Is the Skookum Bush Tool all that...

SwissHeritageCo said:
Anyone that has used a traditional scandi sheath knows what a pain in the ass it is to sheath them because of the liners.
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I have never experienced that with puukko sheaths. All I have tried have been well nested and not interrupting the insertion.
 
I’ve owned 2. One I got on secondary market (O1) and 1 directly from Rod (3V) that I got in 2016 after a 3 year wait. I had issues with both of the tips. They did not hold their form…. Anyone else have this issue? I’ve read things about a “micro tanto” before but I don’t really understand. It seems to me that a knife of such repute and cost shouldn’t have these issues. Other than that it is an excellent knife.
 
If anyone is still reading this thread, it bears mentioning once more than anyone who places an order with Rod have a few things to look forward to:

1. Whatever your wait time is, be prepared for it to double with zero communication from Rod Garcia.
2. Whatever the price was that you agreed to when you placed your order, be prepared for it to increase (possibly significantly) years later when you are contacted because your knife is ready.
3. Be prepared to be jumped in line, and see posts from folks who ordered years after you did, somehow get their knife within a three year period, despite you still waiting several years.

Ordering from SBT is not something I'd recommend. Plenty of makers have amazing handle ergos, except they're also much better at running a small knife business.
 
Quiet said:
If anyone is still reading this thread, it bears mentioning once more than anyone who places an order with Rod have a few things to look forward to:

1. Whatever your wait time is, be prepared for it to double with zero communication from Rod Garcia.
2. Whatever the price was that you agreed to when you placed your order, be prepared for it to increase (possibly significantly) years later when you are contacted because your knife is ready.
3. Be prepared to be jumped in line, and see posts from folks who ordered years after you did, somehow get their knife within a three year period, despite you still waiting several years.

Ordering from SBT is not something I'd recommend. Plenty of makers have amazing handle ergos, except they're also much better at running a small knife business.
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Just surmising here from what Ive heard over time…He often gets orders completed, but the guy he builds it for backs out, so he then uses that knife to fill “later” orders for the same build request. Hence, some guys luck out with a shorter wait because somebody before them backed out that wanted the same thing.

The only good thing Ive ever heard about all this waiting is the fact that he doesnt charge a penny, til the order is ready! Unlike some that charge anything from a deposit to full price at the placement of the order.

So he obviously has enough of a consistent fulfillment of orders to keep a cash flow to keep the business model working. And as long as he has orders and can keep filling them, he has an income.

No way I would ever place an order that Id have to wait almost a decade to get filled. At my age, I am risking not living long enough! LOL!
 
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A.L. said:
I have never experienced that with puukko sheaths. All I have tried have been well nested and not interrupting the insertion.
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Interesting, considering the clearance gap on a lesta is typically very small (unless it's a one sided "L" shaped lesta, which has a bit more space).

After many a custom puukko, from many different makers, I've found them impractical for field use (the fine tip always catches on the wood) but I do love the way they look and the thought process behind them :)
 
SwissHeritageCo said:
Anyone that has used a traditional scandi sheath knows what a pain in the ass it is to sheath them because of the liners. I spent many a minute trying to stick my malanika back in and the tip would get snagged on the wood.
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SwissHeritageCo said:
Interesting, considering the clearance gap on a lesta is typically very small (unless it's a one sided "L" shaped lesta, which has a bit more space).

After many a custom puukko, from many different makers, I've found them impractical for field use (the fine tip always catches on the wood) but I do love the way they look and the thought process behind them :)
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I've got puukot from a bunch of makers, mostly the real thing from traditional makers in Finland. Never had a problem with using them or problems with the sheath. I think it likely that an experienced maker like Marttiini or Jarvenpaaa would have sheath making pretty much perfected by now, where a custom maker might not get it right. Then again, a modern day "custom" puukko isn't exactly from a traditional maker.
Not all puukko makers use the lesta either. Martiini for example uses a flat pancake style sheath with no insert. Most of the sheaths with an insert seem to be from the Kauhava area. The way they are made is the leather is crimped in around the top of the lesta so the knife goes right in without hitting the wood.
I have seen a couple of those "custom" knives with a sheath that isn't made properly though. If the lesta is too thick, isn't made right, or isn't placed in the sheath properly, you will have problems with the blade catching the top.
 
Arathol said:
I've got puukot from a bunch of makers, mostly the real thing from traditional makers in Finland. Never had a problem with using them or problems with the sheath. I think it likely that an experienced maker like Marttiini or Jarvenpaaa would have sheath making pretty much perfected by now, where a custom maker might not get it right. Then again, a modern day "custom" puukko isn't exactly from a traditional maker.
Not all puukko makers use the lesta either. Martiini for example uses a flat pancake style sheath with no insert. Most of the sheaths with an insert seem to be from the Kauhava area. The way they are made is the leather is crimped in around the top of the lesta so the knife goes right in without hitting the wood.
I have seen a couple of those "custom" knives with a sheath that isn't made properly though. If the lesta is too thick, isn't made right, or isn't placed in the sheath properly, you will have problems with the blade catching the top.
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I have made lots and lots of lestas in backsewn sheaths, and never had a problem with the knife point sticking. You have to bevel the inside edge of the lesta, it makes a little ramp.


As to the OP, I've handled and owned several SBTs, and I will always lust after the green micarta with the two holes in the tang, but they're too thin for my old hands to manipulate very deftly, and they were handle-heavy. The sheaths are, for lack of a more precise word, neato.
 
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Ratatoskr said:
I have made lots and lots of lestas in backsewn sheaths, and never had a problem with the knife point sticking. You have to bevel the inside edge of the lesta, it makes a little ramp.


As to the OP, I've handled and owned several SBTs, and I will always lust after the green micarta with the two holes in the tang, but they're too thin for my old hands to manipulate very deftly, and they were handle-heavy. The sheaths are, for lack of a more precise word, neato.
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The SBT handles are too thin for your hands? You must have some proper meat bricks!

Personally I find the blockey handle really wide and comfy for my non meaty hands.. especially for power cuts and general camp chores, but they definitely lack the maneuverability of a tear drop handle and are for sure heavy handled for detailed work.

I would have thought the skookum handle was for sure one that you would have found comfy (I still remember you complaining about how skinny that Pekka was and I agree!).

As per Scandinavian sheaths and field use. I still hate lesta's even when properly beveled and 'sloped'. The tip is so fine it still sticks, even between the leather and lesta itself. I bought my last Malanika used and it arrived with a cut sheath because the previous owner did just that (misaligned the the tip and slid it on the outside of the lesta). Did happen to be a really thin leather though.
 
SwissHeritageCo said:
The SBT handles are too thin for your hands? You must have some proper meat bricks!

Personally I find the blockey handle really wide and comfy for my non meaty hands.. especially for power cuts and general camp chores, but they definitely lack the maneuverability of a tear drop handle and are for sure heavy handled for detailed work.

I would have thought the skookum handle was for sure one that you would have found comfy (I still remember you complaining about how skinny that Pekka was and I agree!).

As per Scandinavian sheaths and field use. I still hate lesta's even when properly beveled and 'sloped'. The tip is so fine it still sticks, even between the leather and lesta itself. I bought my last Malanika used and it arrived with a cut sheath because the previous owner did just that (misaligned the the tip and slid it on the outside of the lesta). Did happen to be a really thin leather though.
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Big hands, and arthritis to boot, makes me very picky about handle shape. I've bitten on three SBTs, so it's not for want of trying to make them work! A Sargent M3, which is basically a blown-up SBT, is the ticket for a hard-use scandi for me. (But let's face it, a Kansbol is all I really need.)
I get you on your preference for non-lesta sheaths, I think they're a love-em-or-hate-em thing.
Shame about the Malanika. Was it a Malanika-made sheath, or something custom-fit to the knife?
 
Ratatoskr said:
Big hands, and arthritis to boot, makes me very picky about handle shape. I've bitten on three SBTs, so it's not for want of trying to make them work! A Sargent M3, which is basically a blown-up SBT, is the ticket for a hard-use scandi for me. (But let's face it, a Kansbol is all I really need.)
I get you on your preference for non-lesta sheaths, I think they're a love-em-or-hate-em thing.
Shame about the Malanika. Was it a Malanika-made sheath, or something custom-fit to the knife?
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Bummer on the arthritis. The sheath was from Malanika himself but was made out of much thinner leather than my first two... not sure what prompted the style change.

I love the click of a properly molded sheath with a lesta, I love the look too (I think Joonas K. made the most aesthetic scandi sheaths ever), but damn I hate actually using them lol... but I still really admire how clever they are.

Also the weird pancake style ones without a welt are growing on me.
 
SwissHeritageCo said:
Bummer on the arthritis. The sheath was from Malanika himself but was made out of much thinner leather than my first two... not sure what prompted the style change.

I love the click of a properly molded sheath with a lesta, I love the look too (I think Joonas K. made the most aesthetic scandi sheaths ever), but damn I hate actually using them lol... but I still really admire how clever they are.

Also the weird pancake style ones without a welt are growing on me.
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Are these the ones you like? I've seen them called "Karelian" style, after the Russo-Finnish Karelian culture, but I've seen enough variation to know you could probably write a book about the distinctions.
I was always tempted to spring for a Joonas. You're right, he got transitions so crisp and clean on his sheaths it looked like woodworking instead of leatherworking. He always did that sharp hook on the end of the lesta, too. It's been a while since I was hitting the nordiskaknivar blog on a regular basis, I may have to go check back in.

I've still got one of my self-handled Lauris, which I hope I'll never get rid of, and it's got that oh-so-satisfying *shnick* to it when you re-sheathe the blade.
 
Ratatoskr said:
Are these the ones you like? I've seen them called "Karelian" style, after the Russo-Finnish Karelian culture, but I've seen enough variation to know you could probably write a book about the distinctions.
I was always tempted to spring for a Joonas. You're right, he got transitions so crisp and clean on his sheaths it looked like woodworking instead of leatherworking. He always did that sharp hook on the end of the lesta, too. It's been a while since I was hitting the nordiskaknivar blog on a regular basis, I may have to go check back in.

I've still got one of my self-handled Lauris, which I hope I'll never get rid of, and it's got that oh-so-satisfying *shnick* to it when you re-sheathe the blade.
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More so, there is a different tutorial link from Nordiskaknivar for a variation of that, I'll pop in and link to it later. I believe some of Rod's earlier sheaths were more custom fit to the actual knife since they had a smaller opening. The other guy who makes the skookum clone (who's name I can't remember) was showcasing it the different in a video. I'll admit, I've seen a fair few of his newer ones and the sargent ones with holes sliced in them but Rod's idea for the retention system/handle was ahead of it's time.

Haha, those lauri's. I always fancied your birch bark sheaths ;)
 
Ratatoskr said:
Are these the ones you like? I've seen them called "Karelian" style, after the Russo-Finnish Karelian culture, but I've seen enough variation to know you could probably write a book about the distinctions.
I was always tempted to spring for a Joonas. You're right, he got transitions so crisp and clean on his sheaths it looked like woodworking instead of leatherworking. He always did that sharp hook on the end of the lesta, too. It's been a while since I was hitting the nordiskaknivar blog on a regular basis, I may have to go check back in.

I've still got one of my self-handled Lauris, which I hope I'll never get rid of, and it's got that oh-so-satisfying *shnick* to it when you re-sheathe the blade.
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You were right, that tutorial you linked was the one I was thinking of.

https://nordiskaknivar.wordpress.com/2016/03/07/risto-mikkonen-puskusauma-wip/ was the other but I misremembered it as using a mold instead of a lesta.
 
The sbt has a flat tig welded pommel for pounding, holes for lashing, a hole near the tip for cutting wire and a sheath that can be worn on the neck or belt. Very bush crafty stuff. If these features are important $500 is a small price to pay.
 
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