What is a Bushcraft Knife?

BossDog

BossDog

KnifeDogs.com & USAknifemaker.com Owner
Staff member
A leading knife publication has contacted us about Bushcraft knives so this is research for a future article...Put on your thinking caps...

1. What is a Bushcraft knife?

2. What is the "best" grind for a bushcraft?

3. What is the best steel or steels for a bushcraft?

4. What handle material(s) is best for a bushcraft?

5. How thick should a bushcraft blade be?

6. What type of point should a bushcraft grind have?

7. What size should it be?


 
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Here are my thoughts on your points.

1. A bushcraft knife is a lightweight, compact knife that's either constantly on your person so you have it when you need it outdoors, or is convenient enough to be packed in your regular gear so it's available.

2. I've heard a scandi is great as reproducing the cutting edge is easy. I find anything readily maintained is going to work - the knife is usually a smaller one and although it might be used hard it won't be subject to the huge chopping loads of a big camp knife.

3. This I found boils down to preference of the individual user. We're well into diminishing returns with regards to performance for any of our modern steels, and when heat treatment variance is factored in it's pretty much whatever the user's favorite is. I did a poll for a month on my site regarding my Rimfire EDC and here are the results. Carbon steel stains but it doesn't affect the performance out in the field. S30V and regular 1075-1095 high carbon seem to be an excellent choice from what I see selling.

Rimfiresteelpoll10713_zps6b1966a3.jpg


4. Something lightweight and durable. Some stabilized woods are great, micarta, G10. I think that stag or anything higher value, or susceptible to water damage would be the last choice here.

5. Again, to keep the weight down and and considering that these knives are often on the smaller side I'd say anything ranging from .090 to .156 would be right in the ballpark. 3/32" to 5/32" seems right on the money, 3/16" would be overkill.

6. With the focus on durability I've found a drop or clip point to come out as the most requested. A long trailing point would be liable to get damaged with the knife being often used as a tool in this application.
 
I want to say that the first issue of knife journal covered some prerequisites for a good bushcraft... unless I'm thinking of one of the recent issues of Blade.

I think you'll find the answer is somewhat subjective, and varies from person to person, but I suppose I'll take a stab at my own personal idea of a BCK:

1. A knife that can be implemented for use in various survival and "bush" type functions: starting fire, building shelter, preparing (and even hunting) game, etc...

2. Scandi, FFG, and even a full convex are probably the leading three, maybe even in that order. It ultimately comes down to preference more than specif functions or attributes, IMO.

3. I prefer a steel that it tough, takes a great edge, and is easy to touch up in the field if needed. 1095 is a great choice, though I've seen a lot of guys prefering O1 as well. Again, probably goes back to preference. Steels with high carbon can also be used as a ferro striker.

4. Something durable, comfortable, and grippy, wither wet, dry, hot, cold, gloved, etc... Micarta can be a good choice.

5. I'd say between 1/8 and 3/16 of an inch is a good compromise between too thin and flexible to too thick and clumsy.

6. Spear points can be used for drilling/carving. Drop points are quite functional as well.
 
OH.. you didn't ask about length! ;)

I think 4" to 6" blade length is typically adequate. Maybe just a little more if you plan on chopping and batoning larger trees and what not.
 
I like simple carbon steel myself, nothing wrong with stainless. A work knife is marked up anyway so I figure stains cover scratches. My vote would be for 5160 it is easy to sharpen in the woods, holds a decent edge and is tough as nails. I'm going to agree with Frank on size, shape and handle material. I would like to add a vote for cord wrapped soaked in epoxy as a handle choice, even rubber horse stall mat. I like a handle that is going to stick when your hands are wet and numb with cold. If micarta or wood is used for the handle a dull finish is the best, hide the dings and easier to hang on to. A single guard is a must for me to protect the index finger.
 
ARCustomKnives said:
OH.. you didn't ask about length! ;)

I think 4" to 6" blade length is typically adequate. Maybe just a little more if you plan on chopping and batoning larger trees and what not.
Click to expand...

good catch. I edited that in..
 
i think a partially serrated edge , spear or drop point, simple carbon steel around 58rc, micarta/stabilized wood, kydex sheath although those hollow tube handles with emergency supplies like matches would be awesome too, possibly even a sawback
 
It's a knife you can use to do crafty things with bushes...

Bush: shrub; especially : a low densely branched shrub

Craft: an activity that involves making something in a skillful way by using your hands
 
I have not read Mr. Mor's book on what he thinks a Bush Craft knife is?

Here are two examples of "Bush Craft knives that have served only god knows of our armed forces from 1936 WWII and on. Both with great feedback.

These two were in a private collection I recently purchased from the son of a WWII PBY flying boat pilot that was stationed in the islands off of Alaska Island chain area to retrieve downed pilots and to save their own hinneys with. You might last about 25 minutes in that cold water.

I like them both for blade profile examples of a good Bush craft knife. For all the chores mentioned.
The one marked USN I think is the Mark II? and the other, My Favorite! Is that top one, a Remington Pal 36 that appears to be a stainless steel from how little it has weathered over the half century plus.
Notice how there is a wood butt cap on the Mark II. Brass and other metals were need for guns and ammo some much that they used wood on some of them. The thickness on both is only about 1/8" thick.

DSCN5584.jpg
 
IMHO bushcraft knives are usually a drop point knife of medium size that has a simple single guard, as it is not design for fighting someone else with a knife or other object but rather used to perform various survival and/or camping chores where poles, stakes, snares, kindling, firewood, fires, shelters, trenches, holes, and food caches are fabricated. The size of the knife must be large enough for chopping yet small enough to perform accurate notching tasks and field sharpening-ability is a must because this knife must be able to take serious abuse and be easily resharpened - some 52100 or D2 around 59-60 RC would work well or a well tempered high carbon steel blade that has a coating such as Parkerizing or Ti, but this is more a want than a need here. A thicker blade would lend to desired heft and durability so something in range of .135 to .220 is good. I agree that trailing points are not considered as they hinder the action of chopping and splitting that are best performed with a drop point. Handle material should be a material that can absorb extreme shock such as leather, micarta, G10, or rubber.
 
There are as many 'correct' answers as there are bushcrafters.

A bushcraft knife is one that does well with the tasks that a fellow has to tackle when making himself comfortable in the outdoors
Lots of folks like a Scandi grind. Personally, I like a convex grind. Cuts and carves well, and is easily touched up with a strop.
For steel, I have a couple of favorites. These steels seem to work for me. O1, A2, Busse Combat's Infi, and S30V
My handle material of choice is wood. I prefer Bocote over anything else
Thickness is not all that important, but my favorite bushcraft knives are from 1/8 inch, up to 1/4 inch. Depends on grind, bevel and steel
I like either a drop point, or spear point
My favorite blade is a S30V, and is 6 inches long. Most of my bushcrafty knives though, are around 3.5 to 4 inches long. I insist on a large, thick handle.
 
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