A bushcraft knife might sport full tang construction, be made from a high-end steel alloy that resists corrosion, and generally hang with the worst abuse and conditions you can throw at it, but there are still some things you will want to avoid doing with it if you can.
Here are some of them.
Throw It
Throwing knives are made with softer steels and more accommodating tempers than bushcraft knives. If you do throw a knife that isn’t intended to be thrown, you will likely break the tip or worse. Save the throwing knives for that.
Stick the Blade in the Ground
If you don’t have a shovel, it might be tempting to use a bushcraft knife as a makeshift tool for excavation. However, it’s really not a good idea.
Let alone the fact that there are salts and other compounds in the ground that can cause corrosion to even the most corrosion-resistant steels. The ground is full of sand and other abrasive compounds.
Sticking your bushcraft knife in the ground, especially repeatedly, is going to dull the blade prematurely and may even damage the finish of your knife.
Place It Down While You’re Working
It’s dangerous to have a naked edge floating around, but that’s not the reason this is an official suggestion here. The reason is that you don’t want to lose the knife.
A bushcraft knife, especially if it doesn’t have a high-visibility lanyard or bright scales, can have a way of disappearing when it is errantly placed down. Sheath it when you need your hands free.
Pry with the Tip
Bushcraft knives are often made from abuse-resistant tool steels, but you still don’t want to pry with the tip if you can help it. Even the toughest steel is liable to break if you use the knife in this manner.
Sheath It Wet
It can be tempting to tell yourself that you’ll clean it later, but a better habit to get into is to wipe the blade down before you sheath it, every time.
There are some steels that are corrosion resistant enough to handle this sort of abuse (in the short term only) like MagnaCut and 4116, but the truth is that if you get in the habit of sheathing a wet knife, one of these days you’re going to draw a rusted blade.
It only takes a second; wipe the blade off before you sheath it, every time.
Let the Edge Get Too Dull
There are some tasks for which you only need a roughly knife-shaped wedge to get the job down, like batoning or striking sparks from a fire starter. There are others for which you need a much finer edge, like carving feather sticks.
If you let the edge on your bushcraft knife get too dull, one annoyance is that it will be harder to sharpen it next time, but more importantly, you will need to work harder at whatever you’re doing.
Needing to work harder is when you will strain, and straining is how slips and accidents happen, especially with bladed tools like knives. The antidote to that is to keep the knife sharp, and of course, to be diligent and aware when you’re working.
Where to Get a New Bushcraft Knife
In the market for a new bushcraft knife to support you in the field? Make your first stop online to The Knife Connection.
In addition to bushcraft knives, they carry tactical knives, camp knives, survival knives, hunting and fishing knives, and more, all from the top brands. Check out what they offer and upgrade your carry today.
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