Who Makes a Good Bushcraft Blank that I can START With?

Nalapombu · Jun 17, 2012

Hey all,

I have never made a knife and always wanted to. Well I think the best way for me to try it is to get a finished blade and add the handle to it and then try to make a sheath. Seems like it's a good way to get into it.

I would like to start with a Bushcraft style blade of 4 inches or so. I like that style and it seems like it would be the most useful.

I would like to get some suggestions on who makes or sells a good blade that I can finish. I can't afford a Damascus or CUSTOM piece right now. Just a decent quality knife that has the SCANDI edge on it would be fine with me.

Can you give any suggestions on where to look or post a link? Any that you have done or own that you can recommend?

Any help you can give would be appreciated.

Thanks for your time.

Nalajr

dogstar · Jun 17, 2012

Mora makes good, inexpensive blades. So does Lauri.

You can find them at ragweed forge, ben's backwoods, and thompson's scandinavian supply.

Here is a vid about the way I used my lauri blade. It can inspire you or be a how-not-to video. People are pretty split on this one. All I can say is it's not pretty, but the knife is strong and I am happy with it. At the end, there is a link to another video showing the knife in action.
[video=youtube;AuD4d90tXfQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuD4d90tXfQ[/video]

michaelm466 · Jun 17, 2012

Enzo blanks are the ones that come to mind for me, you can get them in D2, S30V and O1, scandi or FFG about 4" blades I think.

scruffuk · Jun 17, 2012

I'd second the EnZo full tang range.

I've handled their Trapper, Camper (also a Nordic/stick tang Ursus) models.
All in different steels.

Everyone I have found to take a great edge and hold it.

They are a superb knife for the money....I've just ordered the 12C27 115mm Trapper and the limited run Trapper with false edge.

Can't wait to get em!

What ever you decide, I believe by handling your own knife you will create something to treasure and enjoy each time you use it.

Best of luck!

KYenglish · Jun 17, 2012

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/957254-Last-Resort-Knife-Plus

as is it's a bit smaller the you want but not by too much, also he modify the size, shape etc of knives all the time for customers, might want to send him an email see what he says, I'm about to start work on one myself

Nalapombu · Jun 17, 2012

Thanks everyone for the help. Oddly enough I have been looking at the ENZO stuff over at Brisa. Boy they have a lot of really nice stuff there. The one I have thought the most about is the TAIGA at 125mm. I also really like the CAMPER which is 150mm, I think. That one will come later although it looks like it would be an easier build than the Scandi type builds with the TAIGA.

I would like to ask you all about the TAIGA and fitting the bolster.

Here is a pic of the blade I am talking about:

If you look at the back of the blade where the bolster goes you'll see that there are CURVED "shoulders" instead of 90 degree angles to allow the bolster to fit SNUGLY against the back of the knife like it should. What do you do about this to correct it and fit the bolster FLAT and SNUGLY against the back of the knife? Do you file these curved areas into straight edges thus allowing the bolster to really fit perfectly? Please give me some guidance here as I don't know what would be the best way to take care of this.

Thanks for everything, the recommendations and advice on the bolster.

Nalajr

yablanowitz · Jun 17, 2012

Those shoulders are curved to remove the stress riser created by square corners. You will have a stronger knife if you curve the inside of the bolster to match the tang rather than creating a stress riser by cutting the tang square.

ElectrikHellfire · Jun 17, 2012

+1 on Enzo.

The Mastiff · Jun 17, 2012

At one point Spyderco was selling finished Bushcraft knives with no grips from the Spyderco Factory outlet. I'm not sure if they still do. I bought one or two and they were perfect, just needing a grip installed.

They did a really good heat treat on the O-1, and it was finished up very nicely which made it look good, and helped with corrosion resistance. I can't remember if it had a sheath like the G10 model did.

Joe

buckmaster96 · Jun 17, 2012

ragweed forge.tons of nice bushcraft blanks

arty · Jun 17, 2012

Is that knife blade designed to be a fishing knife? I ask, because it is AUS8, rather than S30V, D2, or 01.
I have some ENZO blades that are waiting for me to put handles on them, but all are D2 or 01. Enzo also has another
5" blade made for bushcraft. Check out the U.S. distributors at the Brisa website. I have gotten Enzo knives and blades at Bens and Thompsons.

BOBO · Jun 17, 2012

Check out Bush Monkey knives. He used to have unfinished (without handles) blades.

scruffuk · Jun 17, 2012

Dude, I'd recommend look into the construction of stick tangs a little, see if it's something you can do with the tools you have. Some people find full tangs much easier to construct. Of course either way you can buy EnZo kits to assemble, I'm various levels of completeness.

IIRC the very first EnZo Trappers only came in AUS-8. It was very well heat treated and held a great edge. Dennis and the crew at Brisa know their stuff. And they have the added advantage of input from Swedish knifemaker and blade smith Mihkel Eklund, a bit of a doyen in stainless blades.

MikeC · Jun 17, 2012

Go to knifeworks and you can get Fallkniven F1 blanks.

Frederick89 · Jun 17, 2012

peppen108 · Jun 17, 2012

Slapping together a Enzo trapper full tang is not that hard if you are patient and careful. I think a stick tang demands more of the builder, but is cheaper an gives more freedom in designing the handle.

Bo T · Jun 17, 2012

I've put handles on a number of knives. Green River blades are inexpensive along with some Dymondwood and a couple of Corby rivets and slow set epoxy. They are FFG but can make a good knife. Ragweed Forge sells some scandanavian blades. You will want to put bolsters and pommels on them. I use stacked leather handles. Takes a lot of time and requires a lot of fitting. Let us know what you decide and how everything turns out.

Bo T · Jun 17, 2012

Nalapombu said:
Thanks everyone for the help. Oddly enough I have been looking at the ENZO stuff over at Brisa. Boy they have a lot of really nice stuff there. The one I have thought the most about is the TAIGA at 125mm. I also really like the CAMPER which is 150mm, I think. That one will come later although it looks like it would be an easier build than the Scandi type builds with the TAIGA.

I would like to ask you all about the TAIGA and fitting the bolster.

Here is a pic of the blade I am talking about:

If you look at the back of the blade where the bolster goes you'll see that there are CURVED "shoulders" instead of 90 degree angles to allow the bolster to fit SNUGLY against the back of the knife like it should. What do you do about this to correct it and fit the bolster FLAT and SNUGLY against the back of the knife? Do you file these curved areas into straight edges thus allowing the bolster to really fit perfectly? Please give me some guidance here as I don't know what would be the best way to take care of this.

Thanks for everything, the recommendations and advice on the bolster.

Nalajr

Get a slotted brass spacer that has a slot slightly thinner than your blade. Get some small files and remember patience is a virtue. It took me a couple of hours to fit the bolster. Use J-B Weld to glue the bolster in place. Or if you know how you can use Stay-Brite to solder the bolster in place. You might also look at the Helle Tollekniv stainless. It is not very difficult to fit and at .129" thickness is close to the width of many of the slotted bolsters.

getridone · Jun 17, 2012

So today I was actually just thinking about doing this myself..I'm wondering is a bolster necessary? And is there an advantage/disadvantage of a blank that was not ground all the way to the tang versus the other?

I guess this would be like a mora, it seems like these blanks are cheaper (this is actually an Anssi)

and the other style I've seen (Eklund):

Would the bottom be a candidate for no bolster? I've also noticed some stick tangs lend themselves to having their bottoms riveted, and some come threaded, and some are just suited for expoxying.

Thanks, apologies if I'm intruding on the conversation.

gomipile · Jun 17, 2012

You could put your own scales on a Becker Bk14. Or, you could drill out the pins on a Condor Sapien, Tavian, Bushlore, KEphart, etc and make your own micarta scales for it.