I have a new bushcraft knife. It's made of steel - real steel. I don't know about yours, but mine is - says right on the blade: "Real Steel." Okay, I just couldn't resist to the temptation, but I shouldn't make fun of this knife because it's a really great knife! I first saw this knife years ago, when they had it in 440C and I really liked it, then I saw a review on youtube (in German) and liked it even more. Unfortunately it was available only from European stores. Recently I saw it on eBay and Amazon, at over $100 (about CDN$130, I think). Last week I found it at a local knife store (S&R knives in Toronto) for a bit over CDN$60 and went to check it out. You guessed, I came home with it.
This is the Real Steel Bushcraft 2 made of D2 at 59-61 HRC. Here are some measurements: blade 4.125" (105 mm), thickness 0.138" (3.5 mm), length 8.625" (219 mm), weight 6.07 oz. (172 g).
The blade is ground to a zero scandi and nicely polished with the thickness carried all the way to the tip. I would have liked a bit more belly, but then the tip would have ended being more pointy, so I guess they went for a stronger tip instead. Anyway, the tip is right in line with the axis of the knife and drilling works perfectly controlled. There is some jimping on the top, grippy enough for my taste but not too aggressive. No thumb ramp here and I like that too. There is a bit of a choil too, just enough to be there for sharpening. As I said the blade is nicely polished, the grind is symmetrical and the spine will throw sparks on a ferro rod.
The handle is made of G10 that looks more like Micarta to me, but since I'm okay either way, I don't really care. They added red liners to it and the effect is really nice. Just like the blade, the handle is really nicely finished, everything is perfectly flush and rounded, I felt no hot spots and it was comfortable in all grips.
With the knife you get a Kydex sheath that fits very well, snaps firmly and the blade doesn't rattle at all. The mounting holes are on the edge side only and it comes with a belt loop and mounting hardware. The sheath can be mounted for left or right carry and has a drainage hole on one side at the very bottom.
Since it's really new, I haven't used the knife too much. All I can say is that it came razor sharp out of the box, it is very comfortable to use and it slices just like a real scandi should. I had no problems debarking, making feathers, sharpening sticks or notching. Personally, I didn't baton, but some other people have (on youtube) and the blade withstood abuse with flying colours. I hope to put it to more use soon as I am "between jobs" right now, and the one commodity I really have plenty of is time.
The knife is made in China (even if there it's no mention of it on the blade) and it only proves what a good job they can do. My only concern is the D2 since I read so many posts about what a beast it is to sharpen. I will strop and touch it up regularly and hope it doesn't get dull on me. Scandi, D2, G10 (Micarta?), Kydex, all for a bit over CDN$60? Sounds like a deal to me. Plus you know the knife is "real steel!"
This is the Real Steel Bushcraft 2 made of D2 at 59-61 HRC. Here are some measurements: blade 4.125" (105 mm), thickness 0.138" (3.5 mm), length 8.625" (219 mm), weight 6.07 oz. (172 g).
The blade is ground to a zero scandi and nicely polished with the thickness carried all the way to the tip. I would have liked a bit more belly, but then the tip would have ended being more pointy, so I guess they went for a stronger tip instead. Anyway, the tip is right in line with the axis of the knife and drilling works perfectly controlled. There is some jimping on the top, grippy enough for my taste but not too aggressive. No thumb ramp here and I like that too. There is a bit of a choil too, just enough to be there for sharpening. As I said the blade is nicely polished, the grind is symmetrical and the spine will throw sparks on a ferro rod.
The handle is made of G10 that looks more like Micarta to me, but since I'm okay either way, I don't really care. They added red liners to it and the effect is really nice. Just like the blade, the handle is really nicely finished, everything is perfectly flush and rounded, I felt no hot spots and it was comfortable in all grips.
With the knife you get a Kydex sheath that fits very well, snaps firmly and the blade doesn't rattle at all. The mounting holes are on the edge side only and it comes with a belt loop and mounting hardware. The sheath can be mounted for left or right carry and has a drainage hole on one side at the very bottom.
Since it's really new, I haven't used the knife too much. All I can say is that it came razor sharp out of the box, it is very comfortable to use and it slices just like a real scandi should. I had no problems debarking, making feathers, sharpening sticks or notching. Personally, I didn't baton, but some other people have (on youtube) and the blade withstood abuse with flying colours. I hope to put it to more use soon as I am "between jobs" right now, and the one commodity I really have plenty of is time.
The knife is made in China (even if there it's no mention of it on the blade) and it only proves what a good job they can do. My only concern is the D2 since I read so many posts about what a beast it is to sharpen. I will strop and touch it up regularly and hope it doesn't get dull on me. Scandi, D2, G10 (Micarta?), Kydex, all for a bit over CDN$60? Sounds like a deal to me. Plus you know the knife is "real steel!"