Blind Horse Knife question

[Wolf410]

So I'm looking at a blind horse knife and I have a question about them...is there a model that I should be looking at? Should I be looking at a different brand? I'm looking for a new bushcraft knife and ill admit that while I know knives pretty well the bushcraft area is new to me

[EchoDelta]

BHK Bushcrafter is a great knife. BHK also has amazing customer service. I recently purchased a Bushcrafter and, thru my novice ignorance, nicked up the blade. I contacted BHK and they told me to send it back to them and they will fix it up for me. Great guys and great knife!

[pilsburythrowboy12]

and most of them serve their intended purposes well. The design inspiration as far as I know came from a very popular British bushcrafter's blade named Ray Mears "Woodlore", hand forged and finished by revered bladesmith Alan Wood. The holy grail of the general design is the aforementioned knife which is a 1/3 height scandi-ground blade made out of approx. 3/16" thick O-1 high carbon steel w/ stabilized Maple handles and has a tapered but full tang. Here it is ($400 and up & there's a wait list of something crazy like 10-15 years for his works):
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There are a couple uber quality clones made by men of exquisite bladesmithing skills, namely the guy who frequents this forum Cody who goes by the handle "Adventure Sworn", like his knives namesake. If you haven't already come across some of his work, you'll understand why people damn near bid like they're engaged in an internet bar fight over his occasional offerings outside of his order book which at the moment is closed. Here's a typical example of his work ($250 and up & worth every stinkin penny):
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Bernie Garland makes a comparably fantastic clone as well but I'm not familiar with his pricing or availability. Here's his work:
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Then there's your regularly available production pieces put out by makers like Bark River Bushcrafter:
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Spyderco Bushcraft Knife (around $180):
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[Lanctron]

So I'm looking at a blind horse knife and I have a question about them...is there a model that I should be looking at? Should I be looking at a different brand? I'm looking for a new bushcraft knife and ill admit that while I know knives pretty well the bushcraft area is new to me

Do you have a preference as far as the grind of the knife for bushcraft tasks? If not, before shelling out for a BHK, it might make sense to give a couple much cheaper knives a go to figure out what you like best.

At that price range there are a lot of knives to be had.

[pilsburythrowboy12]

Then there's as you previously mentioned the BHK release of the Woodcrafter which was a Canteenshop.com exclusive model which is sold out:
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BHK Bushcrafter ($160 +ship):


Skookum Bush Tool "Puukko style Scandi":


Then there's the bottom dollar option Condor Bushlore which typically goes for around $35 shipped. Some swear by it and some swear at it. It comes rough around the edges but if you know how to use a belt sander and boiled linseed oil, you've got a shot at making this thing look a lot more valuable than its original price tag (warning, the handle is obnoxiously narrow but that's just my observation) Here it is:




Long story short, it's a great Scandi ground design platform that a lot of knife companies cater to because it's a tried and true piece that just flat out works well. The scandi grind lends itself very well to most bushcrafting tasks and batoning is in my opinion the furthest extent that it should be pushed. Scandi grinds carve and whittle like its nobody's business but if you're going to pack out with the intent of splitting wood with your knife, bring a hefty convex edge blade like most of Bark River's offerings as a companion piece. Depending on your budget, you'll come out a lot happier than not compared to some other blade design concepts that are out there. It's a very conservative but wildly effective blade design and the sorting out process is half the fun so take the onslaught of opinions with a grain of salt, come to your own conclusion and have fun with your choice. If I could recommend one it'd be anything that Adventure Sworn puts out as he has priced his recent works very reasonably considering his ravenous market. His work has already been recognized by some as being on par or well on his way to the lofty stature of the design originator in Alan Wood and that's not bulls***. Being an every day carrier of my own AS Classic, I never leave home without it for a multitude of good reasons. I'm rambling, but if you can afford it, he's almost at the end of his current order book and I can't implore you enough to save up for a spot in his next order book. Hope this helps.

[Chris367]

I had the Bushcrafter and really liked it, if my wife hadn't got me the Woodcrafter I would probably still be using it. Woodcrafter has the same blade shape as the Bushcrafter with a thinner blade and contoured handle. The scandi grind bites into the wood nice, easy to carve with and easy to keep sharp. Have had quite a few BHK's and all of them the fit and finish has been great.

Really like their Ranger model, grip fits my hand well and has a nice weight to it. Around the same time I got the Ranger I also got a Bushbaby and liked that one a lot as well, but prefer the Ranger as its a bit more comfortable for me.

So far all but a Woodsman Pro I had have been scandi grind. I don't really do much batoning and more so use them for whittling , so the scandi has worked well for me.

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