Hook Knives...

SBranson

SBranson

Joined
Oct 29, 2006
Messages
2,912
A little while back, Daniel Fairley posted a picture of some old knives. One in particular caught my attention. After making the Kukuri and testing it out on windfall in my yard, I thought this other design might work very well in this application. It reminded me of a version of a cane harvesting knife or something of that sort.
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I forged two versions of this:

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The first one (top) from a piece of 5160 leaf spring.
Specs.
11 15/16" blade
18 1/4" OAL
handle is Ipe with cane wrap and wrought iron ferrule.
POB is about 1 3/4" in front of the ferrule
weight is 1lb 11.5oz or 782g

It's heavy being about 3/8" at the ricasso with distal taper. There is a lot of mass in the handle combined with the length of the handle puts the POB back so it's not fatiguing to chop with.

The second one (bottom) is W2
Specs.
12 1/4" blade
18 3/8" OAL
handle is maple with epoxied hemp wrap and wrought iron ferrule
POB is about 2 3/8" in front of the ferrule
weight is 1lb 4.7oz 589g

It's lighter and faster being about 5/16" at the ricasso with full height grind and more taper. Slightly shorter handle and less mass in the handle makes it more nimble. Still a very capable chopper but excels at the "snick" cut.


Both really draw in lighter material rather than push it away as can happen with blades that curve away.
Both are through tang, threaded with a nut and epoxied for maximum strength. (first time I've use this construction)
The extra length in the handle allows for choking up for a more controlled strike.
The relatively short height of the blades at the ricasso combined with the thickness make that area good for use as a froe for splitting pieces of wood while batonning.

Here's some photos and a video. (you'll note that this isn't a very efficient way to chop a log. The center of these fir logs can get quite dense so it's much faster to flip the log over.)

(ps... the bandage is due to me sticking my finger in a jointer at work a couple weeks ago. NOT recommended :eek::thumbdn::p ..kind of slowed the completion of the second one)

[youtube]43WZFORqlYM[/youtube]

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Some big chunks in the foreground that came out while chopping.
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Thanks for looking

(...sheaths are in the works and both are available...)
 
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Those look amazing! Kinda remind me of a pointier version of the wwii pilots machete. What would be the price for the one with less forge marks on the blade?
 
I can personally attest to the function and feel of these knives, as I have handled both, (before they had handles, to be precise).

If I didn't already have financial commitments for other knives previously, I would certainly have 'sprung' for the leaf spring version. As it stands, I have an order in with Stu for one very similar to it once the dollars clear through the hopper.

I have and do use some excellent large knives in the forest on a regular basis, and I have a strong conviction that Stu's hook knife would outperform all of them, even despite the less high tech steel employed in its construction.

Either would make for an effective weapon, but the W2 version stands out as changing it's direction midswing takes much less effort. The 5160 version is a brute and lives to cleave.
 
Wow, you took a clunky-looking design and refined it into something elegant and effective. I surely do enjoy seeing whenever you post up more work. :)

Stop sticking fingers in machinery! It hurts! :eek:
 
The more I look at these the more I like them! I really like the smaller version, with the maple handle.
 
Must admit that i thought this thread was going to be on carving hook knives but this is so much more cool. For clearing trails i bet they'll work really well.
 
Thanks. I didn't know what to call them and in retrospect perhaps "hawkbill" would've been a more evocative title.
 
I got my W2 hook knife in the mail today and all I can say is that it is a thing of beauty. A very, very sharp thing of beauty.
 
Hi Stu, I think I just fall in love with the W2 lady :thumbup:
And congrats to James the new custodian of the W2 lady :)

mohd
 
Those are fantastic, Stuart. And from the video they look to be excellent choppers!

Lorien said:
I have and do use some excellent large knives in the forest on a regular basis, and I have a strong conviction that Stu's hook knife would outperform all of them . . .
Click to expand...

So I've been trying to educate myself on the history of swords and edged weapons in general. Lots of great old arms & armor books are available on Amazon for next to nothing. I'm curious why these types of large hook knives weren't more commonly used as weapons. I do see them on large halberds and other polearms, which I've read was for pulling knights and mounted fighters from their horses. But it seems these would be absolutely devastating cutters with the leading tip. I see lots of forward-edge patterns, but most of them seem to have a trailing point. Just thinking out loud here . . .
 
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