Russell Green River Hunter Knife Review

The Green River knives have been in use by outdoorsmen since the 1800s. They gained popularity because they were affordable, mass produced knives, which got the job done.

Specifications:
Knife Length: 9 inches (229 mm)
Blade Length: 5 inches (129mm)
Blade Thickness: 3/32 inches (2 mm)
Blade Width: 1 1/4 inches (28 mm) at the widest point
Blade Material: 1095 carbon steel
Blade Hardness: Unknown
Type of Tang: Full
Blade Grind: Full flat grind with a secondary bevel
Handle Material: Wood
Sheath Material: No sheath
Cost: $20.00

The knife is fairly cheap, although there are lower cost knives on the market. It is certainly not the bargain basement price it had in the past, which contributed to its popularity.

When compared to a Mora #1, it is clear to see that it is a larger knife, with the blade being over an inch longer and significantly wider. In thickness however, the two blades are about the same. The handles are the same length, but because the Green River handle is more rectangular, it feels thicker, although I don’t find it as comfortable as that of the Mora. The knife overall has the feel of a kitchen knife, although a bit thicker. Unlike the Mora, the Green River has a secondary bevel. The knife was not sharp when I got it, so I had to spend some time with the sharpening stone before testing.

The knife performed well when batoning. The blade is fairly thin, so it is not good at separating the wood fibers, but in turn it goes through the wood easily.

Similarly, the knife performed well when truncating. The blade feels thin, and the knife has a tendency to bend, unlike that of the Mora, despite the similar thickness, but it held up very well through all of the tasks.

I was not able to make any good feather sticks with this knife. I am sure the fault lies with me and my lack of practice with this design, but for one reason or another, I was just not able to get a feather stick going.

The knife does not come with a sheath.

Overall the knife is not bad. For a five inch blade, it does what it is supposed to. Keep in mind that the blade is not particularly thick, so it is best suited for cutting tasks, rather than batoning and other heavier work. In those areas it will easily get outperformed by a more robust knife with a five inch blade like the Fallkniven S1. My issue with the knife however is not that it is not adequate, but rather that in my opinion it falls short when compared to the Mora. It costs almost twice as much as a Mora #1 or a Mora #2, but I do not believe it does any more work for that money. In fact, I find the basic Mora knives more comfortable to fold and use, and for some reason they feel more solid. If I had a choice between a Mora #1 and a Green River Hunter knife, I would certainly chose the Mora.