KIT REVIEW Handmade Knivesberniegarlandknives.com › images › pdf › knife review.pdf · 48 •...

www.bushcraftmagazine.co.ukKIT REVIEW

48 • BUSHCRAFT & SURvivAl SkillS

The knives selected for this review are of the Bushcraft genre, meaning that they are designed and purpose-made for the multiplicity of tasks a knife could be employed for, when used

by country enthusiasts and those engaged in outdoor activities. This range of uses includes cutting, carving, shaping, whittling, splitting, striking, boring, skinning, crafting and slicing of a myriad of materials and things. Tactical knives, in comparison, are typically the sort used by Special Forces/military/police, whose role and use of knives are vastly different to those of this magazine’s readers.

Bushcraft knives are unique in design, to enable the user to perform all these functions and roles with a single, general-purpose knife. The design of both the blade and the handle is of great importance; thus, a suitable term like ‘ergonomic’ (which just means that it’s apt for the environment of work/use, in relationship to people), is most often used to describe the characteristic shape of the knife.

The blade design and metallurgical characteristics are of great importance, particularly, as the stresses placed on the knife demand that it be of the right flexibility and hardness, to allow for its general use and longevity. The handle makeup and material is also important, as it may be used in differing environments, be it wet or dry, hot or cold, etc. It will have to be able to cope with these changes, without affecting its performance or the grip of the user.

It is my observation that ‘knives are tools’; no matter how they are designed, decorated, dolled up or advertised, they are but inanimate, shaped objects of different materials, which have been designed and made to be recognisable as knives.

Handmade Bushcraft Knives are generally made and designed by innovative, skilled bushcrafters, who have, through their own experience, refined a design that they have found works well. They then have been able to produce these articles, together with handcrafted sheaths and other accessories, for an available niche market of like- minded people. The difference between these producers and the commercial ones is mostly evident in the price; ranging from £100 upwards for handmade knives makes them part of a specialist market.

My observation in relation to knives is that it is the skill and expertise of the knife-user that determines and defines a good bushcraft knife (or any other knife, for that matter). Just as owning an F1 car does not mean you can drive like Lewis Hamilton, but, at least, it provides the capacity and ability to do so, if you were trained, so it is with bushcraft knives which have differing price tags. Just because you coughed up for the best one, it will not make you Colonel “Jim” Bowie.

By Grant Neale

This review for Bushcraft & Survival Skills magazine is concerned with handmade knives. A handmade

knife encompasses the bespoke design and manufacture of ‘your’ knife which is basically not of or

from any factory production line. It is as individual as its maker and it is truly unique, inasmuch as it is

handmade, often just done to order or to the precise design and specification of the purchaser.

Handmade Knives

I reviewed eight handmade knives, all of the Bushcraft Genre, made by skilled knife-makers, both in the UK and in America..

The select group - read oon to find which is we preferred.

©Bushcraft & Survival Skills Magazine 2006

Reproduced with permission. www.bushcraftmagazine.com



Handmade Knives

www.bushcraftmagazine.co.uk KIT REVIEW

BUSHCRAFT & SURvivAl SkillS magazine • 49

Handmade Knives

Feel in the hand (handle) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Weight / Balance ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Quality of workmanship (Knife) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Quality of workmanship (Sheath) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Details supplied with knife ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Aesthetics (looks) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Pointing a stick ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cutting a notch ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Splitting a stick ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Free cutting paper ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Shaving arm hairs ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

General usability ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Made and designed by Bernie Garland of www.berax.co.uk

This knife is made of 01 tool steel and has an English burr elm handle.

The sheath is handcrafted stitched leather with a loop for a firesteel.

Basic Bushcrafter price: £180 (£280 with extras)

The Bushcrafter - by Bernie Garland

This knife, with its curved flat ground cutting edge provides better cutting ability and strength whilst carving. The handle is extremely well

designed and comfortable to hold, yet versatile enough to allow for delicate carving and holding of the blade whilst working. The sheath is of

finest quality stitched leather and can be slung, using paracord, or looped. This knife was my favourite all-round bushcraft tool and, although

it has an impressive price tag, it is pure quality and everyone deserves a bit of luxury.

Overview...In Use...

TESTER’SCHOICE

Feel in the hand (handle) ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩

Weight / Balance ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩

Quality of workmanship (Knife) ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩

Quality of workmanship (Sheath) ★ ★ ✩ ✩ ✩


Aesthetics (looks) ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩

Pointing a stick ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩

Cutting a notch ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩


Free cutting paper ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩

Shaving arm hairs ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩

General usability ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩

Made and designed by Mark Smithson of MASK of www.freewebs.com/mask-knives. This knife is made of RWL-34 Stainless Steel with a steel finger guard. The handle reviewed is of wood but is also available in micarta, corian and resin. The leather sheath is made to order and specification of the customer. Prices from £165

The Bushcraft/Hunter - by Mask UK

This knife is of a different design and of different metal to all the other bushcraft knives on review. it’s branded as a bushcraft/hunter but it’s more hunter in appearance and function. a mini bowie knife, suitable for splitting wood and heavier tasks than delicate carving, etc, i found this knife to be of average quality and workmanship but very awkward to be used as a specific bushcraft knife. The sheath was of flimsy leather, with a press stud latch fastener which did not secure the knife in the sheath. The price for this knife, in comparison to the quality and cost of cheaper production line knives, would cause me some disappointment.


170gKnife Only

190gKnife Only



Handmade Knives


50 • BUSHCRAFT & SURvivAl SkillS magazine

Feel in the hand (handle) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★Weight / Balance ★ ★ ★ ★ ★Quality of workmanship (Knife) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★Quality of workmanship (Sheath) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★Details supplied with knife ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩Aesthetics (looks) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Pointing a stick ★ ★ ★ ★ ★Cutting a notch ★ ★ ★ ★ ★Splitting a stick ★ ★ ★ ★ ★Free cutting paper ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩Shaving arm hairs ★ ★ ★ ★ ★General usability ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Made and designed by knifesmith Paul Baker of www.bushmanuk.co.uk or www.bakk-knives.comThese bushcraft knives are made of 01 tool steel and the knives reviewed have micarta and walnut wood handles. Prices from £155

Bushman Scout - by Paul Baker

These two knives by Paul Baker were very well made but each one was so different, demonstrating the versatility of this knife maker. The black-handled (micarta) knife had a slightly wider and heavier blade which i liked and which i found still performed as well as the thinner, shorter, traditional bushcraft knife. The sheaths were both snug to the knife and well made of quality stitched leather. There is a loop for a thin firesteel to be housed and a very small pocket for inclusion of a diamond sharpening stone. This is one feature that i felt was unnecessary, as i wouldn’t use a diamond stone on these knives; a bigger loop for a firesteel would have been more appropriate. Overall, these knives are impressive and are of a high quality, being noticeably well designed and well made.


Feel in the hand (handle) ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩













Made and designed by US knife maker, Mike Lummio of

www.bushcraftnorthwest.com

The blade is made of 01 tool steel of full tang construction. The oval-

shaped wooden handle is suitable for both left and right handedness.

Thumb scallops in the handle provide extreme comfort and control for

side grip and fine carving. Belt loop stitched leather sheath available

with or without a firesteel holder. Prices from $175

BCNW-O1 - by Mike Lumio

The most noticeable feature of this knife is the simplicity of its design and shape. it is solid and practical as a bushcraft knife, without any

distracting fanciness to complicate it. a great feature of this knife compared to the others is the thumb scallops in the handle which taper

down to the blade, making side-holding/positioning both comfortable and effective to the task selected. The blade is shorter than the other

knives reviewed, as is the handle. This, however, did not detract from it being a superb, all-round, compact bushcraft knife.

The only real criticism I can find for this knife is its name or lack of one.

190gKnife OnlyWalnut

210gKnife OnlyMicarta

180gKnife Only





Handmade KnivesBUSHCRAFT & SURvivAl SkillS magazine • 51

www.bushcraftmagazine.co.uk KIT REVIEW














Made and designed by Dave Budd of www.davebudd.comThis knife is made of high carbon steel, forged finish with an English yew handle. The brown leather stitched sheath has a belt loop attached and comes with a firesteel-holder. There is no ricasso on this knife. (This is the unsharpened and unbevelled section just above the guard or handle.)Prices from £210

The GreenMan (basic) - by Dave Budd

Dave Budd is a very skilled knife/tool maker with an extensive range of products, from specialist tools to archaeologically correct pieces for re-enactors and museums. The greenman is not a copy of the Woodlore, but it is an inspired design of his own to create a general-purpose bushcraft knife. This knife looks ancient and basic with its unpolished forge-finished blade and sturdy handle with a noticeable finger guard at either end, thus preventing the hand from slipping off the knife or on to the blade. my 9-year-old son loved this knife the most: ‘as,’ he said, ‘it’s great to hold and i can’t cut myself.’ noticeably, the knife is basic, yet it has in its handle tritium inserts (glow-in-the-dark radioactive material) with a 25-year life, thus making it handy to locate in the dark. i found this knife up to any task, and easy for a beginner, such as my son, to use. The sheath is excellent, with the design being such that the firesteel is located at the narrow end recess, making the appearance less bulky while also protecting the firesteel from falling out. My only criticism of this knife is that it does not have a lanyard tube.













Made and designed by Mick Spain of England at www.msknives.co.uk

The blade is made of 01 tool steel. The handle is of spalted polished

maple with a leather stitched belt and looped sheath.

Price £190

The Bush-craft knife MS - by Mick Spain

This is a good example of a quality bushcraft knife, with its tapered blade and flat ground cutting edge. it is a slimmer and lighter knife than

some of the others reviewed, yet just as effective to perform the tasks i would expect of a bushcraft knife. The handle is designed to fit the hand

of any person, which it does very well indeed. The engraving on the blade near the ricasso is mS england which, although simple in design,

shows quality and thoughtfulness overall. The handle material in this one is of great appearance and the thing i like about wood handles is that

they are easily warmed up but don’t get hot or cold. The sheath is simple, yet well made. I am overall impressed with this knife.


140gKnife Only

150gKnife Only

CLOSESECOND




52 • BUSHCRAFT & SURvivAl SkillS magazine













Made and designed by G.Mills of www.gmhandmadeknives.co.ukThis knife is made from 01 high carbon Sheffield steel. The handle is of mauhuhu wood, fitted on to the tang by handmade bronze and stainless steel loveless bolts. There are 3 brass lanyard tubes. The sheath is of stitched quality leather with a belt loop and firesteel-holder attached.Price: from £145

The G.M Knife - by G Mills

my first impression when i got this knife was that of the Wild West, due to the font style on the sheath of the letters gm as well as the saddle leather appearance of the sheath itself. The knife is solid and heavier than some of the reviewed knives, but the best thing i found about this knife, much like the Bernie garland knife, is that the blade has a curved cutting edge. although it still tapers to a fine point, the blade has a very slight kukri curve to it which assists greatly with sharpening and cutting/directional tasks. The handle is shaped with a wider section at the back of the palm end, preventing the hand from slipping off the handle. The maker, gary mills, has only recently started out making knives, but his 30+ years of using knives and in bushcraft have certainly inspired him to create an amazing, practical bushcraft knife which will be very much in demand in the future. This is one knife I would recommend.


We have teamed up with Berax to offer you the chance to win a fantastic Bernie Garland custom handmade knife. Handcrafted entirely to your specification, you choose, blade shape, scales, liners, pins and even the sheath!

For a chance of winning this great prize, send in a description and sketch of your ideal bushcraft knife.Closing date for this competition 31st December 2008.see T & Cs Page 3.

Win! A handmade knifeBERAX UK

www.berax.co.uk

230gKnife Only



KIT REVIEW Handmade Knivesberniegarlandknives.com › images › pdf › knife review.pdf · 48 •...

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