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duminică, 28 iunie 2009

Bushcraft Knives vs. Survival Knives

A bushcraft knife, also known as survival knife, is used for many wilderness tasks such as cutting rope and other materials, cutting tree branches, carving wood or skinning game. The wide variety of tasks it can do is vital as many outdoorsmen can't afford to be burdened by extra tools.

The words bushcraft knife and survival knife are used interchangeably. Some say a bushcraft knife is designed for a situation where the possessor has intentionally attempted to do wilderness tasks, whereas a survival knife is designed for something like an unintentional, emergency situation. In reality, however, this distinction is basically nonexistent and most makers do not distinguish between them.

Making matters even more complicated, these blades are also named "wilderness" knives or "camping" knives.

"Batoning" is one job that survival blades accomplish well however bushcraft blades do not. Batoning is to apply your knife to hack away larger branches. The user places the cutting instrument atop the branch and slams it into the branch by hammering on the blade's spine.

Blades

Survival knife cutting edges usually be around four inches in length. People with a larger palm may prefer a longer blade, though a blade greater than than five inches is not typically recommended.

Higher quality blades usually feature a full or a hidden tang. The full-tang knife sports a blade that runs the complete breadth and depth of the instrument and is often visible on the borders of the handle. The hidden-tang knife covers the full length of the knife as well, however it narrows as it enters the handle and is completely hidden by a grip.

Stainless steel and carbon steel are the two predominant types of steel used to produce a bushcraft knife. One advantage to using stainless steel is that this material won't corrode when it's damp. Blades constructed from carbon steel keep a keen edge over time and are easier to resharpen.

The blades may be serrated or not. Fully serrated blades aren't suggested because they can be nearly to impossible to sharpen. But you may encounter a knife that is only partly serrated while the rest is not.

A2 and VG-10 are both widely-available, top-of-the-line carbon steels, while 440C and AUS8 are frequently-encountered high-end stainless steels.

Handles

Survival knife handles usually don't sport protection for your hands. This is because they are not intended to be used in a sawing movement, but instead for of the vertical movement of cutting and slicing.

Hollow handles with screw-off end caps can double as storage containers but are typically weaker than non-hollow handles so are not suggested.

Complementary Knives

While versatile, these knives are not intended to serve as "utility tools". Tasks which require twisting, wrenching, or screwing, for example, are inappropriate for this type of knife. A multi-tool is a superior option for such tasks and makes a perfect companion to a bushcraft knife.

For jobs that require a longer knife, a machete or ax would be a better knife.

Un comentariu:

Unknown spunea...

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