crook knife from Axeminster tools [Archive] - BushcraftUK: Community Forum

rapidboy

15-07-2004, 21:06

Got a little crook knife from Axminster tools.
Sloyd Single Edge Hook Knife made by Frost.
Really great little tool.

http://img25.photobucket.com/albums/v76/rapidboy1/398_9801_a.jpg

This is my second attempt at a spoon and the crook knife is so much better (and safer) to use than the SAK chisel i used for the first one:nono:

RB

tenbears10

15-07-2004, 21:21

Rapidboy

I have the same crook knife but my only problem is being right handed the only way to use the knife is cutting towards you. I normally use a knife cutting away from me (don't cut towards your thumb, cut towards your chum :wink: ) I was a bit worried by this new cutting method and confirmed the fear by taking a lovely bowl shaped cut from my right thumb.

I have seen crook knives that are left or right handed so I thought I might have a left handed one. I have taken to using it in my left hand so I can cut away from myself. As the advert says how do you use yours?

Bill

tenbears10

15-07-2004, 21:22

Sorry forgot to say, fantastic effort for a second spoon :-)

Bill

rapidboy

15-07-2004, 21:41

I'm right handed and i break the golden rule and cut towards myself.
It was a bit nerve wrecking at first but i started to twist the knife more than pulling it and i have more control.
I wouldn't even attempt to use my left hand ,I would end up in the Casualty Ward for sure.
Axminster do a double edged version which might suit you better.
RB

Rob

15-07-2004, 21:45

Frosts do make an ambidextrous one - but I have steered clear, as it is sharp on both sides.

These do seem to be pretty good though, and prices seem pretty consistant across the suppliers.

tenbears10

15-07-2004, 21:51

If you had an ambidextrous one you couldn't give it any push on the back of the blade with your thumb could you :?:

Has anyone splashed out on a ray mears £40 crook knife? let us know if it is worth it.

Bill

Schwert

15-07-2004, 22:36

I really like the crook knives that are sharp on both edges. I hold these palm up, right handed and make both pull toward and push away cuts. These are Kestrel Tools and North Bay Forge crook knives and NBF scorp. Spoon is still unfinished.... :shock:

This sort of curved handle seems to make cuts toward the body more limited in motion and very controllable. More of a wrist twist then a pull. So far, no cuts.

http://outdoors.free.fr/images/Schwert_KestrelSpoon.jpg

leon-1

15-07-2004, 23:31

Frosts do make an ambidextrous one - but I have steered clear, as it is sharp on both sides.

These do seem to be pretty good though, and prices seem pretty consistant across the suppliers.

I use a double edged crook knife from Axminster, they take a little getting used to, but after a while and with a bit of caution they become quite easy to use and with the cost being so low you can't really go wrong with either the single or double edged versions. :biggthump

Nice work RB, I am currently carving another spoon, I hope it turns out as well as yours :o):

16-07-2004, 00:46

I'm right handed and i break the golden rule and cut towards myself.
You are supposed to pull it towards you... like a draw knife.... ;-) Thats how they carve love spoons around here.

Ed

brucemacdonald

16-07-2004, 07:20

Nice effort!

Looks a lot better than my attempts at making spoons.

I have the crook knife from Woodlore which is very nice indeed, though I have a problem with sharpening the blade. Can anyone give me a tip on how to sharpen a crook knife blade?

Thanks

Bruce

Buckshot

16-07-2004, 08:27

Bruce,

Have a look at previous threads, there's loads about sharpening curved blades

Cheers

Mark

MartiniDave

16-07-2004, 09:08

Nice spoon RB!

I've use the £40 crook knife when I did my course, very nice tool.

My own crook knife is a £1.99 thing for making melon balls (I think), that I've reground to get rid of the serrations, sharpened up and re handled. Works just fine, but on of the Axminster jobbies is on the wish list. Will sort out piccies when I've got the handicam talking to my pc!

Dave

Tell me and I'll forget,
Show me and I may remember,
But nag me like the wife and it WILL happen!

Dave

16-07-2004, 11:30

This is my second attempt at a spoon and the crook knife is so much better (and safer) to use than the SAK chisel i used for the first one:nono:

RB

BE Honest1!!! :-D
Has that just been carved by using the tools shown? The WS knife and the hook knife?
Or has it been finished with sandpaper and/or a smaller craft knife? :pack:

rapidboy

16-07-2004, 23:56

Did use some sandpaper to finish but it looked kinda :***: in the pic so i left it out.
Didn't actually smooth it that much and just gave it it a little rub with some swedish mineral oil to seal it:-D

Dave

17-07-2004, 09:24

Great spoon though.
Added: 11:21am

After seeing your pic rapidboy i thought right, ill have one of them, so ordered one from axminster yesterday at 1pm . Absolutly brilliant service.
Just arrived now! Less than twentyfour hours later!
Great little tool. :pack:

rapidboy

17-07-2004, 12:07

For the price they are great ,just need to make some sort of cover so i can carry it in my pack.
This was my first order from axminster and also got a Starkie strop and paste.
Great service and communication.
I think the Opinel prices are also pretty good on there.

familne

19-07-2004, 20:18

Here are a couple of spoons I made with the Roselli carpenter and bear-claw knives and the Axminster crook knife - the one on the left is ash and has been treated in tung oil, the other is birch and is untreated. Great combination of tools for carving!

http://img61.photobucket.com/albums/v185/fraserM/spoons.jpg

OldJimbo

20-07-2004, 08:49

Crooked knives are always pulled toward the body. With practise you get excellent control.
Probably the most portable and useful for day to day stuff is a properly sharpened hoof knife. You can make most stuff with that. The Mora spoon gouge is great for spoons but I find it less useful overall. Then of course there's the "real" crooked knife of Canada which is a 6" long gently curved blade with only the tip upswept. It sure looks unweildy, but properly sharpened it isn't. It'll take long slices even off of very hard wood. You need the longer blade because it's used with a slicing cut. That one's for shaping large pieces of wood for sleds, snowshows, Canoes, etc..
Most of the antique crooked knives seen on ebay will actually have a straight blade which comes out of the handle at an angle. Those are for basket making.
small crooked knives (http://www.oldjimbo.com/survival/ck.html)
Hudson Bay Type (http://www.oldjimbo.com/survival/ck2.html)

bill

26-07-2004, 15:26

mine is double sided [ frosts ] good tool.

dont forget to save the shavings ,they make great firelighters

MartiniDave

26-07-2004, 15:30

I got one of those little crook knives from Axminster too. I t was ordered late afternoon on thursday, arrived friday 9:30. Seems a nice little tool. I'm also looking to make a pack/pocket safe cover for mine.

Dave

Hoodoo

26-07-2004, 16:01

I personally like a double sided hoof knife for such carving projects. I like the U turn at the end for carving deeply into wood to make the bowl portion of spoons and ladles and I often find myself carving in both directions when hollowing out. The long bladed crooked knives are not well suited for such carving projects, imo. For planing cuts though, I definitely prefer carving torwards the body. You get a lot more control that way but again, a long blade is wasted on small items like spoons and ladles. Better suited for canoe paddles, snowshoes, canoe parts, etc. and green wood shaves a heck of a lot easier than seasoned wood.

Some great looking spoons here! Nice work!

http://www4.gvsu.edu/triert/images6/ladleandspoon1b.jpg

26-07-2004, 16:16

Thats a lovely ladle/dipper you have there..... ummmm I feel a new project comming on..... Thats what I love most about this site is the inspiration I get from other people work :-)

Ed

bill

26-07-2004, 16:49

i carry mine in a ping-pong ball with a bit of tape[ducktape ] just stick the "point" in and the rest of the blade will follow.

seemed pretty obvious to me :wink:

ESpy

27-07-2004, 07:48

Kydex. ;)

Hoodoo

27-07-2004, 13:20

I should amend my statement above to say I prefer the hoof knife for carving "in the field." :-) But also, anytime the cut starts getting deep, like in the ladle, the hoof knife is great if you don't have a bent gouge. It's really a very versatile tool and unfortunately, often overlooked.

Martyn

27-07-2004, 16:34

Hoodoo, that's a nice looking hoof knife, what is it? I've been looking at the Haida hoof knives from lee valley, but that looks better with it's full length double edge. Tell, tell. ;)

Hoodoo

27-07-2004, 16:40

That's an Erik Frost hoof knife from Mora, Sweden. I've ground the handle and replaced the cutler's rivets with bolts. Frost makes a pretty good hoof knife.

Adi007

27-07-2004, 16:48

http://www.farriersupplies.co.uk/Knives.html

Hoodoo

27-07-2004, 18:58

http://www.farriersupplies.co.uk/Knives.html
Adi, it looks like a whopping £6.81 at that site. :lol: Best money spent on a knife imo. :-) I do think it's wise though, to remount the blade. I've found that the cutlers rivets just don't hold up well to heavy wood carving. I replace the rivets with bolts and epoxy the whole thing back together.

These pics should show you what I mean:

http://www4.gvsu.edu/triert/images7/hoof_knife2b.jpg

http://www4.gvsu.edu/triert/images7/hoof_knife3b.jpg

http://www4.gvsu.edu/triert/images7/hoof_knife4b.jpg

http://www4.gvsu.edu/triert/images7/hoof_knife5b.jpg