Short review of a classic bushcraft combination

On request I am doing a personal evaluation of a very classic bushcraft combination. The famed Roselli hunter and carpenter´s knife. I purchased both on the Jagd und Hund expo years ago and have used them intensively for years.

The big one comes with a 100 mm blade, the short one at 85 mm. Both have slicey 3mm spine thicknesses. The handles are very beautiful birchwood burr and glued on with.... teeth.

Wait... is that teeth? No kidding, even if it made my day when I learned it (I have a very simple kind of humour, you see;-)). Roselli knives are mounted in a special process with the same compound out of which artificial teeth are made.

This, in combination with the hard wood for the handle, makes for a short-tang knife that offers a surprising degree of durability. Even (light) batoning is possible. The blades come with a carbon steel blade each that has a claimed 55 HRC. I suspect a higher degree of hardness, however, for they hold an edge far better and carve a 57 HRC blade. Roselli also offers an alternative with the UHC steel, which has a claimed hardness of 63 HRC and which is made from crucible steel with a carbon content of 1,8%. By heating and special techniques it is achieved that the steel can be forged... and thusly it gets characteristics similar to the famed wootz / pulad... interesting. I´d love to try one, and I´d certainly love to try this technique... we´ll see...;-). No way is not in my vocabulary, and I find it refreshing that in Roselli´s it is neither...;-).

The big knife is a bit awkward at first. The handle makes for a grip that is a bit far back. It is big and chunky and seems to make little sense at first. But as usual, Mr. Roselli had something in mind when designing it. First you have to keep in mind that the butchering technique in the North involves using the handle as a prolongation of reach. The blade is stuck into the flesh of the animal and then pumped to enlarge the wound channel. This extra space is then used to apply further force on the butt of the handle to insert the blade farther in. You might not like this description, and please take note that I am full well aware of the fact that I talk about a living animal. I do not recommend you to try this, too, for when animals are concerned, you need a lot of experience to do this.

Now Mr. Roselli did not want to compromise this technique but also wanted a safety stop for hard working. In order to achieve this he added the taper behind the bolster, which by the way is made from stainless steel, and a finger groove behind it.

It is a light knife and a comfortable carry, but it is suited for hard work such as hard wood whittling, preparing firewood and not-so-delicate tasks. In bigger hands than mine it also might be suited for delicate work, but I am constantly thinking of reshaping the handle. It simply does not suit me that way.

The blades both hold an edge well and out of the box they came hair-poppingly sharp. I never did any reprofiling on the scandi grind, just some stropping from time to time. That tells a story!

The carpenter´s knife is as comfy as it gets. It is well suited for delicate work, preparing food, and, to be honest, all I could wish for.

The sheaths get their job done, ahem;-). They look a bit awkward and are not the best money could buy, but no harm done. They are a bit simple with those belt slits, but one could make or purchase another.

If I had to buy it again I would opt for the carpenter´s knife in UHC steel. It is my personal favourite. The hunter is a specialist knife for special applications. To be a great bushcraft knife (of which the blade and mounting is more than capable) it would need a more versatile and ergonomic handle shape.

Looking for a bushcraft knife? - A brief review shootout

 Bushcraft knives have seen quite some development in the last years, and it seems a whole new species of knives is born. Believe me, it is not. A knife has to cut. Period. In some limited cases normally referred to as abusive use of a knife it also has to dig, chop, baton, and pry. Bushcraft knives tend to be constructed to do all that, and sometimes it seems they are more designed towards the abusive side of the work than the actual cutting. For instance, the famed Ray Mears design has a very low scandi grind bevel resulting in a cutting geometry that is more of a wedge, perfectly suited for batoning and surface whittling such as required in carving a spoon and such and also suited for skinning and prying apart animal pelvises, nothing wrong with this, but try delicate work with it and it will not work as well as a knife designed to cut.

One of my favourites, however, is this Hubertus prototype, a bit strangely tauted "revolutionary skinning knife". It has a blade out of 440C with a cryogenic heat treatment at a claimed 60 HRC, beautiful red liners under Micarta scales. It has a high flat grind, very slicey, and comes with a simple leather sheath for belt carry only.

 The blade´s not too thick at some 3,2 mm and the serrations and ergonomic handle contour make for a very comfy and secure grip. It measures at a sensible 85 mm EDC length. It has a lanyard hole for the obligatory pimping lanyard beads;-) we all love...

 Word: Not a knife for prying, and the handle could be a bit longer, but it cuts like a monster. It is a perfect little task knife for occasions when a larger knife simply isn´t necessary. Out of the box it came hair-splittingly sharp, and the edge retention is very well and I guess the claim of 60 HRC is well there. It is flexible enough, though, to take some abuse, too. It comes in at some 120,00€ if it ever sees production.

The next combo I have taken just for comparison purposes into the evaluation, and to do some myth busting. It´s one of the best ever combos for ´crafting, i.e. the Fällkniven F 1 with a laminate 420J2/VG10 blade, the WM - 1 with a solid VG-10 blade and the Victorinox Swiss Tool, famed for being the only tool with which you can drive nails into a solid concrete wall;-) (a separate review will follow). Those three are a combination not leaving want for anything. BUT! Nowadays those two Fällkniven knives alone sell for roundabout 250-300€. Both are razor sharp and dead reliable and closing the gap between prybar and cutter with an acceptable compromise, but the prize is, as we will see, a bummer.

 The Boker Colubris I have reviewed some time ago already. It cuts well, nothing to be ashamed of for sure, albeit not so very slicey, and, due to its heft, can even double for a small chopper. The wide blade makes it suitable for digging for roots also, and it can take quite a beating due to the stonewash finish which makes minor scratches practically invisible. The blade is 440C with a standard tempering at about 58-59 HRC. The g-10 handle can be used to drive nails into a wooden wall;-), it´s that durable. The thick blade 6mm x 109mm inspires confidence. It sells at 69,00€.

 The Colubris sheath fits well, but has one minor flaw. Kydex is a thermoplastic material which looses fit over time when carried in a warm environment. The belt lock in a horizontal position (scout carry mode) allows the handle to point slightly downwards, which makes it slightly easier to draw. When the Kydex loses fit, however, it COULD be possible that you lose the blade. Also, the heft of the blade does not make for a comfortable carry when using thinner belts. A 50 mm belt is close to mandatory, but, hey, this knife´s not made to be carried when wearing a suit and tie;-). It certainly is a knife for the big boys out there...;-).

Last but in no way least is the prize-breaker combo of this review. A Mora craftline High Q Carbon Robust and a Mora laminate carving knife. The big ´un measures in at a healthy 115mm x 3 mm with a good Kraton handle over a hard plastic inlay, which is that hard you can easily crack nuts with it. The sheath is very interesting in that another sheath can be attached to the button in front. The hole in the sheath of the little carver fits into it. The carving knife has a high carbon steel blade, 59 x 2,3 mm long and thick, with a stainless steel ferrule and a birch handle. The tang goes all the way through the handle and is fixed with a rustic but time - proven clamp in the handle. This duo is an eye opener, in that the big knife costs 11,49€ and the small one 17 €. I use those two very much. Both can stand up to day- in day- out abuse for years. They cut extremely well, and the big one prys and batons and begs for more. Both come hairpoppingly sharp out of the box.

All in all I can say that from a merely functional point of view alone there is no reason to spend more than 12€ for a serviceable bushcraft knife. The Fällkniven, Hubertus and Boker knives are good and even great knives, but their performance is easily matched by the Moras. Of course, they lack image and ambiente, and it is not always all about function, so if you want a bit more fascination, just go ahead and buy those other knives. I did, and I do not even regret it.

But if we are honest, what is it that we need? Indigenous cultures do not entertain this attitude. They love their tools and lovingly repair them when they are damaged. We rant on survival and whatnot when all we might be doing is a nice stroll around the local woods practicing some skills to our leisure. It is a hobby. In, say central Amazonas, Papua, Africa or Siberia those skills are not just a hobby you practice at your leisure, but a necessity to if not survive, then at least live better. The individuals relying on knives over there would chose the Moras, if they would at all buy anything. More realistic is they´d make their own from saw blades or even traffic signs.

Now this post is not about spoiling anyone´s joy at collecting knives or leisurely practicing some rewilding. This is maybe even more crucial than the everyday routine of some indigenous backlwoodsman or -woman, for we have to change, and the bushcraft hobby shows us a path we can enjoy, and thusly, love, and thusly use to change our individual life to hopefully get a new perspective on our Western society. But do not be sad if you cannot afford those "blingbling" knives everyone raves about in the forums. Buy a Mora, as accomplished backwoodsmen and boy scouts do for ages, or browse the garage sales and flea markets, or, better yet, roll your own.

Brief review of a Mora craftline High Q carbon robust

I recently got a new Mora craftline HighQ carbon from my favourite Mora supplier. Here are my first impressions:

The blade is 110 mm long and comes with a mirror polish. It´s made from Mora´s trademark carbon tool steel, which is produced by a French corporation. It is cold rolled and has an estimated carbon content from 0,75 - 1,00 %. I estimate the Rockwell hardness from 59-61 HRC. It has a scandi grind, of course, and the blade has  a spine thickness of 3,2 mm. The handle is made from a reinforced molded plastic inner, which is the same as the handle of the legendary 510. There is a Kraton coating over it making for a very adhesive feel and great safety. The handle is long and big to be handled with working gloves also. The sheath is molded from thermoplastic as usual, and it comes with a button to carry another sheath from the craftline or outdoor lineup, which is a cinch to have for bushcraft applications. The knife has a very clean look to it with many intelligent solutions.

My first impressions in cutting are that it cuts very well, obviously. It came out of the box frighteningly sharp and seems to hold an edge very well. Do not expect the cutting prowess of thinner Moras, however. This is a knife that feels less slicey compared to, say a companion or the laminate whittling knives. The feel is similar to a Fällkniven F 1, only for a fraction of the price. It is sold for 11.95€, and that makes it a threat to any bushcraft knife on the market!

It was possible to crack hazelnuts with the butt of the handle. Batoning was a cinch, as was making a fuzz stick. Hardness was enough to carve mild steel rods.

Blade thickness.

The sheath is compatible to the carrying system in either direction;-). It gets my mind racing:-).

This knife is rock solid, and, don´t tell anyone;-), but it might easily hold its own against knives ten times the price and more. It is ideal for beginners in the field of bushcraft and will get any job around the camp and on the trail done, and is suited also for more brutal tasks.

I will do a shootout soon... in fact, I prepare a video documentation, too. So watch this place. Knives to be tested will be:

Fällkniven F 1
Mora Bushcraft Triflex
Mora Robust
EKA Nordic W 11
Otter hunting knife
Hubertus countryline
No-name NORMA Chinese hunting knife
Balzer hunting knife
My own Mountainman bushcraft


The knives will not be tested to destruction, but rest assured they will get a beating!

Whatever the outcome, however, what we got here is a problem;-), for the price tag makes it an easy buy.

After work foraging bimble, brief introduction of a Mora, garbage and a mushroom sunset;-)

 I figured I was quite stressed out after work, so what to do? - RIGHT! Off with me into the woods, along paths seldom trodden... with a canvas bag and some knives to collect what was lying around...*ggg*

 Those woods are in the periphery of Breckerfeld, a small village near my hometown, and ther is even less traffic than usual.

 I found this knife handle lying around there. You know, there is a common knifehandle bone roe deer breed over here. They are rare and normally shun the paths of man in an extreme degree;-). This one seems to have an anomality, for normally the knife blade is sprouting out of the bone, tempered and all*ggg*. To catch them you have to find a clearing in the woods with large stones on it. The stones have to be shoulder height for the deer, and there you put some spruce sprouts and a dose of pepper. Hunting is done in new moon nights. The deer come across the clearing, want to eat the grass and have to sneeze due to the pepper. Then they bash their head against the rock and drop unconscious or even dead.*ggg* But it only works with the common knifehandle bone roe deer*ggg*...

 I set aside the funny ´shrooms and went on my merry way;-).

 It was some time ago that I found the remnants of a deer in the thicket and I collected some bones and spoke a thankyou ritual and left something to lever the balance. This time I did it again and found this giant red cap. In the pic you can see one of my new Moras. It is the Bushcraft Triflex carbon steel knife. The blade is 100x2,5 mm with a combination plastic and Kraton handle. It comes with a thermoplastic sheath that´s pretty good. The blade is claimed to have a selective temper. My first impression is:

-it cuts like a Mora always does. OOTB it´s shaving sharp, in fact, hair is popping away if you shave. I could easily shave my beard with it, and that´s a feat!
-the temper seems to be not as homogenous as could be, for the outmost section of the tip (1 mm) bent with little effort, a mistake made presumeably in grinding. But no harm done, no breaking here, and a good flexibility.
-the handle is very comfy to hold onto and offers plenty of grip, even when wet.
-the sheath holds the knife in very well, even upside down. The belt loop provided with the knife is clipped in. Body temperature, however,  heated the thermoplastic material enough for the fit of the clip-in- mechanism to become looser than OOTB, but as is, it´s safe enough.

 Carving wood, e.g. making a feather stick or a wood spirit and the like was a right  treat. The blade holds an edge very well. I carved mild steel rods with it with no problems and without even having to strop it. That hints of an approx. hardness of 58-62 degrees Rockwell in the edge area. The balance is very good, too, with the centre of balance right on the index finger. Orthogonal balance (axis-to-edge) is great also, this coming as no surprise with the edge being in line with the belly of the handle. The knife itself is very light and comfortable to work with. It´s ugly, but I won´t complain. It is sold for 22.99€. Look here for more Mora products.

Do I recommend it? I will shoot it out against some higher-end brand knives and some low-budget ones. Now I can just tell that it has minor flaws, but overall ther is no reason at all not to buy it, except when you´re in for heavy batoning all of the time.

I then went deeper into the woods... more bones, but I left it be.

It´s somewhat strange. The farther you get into the woods, the more likely you will find something like this. I have found a lot of material on places like this, but then I would be glad if I did not have to. Just a reminder to take along what you´ve brought and think twice if you cannot reuse it!

 Then I was off to more ´shrooms, quite a loot for shoop *ggg* and for drying as snacks and spice!

 The somewhat grey weather cleared up and I was able to savour a beautiful sunset on my way home.

A perfect day in the woods!

EKA Nordic W11 short review

I recently had an opportunity I could not resist;-). I was craving this knife for some 17 years or so, but did not want to spend that much money. Turns out the occasion arose to get it CHEAP;-). Steel is 12 C 27, tempered rather high. Carving mild steel rods was no problem. The blade is 10,4 mm long, 24,5 mm wide and 3,8 mm thick. The hollow grind was rather ...erm.. bulky?;-) so out came the diamond hone and the ruby strop. I reprofiled the edge to a 20 degree and gave it a mirror shine finish, which was a bit hard at first, for the steel has a rather coarse structure fabric, and I suspect, the acclaimed 59 degrees HRC might be a bit high for the potential of 12C27 and not a selective tempering method or cryogenic annealing. Also, this knife really could do with a scandi grind. Then it would be a great bushcraft design! Also, the tang could be longer and protruding out of the handle, which is made from beautiful Bubinga wood, as with the Fjällkniven F 1.

The handling is good, the balance point approximately on the first rivet. The tang is a hidden flat tang, which makes for a very comfortable feel. The finger dent on the handle to me feels a bit too far back, and the checkering could be a touch deeper. The sheath is made from top grain leather and keeps the the knife in even upside down. The single rivet at the tip might not do the greatest of jobs to keep the backside attached to the top, it´s already coming apart, and the rivets are set after stitching, cutting the seams apart. That could be done better! 

Do I recommend the knife?

It seems to me that it´s a great blade for hunting, and it works okay. For the price tag, there certainly are better designs. I got it very cheap, so I bought it. But for only 35 € more you get a Fjällkniven, and for 103 € less you get a Mora. EKA could make it easily a winner by keeping the temper at 57 degrees, doing some cryogenic annealing or tempering it selectively, doing a scandi grind on it and letting the tang protrude some 2-3 mm out of the handle. I guess that would make it a top seller with the bushcrafting lot without raising the manufacturing cost too high.