The author baptizes the Bushcrafter BLADE® style.

The Bushcrafter by Kris Waddington of KSW Custom Knives is a great example of what bladesmiths can do with recycled carbon steel. Got a worn-out file? No problem. They can convert it into another useful tool—a knife.

With a hot-enough fire, a smith can manipulate the steel into a wide variety of shapes and sizes. High carbon steels are made into cutting instruments, mild steels into ornamental fittings. It’s a great skill to possess and practice. Kris has the skill.

Enough talk about the cool stuff he can make. Let’s get into how well he performed the conversion.

Light-Duty Cutting

I always slice 20-pound bond copy paper at the start to see how fine the knife’s edge is. The Bushcrafter did not disappoint. The upcycled Nicholson file slid through the paper with ease. It made clean, crisp slices again and again. The knife is very sharp indeed.

From there it was on to severing single-walled cardboard. The Bushcrafter sliced through the medium quickly and aggressively. I could hear every slice. It was easy to control the spacing of the cuts with the larger handle.

Cutting 8-ounce leather to represent the skin of a harvested big game animal was next. The Bushcrafter crunched through it very quickly with straight cuts. Skiving the material was even louder as the knife aggressively sliced it into thin layers. The leather was no challenge whatsoever.

Heavy-Duty Cutting

Cutting sisal rope always tells if the edge will hold up. The Bushcrafter crunched through 200 cuts very quickly and wanted more. There was a small hot spot where the handle meets the blade. A quick hit with 220-grit sandpaper removed the spot. The blade held an edge while slicing and cutting. It was time for a tougher medium.

For bushcrafting, I chopped a slab of red cedar. The blade buried deeper than expected and cracked the slab. It was comfortable using the knife.

I worked the cedar to make a fire stick. The Bushcrafter turned out some excellent curlicues ready for the fire. Batonning was next in line. The knife averaged 3 1/2 baton hits to split the slab into small kindling. That was some short slab work! To raise the bar, Kris added a ferrocerium rod with a matching handle. The result is a complete outdoor package.

I returned to slicing the copy paper to test for edge snags or chips. The Bushcrafter sliced for the win. There was no edge damage. Heat treatment is spot on. Great
job, Kris.

Final Cut

I would prefer more of a finger notch and maybe some thumb notches for added control. The Bushcrafter lives up to its name. Made to perform in the woods, it is the total package for your backpack outing.

Bushcrafter Specs
Maker: Kris Waddington
Blade length: 5.25”
Blade steel: A forged Nicholson file
Blade grind: Flat
Scales: Ironwood w/black liner
Hardware: Brass
Overall length: 11”
Extras: Ferrocerium rod w/ironwood handle
Sheath: Leather by @wesleys_american_made_leather
Maker’s price: $325.98 at press-time exchange rate

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