A knife designed for Bushcrafting allows a Scout to easily and safely
perform advanced Wilderness skills. We discuss and teach these skills
in our Wilderness Survival classes. Having the proper knife makes a
huge difference what a scout will be able to due during training.
Note: Fixed Blade Knives are banned in
many Scout Camps and by many Troops.
For survival training, we recommend the following:
Morakniv Companion
More than adequate for training and survival use
Less than $20!
Hi-Vis Orange is the preferred color
Two Blade Options
Stainless is better for general use in the Pacific Northwest since
it doesn't rust
Carbon Steel is better for teaching care of blades, sharpening and
for flint and steel fire training
Either if fine for a mature Scout
This video gives you and idea of some
of the uses of a Bushcraft Knife
Bushcraft Knife as Main Piece of Survival Gear
Survival gear should be based on your priorities of survival, environment
and skill set. When possible, survival gear should have multiple
uses. Your knife of course is the most versatile tool for survival
and a good Bushcraft Knife will cover all Priorities of Survival.
The Buschcraft Knife show here has multiples uses:
Knife Blade
Cut up clothing or gear to make dressings, bandages, slings,
splints and tourniquets
Scandi Ground Blade is ideal for splitting, shaving and
processing wood for fire
Process wood and vegetation for shelter
Process wood for primitive fire making
Make traps and snares for food
Processing food
Used as spear tip
Improvised uses not ideal for blade longevity
Chip away at ice for water or food
Digging hole
Prying
Knife Spine with sharp 90° edges
Process wood into tinder fuzz (aka Maya Dust)
Process vegetation for cordage
Strike Ferrorod
Flint and steel fire starting if you have high carbon blade
Smoothing out wood craft - like spoons
Ferrorod
Start fire for warmth, treating water, signal for help
Expedient light signaling
Sharpener
Keeps blade and spine sharp
Striking matches
Sharpen stones and metal into edged tools
Sharpen fish hooks and needles
Ranger Bands
Cut up innertube rings used for securing gear
Use to silence gear that jingles when you move
Use to start fire
Tinder Cord
Small amount of string
Fire starting
Fishing lure
Makes ferrorod easier to find on ground
Plastic Sheath
Holds everything together
Plug hole in bottom to create small waterproof cup
Scrape to make tinder
All sorts of accessories can be added to a sheath
Other benefits:
Worn on body
Always have it
Orange
Easy to see if left on ground
Morakniv Bushcraft
Bushcraft Knife Rules
There are a combination of features that make up an ideal Bushcraft
Knife. Not all criteria needs to be met to have an adequate knife
Rule 1 - Fixed Blade NOT Folder
A Bushcraft Knife will take a beating and a folding knife can only be
beaten so many times before it breaks
Rule 2 - No Hollow Grind
A hollow grind is easy to sharpen but isn't as strong as a flat or
convex grind and may wrinkle with abuse
Scandi Grind is ideal, but a convex or flat grind is acceptable
Rule 3 - Full Tang
A full tang blade will outlast a blade with a partial tang
Plan to beat your knife blade over and over when batoning
Some legendary Bushcraft Knives such as the Morakniv Companion only
have a partial tang and work great, but full tang is still better and
preferred
Rule 4 - Sharp Spine
Sharp spine needed for scraping wood to make tinder, debarking roots
and striking ferrorods
Any spine can be sharpened with a belt sander
A sharp spine can be uncomfortable when carving - if you do a lot of
carving, leave the spine next to the handle rounded
Rule 5 - Blade Length 3.5-5 inches
Anything less than 3.5 inches is too short
A 6 inch blade is more difficult to carve with, anything bigger is
excessive
Rule 6 - High Carbon Steel
High carbon steel allows for a great edge
Can be used to for Flint & Steel fire techniques
High carbon steel rusts and requires special care and isn't ideal in
salt water or for young Scouts
Steel choice is complex and many arguments regarding soft vs hard,
durability, rust resistance, etc.
Rule 7 - Blade Thickness 3-5mm/0.12-0.20 inches
Blade needs to be used for splitting wood and repeated beatings
Blade needs to be nimble enough to make small bushcraft projects such
as small game traps
Rule 8 - Durable Handle
Handle needs to handle repeated abuse
Grip is better than slip
Synthetic grips are generally more durable and grippier than old
school grips
Morakniv Knives
Made in Mora Sweden, Morakniv knives are know globally for their quality
blades. They are considered the industry standard for survival and
bushcrafting knives.
We use and recommend Morakniv or similar Fixed Blade Knives during
Wilderness Survival Training. Why? A basic fixed blade knife
allows for advanced Wilderness Techniques. A folding knife is not
designed for some of these techniques and will eventually break.
Breaking a knife is both sad and potentially dangerous.
What makes a Morakniv so special?
Swedish made
Scandinavian grind
Good for making feather sticks
Great for carving
Much more robust than hollow grind knives
NOTE: Requires special sharpening technique
Most models have the option of a Stainless Steel and Carbon
Steel blade
Stainless steel doesn't rust and is more Scout-proof
Carbon steel holds an edge better but requires some
maintenance and care
Blade can be beaten over and over with few failures
Great for battoning wood
Allows for splitting of wood
Cutting down small trees
Building Pioneering structures
Hard plastic sheath
Don't worry about knife cutting through sheath
Shavings from sheath can also be used to start a fire
Overall quality and design of these knives are excellent
Full-tang blade will survive huge amounts of abuse
More knife than needed by most scouts or adults
Which Mora to Choose?
The Companion is excellent and will fit the needs of 95% of users
For under $20, this is hard to beat (except when battoning)
Stainless Steel blade option doesn't rust and is better for most
Scouts
The Companion HD is a nice upgrade
Blade is same thickness as higher end Moras
Both the Companion and the Companion HD need their spine ground sharp
Easy to do with sandpaper or rough sharpening stone
This allows for tinder processing and firerod striking
The Bushcraft and Gerberg are ready to go out of the box, but is more
knife than most Scouts will ever need
Morakniv Blade Material
Morakniv offers most bushcraft knife blades in either Sandvik 12C27
Stainless Steel or UHB-20C Carbon Steel. Both have their perks and
both require maintenance.
Uddeholm UHB-20C Carbon Steel
Hardened to HRC 58-60
Holds edge better
Stays sharper longer
Easy to sharpen and keep razor sharp
Will rust if not maintained
Particularly true in Hot and Wet environments
Use in Pacific Northwest and on Canoe trips requires special care
Requires more care to keep clean and dry
Spine can be used for Flint and Steel Fire Starting
Forms a patina over time which provides some resistance to corrosion
Sandvik 12C27 Stainless Steel
Hardened to HRC 56-58
Difficult to maintain razor edge
"Softer" metal dulls easier and quicker
Takes longer to resharpen
Requires more sharpening
Does not rust
Advantage in Jungle and Canoe trips
For Scouts, Stainless Steel is less problematic as they often take poor
care of equipment. For more experienced scouts, the carbon steel has
a better edge and rust is generally just cosmetic and easily removed with
vinegar.
Morakniv Shortcomings
The majority of Morakniv knives are made for the general public with a
nice compromise that allows for affordability and utility. You get a
lot for your money.
Here is where other knives may be better than a basic Morakniv Companion
(cost aside):
Morakniv Companion has a thin blade for Bushcrafting purposes
The 2.0mm thick blade works fine but thicker is preferred for most
bushcraft tasks
Note that thinner blades may be preferred for finer wood work and
food processing
The Companion HD, Bushcraft and Garberg have a 3.2mm thick blade,
which is about the minimum size for a great bushcrafting knife
Unfinished, unmachined spine
The Companion and Companion HD have a rounded spine - lacks the
ability to use ferrorod or process fuels via spine scraping
This can and should be ground sharp, but it would be nice if it came
that way
Bushcraft and Garberg have sharpened spines
Partial Tang
Most Morakniv knives have a partial tang
Partial tang blades are more likely to break after repeated batoning
Hard batoning from the end of the handle will eventually damage the
handle
Garberg comes with full tang blade
Blade Metal
Mora uses UHB-20C (similar to 1095) - very acceptable steel for
blade
Other options are available with better, worse or otherwise
different property profiles (sharper, tougher, harder, etc.)
Finish
Quality finish is fine on most Morakniv blades
Edge can be resharpened if you feel the need
Other high end knives will come with a better blade finish
The Morakniv line of knives are more than enough of a knife for most
survival situations or for Scouts and the price is exceptional. Other
knives are available if you have extra money to spend and need a knife for
finer cutting, can take more abuse or for some other function.
Bushcraft Knife Mods
There are several common mods that will enhance the utility of your
Bushcraft Knife.
Grind spine to 90° edge - vital for making tinder and striking
ferrorod
Only for Mora Companion, Companion HD and knifes with rounded or
unfinished spine
Treat carbon steel blade with vinegar
Stainless blades don't need or benefit from treatment
Only for carbon steel blades
A carbon steel blade will oxidize in time
Hematite
aka rust
an aggressive form of oxidation
Magnetite
mild form that only effects the outer surface of steel
prevents further corrosion
turns carbon steel charcoal gray which we call a patina
Forcing a patina will protect your blade from future exposure to
water and moisture
You don't have to purchase or use a Morakniv. We don't get any money
or special perks for using this brand. But from years of experience,
we have learned the hard and expensive way that Moras meet the buscrafting
needs of most are are very affordable.
There are many knife manufactures out there that make excellent
knives. Some are really good. The really nice ones tend to be
very expensive, sometimes insanely expensive. We don't advise scouts
or parents purchase expensive knives, as they will likely get lost or
damaged through the course of the scouting experience. It is easy to
replace a lost $20 Mora. It is much more painful to lose a $200
knife on your first scouting outing.
There are other acceptable Bushcrafting Knives out there:
Folders are inherently weaker than most fixed blade knives and break Rule
1 of Bushcraft Knives - Fixed Blade and NOT Folder. They will
eventually fail at the hinge with repeated abuse. That said, the
best knife in a survival situation is the one you have on you. And
if you can't walk around with a fixed blade knife, then maybe you can make
do with a Folding Alternative.
General Rules of Folding Knives
Folders are more expensive and fragile compared to a simple fixed
blade knife
Breaking a folding knife is a good learning experience for a Scout -
which is another reason an inexpensive knife is preferred
Beware of counterfeit knives! They may look the same, but aren't
made with the same materials or at the same level of quality.
Ontario RAT
Economical knife options (made in Taiwan)
Model 1 - 3.6" blade
Model 2 - 3.0" blade
AUS-8 - Japanese stainless steel option - doesn't rust
D2 - Tool Steel option - holds an edge longer
Comes in multiple colors including Orange
BRK Designed by ESEE
Economical knife options (made in Taiwan)
Avispa - 3.5" blade
Zancudo - 3.0" blade
AUS-8 - Japanese stainless steel option - doesn't rust
D2 - Tool Steel option - holds an edge longer
SK5 - Japanese med/high Carbon steel - Rusts, doesn't hold
edge very long but can get a really fine edge (used to make
razor blades)
Comes in multiple colors including Orange
Same designers as Ontario RAT
Buck Selkirk
Nice handle
Comes with sheath and ferrorod
420HC Stainless Steel (very soft steel)
Made in China
Cold Steel SR1 LITE
Super strong Tri-Ad locking mechanism
8Cr13MoV Chinese Stainless Steel
Not too expensive compared to non-Lite versions with
CPM-S35VN blade steel
Made in Taiwan
Cold Steel Ultimate Hunter
Super strong Tri-Ad locking mechanism
Black and Orange versions
Very expensive for a knife made in Taiwan
CPM-S35VN Stainless Steel
CRKT Parascale
Paracord wrap
Heavy duty hinge and "Deadbolt Lock"
D2 Steel
Hollow grind - not ideal for Bushcraft work
Made in Taiwan
Spyderco Shaman
American made and expensive
CPM-S30V Stainless Steel
Benchmade Freek
Different Versions
560BK-1 Freek = CPM-M4 Super Steel
American made and Expensive
TOPS Knives Fieldcraft
American made and Very Expensive
Solid liner lock
1095 RC 56-58 Carbon Steel (soft compared to other carbon
steels)
Even has a bow drill divot
DPx HEST
Some made in USA and some in Italy - All VERY VERY expensive
Solid frame lock
Most economical version has D2 Tool Steel Blade - other
options available
