Bushcraft Knife

[GiroToGo]

any recommendations on an inexpensive bushcraft knife...something that can be used for batoning....carbon steel or stainless. I've been looking at the mora 711 and 946. thanks.

[dsuursoo]

you'd have to define 'inexpensive' first i think.

ka-bar is pretty indestructible. cold steel knives are solid, and both cost less than $100.

[GiroToGo]

how about "cheap" around $20. like the mora brand. is carbon steel better or stainless steel.

[dsuursoo]

Originally Posted by GiroToGo

how about "cheap" around $20. like the mora brand. is carbon steel better or stainless steel.

aha. you might be able to score a discounted cold steel knife for that. it'll take some searching though.

the carbon vs stainless debate is a pretty lively one. it's going to depend on who you ask, but odds are very high that you won't find any carbon steel for the price you're looking for. you certainly won't find high-carbon.

the $20 range is a tough one to shop. you can find a knife for that price, but often it's either a cheap water-jetted knockoff of a known design, or it's a low-quality knife.

with that said, you can find winners in that price range.

you might be able to get a buck on sale for somewhere around there.

upping your price limit to $30 will open up a LOT of options.

[GiroToGo]

have you had any experience with mora 711 $11 (carbon steel) or the stainless steel version for a few buck more. I've read good reviews on mora knives. Any opinions?

[Ralph]

The Bushcraft Triflex has a 4 1/4" Triflex carbon steel blade and conventional Scandinavian grind. The Triflex blade has a progressive temper with a hard edge and tougher spine. This gives exceptional edge holding combined with toughness. It's a carbon blade and will rust if neglected. The blade is about 7/8" wide and .098" thick. It comes with an olive handle and black sheath. The knife and sheath weigh a bit under 5 ounces. $20.00

I do not have one of these but it seems to be quite suitable for your needs and is in your price range. All of the Moras are well made of excellent materials. In this one, the progressive temper makes it more suitale for batoning than most. the Scandinavian grind is essentially a wedge without secondary bevel and is easier to maintain. The carbon steel requires a bit of care but isn't really a problem - wipe a couple of drops of oil over the blade after use. Olive oil or plain mineral oil in a tiny dropper bottle works fine, espcially if you are cutting food. Fixed blade knives tend to be lighter and are easier to clean than folding knives.

What is sold (expensively) as honing oil is, for the most part, the same mineral oil you buy (inexpensively) in your local drug or dollar store. I also use it to wipe down wood cutting boards and implements used in the kitchen.

If you have a knife you need to keep it sharp (the only thing a dull knife cuts is you). A good hone will last you the rest of your life - don't buy cheap. To maintain the knife above I suggest a DMT 2" diamond hone in fine or superfine grade. These run around $10.

Carefully observe the factory edge and try to duplicate that edge each time you hone. Don't dub over the edge, keep the bevel as it is. It only takes a couple of swipes on each side. You might also consider getting a small steel to maintain an edge between honings.

[richwads]

Originally Posted by GiroToGo

have you had any experience with mora 711 $11 (carbon steel) or the stainless steel version for a few buck more. I've read good reviews on mora knives. Any opinions?

In "Bushcraft" by Mors Kochanski, Kochanski gives positive recommendations for the Mora knife, either stainless or carbon steel. He recommends a minimum length of 10 cm (4") and thickness of 2.4 mm (0.1"), which the Bushcraft Triflex described by Ralph meets. I have a Clipper stainless which has 0.8" thick blade, so I shouldn't stand on it after pounding it into a tree . After reading Ralph's post, I'm thinking that Triflex knife would be the one I want with me when I really need a knife .