Helle Temagami or Eka W11

[bkemeny]

Dear fellow bushcrafters!

I'd like to buy a new knife for bushcrafting, but I really cannot decide what to get, so I'd like to ask for your help. I'd go with a scandinavian knife with a scandi grind preferably, a quite substantial tang and not so brittle steel. After looking around for quite some time, three knives have caught my attention. The Helle Temagami, the Eka W11 and the Enzo Trapper O1 Scandi. Unfortunately, the Enzo is out of my reach as I'd have to import it from Finland, and the shipping costs would make it not worth the price. As I've read here, the Temagami has such soft outer steel layers it gets deeply scratched and the EKA has an awkward saber grind. Here in Hungary, I have access to Helle, Brusletto, Karesuando, Eka, Fällkniven, Mora, Marttiini and Lapin Puukko. Any suggestions? Thanks for your help in advance!

Bálint

[swright81076]

Hi mate. I to was considering the helle les Stroud knife, but after weighing up pros and cons (and buying a rather expensive, rather large silky saw), I opted for a handmade blade from hillbill. Absolutely superb quality, far better than what I was looking at.
So...... In answer to your question, why not have a word with a maker, such as hillbill.
Good look with whatever you decide.

[FishyFolk]

The Enzo is really no loss as a Bushcraft knife.
While it is a very, very good knife. I have one, and use it as my bushcraft knife, the handle is to thin to get a comfortable grip for whitling tasks. and I'd like it to have an inch longer blade. The Enzo is a hunting knife.

But to help you find a knife, what is your budget?

[bkemeny]

Thank you guys! Yes I thought about it myself, that the Temagami is way too expensive just because Stroud has his signature on it. I never had experience with an Enzo, so I didn't know that the handle was thin, thanks for the heads up, it would have bothered me big time, as my hands are somewhat large.
My budget is around 60 pounds, the maximum I could fork out on a knife (pun intended) is 100 pounds/120 euros.

[bkemeny]

Also, I forgot to mention... I've found a Hungarian blacksmith called Csaba Marek, who makes some Woodlore replicas out of either O1 (Hrc 59) or ATS-34 (Hrc 61) for about 50000 HUF which is about 140 pounds.
6586

[bkemeny]

Oh and I also stumbled upon the Casström Swedish Forest Bushcraft knife... the steel is Böhler O2 toolsteel (Hrc 58-60), which I don't know anything about :(

[paulthefish2009]

Also, I forgot to mention... I've found a Hungarian blacksmith called Csaba Marek, who makes some Woodlore replicas out of either O1 (Hrc 59) or ATS-34 (Hrc 61) for about 50000 HUF which is about 140 pounds.
6586

Thats a beut,while I could never afford a genuine woodlore I do think uncle Ray and co got the shape spot on. Paul

[Johnnyboy1971]

Do a google search for Nektarios knives. He does some beautiful scandi blades and the shipping os really good.
I would also highly recomend Hillbill knives, custom made at under custom prices and stunning workmanship.

[ktomes_340]

Are Condor knives available in your area. The bushlore and bushcraft are excellent choices and they cost so little.

[bkemeny]

Bullseye! No, we don't have a Condor retailer here in Hungary unfortunately, but I've ordered a Condor Bushlore from Heinnie Haynes a week and a half ago anyways (I'm waiting for it now, the excellent Royal Mail managed to get my pack to Hungary in two days, and now the crappy Hungarian post office is delaying the delivery, my pack has arrived to Hungary last week and I still don't have the package). I'm aware that Condor knives are poor quality, roughly finished, no quality controlled stuff, but I want to challenge myself if I can make it into a nice knife. Next purchase for me is going to be a nice set of new Haidu SiC waterstones and then I'll come back to the matter of choosing a nice scandi :)