Mark Hill Custom Wood Trekker Knife Review

You have probably noticed that I have not done any knife reviews in a while. The reason for that is that the more I use knives, the less it matters what knife I am using. On top of that, I have figured out what I like, so I no longer need to bounce between knife design in pursuit of “The One”. For a while now I have been using a basic Mora #2 as my backpacking/bushcraft/woodcraft knife. Its size and proportions are exactly what I like, so there has been no reason to look for anything else. Recently however, I stopped carrying an axe or hatchet on most of my trips. As a result, more of the woodworking tasks have started falling on the knife. While the Mora #2 is a great knife, I’ve been finding it a bit on the weak side. It wasn’t an issue when I had my hatchet, but as a stand alone woodworking tool, it was not ideal.

There were three possible solutions. The first was to go back to a more robust knife like my Fallkniven S1, something I’ve been trying to avoid, as I have not needed a larger knife. The second solution was to find a knife similar to the Mora #2, just more robust, something I have not been able to find to my satisfaction. The third option was to get a custom made version of the Mora #2, which will have similar dimensions, while being stronger. After some thinking, I opted for the third option.

Of course, all that did was replace the search for the perfect knife, with the search for the perfect knife maker. For some time now I have been looking at different knife makers, but none of them have been exactly right. Either their products cost too much, take too long to make, or are simply Woodlore clones, or sharpened pry-bars (obviously not my thing). A few weeks back however, I stumbled upon a post on Blades and Bushcraft, where a knife maker new to the forum, was showing some of his designs. I immediately liked what he had, and contacted him to inquire if he does custom work, and how much he charges. The makes was Mark Hill, and the knife you see here is the product of his work.

This review is not so much a review of the knife, which after all was made to my specification so it’s hard for me not to like it, but rather a review of the knife maker, Mark Hill. But before I get into all that, let me give you some of the specifications of the knife, in case you are curious. In essence, this is a modified Mora #2 clone. Below you can see the specification. A lot of them are the same as the Mora #2. The ones that are different, I have noted to the side.

Specifications:

Knife Length: 8 3/8 inches (212 mm)
Blade Length: 4 1/8 inches (104 mm)
Blade Thickness: 1/8 inches (3 mm); this is thicker than the Mora #2, which has a thickness of 3/32 inches (2.4 mm). The angle of the grind for the cutting edge however has been kept the same as that of the Mora #2, 16.6 degrees.
Blade Width: 13/16 inches (20 mm); the Mora #2 actually has a slightly sloping spine to the blade, which varies from 20 mm at the ferrule to 18 mm where the drop on the blade starts for the point. On the custom knife I kept the width the same 20 mm the whole way until the start of the drop.
Blade Material: O1 carbon steel; obviously this is different from the 1095 steel of the Mora #2. Other metals are also available. 
Blade Hardness: HRC 59 on the Rockwell Scale
Type of Tang: Full tang; this is probably the biggest difference from the Mora #2, which has a partial tang.
Blade Grind: Scandinavian/single bevel; the type of grind as well as the angle of the grind (16.6 degrees) has been kept the same as the Mora #2.
Handle Material: Cocobolo wood with liners; other options are also available.
Sheath Material: Leather; I requested a brown dangler sheath. Other designs and colors are also available, and clearly different from the plastic Mora #2 sheath.
Cost: $235.00; much more expensive than the $12.00 Mora #2.

So, to summarize the specifications, it is a full tang Mora #2 with a slightly thicker blade, but with the same grind angle for the edge, and with a better quality handle and sheath. Oh yes, and much more expensive.

As I mentioned above, any review of the knife that I write will not be completely unbiased. After all, the knife was designed to my specifications, so naturally, it will perform the way I want it to. Just a few brief notes though.

The extra thickness and full tang have transformed this knife. While with the Mora #2 you can feel the flex of the blade, and have to be careful under heavier use, the Mark Hill custom knife felt extremely strong, and handled the applied forces without any sign of weakness.

I certainly didn’t take it easy on the knife, but again, not only did it not fail, but felt very strong. Even though the handle and blade are the same length and width as the Mora #2, the slight increase in thickness and the full tang did wonders.

Of course, it is common sense that a thicker knife will be stronger. The big gamble for me was whether the increase of the thickness would effect the knife’s cutting characteristics. I like how thin the Mora #2 grind is, and my hope was that by preserving the same grind angle in the custom knife, the same cutting characteristics would be preserved. I am happy to report that the attempt was a success. The knife cuts just like a Mora #2, and has the same feel when carving or cutting.

Now, back to the knife maker, Mark Hill. As I mentioned, when I first saw his work, I contacted him to see if he would be interested in a custom knife. He replied that he is willing to take on any project I might have, and that I should take a look at his website. It is at that point that I realized that Mark Hill is a UK knife maker. I wasn’t sure what that would mean in terms of cost, but he quickly quoted a price for the completed knife and sheath, shipped to the US for $235.00. Now, I know that is a lot of money, but in all honesty, it is cheap for a custom knife. There are plenty of mass produced knives that cost more, and virtually every hand made knife is in the same price range or above. More importantly, this is not just a hand made knife like for example the Woodlore knives, which are handmade, but all identical, made using the same jigs. This knife was made to my exact specifications. I just sent an email with what I wanted, and Mark Hill had to get a Mora #2, figure out all the dimensions, figure out the modifications, and then make it. I think $235.00 is a bargain.

More importantly, working with Mark Hill was a pleasure. The whole exchange consisted of only a few emails. He was quickly able to understand all of the details I was trying to communicate. To be honest, I was sure that something would be wrong in the final product, but to my surprise, he understood exactly what I wanted, and was able to deliver.

Equally important is the fact that the knife was designed and completed in about 10 days. By that, I literally mean, it took about 10 days from the time that I sent him the specification to the time the knife was in the mail. I received it a few days later. As far as I am concerned, that is impressive. Many of the knife makers I had contacted before had productions schedules measured in months, not days, or had waitlists that went on for years.

I have no idea how the knife was made with such speed, or at such cost, but the result is impressive. There are no flaws, or errors. Everything is perfectly aligned and centered.

I purchased this knife as a replacement for my Mora #2. I plan on using it in the exact same way, so it will get some serious use over the years to come. I must admit, I will be doing so with some reluctance because it is a beautifully made knife.

I can honestly say that this has been the easiest and most pleasant experience I have had with any manufacturer. Had I know that this was an available option, I would have done it years ago, instead of spending a lot more money on other knives. I think it is definitely an option to consider, and I would certainly recommend Mark Hill as the knife maker for the job.

For more information, you can visit Mark Hill’s website at http://www.markhillknives.com/. There you can see available knife design, blade and handle materials, as well as contact Mark for any custom projects you may have in mind.

Les Stroud Survival Knives

Keeping with the Les Stroud team, many of you know that a while back he released a bushcraft knife called the Temagami, which is made by Helle. Well, recently he released a line of survival knives, which are manufactured by Camillus. From what I could see, he was using one of the knives on the first episode of Survivorman 10 Days.

Here is a statement released by Les about the knives:

“Hi all - I got to thinkin'....there was a press release already, but other than that there have been just a few questions here and there about me releasing a survival knife line. Firstly - yes - I have already released a BUSHCRAFT knife with the most excellent company: Helle out of Norway. The purpose was to design a high end bushcraft knife that is a one of a kind knife made by hand by the fantastic people at Helle. No two knives in this line are alike. I have even been able to visit the plant myself and sit at some of the machines hand crafting out my own blade. - In fact someone will unknowingly get one of these knives and it will be the one I worked on myself!!! I am very proud of these knives and very proud of working with Helle on them. Now. That said - Helle and I were not interested in developing a knife line together that was more specific to survival - including some survival attachments. That is where Camillus comes in. I had turned down a number of knife companies who had courted me (including one specific line of knives you could probably guess at - they went with someone else) simply because they would not adhere to my strict quality policy: "If I am going to design a survival knife for you to put in your hands - then it better be quality enough to put in my own". They were all more interested in profit and celebrity. Camillus is fully committed to working with my own designs to develop a line of survival knives you can trust with your life. So if you want that one of a kind bushcrafting knife then please enjoy what I personally designed with Helle....and if you want to outfit yourself with a survival knife designed personally by me and tested by me - then you will see the prototype we will unveil in Vegas at the Shot show in January - I think I will be there at the show on the 18th. ....Camillus had no issues with the fact that I designed a beautiful one of a kind bushcraft knife with Helle and Helle has no issue that I am designing a fully loaded survival knife with Camillus......Listen folks - whether I became Survivorman and created a whole new genre of TV or not - I would have eventually tried to write a manual (which I did called Survive!) develop a line of survival knives and develop a survival kit. As an instructor of many years - these three initiatives were always in my heart to do. So now I am able to do so thanks to creating survival for TV - ok fine - buts what's most important to me is that whatever I put my name on - it be of the highest quality. Know this: In my opinion - the survival knife...book...kit that I put on the market will be the best there is. The price point may be a little higher than those who are cashing in on the whole 'survival thing'....but our lives are worth it. For me its not about marketing or cashing in on celebrity....its about survival. Les”

Survival Knives With Mors Kochanski

Mors Kocheanski has come to be a very well known name in the survival and bushcraft community. Recently Karamat Wilderness Ways has released a free series of videos featuring Mors Kochanski, covering different topics. One of the areas covered by two short videos is survival knives and knife use. I thought I would share them with you here.

What is a Survival Knife?

Defining a “Survival” Knife

Of course, please understand that this is the opinion of this one instructor. Different instructors will have their own requirements for a survival or bushcraft knife. Also keep in mind, that many of the things you see him do with ease are the result of his skill level, not any particular knife feature.

Lapin Puukko Vuolupuukko #31 Review

This is another puukko style knife I have had for a while. I just never got around to the review. With a bit of a delay, here it is.

Specifications:
Knife Length: 8 ½ inches (217 mm)
Blade Length: 4 1/8 inches (105 mm)
Blade Thickness: 3/32 inches (2.4 mm)
Blade Width: 3/4 inches (20 mm)
Blade Material: Carbon Steel
Blade Hardness: HRC 59 on the Rockwell Scale
Type of Tang: Rattail tang
Blade Grind: Scandinavian with a slight secondary bevel
Handle Material: Wood
Sheath Material: Leather
Cost: $50.00

This is a very affordable knife. I would say it is about medium cost. The only place where I have found to buy it in the US is Ragweed Forge. It is their #31 Lapin Puukko.

When compared to the Mora #1, the knives are very similar. The blade of the Lapin Puukko is a little longer, in fact just as long as the Mora #2 blade, and it has the same thickness as the Mora #1/#2 blades. For some reason however, the blade feels thicker when you are cutting. I think that is because the grind might be at a slightly wider angle. The handle of the Lapin Puukko is slightly longer than that of the Mora #1. The longer part curves into the hook shape you see in the picture. Otherwise, the two handles have similar proportions and a similar feel in the hand. The blade has a rattail tang, similar to what Mora used to use before they switched to using epoxy.

When I first started to use the knife, my main worry was the handle. It looked like that hooked part would be very uncomfortable. When I originally ordered the knife, I imagined that the handle would be longer, so that the hooked part would just stick out of the hand. However, at least in my hands, it is part of the handle you are actually holding. That being said however, I was surprised that it was not uncomfortable at all in any of the grips I tried.

When it comes to batoning, the Lapin Puukko performs about he same as the Mora. It gets the job done, but I would not use it for routine splitting.

You can also use the knife to truncate. I got a question about it recently, although I can’t remember where, but this technique is used to cut through a branch. You would use the knife to form V shaped notches around the branch, similar to what you would do with an axe. The knife does well because of the relatively thin blade.

As with most wood working puukkos, carving and simple feather stick making are not an issue. I actually found the secondary bevel to be a rather nice addition when it came to making feather stick, although, I prefer the slightly thinner edge of the Mora for carving.

Overall, I have been happy with the knife. Again, my only concern was the handle, but for some reason it feels comfortable to use. That being said however, I still use my Mora #2. For the money the Lapin Puukko Vuolupuukko #31 is a good alternative to a Mora and a good choice if you want to “step up” to a different puukko.

Old Hickory Paring Knife Review

The Old Hickory Paring Knife is another one of those knives that made the transition from the kitchen or butcher’s shop to the hands of the woodsmen. Here I want to take a closer look and see what it has to offer.

Specifications:
Knife Length: 7 5/8 inches (195 mm)
Blade Length: 4 1/8 inches (105 mm)
Blade Thickness: 1/32 inches (1 mm)
Blade Width: 3/4 inches (19 mm)
Blade Material: 1095 carbon steel
Blade Hardness: Unknown
Type of Tang: Partial
Blade Grind: Flat grind with a secondary bevel
Handle Material: Wood
Sheath Material: No sheath
Cost: $5.00

This is a very low cost knife. It comes in at half the cost of a basic Mora. It is currently produced by Ontario Knife Co. For that type of money it would be a bargain if it offered any kind of decent performance.

When compared to a Mora #1, the blades look very similar in size. In terms of width, they are about the same, and the Old hickory is just slightly longer. In terms of thickness however, the Old Hickory is thinner than the Mora, giving the blade a lot more flex. Of course the grinds are very different, the Mora having a scandinavian grind while the Old Hickory a flat grind with a secondary bevel. The handle of the Old Hickory is significantly smaller than that of the Mora, both in terms of length as well as thickness. The knife came dull, and had to be sharpened before testing.

Batoning the knife was interesting. It is a very thin blade, and it cut into the wood easily. However, because it was so thin, it didn’t separate the fibers much, so it had to be driven almost all the way through the wood.

The thin blade also showed a lot of flex when batoning. This is clearly not an activity at which the knife excels, even though no damage was caused to the blade.

Truncating with the knife was fine. The thin blade penetrated easily, and since it was across the grain, there was no warping or twisting of the blade.

The knife cuts well once sharpened, and can easily make feather sticks. The biggest problem is that it is hard to get good control of the blade because of the small handle.

The knife does not come with a sheath.

Overall, I was not particularly happy with the knife. I certainly like the price, but this knife is certainly much better in the kitchen than in the woods. I find the blade to be a little too flexible, although that is not too much of an issue if you just use the knife for slicing. The biggest problem for me is the handle. To begin with, it is very small. It is hard to get any grip on the knife, and it would certainly be uncomfortable to use for extended periods of time. Additionally, I am not sure how long the connection between the blade and handle will last. The tang goes in about half way into the handle. This usually wouldn’t be a problem, but since the handle is so thin, I don’t know how well it will handle the pressure. I didn’t have any issues with that during testing. I guess for $5 it is hard to complain, but I would certainly spend the extra $5 and get a Mora #1 or #2. 

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. 

Svord Peasant Review

The Svord Peasant knife is a very simple folding knife. I have had some requests for a review, and since I’ve had one for quite some time now, I figured I would pull it out and do the review.

Specifications:
Knife Length: 8 1/4 inches (210 mm) open; 6 3/4 inches (170 mm) closed
Blade Length: 3 inches (78 mm)
Blade Thickness: 1/16 inch (1.5 mm)
Blade Width: 1 1/16 inches (27 mm)
Blade Material: Carbon steel. There is some speculation that it is L6 steel, but I have not been able to find a concrete source that can confirm that.
Blade Hardness: Unknown
Type of Tang: Folding knife without a locking mechanism
Blade Grind: Full flat grind with a secondary bevel.
Handle Material: Wood, also comes in plastic
Sheath material: No sheath
Cost: $15.00

The Svord Peasant is intended to be a simple, low cost knife. There is nothing fancy or sophisticated about it, and that is in part reflected in the price, coming to the US at $15, even though being shipped from New Zealand.

Just for side by side comparison, you can see the Svord Peasant here next to the Mora #1. As you can see, the blade is about 3/4 of an inch shorter than that of the Mora, but it is almost twice as wide. The blades are very similar in thickness. I found the blade to be too short for me, but if you like the ESEE 3 knives, you will probably like this blade design. The handle is significantly longer than that of the Mora, and it is fairly comfortable, although not nearly as comfortable as that of the Mora #1.

An interesting feature of the Svord Peasant, when compared to other folding knives is that it in a way has a partial tang. I am not sure we can call it that, as it is a folding knife, but the blade actually extends about half way into the handle when the knife is open. When closed, that part of the blade (non sharp) protrudes from the handle.

Folding knives typically have a hard time with more difficult tasks in the woods, such as batoning, but I figured I would see how far I can push it, as this is a fairly typical use for a knife in the bush. It was an interesting experience. I found that if you start batoning the knife as you would a fixed blade knife, the “tang” of the knife actually gets embedded deeper into the handle. The joint that holds the blade to the handle is not designed for this type of stress, and the blade will move all over the place. However, if you leave the handle loose to dangle from the blade, you can baton the blade and the “tang” fairly well into the wood.

The exact same thing applies to truncating. The blade itself is fine with the task, but you should not rely on the handle for assistance.

Even though the knife was far from shaving sharp when I got it, after a few minutes with a stone, there was no problem making feather sticks.

While the knife managed to perform all of the tasks, after I finished, I noticed that the knife no longer stayed closed when folded. Apparently everything had loosened up, and now the blade was flailing around. There is probably a way to fix it, but clearly this knife is not intended for any heavy use. It will do well as a basic pocket knife, and will make a fun substitute for a Swiss Army knife, but it is far less robust than a Mora when it comes to common bush tasks.

The knife comes at a reasonable price, and it a lot of fun to use. You can spend hours opening and closing it. It also does fine with cutting tasks. Even though it seems that the “tang” would make the grip uncomfortable when the knife is open, I did not have any issues with it. For heavier tasks however, the Svord Peasant is not the ideal knife. I am sure it was never intended to be. 

Mora Bushcraft Force Review

About a year ago Mora came out with a line of knives targeted at the bushcraft community. The marketing strategy was reflected in the names of the knives, this one being the Bushcraft Force.

Specifications:

Knife Length: 9 1/4 inches (235 mm)

Blade Length: 4 1/4 inches (108 mm)

Blade Thickness: 3/32 inches (2.4 mm)

Blade Width: 15/16 inches (23.5 mm)

Blade Material: 12C27 Sandvik stainless steel

Blade Hardness: HRC 58 on the Rockwell Scale

Type of Tang: Partial concealed

Blade Grind: Scandinavian/single bevel

Handle Material: Plastic

Sheath Material: Plastic

Cost: $30.00

In terms of price, this is a lower mid range knife. Coming in at $30, it is about three times as expensive as a regular Mora knife, but is still quite a it less than many popular options on the market.

When compared to the Mora 1, the Mora Bushcraft Force is a much more robust knife. The blade is a bit longer, in length being closer to the Mora 2. It is also significantly wider, although the thickness has remained the same as the Mora 1. The grind is single bevel, just like with most other Mora knives. The handle is also larger, both in length and thickness. It is comfortable, but I find it not to be as good as that of the Mora 1. The fact that the handle has finger grooves, makes it less comfortable when switching holds, although it is very comfortable when using a forward grip.

I have broken Mora knives before. Most of the time the failure has occurred in the handle, by having the partial tang (of a Clipper) come up through the handle. The Bushcraft Force has a longer tang, which should lessen that problem.

I believe this was reflected in the performance of the knife. When batoning, even though the thin blade was understandably not the best splitter, the knife proved to be very strong. The piece of wood I was batoning turned out to be particularly stubborn. This knife took a very serious pounding without getting damaged. I was sure that it would fail at some point, but there was so sign of stress or damage.

Similarly with truncating, the knife did well. There was no damage caused to the blade, even though it is very thin.

Feather sticks were relatively easy to make. The Bushcraft Force has a very thin blade, so you can get it very sharp. The overall design made the knife a bit uncomfortable for me to hold and use, but it performed well.

Overall, the Mora Bushcraft Force is a good knife. In my opinion it is stronger than the old Clippers. At no point did I notice any cracking of the handle or movement in the blade, which I have seen with the old Clippers. I was truly surprised by the strength of the knife.

The design has moved significantly away from the traditional Mora designs. It is far from the puukko shape that is utilized in most other Mora knives. As a result the feel of it is very different. It is a more robust knife is all respects, but I believe that a lot is lost with the new design. It is simply a different knife from the old models like the Mora 1. I personally do not think that this makes it a better bushcraft knife. On the other hand, if you have always wished for a much more robust and less puukko-like Mora knife, this is the one for you.

In terms of value, while I am not happy that this knife is three times more expensive that most other Mora knives, it is worth the price. At least a very good part of that price increase seems to have gone in improving the quality (if not the design). The materials seem to be better quality, the connection between the handle and blade are better than on the Clipper, and the sheath, even though plastic, is of much higher quality. I would not hesitate to spend $30 on a knife with this quality, although I definitely prefer the more understated design of the traditional Mora knives.

Enzo Trapper Review

Recently the nice people at Omaha Knife allowed me to test one of their knives, the Enzo Trapper. The Enzo knives typically come as kits which you have to assemble. Since that is far beyond my skill level, I opted to test one of the finished knives they sell. After testing it I liked it so much that I actually ended up purchasing it from them.

 

Specifications:
Knife Length: 8 1/4 inches (210 mm)
Blade Length: 3 7/8 inches (98 mm); Cutting edge length: 3 5/8 inches (93 mm)
Blade Thickness: 1/8 inches (3.5 mm)
Blade Width: 1 inch (25.5 mm)
Blade Material: O1 tool steel; also available in D2 steel
Blade Hardness: HRC 57-59 on the Rockwell Scale
Type of Tang: Full
Blade Grind: Scandinavian/single bevel
Handle Material: Micarta
Sheath Material: Leather
Cost: $115.00

The Enzo knives are not cheap. They run well over $100. The kits are a bit cheaper, usually around $80. I expect quite a bit from a knife that costs so much.

When compared to the Mora 1, the Enzo Trapper has a slightly longer overall blade. However, because the blade is also wider, and as a result has a more pronounced curve, the actual flat cutting area ends up being smaller than that of the Mora. Also, the blade is not sharpened all the way back to the handle like it is on the Mora 1. The blade of the Enzo Trapper is thicker than that of the Mora, and feels much more secure. That being said, it is not overly thick. The grind, just like on the Mora 1, is Scandinavian/single bevel. The handle of the Enzo Trapper is longer and thicker than the Mora 1. I found it to be very comfortable. The knife does have a small lower finger guard that I wish was not there, but that is just a personal preference. What surprised me most about the knife was how small and easily maneuverable it felt in my hand. I had always expected the Enxo knives to feel chunky and heavy. This one however does not. It is almost like holding a Mora 1. This was the biggest selling point for me-it is a robust knife that offers the level of control I would expect from a much lighter blade.

When tested the knife performed very well. The blade is more than thick enough to handle splitting pieces of up to three inches in diameter, which is about the largest wood the length of the blade would allow.

Similarly, truncating was not an issue. I did not see any damage to the edge.

Making feather sticks and carving in general was not a problem. I tend to like a narrower blade, but this one performed very well.

The knife sheath is made out of leather. It is not anything too impressive, but gets the job done. It has a simple belt loop, and is very basic in all respects.

Overall, I came away from  he testing very impressed with the knife. Like I said before, I ended up deciding to buy it after the test. The biggest upside to this knife is hard to explain. There are many knives of similar size and thickness, but his one just feels right in my hand. It is not overstated, it is not overly designed, nor is it too robust for its size. It fits in my pocket, feels light in the hand, and performs all the tasks I require of a small knife.

Enzo also makes a Camper version which has a blade of about 5 inches, which I am very curious to try. The Enzo models generally come in either O1 tool steel or D2 steel.