Monday, November 23, 2009

Richard Graves

The Ten Bush Craft Books by Richard Graves are considered classic texts, unfortunately they have been out of print for many years. They are still available in pdf format.


Richard Graves led an adventurous life. Born in Ireland in 1889 he latter moved to Australia where he died in 1971. During World War II he was commander of the Australian Jungle Survival and Rescue Detachment. The unit was credited with successfully rescuing over 300 soldiers After the war he ran a bushcraft school for over twenty years.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Svord peasant knife




I recently stumbled across the New Zealand Knife manufacturer Svord; a small operation that produces hand made knives. One of the products is the Svord Peasant Knife. This unique knife is based on the knives produced in Bohemia 400 years ago. It has a unique tang that protrudes from the handle when the knife is closed. A small hole in the tang allows the owner to fix a lanyard strap to the knife. The blade is held in the open and closed position by friction which can be adjusted via the screw through the handle. With the blade open there is also the added protection of the hand holding the blade tang in the handle whilst in use. There should in theory be no way for the knife to close on the owners fingers whilst in use. This knife has been gaining a lot of great reviews in the UK as a cheap and versatile bushcraft knife.
The amazing thing about this knife is the price, I ordered mine from the US and it was delivered for under $30 dollars. The knife is made to a price point and it is apparent when you first handle the Svord. The wood is a little rough, but a quick sand would fix that and unfortunately the blade was blunt. This may be bad luck on my part as from what I have read on the UK sites most arrive razor sharp. On the plus side it was very easy to obtain a razor sharp edge using a diamond stone.
For the money I think this is incredible value. I like the rustic appearance of the knife. It looks and feels like an old favourite straight out of the box. I suspect this will become one of my favourite bushcraft tools. When I have had the opportunity to test out the Svord I shall report back.