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How To Use A Bushcraft Knife? Know Here

The bushcrafter is one of the most ancient, and perhaps still most popular, groups of outdoors men. The term `bushcraft’ is a contraction of `bushcraft’ and `craft’, meaning a skill or trade practised by someone engaged in the outdoors.  

The modern use of the word `bushcraft’ originally meant `country crafts’ or `crafts’.

They are generally used by bushcrafters and survivalists for cutting or processing wood and other natural materials like bark, firewood, and twigs, using a knife from a bushcraft knife set.

Furthermore, they can be used as tools for hunting animals with bow and arrow, fishing, trapping, skinning, carving, making shelters, building fires, cooking food, etc.

A bushcraft knife has many uses, but it’s main purpose is to cut through tough material such as leather, hide, bone, rope, sinew, cordage, cloth, paper, plastic, wood, etc., without damaging them.

Bushcraft survival knife – essential tool

When it comes to survival, you should always be prepared, and nothing is quite as important as a good knife. The specially designed bushcraft survival knife is ideal for hunting, camping, hiking and more, thanks to its all-purpose design with a double edge double tip.

The knife is made of high-quality steel and is available in a variety of colors, so you can personalize it with a bead, grip, and a leather sheath.

The blade is capable of doing the most basic tasks such as cutting, carving and slicing, while the handle proves to be a big asset for survival thanks to its design and sturdiness.

Bushcraft knife safety: The fundamentals right

There’s been a lot of talk recently about the safety of bushcraft knives and the importance of knowing how to use them safely. This article will cover the fundamentals of knife safety.

Knife safety basics – Knife mastery

The first thing you need to know is that there are two types of accidents when using your knife, one where it slips out of your hand or falls on its edge and another where it accidentally cuts yourself. You can reduce both these risks by learning some basic knife safety rules.

  • Keep your knife handed correctly

When holding a knife in your dominant hand, keep your thumb over the blade so that if you slip off-hand, the tip won’t cut into your palm. If you’re left handed, reverse this rule – put your index finger over the blade instead.

  • Don’t hold it too long

Holding a knife for too long increases the risk of slipping because your grip becomes sweaty and slippery. When cutting food with a sharpened kitchen knife, hold it only as long as necessary to complete the task.

  • Use a proper grip

A proper grip involves placing your fingers around the handle at an angle rather than straight across. This allows more control while keeping your hands away from the point of the blade.

  • Practice with other people ( experienced knife user )

If you don’t have anyone else handy who will practice with you, then find someone willing to help you learn how to safely use knives. Practice with them until they feel comfortable giving you feedback about what’s safe and unsafe.

  • Wear protective gear

You should wear protective gear such as gloves, wrist guards, aprons, etc., whenever you work with knives. These items protect against accidental injury caused by blades falling onto your skin. They also prevent splinters from getting stuck under fingernails.

  • Know how to use them safely

Before buying any new knife, check online forums and ask other people who’ve used similar models. Find out whether their reviews were positive or negative.

Also look up information about the history of the brand and model you want to buy. Knowing something about the knife’s past may give you insight into why it was created and what features it has.

Safe cutting techniques and knife grips

A good way to handle a knife is to hold it with a grip that you can control. The three main grips are the hammer grip, the spear grip and the pencil grip.

  • The hammer grip

Is the most basic grip. It is a good grip for kitchen knives like a chef’s knife and paring knife.

  • The spear grip

Is an alternative to the hammer grip. It is similar to the hammer grip, but the knife rests on your middle finger instead of the thumb.

  • The pencil grip

Is a variation of the spear grip. Instead of using the middle finger, you hold the knife by pinching it between your thumb, index and middle fingers.

  • Forehand knife grip

The forehand is the most common and safest way to hold a hunting or bushcraft knife. It’s also one of the easiest ways for you to cut yourself if your hand slips off the handle, so it should be practiced with care.

Holding the blade in this position will allow you to use both hands on the hilt without having to worry about cutting yourself when using the tip of the blade. This makes the knife easier to control while moving through brush and thickets.

It can also help prevent injury from accidentally slicing into an exposed bone during skinning or gutting.

When holding the knife correctly, keep your thumb over the top edge of the spine and place your index finger along the bottom edge of the spine. Your middle fingers are placed just below where they would naturally rest on either side of your wrist.

Survival scenario bushcraft basic knife skills

The bushcraft knife is a tool that comes in handy in a variety of situations, whether you’re out for a hike through the forest or you’re out doing some outdoor tasks.

The bushcraft knife won’t replace your hunting knife, but it can work as a backup knife.

Here’s a list of bushcraft knife skills that will help you best use this blade.

  • Batoning

Batoning is the process of cutting dry piece of wood with a hand axe by chopping directly into the wood, rather than cutting into the wood with a chopping tool.

You’ll be able to use a baton to make all kinds of useful objects, like firewood, stakes and even arrows. You can also use the baton to create a small shelter, and then use the shelter to cook food.

  • Peeling Off the bark

It’s a time consuming job, cutting the bark off of that old tree in your backyard. You can cut the bark off with a saw, but it’ll be a bit easier with a sharp knife. A bushcraft knife is a treasured knife in many bushcrafting people’s homes.

  • Lighting a fire

Although they are a great feature that is worth purchasing a Bushcraft knife for, many people overlook the fact that these blades are also incredibly useful for lighting a fire.

The ability to quickly start a fire, and the ability to light it quickly, is one of the main advantages of a bushcraft knife.

  • Hunting and processing meat

A bushcraft knife can be used for hunting and processing meat. A bushcraft knife is designed for light work like field dressing and skinning. It is not a heavy-duty hunting knife.

What’s more, if you don’t have a proper hunting knife, you should consider getting a bushcraft knife because it is much lighter than a traditional hunting knife.

  • Making tools from bone

Bone carving spoons is another skill that requires a sharp knife. Bone carvers carve bones into various shapes such as bowls, spoons, cups and so forth.

Carl Slay

Carl Slay

I have a fascination with the blade. Ma being a Chef and Pa owning a steel plant, it was inevitable some would say. From Chef knifes to Butterfly knives, to machete's - I know my blade! TheKnifeGuide was started as a means to serve enthusiasts like me in learning vital information. Whether it is for survival when indulging in the great outdoors or for your culinary needs, you've come to the right place!

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