize it to the way that you wat it. anywho, check out the enzo:thumbup:
 
Guys, the Stewart Marsh is nice but Good God 299 Pounds?

Thats 591.048 US Dollar I used to live in England, They call it rip off britain. Not taking anything from Stewart Marsh . He makes a fine knife. But top custom american makers take half that price for any kind of knife, with any steel, with any hand material. Even with 2 year back orders, They dont jack the price.
 
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