My Great Basin Bushcrafter

R

rpn

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Mar 17, 2008
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I've had it for some months now, and it is a clear fav in this size. I've really tried to limit my knife buying and keep it to fewer users, but I have a few in this size b/c it's my favorite overall size. The GBB is just a classic already...

Sucker smokes in the kitchen...

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As a woods knife- fuhgettaabouttit...

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I was amazed when it battoned...the wood seemed to jump apart, even though I was testing other thicker knives too.

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Here it is drilling with a Fiddleback...poor pic but I'll tell you it's like a power drill!

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Such a great total package with the great sheath. I like that it carries high and light.

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My one complaint is that every time I pick it up or put it on, it makes me want to go hiking and camping for several days at a time! Going to get me in trouble with the wife when I scoot! ;):D Think I might also have to buy a hawk for it too...feels like it would be a great pair.

Thanks for another awesome knife Christof! Ergos are sick...my hand can't get fatigued or find hot spots. :thumbup::thumbup:
 
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Get one...soon!

Here's an older photo, but my best one of it...

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With some of my other favs...

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The convex - rather scandivex- on a thin, broad blade always amazes people. I certainly didn't invent it- but it's often relegated to specific types of kitchen knives or really small blades.

But the secret to batoning on that geometry is the pressure of splitting on the shoulders of the edge grind. Often with thicker blades in flat grind or (ugh) hollow grind I see a tendency to bind higher up the blade.

I've been well known to make the leuku style bushcrafters, and love the straight spine for batoning, safety in draw cutting, and for scraping. With the Great basin I kept a straight spine and angled it into what amounts to a near full length clip to bring the point down some. The helps a lot with drilling and tip work for a lot of people.

I guess the only real disadvantage in the scandivex grind is that it's not as thiin as a hollow grind or full flat. Takes a bit of getting used to, but once I did get used to it in the kitchen, it works great - and really excels at taking down a carcass into meat cuts ;)

I get asked periodically about doing hawks, but i am not set up for it yet. My forge set up is basic- usable- but not really well set up for drift punching.

I know what i would like in a "matching" tomahawk, but it's more in between a traditional wrapped steel and forge welded bit hawk and a drift punched hatchet. So, we'll see what happens.
 
Thanks for the explication of the design Christof- nice treat to get inside the head of the maker/artisan. I forgot who posts the nice hawks...Kentucky?? They look rustic and would be a perfect match.
 
There's a lot of nice hawks out. My throwers for myself and the kids are all from KR Johnson. Most of my meat work at home when butchering goats is done with a plain old CS rifleman
 
The GBB looks like a great do-it-all type of blade. Might have to get one eventually.

Rick
 
Nice write up and pics. Great design, and that carmel micarta looks superb.
 
rpn, that's one fine looking knife. I really like it. Do you mind me asking the thickness of the stock?

Thanks,

Matt
 
M3mphis said:
rpn, that's one fine looking knife. I really like it. Do you mind me asking the thickness of the stock?

Thanks,

Matt
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Looks sub 1/8"...Christof?

Thanks guys. I had it out last week and a bit this w/e before our woodlands...just pretty much broke from snow! :(

Decided this is my favorite hiking and small camp knife.
 
rpn said:
Looks sub 1/8"...Christof?

Thanks guys. I had it out last week and a bit this w/e before our woodlands...just pretty much broke from snow! :(

Decided this is my favorite hiking and small camp knife.
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I'd really like to know too. I had a Stead knife in 1/8" stock and I found the grind didn't work well with food so I sold it. Onions in particular. It must be close to 3/32" thick if it works well on food. How does it fair on onions? What steel is it, 15n20?

Edit: Sorry for all the questions but what's the blade length?
 
the onion and tomato thing is definitely a "trick" with convex grinds. personally, if I'm doing onions in quantity, I use a chisel grind in left handed configuration!

yours is just a hair under 1/8, a bit over 3/32, and 1084 steel in this case.

It's a rough one on the grind decision. I've found that I am adapted to the 2 kitchen issues with convex grinds (which is not the same as a flat grind with a convex edge!) and I get so much more out of it on heavier tasks that I just love it. (including skinning! and meat processing!)


I'm surprised the stead didn't work well for you in the kitchen. It is a bit thicker than some stuff I've done, though.
 
koyote said:
the onion and tomato thing is definitely a "trick" with convex grinds. personally, if I'm doing onions in quantity, I use a chisel grind in left handed configuration!

yours is just a hair under 1/8, a bit over 3/32, and 1084 steel in this case.

It's a rough one on the grind decision. I've found that I am adapted to the 2 kitchen issues with convex grinds (which is not the same as a flat grind with a convex edge!) and I get so much more out of it on heavier tasks that I just love it. (including skinning! and meat processing!)


I'm surprised the stead didn't work well for you in the kitchen. It is a bit thicker than some stuff I've done, though.
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Yep on meat the grind works well but on veggies(the majority of my food cutting) I didn't care for it. The Stead also had a lot more belly then I'm used to and didn't work for the way I cut food. I kept having to rotate my wrist and wasn't comfy. Not all knives work for all people. It now has a good home to another forum member.

I may try out a 3/32" knife like this one that's a little longer and with less belly.
 
Just a few more pics. I actually was just relaxing after working on clearing paths post our October mess we had...have i mentioned I love this blade?

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They actually look better than that..not sure if it's BF?

You make a great knife Christof!
 
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