Woodlore clones??
- Thread starter Woodland whittler
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In the EU region, the Casström No.10 Swedish Forest knife options would be attractive to me.
The Kephart knives from the USA are going to be very similar in function. Bark River did a run I missed out on and there are other great semi-production options that are very solid working knives in the <200£ (~$260USD) range. Google/Search Kephart on bladeforums.com if you want to go down that 'Rabbit Hole'!
If I can help on this side (USA) of the Atlantic, give me a shout.
The Kephart knives from the USA are going to be very similar in function. Bark River did a run I missed out on and there are other great semi-production options that are very solid working knives in the <200£ (~$260USD) range. Google/Search Kephart on bladeforums.com if you want to go down that 'Rabbit Hole'!
If I can help on this side (USA) of the Atlantic, give me a shout.
This was a previous run done at 5" but, most are 4 1/4". Blade steels have been CPM 3V but, steel availability constraints may mean a different option when the next batch comes around. For a Woodlore traditional'ish blade, this 5" blade is going to be too long but, the 3.875" and 4.25" versions should be a good fit. In the past, depending on scale material, they ran from ~$200USD to ~$275USD for the fancier versions which seems to fit within your budget but, shipping and VAT might push that up a bit.
By a well known TV bushcraft celebrity
Like a Kephart, it is a great design and very useful.
Sure, marketing and hype are there but, that doesn't take away from its usefulness and great overall design.
Sure, marketing and hype are there but, that doesn't take away from its usefulness and great overall design.
Regardless of price, steel or pattern, how a knife feels and cuts can be very different depending on blade geometry (edge sharpening angle and shape of cutting edge) and the contour of the handle. All of the suggestions here will perform and undoubtedly last a good long time but what ultimately works for you usually boils down to personal preference. My suggestion would be to go to a show or game fair where there are makers and sellers. Handle a few to see what feels good for you. Also starting cheap(ish) with Moras or such like to see how you get on. Thinking about what you may be mainly using the knife for too, it may be thatva Scandi grind is not necessarily the right edge for you. They are not great for everything.
Well what a bag of worms this has opened - for my tuppence worth, back in the early 90's when bushcraft first became the must use name for going out in the woods and enjoying yourself the knife I used was a Brusletto Bamsen, I loved that knife but naively I sold it to part fund buying a woodlore, this was about 2001 and the woodlore was about £140 (the most I have ever paid for a knife). I had that knife for about 6 years and yes it did everything asked of it, but was it any better than my old Bamsen or a Mora, not really, sadly I had however bought into the snobbery of the day and like so many others past and present looked down my nose at lesser knives.
Then around 2006 I went to Sweden and spent a lot of time with an amazing old man who lived the life that many of us including old RM could only dream of. This chap was a true "bushcrafter" in every sense of the word having grown up using what we call bushcraft as part of his daily life. His knife was a simple puukko style knife, the birch handle darkened with age, the blade pitied and worn but sharp as a razor. I was instantly converted to a puukko and to this day i still am. In 2012 I spent a winter in Finland and was gifted a Martinni Lynx by a man who was part of the cottage industry there making the knives for Martinni, I still have an use that knife every time I go bush.
Yes I own other knives, Mora's and Kausendo's and K-bars etc etc but that Lynx suits me best and it holds its edge through thick and thin. Is it better than a Woodlore or a woodlore clone? Definitely, I'm sure someone will point out it's not full tang and could snap while batoning or some such rubbish you hear in marketing garbage, and yes it could, but in 11 years it never has and if it did I'd buy a new one and still be quid's in over the money people waste on so called better quality knives.
Point being, the bushcraft knife industry is like the fishing tackle industry, it's there to separate the naïve, inexperienced and the elitist from their hard earned cash.
Do I still miss my Bamsen? Yes, I do and I'd trade for one in a heart beat but I wouldn't buy a new one at the inflated prices sellers ask these days and I certainly wouldn't fork out for a woodlore clone or otherwise..
Then around 2006 I went to Sweden and spent a lot of time with an amazing old man who lived the life that many of us including old RM could only dream of. This chap was a true "bushcrafter" in every sense of the word having grown up using what we call bushcraft as part of his daily life. His knife was a simple puukko style knife, the birch handle darkened with age, the blade pitied and worn but sharp as a razor. I was instantly converted to a puukko and to this day i still am. In 2012 I spent a winter in Finland and was gifted a Martinni Lynx by a man who was part of the cottage industry there making the knives for Martinni, I still have an use that knife every time I go bush.
Yes I own other knives, Mora's and Kausendo's and K-bars etc etc but that Lynx suits me best and it holds its edge through thick and thin. Is it better than a Woodlore or a woodlore clone? Definitely, I'm sure someone will point out it's not full tang and could snap while batoning or some such rubbish you hear in marketing garbage, and yes it could, but in 11 years it never has and if it did I'd buy a new one and still be quid's in over the money people waste on so called better quality knives.
Point being, the bushcraft knife industry is like the fishing tackle industry, it's there to separate the naïve, inexperienced and the elitist from their hard earned cash.
Do I still miss my Bamsen? Yes, I do and I'd trade for one in a heart beat but I wouldn't buy a new one at the inflated prices sellers ask these days and I certainly wouldn't fork out for a woodlore clone or otherwise..
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