Large Bushcraft Knife - Part 2 - Second Version

Normally, I am pretty thorough at taking pictures of my knives but for this particular commission, I somehow have very few pictures, which is a shame because it is more or less a unique knife and a second iteration of my bushcraft knife design.

The basic geometry of the blade stayed the same as by my working knife but the material was this time N690 steel, 5 mm thick. N690 is less strong than spring steel 54SiCR6 from which my working knife is made but at 5 mm thickness, it should still be strong enough for any normal knife task. The second major difference is full-width tang construction.

I drilled several big holes in the tang, ground the facets all the way to the spine and I also ground a fuller on each side of the blade. All that has significantly reduced weight without overtly compromising the strength.

The handle scales are made from significantly decayed willow wood, stabilized with green-dyed epoxy resin. This has given them an interesting "camo" look. For additional practicality, I supplied a ferrocerium rod and a striker as well. A striker is not strictly necessary, it is possible to use the back of the blade but in my opinion, it is better to use a striker, because the back of the blade does not always have sufficiently sharp edges – especially in this case, since the blade has tumbled finish.

The carved leather sheath has a pocket for all the fire-starting equipment.

The knife is balanced on the index finger so it is not subjectively too heavy but thanks to its length it still packs a punch for chopping and carving difficult materials. It is a few years since it was made, but so far I know it does serve well both in cutting and in fire-starting capacity.

However, the evolution of this design did not stop here. About another version next week.