Brisa Skinner vs Lauri Skinner knife build Part II.

Next up was laying out the handle. I like woods that are naturally dark and don’t really need any stain to have some deep color. I had some old cherry lumber on hand, cut a long time ago and salvaged from old furniture so it was fairly dark already. I had some lighter color hardwood scraps on…

EnZo ‘Lynx’ Homemade Scandinavian Knife

In my opinion, EnZo’s Nordic blades are a bit on the higher end among the variety of Scandinavian grind blades available from Finland since they come polished and finished, essentially identical to buying one of their finished knives. They are a bit pricier than popular blade maker Lauri, but again, they come completely ready to…

DIY minimalist backpacking knife (with Lauri Puukko blade and reclaimed wood)

In the process of making other knives and seeing the cost of materials ratchet up, I started playing around with ideas for making knife handles from scrap material, using wood that otherwise might end up discarded. Historically, knifes have more often than not been made with utilitarian purposes in mind and with materials individuals had…

Knives for Backpacking

Knives are an item of debate for backpackers. I like packing ultralight (under 15 pounds before wood and water, depending on season) but the idea of trying to cut food items with dental floss, razor, or tiny multi-tools like some avowed ultralight hikers report doing simply does not appeal to me. In a situation where…

Appalachian Trail Section Hike

I am gearing up for a 2nd Appalachian Trail section hike this season. Rather than wait around for Spring 2015 to head back out and hike a section of the AT like I have in the past, I am making a second trip before summer is over. On a personal note, since my wife and I are expecting the…

DIY Finnish Knife (Lauri Skinner) – A Pictorial

“Why can’t you just buy a knife?” my wife asks. I rattled off some reasons of wanting a particular size blade and handle shape but if I have to be truthful, an opportunity to DIY something rather than buy it it is usually pretty tempting and just seems to feed my addiction to making things. Recently I really wanted another Puukko,…

My New Pack

Over the winter I worked on some MYOG, or Make Your Own Gear projects. This is actually my second attempt at a backpack, and while not perfect; I consider it a succcess. I do plan to use it on my next section hike. It weighs only 12 oz! I used 2.1 Silnylon fabric for pretty much the entire pack,…