I, like almost every knifemaker in Britain today, have been asked to make a knife for bushcrafting. Unlike most I have not succumed to making clones of the Ray Mears Woodlore. Instead I have developed a range of knives that in my opinion are far better by design (and depending on the maker, also by manufacture!).
My primary knife to rival the Woodlore is the GreenMan. It is about the same size and shape as the Woodlore, which is a common design seen in using knives for thousands of years, and can't be beat for general bushcraft type tasks. See below why I believe that my GreenMan is better than the Woodlore clones!
Don't forget that most of the knives I make are also suitable for the tasks a blade is put to in bushcraft. Just because I haven't put it in here it doesn't mean that it is any less use! This is a particularly good point considering that I normally have a very long waiting list for my GreenMan knife ;-)
What makes my GreenMan better than the Woodlore Clones?
The Knife
Up to two thirds lighter due to the blade geometry and tapered tang
Stronger due to the heat treat and the nature of forged finished blades
Sharper - Range hardened blades can have harder and therefore longer lasting cutting edges
More rust resistant than other carbon steel knives. The forged finish creates a very low carbon outer surface that resists rust better. It's appearance also barely changes with time and use, unlike ground/polished blades.
Easier slicing -due to the geometry of the blade it will slice and cleave with less resistance.
Protected tip. The spine near the tip has been rounded off to make it more comfortable when carving. It also means that the back of the knife won't mark a work piece when peeling bark (for example).
Less losable. The 2008 version contains TWO Tritium glow in the dark phials set infront of brass mirrors. The idea is that when you are rushing to set up camp before nightfall you can see where you put your knife down (we all do it!) you can also tell which is the sharp end!
By having a blade that is marginally shorter (but no less useful), the handle is a little longer and so more comfortable in most hands, without the overall knife being any longer than the Woodlore
The fuller, more shapely handle feels more comfortable and secure in the hand.
The special resin inset into the underside of my handles is more user friendly in cold weather as it is warm to the touch (like the oiled natural wood handles) and when wet it adds a little extra grip.
The Sheath
Free hanging sheath will not jab you in the side when you sit down or get caught up on the undergrowth.
Sheath can be worn on the belt, around the neck or even upside down, just by threading a thong through the appropriate hole/loop.
Matched firesteel is set lower down on the sheath (moulded to fit the handle and not the shaft to prevent loss) so that you don't grab the steel when you reach for your knife.
Finally, until I become world famous, it costs less than the original Woodlore!
GreenMan Basic
£220
Choice of:
Handle material
GreenMan Pro
£250
Choice of:
Handle material
Mosaic pins
Filework
Woodsprite Basic
£190 (new version)
Choice of
Handle material
Billhooks
A variety of patterns and sizes can be made, prices start at £70
Carving hooks
The compound curves of these hooks make for cleaner finishing cuts and faster stock removal than a more uniform or ?-shaped hook knife. For general spoon carving I suggest the tighter curve (right), while the more open curve is more suited to finishing cuts.
Available in left or right handed. Not double edged as they are too dangerous, sorry
£35 each
£15 blade only
Traditional firesteels as used with a piece of flint. Those pictured here are representative of the styles that I habitually make, though I can make pretty much any shape and size you wish.
Top row (left to right):
Mini steel (striking edge about 1" long) £10
Dog Tag firesteel (can also be used with ferro rods) £10
Sometimes a general-purpose knife is not the right tool for the job, so here are a range of others that i regularly make. Once again, these are not exclusively 'Bushcraft' tools, but items borrwed from other crafts.
If you have a tool or task in mind, but don't see anything suitable here then get in touch and I will see what I can do.
Fire Lighting
Tools and materials to help you with your fire lighting. (Personally, I prefer a gas lighter and a bottle of meths!)
Ferrocerium Firesteels
AKA Ferro Rods and Swedish Firesteels. There are two manufacturers of these: cheaper poorer Chinese rods and the better more expensive Austrian version. Light My Fire (ie Ray Mears prefered supplier) use the Austrian ones, as do I.
The blanks measure 9mm diameter and approx 75mm long. I can fit any type of handle you wish, typically it is an antler or horn tip or a turned wood. When asked to fit a ferro rod to a knife I match the handle material to that of the knife. I also have rods with a 'lump' of wood attached ready for you to shape yourself; this can be of pretty much any wood you like.
Blanks £5
Blank with lump £7
Antler/horn tip £10
Turned wood £15
Tinder Pouch
Made from thick suede and hand sewn, these pouches have to small pockets and a large space behind them for your fire lighting kit. The pouch as folded up measures about 6 1/2"x3 1/2"x2", but that varies depending on what is in it of course!
These come supplied stuffed wiith a range of tinders and ember-extenders. In this example there is a wad of char cloth, King Alfred's cakes and thislte down; but depending no what I have available there could be birch barck, honeysuckle bark, birch polypore pieces, etc.
£15
Pocket Auger
Ideal for tapping trees for sap in the spring. The drill makes a 1" hole and as you only need to drill a short way into the tree I have made these bits short and thus easy to store in a pocket or backpack.
I can supply just the bit (made from heat treated carbon steel and sharpened ready for use, of course) or the complete drill, with a fitted ash handle.
Bit Only £18
Complete set £25
Here are a variety of knives and other items that have been designed for use in Bushcraft, well sort of. Most of the items below are tools from other crafts and walks of outdoor life, but I have brought them together here as I am so often asked for them when I go to the various Bushcraft Shows and meets.
I’ve been selling stones onto people at shows and on my courses for some time, but the range of accessories has now grown to the point where they warrant a space on my website.
Japanese Waterstones
These are the stones that i use for all of my knife sharpening (though I buy them in house brick sizes!). Simply saturate with clean water before use and keep lubricated with water. When a hollow forms, dry them out and rub on a paving slab with sand until flat.
For general sharpening I suggest the 250/1000 grit comnination. The only times that an edge of 6000 grit is needed is when sharpening fine push-cutting edges, such as carving knives and chisels.
Large stones are approx. 8"x2"x1"
Small stones are approx. 4"x1"x1"
250/1000 grit stones: Large £20 Small £8
1000/6000 grit stones: Large £25 Small £10
Convex Edge Sharpening
I have made these clever devices to help you to sharpen axes and other blades that have a convex edge. This block has a rubber backing that follows the curvature of your cutting edge, so making sharpening a true convex a doddle. The finesess of your edge can be tuned by the chjoice of grit paper placed on teh block. Should you be in need of a fine polished edge, then just turn the last paper over and apply stropping paste to the smooth side.
Each set comprises:
Block with foam backing and clamps
Hex key (stored in the side of the block)
4 strips each of abrasive paper (c120, 240, 500 and 1200 grit)
Instructions on how to use the system
£25
Leather Strop & Strropping Compound
These are the same strops and compounds (below) that I use in the workshop. The strop is basically a strip of veg tanned leather glued to a flat, firm board. I use fairly thin (2mm) leather and a board to reduce the amount of rounding-off caused by the use of a loose strop (like a barber's belt), this will help to dull your nice sharp blade. I also do not round off the edges of my strops, so that every last mm of the strop will sharpen your blade. Each strop measures approximately 12" x 2"
The stropping compound is applied to the strop to aid in the polishing process. The use of this paste will produce a mirror poplished edge very quickly and is not nearly as messy as the cream type abrasives.
Strop: £8
Compound: £1.50
Razor Strop fungus
The Birch Polypore (Piptoporus betulinus) or 'Razor Strop fungus' can be a very useful addition to a bushcrafter's tool kit. Thin slices of it make excellent plasters for small cuts and the dried flesh can be used as an ember extender when lighting fires.
The main use for this fungus is, of course, as a strop for sharpening edged tools. When dry it is of a similar stiffness to a leather strop, with similar abrasive qualities (though does benefit from a little polishing paste as well). The benefit of using this type of strop is that it can easily be shaped to fit the cutting edge of carving tools such as spoon hooks and gauges.
As the size of these fungi varies, so does the size of strop that I am able to make from them. I’ve listed three average sizes, but I will always try to provide a strop a little larger than listed if possible. The surfaces are all square and smooth, ready for use. The spoon hook strops have one edge rounded for stropping the inside surface and will fit most spoon hook shapes..
