The Bearclaw Field Knife (BFK) Review

[ScanDgrind]

Many people who practise Bushcraft, at some point find themselves searching for the perfect Bushcraft knife. This is a tall order as we expect the one knife to perform a whole host of tasks. Anything from woodcarving to filleting fish, skinning and preparing game to splitting wood for kindling or even peeling potatoes. This means that without a doubt you will have to come to a compromise as one knife alone can never be the best tool for every one of the many Bushcraft tasks. Many mistakes can be made trying to fulfil this goal. I have myself used many different knives over the years, trying to find the “One” and at last for me at least, it seems I have found it, in the form of the Bearclaw Field Knife (BFK).

About a week ago my much anticipated Bearclaw Field Knife arrived by Royal Mail Special Delivery. Sent by Gary of Bearclaw Bushcraft. It was well packaged in a padded jiffy bag and included with the knife was an information sheet, covering such topics as:- instructions for the safe use of the knife and sheath, maintenance, warranty and knife law. I thought this was a nice touch, and especially helpful for a first time knife buyer.

http://img1.picsplace.to/img1/179/Bearclaw_Field_Knife_000.png
Fig 1:The Bearclaw Field Knife.

The aesthetics of the BFK are gorgeous. Unlike some other Bushcraft knives which can come across as plain and utilitarian looking the BFK oozes character. It has the look and feel of a traditional Scandinavian design crossed with the best aspects taken from modern Bushcraft knife designs. The handle slabs are beautifully figured curly birch which are held in place by two brass pins, the curly birch slabs are lined with black nylon liners which not only give the knife that extra touch of class but also give a good watertight seal between slabs and tang

The handle is shaped so that it filled my hand perfectly and its contours gave a very firm and comfortable hold in all the various grip positions. At the rear of the handle the slabs flair which helps to promote a sure grip even when your hands are cold, wet or even when wearing gloves. The rear of the handle (pommel) is capped by a 2mm thick brass butt plate which has been very securely fitted (more on this later)to the tang itself.

The blade is a single bevel edge drop point with flat grinds and has the makers mark etched on one side and the Bearclaw Kodiak bear logo on the other. All in all the BFK is very pleasing to the eye. Fit and finish is excellent throughout. On the knife I have there are no rough edges, no perceivable gaps between materials or any imperfections in craftsmanship, so hats off and a big thumbs up for the bladesmith Gerd Jorgensen who is producing the BFK for Bearclaw Bushcraft. The BFk is the first of Gerds work I have seen in the flesh and I am very impressed.
http://img1.picsplace.to/img1/179/Tang_and_liners_on_BFK.png
Fig 2: Tang, handle slabs and black nylon liners.

The BFK comes in a full grain hand stitched leather sheath. The sheath is wet moulded to the knife to give a good secure fit. This is also aided by the fact that the knife sits right down inside the sheath with only about an inch of the knifes handle protruding.

http://img1.picsplace.to/img1/179/My_BFK.png
Fig 3 BFK with sheaths.

The sheath is of a very simple pouch design yet it is very clever in it’s simplicity. Not only can it be easily converted from a belt to a neck sheath, it is also ambidextrous. At the “mouth” of the sheath where the knife slides in there is a vertical slot at the rear of the sheath. Around the neck of the sheath there is a partly braided strap the two ends of which feed through the vertical slot. One of the ends has an eye cut into it. The other end is pushed through this eye and then tied in a knot to form the belt loop at the appropriate length.

This is extremely useful as you can set the knife to dangle from your belt at varying heights. This means that it is possible to wear your rucksack with the waist band done up and your knife can still be on your belt as you can set it to hang comfortably below the rucksack waist belt. The dangler system also means that the knife is comfortable on your belt when sitting around the campfire and even when driving as it does not ride up and dig into your ribs. To convert the sheath from a belt sheath to a necker simply remove the leather strap from the sheath and thread a suitable length of paracord etc. through the vertical slot. You can then wear the knife simply around your neck or even across your body Baldric style..

Let’s now move on to the important aspects of a Bushcraft knife… it’s specifications and even more importantly It’s performance.

Specifications
Blade length – 100mm.
Blade thickness – 3mm.
Steel – Sandvik SS1807 high carbon steel.
Hardened to Rockwell 58C.
Handle material – Scandinavian curly birch with black nylon liners and 2mm brass butt cap.
Handle length – 112mm + 2mm butt cap.
Sheath – handmade full grain leather belt sheath which is easily convertible to neck carry..

When thinking about reviewing the BFK I decided that as this knife had been specifically designed by Gary to be used in the field performing the various Bushcraft tasks, the only sensible approach would be to test the knife in the field and report on how it performed.

First things first. I wanted to make sure that the BFK could cope with the varied weather conditions which it would face in the vast array of ever changing climates and weather conditions the outdoors can throw at us and our equipment. As here in the UK at the moment we are experiencing uncommonly good weather I had to improvise a little with the climate tests. I began by placing the BFK in a bowl of warm water (not boiling) and leaving it to soak for half an hour. This did not affect the handle slabs in any way, no swelling or movement occurred which indicated to me that the curly birch has been treated and sealed correctly to make it impervious to moisture. I then repeated the test using cold water. It’s also worth mentioning at this point that although the handles and my hands were dripping wet they still gave a good sure grip. Again no signs of swelling could be detected. After thoroughly drying the knife the next test began. For this I placed the BFK in the freezer compartment of my fridge for about an hour and again no ill effects were suffered by the BFK proving to me that it could withstand severe temperature changes. Now off to the woods for the real field testing.

I began by collecting several pieces of dry pine wood, some of which was a good foot in length and roughly two to two and half inches in diameter. I decided to quarter these with the BFK using a battening technique (using the blade of the knife to split the wood by hitting the spine of the blade with another lump of wood a little like using a mallet). The knife was relatively easy to drive through the wood and except for one piece which seemed to have a knot harder than iron in it, all the rest of the logs split without a hitch. I then used the BFK to make several feather sticks. This was when I first noticed how easy the BFk was to control. This is definitely due not only to the dimensions of the knife but also because the cutting edge of the blade starts very close to the handle this means that when you are gripping the knife the work piece can be cut extremely close to your hand which means that none of the power you are putting into the cut is lost through a leverage action, as it is on other knives where the cutting edge if further from your grip. The flat single bevel edge of the BFK is a joy to use and makes it extremely easy to make long thin shaved curls of wood on the feather sticks.

I did a few other woodcarving tasks around the camp with the BFK such as some pot hangers and a few temporary wooden tent pegs to fix down one end of my tarp, all of which were a joy to make with this knife.

Although I had started my fire by lighting the feather sticks with a match I wanted to see how well the BFK would cast sparks from a ferro rod (fire steel). The spine of the BFK’s blade is very angular all the way from the handle to the tip of the blade with no rounded edges but good sharp angles so I didn’t expect there to be any problem. I held the knife in my right hand and slowly drew the fire steel back across the edge of the spine. A huge shower of white hot sparks leapt off the fire steel. You certainly wouldn’t experience any problems getting a fire started with this knife and a ferro rod that’s for sure..

After putting some water on to boil, it was time to put the BFK to some food preparation chores. It was this test that I had been anticipating the most. My last Bushcraft knife which I have been carrying for a few years was I am afraid a dismal failure at food preparation the reason for this being that the blade at 5mm was a little on the thick side. When chopping things such as carrots, potatoes, onions etc. it had a tendency to split things apart rather than cut them. This meant that on many occasions I could be found scrabbling on the ground trying to find half of that nights dinner because it had literally flown in all directions off my chopping block. The BFK with its thinner 3mm blade was much better and easier to use. You have to keep in mind that 3mm is not thin for a blade compared to the type of knives we usually use in our kitchens, but it did perform the tasks admirably.

Game preparation was a pleasant surprise. I had a couple of rabbits to paunch, skin and joint so I thought I’d give them a go with the BFK. To my surprise it dealt with them really well. The knife had arrived extremely sharp and other than giving it a light strop on a leather belt, just in case rather than any need to, I had not re sharpened it. The blade cut through the rabbits fur and skin quite easily I then opened the cut a little further until I could get a couple of fingers into the incision. Then holding the knife in a reverse grip I “unzipped” the rabbet with no problems. The BFK made short work of the leg joints and after pulling the skin off up to the rabbits head the BFK sliced through the neck very cleanly.

I used the BFK to cut a wide range of different materials. Everything from cardboard, carpet, plastic, wood, meat, fruit and vegetables, leather, cloth and even wet rope. It dealt with everything I tried without a problem. And what really impressed me was that I used the knife for everything I could for a week and still it had a perfectly serviceable cutting edge, duller than when it arrived but not bad at all. I did give it a quick polish on a 6000 grit Japanese water stone and then stropped it just to bring the edge back to tip top condition at the end of the week and it’s now scary sharp again.

I did give the pommel a bit of a work out as well. I used it to crack a handful of hazelnuts I had left from last year. A swift tap on the nuts using a tree stump as my anvil did the job. As Gary suggested in his information sheet, this would be a handy tool for tasks such as separating plant fibres and animal sinew or for light hammering such as cracking nuts. The brass pommel has a slot cut into it which fits over a corresponding “tab” which is made from an extension of the knifes tang. When set in place the brass cap is then silver soldered to the tang and also epoxyd to the ends of the curly birch handle slabs, giving the pommel a very firm fixing.

You may be able to tell that I really liked this knife. To be honest I cannot find fault with it. Not only does it have stunning classic looks making you feel proud to own, carry and use it but it can also back those looks up with stunning performance. The BFK’s dimensions are perfect. Not only is it small enough to be easy to control and use for fine work, it is also large enough to deal with most of the larger jobs you may ask of it. I would not say it is a knife that could be used for chopping chores as it is not heavy enough, but carried in conjunction with a good axe it is a superb tool. If I had ever taken the time to sit down and design a knife using my past experiences, then I could not have done a better job than the Bearclaw Field Knife.

[Kevin]

I have to say that this knife looks like it could be the dogs b******s in the bushcraft sense.....I love the design and the pommel at the end.....Gerd has done a fantastic job.


And a great review..I can see why this will be your favorite knife........

[spamel]

And I look forward to mine even more!!

I love the look of the handle, and those spacers look great. :happy22: Yup, I'm gonna be happy when I get my mitts on one.

Good review, you had balls to stick it in water and then in the freezer!!

:spam1:el

[mojofilter]

Great review Scandgrind! I cant wait for mine, no. 13

[Martyn]

I agree with kevin, this really does look to be the mutts nuts. Beautiful knife, Gerd has indeed done an awsome Job.

[BorderReiver]

Great review ScanDgrind.Makes the wait for no.23 even harder. :rolleyes:

[ScanDgrind]

This knife really does look great, but that really is only the start of it.

You have to pick one up to appreciate it. I had an awful job writing this review purely because I felt I couldn't do the knife justice putting into words how it felt and how well it performed. It honestly does make all the jobs you do with it easier to perform.

I love mine and it will be the only knife I carry when I'm off on a bushcraft trip.

Cheers,

Tony

[Ropeman]

Great review Tony, I can hardly wait for mine to arrive.

[Swampy Steve]

Good review Tony, but where are all those bleeding photo's you made me take yesterday ? :P

Being lucky enough to have handled this knife I can happily say its every bit as good as Tony reviews it to be :D

[Stevie]

Excellent review ;)

[Stew]

Good review Tony, but where are all those bleeding photo's you made me take yesterday ? :P



Here, here! :D

[ScanDgrind]

Good review Tony, but where are all those bleeding photo's you made me take yesterday ? :P

Ah I was hoping you wouldn't notice that they were missing :D .

For some strange reason which I havn't worked out yet the site which I usually use to upload and host my photo's will not accept them. I thought it might be a size thing... but no. So at the moment I quite frankly don't have a clue why they won't work.

Anyway as soon as I get to the bottom of it I'll post them as they came out really well. Thanks for taking them for me Steve.

All the best,

Tony

[richardw]

A brilliant review of what appears to be a great knife. It looks as though it could be all things to all men and I'm certainly getting excited about my knife's imminent arrival.

Richard

[Danzo]

Superb review Tony. It certainly is a stunning knife, appearance wise, a bit like the offspring of a Scandi and a Sgian Dubh. I really like it. Clearly it is up to anything you threw at it in the field, particularly the food prep side compared to the battening which is always a clash with bushcrafty knives given the issues of appropriate blade thickness. It sounds as though it has been got exactly right. The sheath carry variations also sound both innovative and very practical. Great work Gerd (and Gary) and one to add to my list I think.

:biggthump

Danzo

[nipper]

Great review

After reading this review, I reckon Gary ought to send the numbered ones out in reverse order! :D :D yeah, as you have probably guessed I'm number 30.

Nick

PS: Gary, what are the chances of No:30 by WG? I know I'm like a child waiting for santa.

[Gary]

Great review

After reading this review, I reckon Gary ought to send the numbered ones out in reverse order! :D :D yeah, as you have probably guessed I'm number 30.

Nick

PS: Gary, what are the chances of No:30 by WG? I know I'm like a child waiting for santa.


You never know - we are currently looking to have all numbered blades completed in time for christmas and a few more besides! (hopefully)

[ScanDgrind]

Here's a few more photos for you to have a look at :D .

http://img1.picsplace.to/img1/182/BFK_and_full_sheath__Small_.JPG
This is the BFK in its sheath.

http://img1.picsplace.to/img1/182/BFK_sheath_closeup_2__Small_.JPG
Here's a closer look at the sheath, showing the braided strap which forms the belt loop in a little more detail.

http://img1.picsplace.to/img1/182/BFK_and_WS_3__Small_.JPG
And to give you a better idea of scale here is the BFK pictured side by side with a W/S Woodie.

Enjoy :D ,

Tony

[CM Burns]

You never know - we are currently looking to have all numbered blades completed in time for christmas and a few more besides! (hopefully)

D'oh! - I was hoping that we'd have delivery in a few weeks! (I'm fully award of the custom nature of the knife etc which would inevitably impact delivery times but it is just so stunning I want it (no. 35 I think) NOW!

As an aside, this is such a brilliantly executed woodcraft knife (at a most reasonable price) - I really would expect it to go to the top of everyone's list - I wonder how this will impact other manufacturers/suppliers, will we see the waiting list for the RM Woodlore reduce in direct relation to the increase in waiting time for the Bearclaw??? :D

[CM Burns]

You never know - we are currently looking to have all numbered blades completed in time for christmas and a few more besides! (hopefully)

interesting that i got a double post there - 1st time i tried i got an error stating there was a virus or corrupt data :S

[mojofilter]

Superb review Tony. It certainly is a stunning knife, appearance wise, a bit like the offspring of a Scandi and a Sgian Dubh. :biggthump

Danzo

I agree on the appearance thing, in fact, the next wedding I go to, it may just find its way down my sock! :D

[jamesdevine]

Great review. I can't wait until I get my hand on it.

The pics don't make the wait an easier.

James

[Andy]

Do you end up lossing any cutting edge (or any that you notice)? It looks like what you loose in blade length you get back since the cutting edge starts so much closer to the handle, something I really dislike about the woodlore knife.

[tomtom]

what handle material is that.. i thought they were all curly birch?

[Danzo]

what handle material is that.. i thought they were all curly birch?

I think that's a BFK next to a Woodie Tomtom. It's a good knife I'm sure, but don't get too silly, OK? Trust is central to BB.

;)

Danzo

[tomtom]

haha.. look i might have said some stupid stuff over the past year or so but i can see that its two different knives there.. but to me the handle on the BFK on the right.. looks different to the others i've seen!?

[Mr_Yarrow]

Soo want one now :love29:

feel even stoopider I didnt place my order at the time :mad:

They say we live and learn, I seem to live too much to stop anmd do the learning :D

[Gary]

haha.. look i might have said some stupid stuff over the past year or so but i can see that its two different knives there.. but to me the handle on the BFK on the right.. looks different to the others i've seen!?

Tomtom,

The handle is curly Birch - curly birch comes in different grades and the stuff we use for the BFK is grade 1 which is hand selected by Gerd.

The more common birch handles you see are more likely around the grade 3 or lower range (as in the Sami knife or lapp puukko) and as such just as hardy in most respects but lacking the richness of colour of the more expensive woods.

[tomtom]

ah thanks for clearing that up Gary.. the ones in your pics looked a lot more pale.. must be the light :rolleyes:

8)

[ScanDgrind]

haha.. look i might have said some stupid stuff over the past year or so but i can see that its two different knives there.. but to me the handle on the BFK on the right.. looks different to the others i've seen!?
No it's not different to the others you've seen tomtom. It is curly birch but because the photo was taken outside on a very sunny day I think the colours have come across as washed out. This is in fact No.02 which is the same knife which is in the photo where it is lying across the two sheaths. So far only two BFK's with curly birch and the prototype with the antler handle exist. So far as I know anyway.

Cheers,

Tony

[Ropeman]

"Mr. Gary, with this wood you are really spoiling us"

Seriously though, gorgeous handles Gary. :biggthump:

Tony, is that pic (next to woody) taken after the freezing etc.?

[Gary]

Thats right Tony.

The next batch of 5 are going through the temper phase about now or this weekend I believe.

So you can work out for yourselves roughly when No.3 to 8 will be ready.

[ScanDgrind]

"Mr. Gary, with this wood you are really spoiling us"

Seriously though, gorgeous handles Gary. :biggthump:

Tony, is that pic (next to woody) taken after the freezing etc.?
Yep! That picture was taken after all the testing I did on the knife.

Tony

[Gary]

"Mr. Gary, with this wood you are really spoiling us"

Seriously though, gorgeous handles Gary. :biggthump:

Tony, is that pic (next to woody) taken after the freezing etc.?

Nick I always spoil you mate - you know that!

[Ropeman]

WOW :D

[Gary]

Wow?

What Nick?

[Ropeman]

The way the handle looks after all the abuse (freezing, boiling etc,) that Tony put it to, it looks brand new.

[Gary]

The way the handle looks after all the abuse (freezing, boiling etc,) that Tony put it to, it looks brand new.

ah cheers mate

[ScanDgrind]

The way the handle looks after all the abuse (freezing, boiling etc,) that Tony put it to, it looks brand new.
Erm I didn't actually boil it. I tried to emulate climate conditions the knife may come in contact with. I figured if ever the knife got boiled, I'd probably give up the ghost before it did :D .

It did however stand up to the freezing test very well. I wanted to know that the knife wouldn't let me down in extreme conditions. I really don't think it will :D .

Cheers,

Tony

[Ropeman]

Fair enough, I exaggerated a little in my head, it's still a remarkable looking bit of wood. Excitement gets the better of me sometimes, I'm really looking forward to this knife. :D

[The General]

Looks fantastic, I would love to get my mitts on one of those and try her out!

Great review! :)

[ScanDgrind]

Fair enough, I exaggerated a little in my head, it's still a remarkable looking bit of wood. Excitement gets the better of me sometimes, I'm really looking forward to this knife. :D
LOL, there's nothing wrong with a bit of excitement every now and again :D .

I know this probably won't help much but it'll cettainly be worth the wait. The BFK is a lovely looking knife and it's a real joy to use.

I'd be very surprised if you don't like it when it finally arrives :D .

Tony

[Tvividr]

.....First things first. I wanted to make sure that the BFK could cope with the varied weather conditions which it would face in the vast array of ever changing climates and weather conditions the outdoors can throw at us and our equipment. As here in the UK at the moment we are experiencing uncommonly good weather I had to improvise a little with the climate tests. I began by placing the BFK in a bowl of warm water (not boiling) and leaving it to soak for half an hour. This did not affect the handle slabs in any way, no swelling or movement occurred which indicated to me that the curly birch has been treated and sealed correctly to make it impervious to moisture. I then repeated the test using cold water. It’s also worth mentioning at this point that although the handles and my hands were dripping wet they still gave a good sure grip. Again no signs of swelling could be detected. After thoroughly drying the knife the next test began. For this I placed the BFK in the freezer compartment of my fridge for about an hour and again no ill effects were suffered by the BFK proving to me that it could withstand severe temperature changes. Now off to the woods for the real field testing......

:yikes: Yikes! You did what ......!!!!!
Seriously that is a very well written review, and :yikes: you have my deepest respect for having the balls to do this !! :love29:
Thanks guys for all the nice comments about the knife that Gary has designed - I just make the blimmin thing, that some people seems to abuse :rolleyes: ;) :D I'm just glad it handled it well :D

[grummit]

nice write up cant wait to get mine i went for number fifty could have had a slightly earlier one but i like nice even numbers and even better is the wife just told me she will pay for it for me from her and the daughter for my birthday (which has just gone so the wait will kill me ) looks like it will be a great knife and have a good following well done gary for a great looking knife design

[Gary]

Cheers Grummit - if its any consolation my own user is No44 (after my old regts foot) so mine and yours will be in the same batch!

(Of course I still have the proto-type to play with so my wait isnt so bad! )

[Tantalus]

oooh is the prototype going on passaround ?

:D

Tant

[Martyn]

First things first. I wanted to make sure that the BFK could cope with the varied weather conditions which it would face in the vast array of ever changing climates and weather conditions the outdoors can throw at us and our equipment. As here in the UK at the moment we are experiencing uncommonly good weather I had to improvise a little with the climate tests. I began by placing the BFK in a bowl of warm water (not boiling) and leaving it to soak for half an hour. This did not affect the handle slabs in any way, no swelling or movement occurred which indicated to me that the curly birch has been treated and sealed correctly to make it impervious to moisture. I then repeated the test using cold water. It’s also worth mentioning at this point that although the handles and my hands were dripping wet they still gave a good sure grip. Again no signs of swelling could be detected. After thoroughly drying the knife the next test began. For this I placed the BFK in the freezer compartment of my fridge for about an hour and again no ill effects were suffered by the BFK proving to me that it could withstand severe temperature changes. Now off to the woods for the real field testing.



Great review.

But...

I think pretty much any knife is a series of compromises. Toughness v hardness, beauty v function etc. It's practically impossible for any knife to excel in all areas. For example a knife cant be both as hard as it can be, yet as tough as it can be. Carbon steel is excellent in may ways, but it rusts. Wood is more beautiful than synthetics, but it's not as durable. These are pretty basic truths and are defined by the laws of material physics.

Any piece of wood will swell, shrink, warp or crack when subjected to extreme environments. If your test knife didn't change following the tests you describe, I would suggest you were very lucky. The oil sealing is a surface treatment only and will offer some protection, but it WILL swell/shrink etc because it's made of wood (I think Gerd would be the first to agree with this). Unless the wood has been 100% impregnated in a vaccuum with a synthetic polymer, then it will be susceptible to the effects of humidity & heat.

It's up to you guys how you market the knife, but i would caution against claims of being able to withstand prolonged soaking in warm water followed by freezing - because wood doesn't come with such a warranty. Pretty much any wooden knife handle will be affected by such tests/abuse (Gerd himself calls this abuse) and there is no reason to think that the oiled birch of this knife is any different to the oiled birch of any other knife.

I'm not trying to be a damp squib, this is a truly lovely looking knife, one of the best designs I've seen in a long time. The build quality would seem to be excellent and I've no doubt when I get my number 29, it'll fast become one of my favorites. But it is made of carbon steel and curly birch and is subject to the same limitations as any other knife made from the same materials. No matter how well sealed, the handles will warp and swell under certain circumstances.

Just trying to inject a little grounding into the hyperbole here. :) ;)

[Stuart Ackerman]

Martyn...
Well said...

After me recommending synthetic materials for handles, some people will still insist on natural handles...

Personal choice, sure, but understand that natural materials will have an end life that is sooner than synthetic.

Please do not tell me of linseed, Danish, monomers, polymers, camel snot, and Alien Oil from Venus, etc.

Beauty has a price...

If this sounds like waffle....please delete?

[fastbreak]

Great review.

But... (Snip)

Just trying to inject a little grounding into the hyperbole here. :) ;)

I have to agree with you Martin. I think Gerd and Gary have come up with a very nice variation on the basic Woodlore.

In my opinion the woodlore was designed a little too much to resist use as a splitting wedge to be a good utility knife.

The fungus-tracked Masur birch of Gary's design, though obviously weaker than normal smooth birch wood (unless it is resin-stabilised) is absolutely gorgeous. The blade also appears to correct the worst limitations of the Woodlore: namely the ridiculously big ricasso and the silly thickness and excessive edge angle.

Consequently this knife seems less over-engineered than the Woodlore, which to me is a good thing... but inevitably means it will not be as strong or durable. I'm sure Gerd's finishing is exemplary and will still be 50 knives into the process, with no corners cut, but as you say... 01 steel and curly birch...

Have fun

Mike

[Gary]

[QUOTE=Martyn]Great review.

It's up to you guys how you market the knife, but i would caution against claims of being able to withstand prolonged soaking in warm water followed by freezing - because wood doesn't come with such a warranty. Pretty much any wooden knife handle will be affected by such tests/abuse (Gerd himself calls this abuse) and there is no reason to think that the oiled birch of this knife is any different to the oiled birch of any other knife.

QUOTE]

We make no such claim - the review was independant of us and was written by the guy lucky enough to get No2 after one of my assistant instructors decided he wanted a different number blade. Scangrind was first on the list and liked the knife enough to write a review - having spoken to him about it recently I am more than happy to say he still likes it and uses it AND THAT TO ME SAYS MORE THAN ALL THE TECH SPECS AND IMO's.

[Martyn]

[QUOTE=Martyn]Great review.

It's up to you guys how you market the knife, but i would caution against claims of being able to withstand prolonged soaking in warm water followed by freezing - because wood doesn't come with such a warranty. Pretty much any wooden knife handle will be affected by such tests/abuse (Gerd himself calls this abuse) and there is no reason to think that the oiled birch of this knife is any different to the oiled birch of any other knife.

QUOTE]

We make no such claim - the review was independant of us and was written by the guy lucky enough to get No2 after one of my assistant instructors decided he wanted a different number blade. Scangrind was first on the list and liked the knife enough to write a review - having spoken to him about it recently I am more than happy to say he still likes it and uses it AND THAT TO ME SAYS MORE THAN ALL THE TECH SPECS AND IMO's.

Ahhh, sorry I though Scandigrind was on the staff as like an official tester or something. My apologies.

I totally agree, if you like the knife, then that is the be all and end all. However, if ya soak wood in warm water then freeze it, then IMO you'd be very lucky to escape without consequences.

You are also right that IMO's are meaningless. But please understand this is a knife website, discussing the pro's and cons is what we do.

Will the knife be warrantied against soaking and freezing?

[ScanDgrind]

Hi Guys,

Just noticed a few additions had been added to this thread and I thought I'd better add my pennies worth :) .

OK let's make a statement to clear things up. "I do not work for Bearckaw Bushcraft, I have never worked for Bearclaw Bushcraft, I am no relation to Gary of Bearclaw Bushcraf and the only connection I have ever had with Gary is I have on occassion been a customer of Bearclaw Bushcraft" If anyone has a problem with this and dares to call me a liar then I demand satisfaction by pistols at dawn :D . Actualy can we make it about 11:00am, I'm not to good at early mornings :D . Anyway, now that's out of the way.


I really like the Bearclaw Field Knife, you could probably tell this from the review. I have to admit that I was a little worried about the review as it did seem awfully bias. But, it was honest I really could not find a downside to the BFK it suited me to the ground and I love using it. It suits me it's as simple as that. It's well designed and it's well made. It doesn't sit in a drawer as I am in the enviable position of being able to use it nearly every day and it performs all the tasks I ask of it. That's all that matters to me in a knife,

As to the tests I did on the knife. Well yes maybe I was lucky but I wanted to know for myself that I wasn't going to get problems which have occured on some other knives I have purchased and I may add, got rid of.

I have seen lots of varied questions regarding the BFK such as "have you beaten it into a tree and then stood on it" or "does it throw well"? Well the simple answer is that I have no idea. My BFK is a tool, a tool which I will use but not abuse. Unless I was in a life threatening situation in which the knife could save my life if I abused it. For instance using it a pry bar etc. then of course I would use it for that task.

Don't get me wrong I'm no Bushcraft guru I just use a little knowledge and a bit of common sense and try to learn what I can. I do feel though that some people sit in their arm chairs and try to think of hypothetical problems. This isn't always constructive.

I tried to give a review of the BFK and in doing so reported on my findings. All I can say is that the knife is perfect for me, it may not suit everyones personal criteria. I can only say try it and make your own judgements.

I'm not sure if I got my point over or not in the above message but I hope nobody will take offense from my comments as none was intended. Except the comment about pistols at dawn of course :lol: .

Cheers,

Tony

[Andy]

I have noticed something which seems very important but some people may have missed.

Tony soaked the knife for a while and then let it dry BEFORE he put it the in the freezer. (unless I'm mistaken) This is very different from putting a knife which you have just soaked and put in a freezer without letting it dry first.

[Basemetal]

Tony soaked the knife for a while and then let it dry BEFORE he put it the in the freezer. (unless I'm mistaken) This is very different from putting a knife which you have just soaked and put in a freezer without letting it dry first.

Only different if the water penetrates any materials or joints, which it probably wouldn't in the BFK given the apparent standard of finish. Going in the freezer would then just be a temperature reduction with minor thermal contraction of the blade (since only 30-40 degrees difference). Water freezing on the outside of the knife would be irrelevant.

[Mr_Yarrow]

First things first. I wanted to make sure that the BFK could cope with the varied weather conditions which it would face in the vast array of ever changing climates and weather conditions the outdoors can throw at us and our equipment...After thoroughly drying the knife the next test began. For this I placed the BFK in the freezer compartment of my fridge for about an hour and again no ill effects were suffered by the BFK proving to me that it could withstand severe temperature changes. Now off to the woods for the real field testing...


I thought that as well Andy, above is from the original review.

Rgds

[ScanDgrind]

Yes Andy and Mr Yarrow are right in their observation. I did dry the knife thoroughly before placing it in the freezer.

Cheers,

Tony

[MattW]

Only different if the water penetrates any materials or joints, which it probably wouldn't in the BFK given the apparent standard of finish. Going in the freezer would then just be a temperature reduction with minor thermal contraction of the blade (since only 30-40 degrees difference). Water freezing on the outside of the knife would be irrelevant.

Yep, I'm in agreement here too.
However, as Martyn said ealier in this thread, it's a (very skillfully made) composite of manmade and organic materials which all have different properties and characteristics. - You can't expect this mixture to be completely abuse-proof.

Heating, freezing, soaking etc will undoubtably have an effect on the materials and the junctions between them - you may not be able to see it, but it'll be there, and these effects are probably cumulative so that in the end, the knife (and especially the wood) will inevitably show signs of stress. This is normal and would be called ageing if it wasn't deliberately induced over a very short time frame.

Having said this, it looks a bl**dy lovely knife and the workmanship appears to be beyond reproach - I look forward to having enough spare cash to buy one :) (but when I do, I certainly won't be soaking and freezing it!)

just my 2p
Matt

[Martyn]

Hi Guys,

Just noticed a few additions had been added to this thread and I thought I'd better add my pennies worth :) .

OK let's make a statement to clear things up. "I do not work for Bearckaw Bushcraft, I have never worked for Bearclaw Bushcraft, I am no relation to Gary of Bearclaw Bushcraf and the only connection I have ever had with Gary is I have on occassion been a customer of Bearclaw Bushcraft" If anyone has a problem with this and dares to call me a liar then I demand satisfaction by pistols at dawn :D . Actualy can we make it about 11:00am, I'm not to good at early mornings :D . Anyway, now that's out of the way.

...pants on fire... :P

As said before Tony, it was a mistake. I figured you had some association because you got what I thought was the prototype for test. My mistake and i apologise - again. :)



I really like the Bearclaw Field Knife, you could probably tell this from the review. I have to admit that I was a little worried about the review as it did seem awfully bias.

Well this made me think too. It was clear that you liked the knife a lot, that's fine, but as said earlier, no knife ticks all the boxes. I think it was the strong bias you expressed that prompted me to point out the limitations of the materials. ALL knives are a series of compromises. What interests me in a review is a discussion of where and how those compromises have been made, form & function etc. It's more meaningfull if you get my meaning. There is nothing wrong with gushing praise on a knife, if you love it then be proud. But when a knife has been designed by one of our members and made by another of our members, I think it's tempting to avoid discussions of limitations for fear of hurting feelings. But this shouldn't be the case. Knifemakers know that knives are a series of compromises and a fair discussion & appaisal of this isn't going to hurt anyone.



As to the tests I did on the knife. Well yes maybe I was lucky but I wanted to know for myself that I wasn't going to get problems which have occured on some other knives I have purchased and I may add, got rid of. Well that's fair enough. In the context of your own knife and for your own benefit, then this is your choice. But I'm pretty sure neither Gerd not Gary will warranty the knife against this kind of use. I think it's worth pointing this out.


Again, the knife has come to market and been presented to a knife website. Questions will and should get asked over it's construction.



Don't get me wrong I'm no Bushcraft guru I just use a little knowledge and a bit of common sense and try to learn what I can. I do feel though that some people sit in their arm chairs and try to think of hypothetical problems. This isn't always constructive.

Ahhh a little personal dig - love it. ;)

You may be right, but please remember unlike the world of bushcraft, where you are required to spend a 1000 hours making feathersticks before anyone will speak to you, this is a knife website. It's not a criminal offence on here to stay indoors. People will sit in their armchairs and pass comment and it's encouraged, valid and welcome. There is no hiercarchy defined by nights spent under canvas or how many fires you've lit - we all own and use knives, we all have an opinion and they are all welcome and valid. A metalurgical engineer may have never carved a featherstick in his life, but his opinion in no less valid for it. Someone may buy one of Gerd's knives and never ever use it - but their money is as good as the next mans isn't it? You dont have to earn the right, you just have to spend the cash. Your above comment is the only one in your post I would really take issue with. If I'm spending my money on something, that's buys me all the rights I need to ask all the questions I want. It's also the business of this website to ask questions. Please, please, please dont suggest that we have to take things on face value, or that because some of us sit in armchairs, we dont have a right to ask reasonable questions. :)

After all, we could hardly ask a collector of Japanese swords to state how many people he's hacked to pieces before he has a right to express an opinion. :)


I tried to give a review of the BFK and in doing so reported on my findings. All I can say is that the knife is perfect for me, it may not suit everyones personal criteria. I can only say try it and make your own judgements.



Tony, no one has criticised you, your review or the knife. All that has been done is to point out that there are physical limitations of the materials used and people shouldn't expect the knife to exceed them. Why is that controversial? What I will say, is that makers should expect and encourage such discussion, not run and hide from them. There is nothing to fear from discussing such things. We (especially the knifemakers among us) will learn from such things. Myself and this website will actively encourage the open discussion and fair critique of all the knives we encounter. Makers, designers, traders and reviewers should encourage and support such transparency. If they dont, they will have to live with it anyway. ;) :)

I'm looking forward to getting my knife, it looks as though it will be a cracker.

Regards,
Martyn.

[ScanDgrind]

...pants on fire... :P

As said before Tony, it was a mistake. I figured you had some association because you got what I thought was the prototype for test. My mistake and i apologise - again. :)




Well this made me think too. It was clear that you liked the knife a lot, that's fine, but as said earlier, no knife ticks all the boxes. I think it was the strong bias you expressed that prompted me to point out the limitations of the materials. ALL knives are a series of compromises. What interests me in a review is a discussion of where and how those compromises have been made, form & function etc. It's more meaningfull if you get my meaning. There is nothing wrong with gushing praise on a knife, if you love it then be proud. But when a knife has been designed by one of our members and made by another of our members, I think it's tempting to avoid discussions of limitations for fear of hurting feelings. But this shouldn't be the case. Knifemakers know that knives are a series of compromises and a fair discussion & appaisal of this isn't going to hurt anyone.

Well that's fair enough. In the context of your own knife and for your own benefit, then this is your choice. But I'm pretty sure neither Gerd not Gary will warranty the knife against this kind of use. I think it's worth pointing this out.


Again, the knife has come to market and been presented to a knife website. Questions will and should get asked over it's construction.




Ahhh a little personal dig - love it. ;)

You may be right, but please remember unlike the world of bushcraft, where you are required to spend a 1000 hours making feathersticks before anyone will speak to you, this is a knife website. It's not a criminal offence on here to stay indoors. People will sit in their armchairs and pass comment and it's encouraged, valid and welcome. There is no hiercarchy defined by nights spent under canvas or how many fires you've lit - we all own and use knives, we all have an opinion and they are all welcome and valid. A metalurgical engineer may have never carved a featherstick in his life, but his opinion in no less valid for it. Someone may buy one of Gerd's knives and never ever use it - but their money is as good as the next mans isn't it? You dont have to earn the right, you just have to spend the cash. Your above comment is the only one in your post I would really take issue with. If I'm spending my money on something, that's buys me all the rights I need to ask all the questions I want. It's also the business of this website to ask questions. Please, please, please dont suggest that we have to take things on face value, or that because some of us sit in armchairs, we dont have a right to ask reasonable questions. :)



Tony, no one has criticised you, your review or the knife. All that has been done is to point out that there are physical limitations of the materials used and people shouldn't expect the knife to exceed them. Why is that controversial? What I will say, is that makers should expect and encourage such discussion, not run and hide from them. There is nothing to fear from discussing such things. We (especially the knifemakers among us) will learn from such things. Myself and this website will actively encourage the open discussion and fair critique of all the knives we encounter. Makers, designers, traders and reviewers should encourage and support such transparency. If they dont, they will have to live with it anyway. ;) :)

I'm looking forward to getting my knife, it looks as though it will be a cracker.

Regards,
Martyn.

Couldn't agree more with what you say Martyn :D .

I just got a little edgy as I felt that you were hinting that I was employed by Bearclaw. And I accept your aplolgy... pistols will not be required :D .

I think because I am not a knife collector myself I find it hard to get my head around people commenting on the performance of a knife, which letls face it has been built and designed to be used, when perhaps they are not going to use it or this case haven't had chance to use it yet.

I do however see your point and apologise for the arm chair comment :D . Still drag your arm chairs outside and use your BFK when you get it. You may just "feel" what I'm banging on about :D . And keep practising those feather sticks :D :D .

Cheers,

Tony

[Danzo]

Well said Martyn.

I think it is absolutely crucial that any knife marketed and sold, in quantities, to the members of this forum as a hardcore user is subject to severe critical analysis. I have no doubt whatsoever that the vast depth of experience of Gary, his Bearclaw team, and Gerd, in both knifemaking and knife using will mean that the BFK will be a real and genuine winner.

However people have fallen victim to too much hype and too little critical analysis in the past.

The two words 'North' and 'Star' do spring to mind, remember?

I'm looking forward to more field reviews of the BFK as they roll out. Which I will read from my armchair as it will probably be raining outside.

;)

Danzo

[PS_Bond]

...the world of bushcraft, where you are required to spend a 1000 hours making feathersticks before anyone will speak to you...

I feel such a fraud... :D

[fastbreak]

I do feel though that some people sit in their arm chairs and try to think of hypothetical problems. This isn't always constructive.


Well I suppose since I commented on the limitations of the materials as well as Martyn, this was probably meant to include me too. :)

I spend an average of 3 months a year under canvas in East Africa. I don't carve many feather sticks, but I do quite a bit of wood carving to pass the time in the evenings. I also make Scandi knives as a hobby, many of them out of curly birch and carbon steel.

But it really does look a lovely knife Tony, and I thought your review was much more enthusiastic than biased. My comment was meant to be constructive,

I had in mind the backlash against BRKT when the hype turned to disappointment. I think the North Star is a nice, very well made knife. The stabilised wood handles were a very good feature and the blade is excellent (well OK, I don't like convex grinds...). But some peoples expectations of that knife wouldn't have been matched by Excalibur.

It would be a shame to see the Bear-Claw, which as I said before seems to me much better engineered for the real world than the Woodlore, go the same way. :rolleyes:

I re-read Maryn's comments and my own and still don't see any criticism of the knife.

Have fun

Mike

[Martyn]

Couldn't agree more with what you say Martyn :D .

I just got a little edgy as I felt that you were hinting that I was employed by Bearclaw. And I accept your aplolgy... pistols will not be required :D .
Whew, that's good cos i think I lost my firing pin down the back of my armchair. :lol:

As others have alluded, I think I saw echo's of the North Star here as well. Had we been less squeemish about asking poignant questions of that knife, we may have seen a different situation. The NS is a good knife, but many people were left dissapointed because expectations had been driven unrealistically high. In the end, both the maker and many of the users were/are left less than happy.

I asked Gary in another thread about the suitability of the butt-cap for battoning. This seemed to me a glaring and "needs to be asked" question. Gary & Gerd said that the knife is not suitable for end-on battoning, but the butt cap is supposed to be used for gringing herbs and such. This is exactly what we need to hear. The limitations of the product need to be acknowledged, for the benefit of all. No one else asked that question and I was damned if I was going to not ask for fear of offending someone. Same with the wood handles. There are limits of masur birch, it's not Micarta. It will swell and warp to some extent. Neither of these things are criticisms of the knife, or it's design, but acknowledgements of the knifes limitations. As Matt says earlier, this changing of the wood is called aging under normal circumstances, but owners should care for their knife. Which means avoiding leaving it immersed for long periods, freezing it or whatever. The knife shouldn't be battoned end on. These things will only accelerate a process which we would like to avoid.


I think because I am not a knife collector myself I find it hard to get my head around people commenting on the performance of a knife, which letls face it has been built and designed to be used, when perhaps they are not going to use it or this case haven't had chance to use it yet.
Hmm, isnt that a bit like asking for it all to be taken on faith? I actually find that odd - I'm used to doing my research before buying anything. I think if this had been a Woodlore knife, everyone would be asking questions and passing comment - all sorts of questions about all sorts of aspects. That's the way it should be and is especially important before you buy the knife. That way your expectations match what you get. It's not just the user who benefits, but the maker also benefits from users not having unrealistic expectations. The North Star is a good case in point.


I do however see your point and apologise for the arm chair comment :D . Still drag your arm chairs outside and use your BFK when you get it. You may just "feel" what I'm banging on about :D . And keep practising those feather sticks :D :D .

Cheers,

Tony Excellent, my armchair has asked me to express it's gratitude. :D

[ScanDgrind]

Martyn,

I do see your point about asking qyestions regarding the BFK and for that matter any other knife reviewed on the forum. I also understand that many people were stung a little by the North Star, myself included, due partly to potential purchasers not asking pertinent questions.

Regarding the climate tests I did on the BFK. I did these to satisfy my own curiosity and I did them to my own knife and it was up to me to take the consequences, I wasn't recommending that others do the same with their own BFK's. The reason I did the tests is I wanted to know if the knife would possibly fail if it met these conditions when I was relying on it outdoors. On occassion I have had a knife immersed in cold water when crossing a river or when falling out of a canoe (I'm not known for being the greatest canoeist/kayaker in the world :D ). I put the BFK in the freezer to check it could and would cope in cold weather (Sweden here I come :D ). And as for the warm water well lets be honest I don't know about anyone else but I chuck my wooden handles kitchen knives in the sink and wash them again and again without immediate ill effect.

I did these tests because in the past I have had knives fail miserably in wet conditions, with the grain in the wood of the handle slabs swelling, slabs coming away from the tang etc. I'm not mentioning any names as that wouldn't be fair or appropriate in this thread.

I fully agree that natural materials are not as stable as man made materials such as micarta, G10, fibremascus etc but as long as the natural materials are correctly treated during manufacture and looked after while in use they should give good service. I wanted to make sure using my tests that this was the case. Luckily for me it was :) . I can assure you though that if the materials had failed I would have reported it. I'd have then tried to find someone who manufactures a micarta which matched the gorgeous apperance of the original curly birch :D :D .

Cheers,

Tony

[BorderReiver]

This reasoned,gentlemanly discussion is all very well.

But it is making the long wait seem even longer.

Please discuss the weather or something and wait 'till we've all got ours to play with. :P

[nipper]

Well Border Reiver you may have to wait a little longer!

I spoke to Joe on the phone this morning and he still doesn't have the sheaths.

I feel for Joe as there is nothing more he can do. I think he realises that it does reflect badly on him and his business.

However I am inclined to be a little less tolerante with Mike. I know many of your have tried to defend Mike and I think that is admirable, but come on guys, 12 months for a sheath! I think even Michael Jacksons brief may have trouble defending this one.

I have given up on it now which is unlike me, but I can't be bothered anymore.

I can say one thing for sure. "I will never buy a Bark River knife again". Which is a shame because I was going to buy a Canadian Mikro a soon as the sheath saga was sorted. But why should I buy a product from someone who considers customer service to be of so little importance?

Sorry Mike but thats the way I feel!

Nick

[Danzo]

Well Border Reiver you may have to wait a little longer!

I spoke to Joe on the phone this morning and he still doesn't have the sheaths.

I feel for Joe as there is nothing more he can do. I think he realises that it does reflect badly on him and his business.

However I am inclined to be a little less tolerante with Mike. I know many of your have tried to defend Mike and I think that is admirable, but come on guys, 12 months for a sheath! I think even Michael Jacksons brief may have trouble defending this one.

I have given up on it now which is unlike me, but I can't be bothered anymore.

I can say one thing for sure. "I will never buy a Bark River knife again". Which is a shame because I was going to buy a Canadian Mikro a soon as the sheath saga was sorted. But why should I buy a product from someone who considers customer service to be of so little importance?

Sorry Mike but thats the way I feel!

Nick

Is this in the right thread?

:huh:

Danzo

[MotorbikeMan]

Is this in the right thread?

:huh:

Danzo
I'm thinking probably not :rolleyes:

[nipper]

Apologies

It was meant for the Northstar sheath site! Don't know how I managed that. I think I will run back into the woods where I belong! :huh:

Nick

[Danzo]

LOL!!!!

I'll try and shift it to where it belongs.

Danzo

[Andy]

Apologies

It was meant for the Northstar sheath site! Don't know how I managed that. I think I will run back into the woods where I belong! :huh:

Nick

you wouldn't believe the number of times I written a reply and just stopped before I posted it becasue I just noticed that I'm on a different thread.

[Tvividr]

Great review.

But...

I think pretty much any knife is a series of compromises. Toughness v hardness, beauty v function etc. It's practically impossible for any knife to excel in all areas. For example a knife cant be both as hard as it can be, yet as tough as it can be. Carbon steel is excellent in may ways, but it rusts. Wood is more beautiful than synthetics, but it's not as durable. These are pretty basic truths and are defined by the laws of material physics.

Any piece of wood will swell, shrink, warp or crack when subjected to extreme environments. If your test knife didn't change following the tests you describe, I would suggest you were very lucky. The oil sealing is a surface treatment only and will offer some protection, but it WILL swell/shrink etc because it's made of wood (I think Gerd would be the first to agree with this). Unless the wood has been 100% impregnated in a vaccuum with a synthetic polymer, then it will be susceptible to the effects of humidity & heat.

It's up to you guys how you market the knife, but i would caution against claims of being able to withstand prolonged soaking in warm water followed by freezing - because wood doesn't come with such a warranty. Pretty much any wooden knife handle will be affected by such tests/abuse (Gerd himself calls this abuse) and there is no reason to think that the oiled birch of this knife is any different to the oiled birch of any other knife.

I'm not trying to be a damp squib, this is a truly lovely looking knife, one of the best designs I've seen in a long time. The build quality would seem to be excellent and I've no doubt when I get my number 29, it'll fast become one of my favorites. But it is made of carbon steel and curly birch and is subject to the same limitations as any other knife made from the same materials. No matter how well sealed, the handles will warp and swell under certain circumstances.

Just trying to inject a little grounding into the hyperbole here. :) ;)

I agree Martyn. Any natural handle material will in one or another way react to the climate to which it is exposed. Wood will swell in contact with water or even prolonged moisture in the air. Only regular maintenance with oil / wax etc will prevent the reaction being too excessive.
In making and designing a knife there will always be compromises, and everybody has to understand this. The materials chosen and the knife itself is not indestructable, and I think this discussion is actually very good - it is something that should have been done in the NorthStar thread as well. The last thing I want for the BFK is the things that happend to the NS, and please guys dont make this too "hyperbolic" before you have actually had your hands on one of the BFK's :D

That said, I will do my very best to get the knives made as soon as possible. The past few months I have been working my butt off at my current work and with other compulsary projects - most days working from no later than 08:00 in the morning untill at least 22:30 evening. Things will be quieter now, and I will grab every opportunity that I get to work on the knives (and other knives that have been ordered). The first batch of 15 blades was sent to be heathtreated monday this week.

[Tvividr]

Martyn...
Well said...

After me recommending synthetic materials for handles, some people will still insist on natural handles...

Personal choice, sure, but understand that natural materials will have an end life that is sooner than synthetic.

Please do not tell me of linseed, Danish, monomers, polymers, camel snot, and Alien Oil from Venus, etc.

Beauty has a price...

If this sounds like waffle....please delete?
Personally I would choose a natural handle material over any manmade synthetic material 99% of the time :D just because I like the look and feel of natural materials (I have some synthetics coming in for some future projects though :rolleyes: ). And I do admit that I like stabilised wood a lot ;)

That natural materials have an end life that is sooner than any synthetic materials is just another excuse for making a new knife :D besides, most of us do never use the same knife far enough to let it see that end life.
We all have too many knives to choose from for that :D :P

I have a curly grained birch handled knife that has been used daily for some 8 years now. It was oiled for 48 hours when it was made, and have got new oil about once a year ever since. Apart from a few scratches it is still as good as it was the day I made it.

And by the way ! After all, Martyn still chose to order a BFK even though he was aware of the properties of the materials chosen for the knife ;) :D

[Tvividr]

I have to agree with you Martin. I think Gerd and Gary have come up with a very nice variation on the basic Woodlore.

In my opinion the woodlore was designed a little too much to resist use as a splitting wedge to be a good utility knife.

The fungus-tracked Masur birch of Gary's design, though obviously weaker than normal smooth birch wood (unless it is resin-stabilised) is absolutely gorgeous. The blade also appears to correct the worst limitations of the Woodlore: namely the ridiculously big ricasso and the silly thickness and excessive edge angle.

Consequently this knife seems less over-engineered than the Woodlore, which to me is a good thing... but inevitably means it will not be as strong or durable. I'm sure Gerd's finishing is exemplary and will still be 50 knives into the process, with no corners cut, but as you say... 01 steel and curly birch...

Have fun

Mike
The curly grained birch / Masur birch is not some fungus infested type of wood. The dark pattern is small inclusions of bark due to the way the Masur grows. Actually it has a grain pattern more like a burl with twisted and curled grain. There are several grades of curly grained birch / Masur birch. I only use the best grade which is very hard (harder than ordinary Birch - Betula species) and has lots of fine grained curling patterns.
Very low grades of curly grained / Masur birch may be soft and the inclusions very large which will make a weaker handle material prone to cracking. I always avoid such materials which is best used for firewood :D

[fastbreak]

The curly grained birch / Masur birch is not some fungus infested type of wood. The dark pattern is small inclusions of bark due to the way the Masur grows. Actually it has a grain pattern more like a burl with twisted and curled grain. There are several grades of curly grained birch / Masur birch. I only use the best grade which is very hard (harder than ordinary Birch - Betula species) and has lots of fine grained curling patterns.
Very low grades of curly grained / Masur birch may be soft and the inclusions very large which will make a weaker handle material prone to cracking. I always avoid such materials which is best used for firewood :D

They are beetle tracks which introduce an innocuous fungus Gerd. I meant no criticism of your knife or the material, both of which (as you will see from my earlier comments) impress me enormously. I was simply pointing out what Masur birch is. The patterns are not bark inclusions.

Have a look at this (http://www.tdveneers.co.uk/birch.htm)

Which Betula species do you use Gerd? as far as I was aware, B. Pendulans and B. Pubescens give virtually the same timber. They are the only native birches to Northern Europe so I assumed you would be using them, Agromyzia carbonaria, the insect responsible for the Masur pattern doesn't do well much south of the Arctic Circle so I didn't think it would be any of the more exotic species. Is it an American Birch perhaps? :)

Have fun

Mike

[marts]

Out of interest then how strong is normal birch? The link fastbreak provided says that masur birch is...

"The dried timber is similar to oak in most strength properties, and superior to that timber in compression along the grain, stiffness and toughness" - no mention of stablising?

If this is weaker than normal smooth birch then birch must be something!

[Tantalus]

an interesting discussion on curly birch and its properties, but doesnt it deserve its own thread ?

:) Tant

[Tvividr]

They are beetle tracks which introduce an innocuous fungus Gerd. I meant no criticism of your knife or the material, both of which (as you will see from my earlier comments) impress me enormously. I was simply pointing out what Masur birch is. The patterns are not bark inclusions.

Have a look at this (http://www.tdveneers.co.uk/birch.htm)

Which Betula species do you use Gerd? as far as I was aware, B. Pendulans and B. Pubescens give virtually the same timber. They are the only native birches to Northern Europe so I assumed you would be using them, Agromyzia carbonaria, the insect responsible for the Masur pattern doesn't do well much south of the Arctic Circle so I didn't think it would be any of the more exotic species. Is it an American Birch perhaps? :)

Have fun

Mike
Cheers Mike, I didn't take it as criticism in any way, and I thank you for your comments. But I still have to say you're wrong about the beetle tracks :D
The type of insect you refer to is well known here in Norway. In fact we have two types: “Bjørkevedfluen” and the “Breihalsede fluebille” (literally the Birchwood fly and the wide necked fly beetle – sorry I don’t know the Latin names).
The larvae live in the cambium, and the brown “tunnels” or tracks are shown on the tree trunk as rows of concentric spots. In wooden materials and especially in veneers the brown tunnels are visible as a brownish pattern of spots – but this is NOT Masurbirch (masurbjørk / valbjørk in Norwegian, Swedish and Danish). The word masur is a derivative of the old norse / Viking word “mossur”, and the sagas tell that the origin of masurbirch came from a normal birch tree that a cow pissed on :rolleyes:
Valbjørk / Masurbirch has brownish patterns / inclusions which in a crosssection of the tree trunk make a V-shape with the point towards the centre. The pattern is created when small scars in the cambium is filled by what in noggin language is called “kallusvev” which includes bark tissue ! This tissue develops in-between the normal wooden cell fibre structure. At the same time Masurbirch is also extremely curly and “flamed”. The colour of the patterns can be anything from very dark to light brown to a whitish colour. The white type of masurbirch is rare and is called “ice masur”. Price varies with quality, but may vary between 18.000,- to 50.000,- Norwegian Kroner (Nkr) for one cubic metre of wood (about £ 1.550,- to 4.310,- at the current exchange rate). I have seen blocks of very high quality Masurbirch in dimensions for knife handles (say 2,5 x 4 x 12 cm’s) sell for as much as 300 Nkr (£ 25), although the usual price for good quality is something like 120 - 180 Nkr.
Several years ago when I was studying at a school for cabinet makers, we went on an excursion to the Norwegian Forresty School, where a professor in "trees" spoke especially about Masurbirch (he got his doctorate for studies on Valbjørk / Masurbirch). I never finished as a cabinet maker though :C , as I got an offer for work in the "bushcraft industry" that was a lot more tempting :D

The pic in your link does not show good quality Masurbirch (or at least the details in the pic are too small for me to accept the wood as good quality), if it is true Masurbirch at all (looks more like the insect marked stuff to me). Please see my attached pic of real Valbjørk / Masurbirch. I have tried to get more closeup of the bark inclusions by the use of a magnifying glass.

I mainly use Masurbirch from Norway and Russia. During the past few years lots og very good Masurbirch have come in from Russia. The attached pics show a piece of Norwegian Masurbirch (the cross section piece where the V-shapes are visible) and a piece of Russian Masurbirch. I have pinched the pic of the Masurbirch tree trunk showing the way it grow, from a book :rolleyes:

[steve a]

First Impressions

I received my BFK last week; the first thing that strikes you about this knife is its beauty, both in terms of looks and form. The workmanship of the maker, Gerd Jorgenson is of an extremely high standard, as are the materials used, Sandvik SS1807 high carbon steel and curly birch handle with black liners makes for a very fine looking knife.

All very good but how does the BFK perform?

I had one reservation when ordering this Knife from Bearclaw Bushcraft and that was the handle shape, it looked good but never having owned a knife with this style handle I was concerned how it would work for me. All concerns quickly disappeared after a short while of using the knife with various handgrips, the handle proved quite comfortable and secure in use.

In the hand the knife sits very well, weight, balance and construction are such that the knife performs tasks ranging from fine carving to heavier work with equal ease.

Tasks performed to date.

Food Prep: Not a lot done to date but at 3mm thick the blade is thin enough to prepare root vegetables, cutting them rather than splitting them. I prepped up carrots, potatoes, onions, celery and tomatoes. All easily done with no fuss. No game prep done as yet but I boned out a leg of lamb quite well for a knife designed for bushcraft. After all it’s not a camp knife.

Tasks in the field: Splitting logs up to 3 inches thick with a baton proved no problem, further splitting and then feathering. The feather sticks were easy to make and good curls were produced from the blade.

Pointing cuts to produce a wagan stick were easily made using a series of power cuts into a ¾ inch thick hazel rod.

Finally a bow drill and hearth was constructed from hazel and Sycamore, the finer carving of the drill bit and notch of the hearth were produced with very little effort.

When used with a fire steel a good spark shower is produced, the spine of the blade being very square.

Edge retention has been excellent so far with only a stropping required to bring the edge back after two days of hard work.

I have high hopes for this knife in terms of a long term user, the looks of this knife and its ability in the field will I’m sure make this knife a constant companion.

Trials to continue in the field……..

[steve a]

sorry about that boys, so good I posted it twice !!!.I can't delete the first post now, Mr Mod, please remove the first, thankyou;)

[MotorbikeMan]

sorry about that boys, so good I posted it twice !!!.I can't delete the first post now, Mr Mod, please remove the first, thankyou;)
Done :) How's about some pics of the knife in use? :D

[Dave Barker]

Cheers Mike, I didn't take it as criticism in any way, and I thank you for your comments. But I still have to say you're wrong about the beetle tracks :D
The type of insect you refer to is well known here in Norway. In fact we have two types: “Bjørkevedfluen” and the “Breihalsede fluebille” (literally the Birchwood fly and the wide necked fly beetle – sorry I don’t know the Latin names).
The larvae live in the cambium, and the brown “tunnels” or tracks are shown on the tree trunk as rows of concentric spots. In wooden materials and especially in veneers the brown tunnels are visible as a brownish pattern of spots – but this is NOT Masurbirch (masurbjørk / valbjørk in Norwegian, Swedish and Danish). The word masur is a derivative of the old norse / Viking word “mossur”, and the sagas tell that the origin of masurbirch came from a normal birch tree that a cow pissed on :rolleyes:
Valbjørk / Masurbirch has brownish patterns / inclusions which in a crosssection of the tree trunk make a V-shape with the point towards the centre. The pattern is created when small scars in the cambium is filled by what in noggin language is called “kallusvev” which includes bark tissue ! This tissue develops in-between the normal wooden cell fibre structure. At the same time Masurbirch is also extremely curly and “flamed”. The colour of the patterns can be anything from very dark to light brown to a whitish colour. The white type of masurbirch is rare and is called “ice masur”. Price varies with quality, but may vary between 18.000,- to 50.000,- Norwegian Kroner (Nkr) for one cubic metre of wood (about £ 1.550,- to 4.310,- at the current exchange rate). I have seen blocks of very high quality Masurbirch in dimensions for knife handles (say 2,5 x 4 x 12 cm’s) sell for as much as 300 Nkr (£ 25), although the usual price for good quality is something like 120 - 180 Nkr.
Several years ago when I was studying at a school for cabinet makers, we went on an excursion to the Norwegian Forresty School, where a professor in "trees" spoke especially about Masurbirch (he got his doctorate for studies on Valbjørk / Masurbirch). I never finished as a cabinet maker though :C , as I got an offer for work in the "bushcraft industry" that was a lot more tempting :D

The pic in your link does not show good quality Masurbirch (or at least the details in the pic are too small for me to accept the wood as good quality), if it is true Masurbirch at all (looks more like the insect marked stuff to me). Please see my attached pic of real Valbjørk / Masurbirch. I have tried to get more closeup of the bark inclusions by the use of a magnifying glass.

I mainly use Masurbirch from Norway and Russia. During the past few years lots og very good Masurbirch have come in from Russia. The attached pics show a piece of Norwegian Masurbirch (the cross section piece where the V-shapes are visible) and a piece of Russian Masurbirch. I have pinched the pic of the Masurbirch tree trunk showing the way it grow, from a book :rolleyes:


These are known in the trade as lovtrebarkbukk. (Desiduous wood long horn beetles)

They can look like this.

http://www.toyen.uio.no/zoomus/minste_husdyr/images/husdyr/dyrene/lovtrebarkbukk.gif

The latin name for one such species is Phymatodes testaceus. They are not related directy to the god old Wood Worm ( anobium punctatum) but the larver are wood eaters and this type of insect are actually able to digest the cellulose from the wood cells.

The larver are responsible for creating the tunnels in woods and veneeras, the actual grown beetle is responsible for creating the external holes visable in beems etc.

As a rule the larver can reduce a strong beem to a powder in the course of some years.
the most dangerous foe houses etc is the common Long horn beetle

Off topic... sorry, but i thought i should try to help.

[Gary]

Cheers for the enlightenment - I think?:O :S

[Dave Barker]

To make it simple.

these bugs eat huge holes in the tree and weaken it structurally. Here in the land of nogg it is not unsusual to find them in the living room during the winter when we burn birch etc in the fires. The heat makes them think it is spring and they come out.

Curly/masur birch is created by ingrowth of bark. if you gind a birch that has a rippled surace after you remove the bark it is ofetn curly inside.

[Topcat02]

Ok,

Having read all the previous replies, I think what has become clear is that we need some reviews from more people. Is anyone who has received theres willing to add their own findings to allow greater debate, and basically just tease those of us who are still months away from playing with our knives?

TC
:)

[fa11en ange1]

I don't own one and haven't even seen the finished version. However I did get a good look and feel of the final prototype version when on a course with Bearclaw. It is a really pretty knife and has a beautiful feel to the handle shape. I really think it will be a great knife and if I wasn't so impatient (and hadn't just bought a fantastic woody from Shing) I'd be really tempted. Maybe once the initial demand has been caught up (if ever) I may get one.

[Danzo]

I haven't handled one but from the pics and early reviews I think that once people begin to get their hands on these in larger numbers the Bearclaw is destined to become a real classic of its type. If only I had more kidneys......

;)

Danzo

[MikeDB]

Totally agree with Danzo....destined to be a much sought after classic...it's just the wait that hurts!

[Topcat02]

it's just the wait that hurts!

I know what you mean! What number are we up to now?

TC