Bush knives in a 12 inch length have to be one of the most neglected blades in the production knife industry.They bridge the gap between hatchet, machete and a smaller knife. They can be used to cut down a larger diameter tree or for finer tasks. The closest production blades on the market at the moment are the Extrema Ratio Mato Groso and the Condor Bushcraft Parang.
I was listening to Joe Flowers from Bushcraft Global and designer for Condor Knife and Tool who was saying they are starting to issue smaller machetes on their training courses because they were much easier to control for beginners. Nicole Alpelian also used a modified kukri design on The Alone Series.
I became interested in this length blade for training in martial arts mainly Kali and after watching Bolo work with Atienza Kali. I have emailed Esse several times asking if they have ever considered doing a Junglas 3 in a 12 inch model.
I find this length much more controllable than a longer machete and more adaptable than a 10 inch Golok. The blade i own and tend to use the most is a Crowner. Im not sure it ever had a name. They were usually made as a kali blade in a 14 inch but i had it shorter version made up for me in 3V steel , must have been over ten years ago. I’m not sure Jeff is even still making knives. However the blade is off set to the grip with a re-curved belly and slight con-vexed grind. A blade of this length is great for survival as-well as SD.
The first part of the Esse Junglas Project grinding a 90 degree spine and gluing the leather to the sheath. It will then be returned to me to finish off the leather edging and handle. Ill then have to send it to another mate to have it sand blasted and ferric acid applied before resharpening. The spine may also require emery paper going back over the edge to re-hone the 90 degree section. Thx Pete and Gary for the help.
Extrema Ratio is a brand I keep coming back to. Yes they are over priced for N690 steel which has eventually the edge holding of D2 with less toughness and better corrosion resistance. With similarities to VG10. N690 is sometimes compared to 440C. I believe N690 has more Cobalt additive.
comparison of blade sizes
I have owned a Venom, Mato Grosso, Kukri and a Shrapnel and have never faulted the edges or the cutting ability. Ive only sold them due to having better blades, however Id like to repurchase the Shrapnel now they are making them with a longer grip and in a desert warfare color. I had one of the first models in black.Im also taking another look at the Mato Grosso. At the time they were too light for what I needed. I was living in an area with hard wood and not rain-forest and training heavily in Kali and wanted something for dual use. However moving up the East Coast of Australia I’m now missing the lighter blade. The waki is also tempting me but the price is holding me back.
closet competitor ASOT-01
Ive collected daggers since I was a teenager and sold most of the ones I have owned. At one time even having a complete collection of Applegate Fairbairns. I have only kept my favorites and enough to remain a legal collector of double edge blades. Its not often Ive been tempted enough to purchase another dagger however the Pugio hits all the right marks.
possible mounting option
The blade itself arrived razor sharp from the box. It looks like they have changed the grip material . The Gen 1 handles tended to mark up after a while from general exposure, the new grip seems more like plastic but very comfortable. The grip lends itself to both reverse and forward grips.
locking mechanism
The only thing I can really fault is the sheath. The locking mechanism seems to be designed to be incorporated onto a shoulder harness, however unlike Tekloks have no system to fit onto Molle and remains a belt only attachment system. The blade also seems to cant in the sheath, I guessing this is purposeful to aid in the draw but looks off when attempting to set up on a chest rig. Im going to have to play with this to seek better mounting options, similar to the hardcore hardware ASOT-01.
ASOT sheath
I think with better mounting options this blade could have competed for the Lethality System Project (LAND 159) Tranche 1 tertiary weapon system which is the basis of the ADF’s new Hand-to-Hand Fighting System. At a guess Id say this system would have had something to do with Paul Cale’s Kinetic fighting system.
Just a quick comparison and initial opinion of the newly arrived Council Tool Camp Carver 16″ in 5160 steel. I would have preferred the 22 inch version with a straight handle that uses the same head weight however I’m told that’s a 12 month wait time. So I decided to purchase the 16 inch version and obtain the longer handle separately. At first glance I think I made the right decision when comparing the balance of the Gransfors Bruks to the Council Tool The Camp Carver head is much heavier.
comparison of axes from left CC, Firestone,wildlife,hunters,outdoors.
The grip on the Camp Carver is much thinner than the hunters Axe. I like the way Council Tool have done the poll. The length of the handle is 15.5 inches compared to the hunters at 18.5″. As a belt axe I’m sticking with my Gransfors however with the longer handle I think that the Camp Carver with make a great pack axe. Which is what I have been looking for.
Ive had the Sere for a little while but haven’t gotten around to using it as much as I would have liked and don’t like mentioning how a blade is in the field unless Ive carried and used it for some time. I first heard of the Sere on a Hoods Woods DVD by Ron Hood.
liners and barrel spacers
The SERE 2000 has a modified drop point / spear point blade with a mid height flat grind and a large flat ground swedge. SERE stands for survival evasion resistance and escape. The blade itself has crisp grind lines comes screaming sharp and it slices well. The no-nonsense handle design with O.D. green G10 handle scales over full steel liners and steel barrel back spacers of the liner lock.
4mm thick blade
The design allows for ambidextrous tip up carry and feels good in the hand type of thickness with a glassy smooth action and allows for a deep carry pocket clip.
A quick check of availability said they were no longer available and a phone call to Survival Supplies Australia confirmed this with only three left for sale at the time of this writing.
swedge
This blade is probably the smoothest action of any of the folders I have owned..My reason for purchase was to have a replacement blade for my GHB that wasn’t a fixed blade.I’m probably the least politically correct person out there however where store my GHB in the vehicle it is within reach of the rear seat and therefore accessible for searches. The Sere is the largest blade I can comfortably carry in my pocket and being 4mm thick appropriate for a BOB use where most wood cutting would be performed by a small silky pocket boy saw.Ill be field testing more in the near future.
I have owned two Cold Steel Frontier Tomahawks , when I first had my back operations I incorporated them into my rehab. I threw those things all day every day in an effort to move. It made me walk backwards and forwards to the target. I threw those hawks until there wasn’t much left of them. I ended up giving them to a mate that wanted to learn to throw knives.
I have been looking at th CRKT Woods Chogan as a replacement but hadn’t found an excuse to purchase however today I stumbled across an article on the Bushcraft USA Forum on modding a Cold Steel Trail Hawk which got me thinking it was a good excuse to get back into throwing with my leg banged up, for the exercise.
The article below goes on to quote a few modifications. Namely to flatten the top at 90 degrees from the eye to the toe for scraping and also doing the same along the beard to the heel. They also added a notch for scrapping ferro rods, along with removing the paint to add a patina. I also thought I might dress up the handle, along with a re-oil.
(Yes I know the irony, referring to the last article on 90 degree spines, but I get bored and it looks like a fun project.)
When I looked up the Chogan I realized CRKT have brought out a new model called a Chogan Hammer, which I thought I could do the same mods to. The Woods Chogan sells for $115 AUD while the Cold Steel trail Hawk sells for around the $75 price tag. It looks like no one currently has the Chogan Hammer on their books. A quick phone call to Survival Supplies Australia said that the Hammer would be approximately the same pricing as the Woods Chogan.
I’m leaning towards another Trail Hawk. I can afford two of these and used to have a heavily modified version by Vector Hawks.
