Which one?

Sufler

Sufler

Gold Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2005
Messages
1,886
Koster Bushcraft?

Skookum Bush Tool?

or

Enzo Trapper?

What's your choice? If none of the above, add yours.

:thumbup:
 
Out of those 3 I say Koster
but be prepared to wait
I was on the list for over a year and still no knife
 
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I've never had one, so it would be an experiment for me as well, but I'd consider a "Forager" by Wood Bear Knives in A2 with Cocobolo handles.

Another poster here ( - tknife - http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1136467-My-new-custom-Woodbear-bush-knife!) just had a knife made by that fella and it looks like a great knife (though I'd prefer the "Forager" model myself).

If time is more critical, well, maybe the Enzo would serve you well.
 
I had a Koster, gen II but with fat scales. I loved the knife but it was kinda a pain in the ass to sharpen as it was in CPM3V. I loved the knife but would have preferred it in 01 tool steel. I sold it but will get another one day. I still have a Skookum in A2 and love it. The only thing that makes me really miss the Koster over the Skookum is I preferred the tip of the knife being more in line with the center of grip. Makes it easier if drilling with the tip. The only factory knife I have found that is as comfortable if not more so is my Spyderco Bushcrafter. If you can find one, the Skookum (2 year wait) or Koster (1 year wait) or a Spyderco (no wait) any of the above will do you fine. If the koster was in 01 I would have never sold it. I have had quite a few scandi ground blades, and out of all them these are the only two I kept and the third I will buy again when I find one in 01. The only one I see me trying to find on the secondary market besides the Koster is an Adventure Sworn as I like his blades. Besides that I find no need for me to look for any other scandis as these fit my needs.

Quick edit...... I also wish I would have kept my Bushcraft model from Brain Andrews. He makes on hell of a blade, but I should have taken his advice on thickness and gotten it in 1/8th inch thick. I also wish I kept the Terassaur from him as well, same issue with the thickness.

Find the post from Talfuture (wrong spelling im sure) He did a write up of all the bushcraft knives and his likes and dislikes. it was called his journey or something like that. His findings were very much like mine. Once you have the ones you like that normally means you went through and found the ones that didn't work well for what ever reason.
 
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The only Bushcraft knife I have is the Spyderco and I'm happy with it. Mike
 
I have both the Koster and the Enzo. I love both of the knives and take them both with me on my outings. They also have very different "feels" to each of them and are different in the way they perform from each other. If you're not limited in your funds, I would place an order for the Bushcrafter and buy the Trapper now. It will take about a year to get the Koster if you can't find one on the used market or if KSF doesn't miraculously get some in to purchase.
 
Sufler said:
Koster Bushcraft?

Skookum Bush Tool?

or

Enzo Trapper?

What's your choice? If none of the above, add yours.

:thumbup:
Click to expand...

I do not think you can compare two customs to the Enzo Trapper
The Skookum is a classic and because of Mors even more so
And Koster's knives look amazingly fine

I have the Enzo Trapper in O1 at 3 1/2"
It is quality
It has very acute grinds, and my steel chipped with normal useage
So I have reground it back on my waterstones to get to 'fresh' steel
The knife is razor sharp
The O1 rusts in the sheath, even with a well developed patina
The handle size is comfortable and subetly sculpted and fit well for my medium hands but are not going to be big enough for large hands
So it is a smaller knife with a 3 1/2" length blade
I like it and it is very nimble in my hand
Very easy to control for fine work, yet just big enough for rougher work

An alternative is the Enzo Camper in D2 at 5"
A bigger handle and a 'micro' grind on the scandi
It is a larger tougher knife to work with

Both of these are about $120

If I had my choice again, I would buy the Trapper in D2 in zero grind
 
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I also have the M-5 by Aaron Gray of Grey Wolf Knives that is a 4" scandi grind in 1095 with a patina in walnut with a thicker handles with a leather dangler sheath (Woodlore clone)

Superb
I cannot speak more highly of a custom knife at very good prices
A wonderfully balanced knife, which makes it very light in the hand
His zero grinds are perfect
A classic rustic looking knife
(And the wait time is very short)
 
Chris Bowden of KFU has some very special knives
Very well excecuted knives
Beautiful wood that are well shaped to the hand
The blades are excellent
I am very luck to have one of his

He has plenty for grabs here on the Fixed Blades for sale and on his forum site here
Contact him for ordering
 
I am as impressed with this one by Mark Hill, as with any woods bumming knife I have used yet. 01 steel, 3.5 inch blade, Bocote Wood handle.

 
Two of the knives you mention are available in 3V - on the basis of steel alone, I would recommend 3V over O1 or D2. A little tougher to sharpen, but will hold an edge much longer than O1, and a much finer-grained edge than D2, in my experience.

But I agree that it's tough to compare the Enzo to the other 2 options.

In the price range of the two customs, I would also highly recommend looking at the Bark River Bushcrafter. 3V steel and a Scandi-vex grind. Some people really like spear points for a 'bushcraft' knife, personally I would rather have a stout drop point like the BR.

bushcrafter2.jpg


Or, for a little less dough, you could look at the Bark River Gunny in A2. Still an awesome all-around knife, and I would still choose A2 over O1. You can find some Gunnys offered with drop points or spear points.

wufq.jpg


I find both knives to be extremely comfortable in the hand, in a variety of grips, but ergonomics are always a personal thing.
 
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