BeaverCraft is a Ukrainian brand making woodworking tools at affordable prices. This brand has an extensive range. Whether you carve spoons or kuksas, wooden ornaments or funny dolls and other figures: BeaverCraft has got you covered with the right tools. Moreover, besides the tools BeaverCraft also has an extensive collection of accessories and maintenance products. For example, a strop with compound, aprons, finishing materials and they even have outdoor products, such as axes and bushcraft knives. BeaverCraft also makes videos that guide you through every step of your woodcarving project.

BeaverCraft

## Reasons to buy an Ontario Knife Company pocket knife 

Each of the Ontario knives has a no-nonsense vibe. They can handle whatever you throw at them. To achieve this, Ontario uses tough steels for their knives, like carbon steel. Carbon steel is known for its toughness; it can really handle its own. The blades are sharp upon delivery but are also easy to sharpen when the time has come. The knives are mainly produced in the United States and offer excellent value for money. 
 

## Ontario knives: series 

### Ontario RAT knives 

Ontario is known for their RAT knives. Ontario RAT knives were developed in collaboration with Jeff Randall of Randall's Adventure Training. The knives are robust, have a functional design and good value for money. The most popular models are the RAT-1 and RAT-2. The RAT-1 is the original model of the RAT series. It's a sturdy knife for heavy-duty work. The RAT-2 is a smaller version of the RAT-1. The Ontario RAT models have proved to be a great success. 


### Ontario Wraith Ice series 

The Wraith Ice Series from Ontario Knives consists of a range of colourful and translucent handles, including 'fire', 'glacier', 'smoke', 'clear ice', and the latest addition, 'Terrain'. 

 

### Ontario Knives 

Ontario manufactures a very wide range of knives for different target groups; from the military to bushcraft enthusiasts. Good value for money and no-nonsense designs make these knives a popular choice. Unsurprisingly, Ontario's motto is: 'Ontario: The knife you need when you need a knife'. 

 

## Ontario Knives: product types 

### Ontario kitchen knives 

Ontario also produces different types of kitchen knives: from carving knives to butcher's knives and even complete knife sets. 

 

### Ontario outdoor knives 

You can also find a suitable knife for various outdoor activities in Ontario's range. The different types of axes, bushcraft, outdoor, hunting and survival knives are suitable for all your outdoor adventures. 

 

### Ontario pocket knives 

In addition, Ontario also has a large selection of pocket knives. Like the fixed knives, Ontario pocket knives are very robust and can certainly handle heavy-duty cutting tasks. 

 

### History of Ontario Knife Company 

Three men - William B. Ensworth, Charles Albert Brace and William Maudsley - founded the company in 1889 in picturesque Naples, New York. The company's name comes from Ontario County. Originally, knives were made by water power on a sharpening stone and sold from a wheelbarrow in the area. 

 

As the company grew, more space and energy became a necessity. An old mill in Cadiz, near Franklinville, was bought and powered by hydropower from the Ischua Creek. Around 1902, the company moved to Franklinville. On 12 August 1902, the company was officially incorporated and retained the name Ontario Knife Company. 

 

In 1904, the interests of the original shareholders were taken over by the owners of another local knife manufacturer, Empire State Cutlery Company. The two companies were merged in 1905 under the name Ontario Knife Company in Franklinville. The company continued to grow, so they built a new building between 1912 and 1914, which is still in use today. 

 

Ontario Knife expanded its role in the knife industry with membership in the American Cutlery Manufacturers' Association. Today, Ontario Knife Company is known to deliver craftsmanship, durability and reliability, and beloved by knife enthusiasts worldwide.

Ontario

[Roselli](kato://content/migrated_pageid_1227) is a Finnish company that has been producing quality axes and knives for the past 40 years. The company was born, like many of the best knife companies, through a need to create something that was otherwise not available. Heimo Roselli grew up in rural Finland and started creating his own tools, perfecting his blacksmith skills and finding a balance between hardness and flexibility in his steel. He needed tools suitable for fishing, hunting and carpentry around the farm. On their website, they give a little insight into this process, but do not give too much away, in typical Finnish style; keeping their cards close to their chest.


*"Heimo Roselli’s years of refining forging techniques ...which to this day is a secret kept between Heimo and his men at the Roselli workshop in Harmoinen. The Roselli steel has been independently tested many times, and is internationally recognized as the hardest steel in any modern knife - with the UHC (Ultra High Carbon) models measuring about 66 HRC."*


Fast-forward to today, Roselli has established itself as a company renowned for their beautiful tools, with their puukkos and axes crafted in a traditional Finnish style. I have not had the pleasure of owning a [Roselli knife](kato://content/migrated_pageid_1244) (yet!) but I did have the opportunity to get to grips with their short handled axe. The first thing that struck me about Roselli’s axe range is their lack of model types. To some this could be frustrating, however, I believe this lends credence to their philosophy of creating simple tools that provide the user with a multifunctional and versatile tool. So let’s dive into the details.


## The Axe Head


This carbon steel axe has a HRC of about 60 and measures 350mm all in. The head itself is very thick! One of the chunkiest I have used in an axe of this size, with about 90% of the steel being found in front of the eye rather than on the butt end. The back of the head is built with a small swell for hammering duties. The thickness and the angle of the cheeks has a double use in that it prevents the axe from getting stuck and lends to a very wide wedge for splitting. It also carries a lot of weight needed to deliver effective splitting action. This is very important, especially considering how short the handle of this axe is. I found this an interesting style that I had not used before and I found the weight to be very evenly distributed. Initially, when I saw how little material existed at the butt end, I was a little sceptical. However, this shape really works!

Roselli Axes | Review by Padraig Croke

Roselli Axes | Review by Padraig Croke

There are so many necessary fundamental skills for a woodsman to have in their arsenal. From fire lighting, to camp craft, water purification and knotmanship, just to name a few. It can be overwhelming when you start your outdoors journey to know where your focus should lie, and what skills you should master. With that being said, arguably, one of the most fundamental skills any bushcrafter or outdoor enthusiast can focus on is tool maintenance.  


## Sharpen your skills


With the right knowledge and practice, a belt knife or an axe is going to allow you to thrive comfortably in the woods, making it possible to construct or craft anything you  may need around camp and in some cases can mean the difference been having a fire to cook on and purify your water to going to bed cold and hungry.  


This is why it’s important that tools are kept sharp, clean and ready for any job thrown at them. A dull knife or axe is more dangerous than a sharp one, with unnecessary force  and pressure used with the tool, slipping and messing up is a lot more likely. Incurring an injury due to lack of tool maintenance is inexcusable to a woodsman. As the old saying goes; “look after your tools and they will look after you”.


Yes, it’s true that things like edge geometry, steel compositions and Rockwell hardness are all part of the rabbit hole of knowledge that is outdoor tools, and to some, this may seem like an overwhelming subject to get into. But honestly, with a few basic pieces of understanding, with knowing how your knife or axe was designed and how it should be sharpened, you will be well on your way to hair popping edges on every cutting edge in your house!    There are so many options out there when it comes to sharpening, and everybody will have their preferred way to keep their tools in check. There are everything from traditional Japanese whetstones, industrial diamond coated files, ceramic plates, wet and dry sandpaper and Arkansas Stones to name a few.

Skerper Arkansas Stones: Expert Review by Padraig Croke

The market for survival tools is huge! Preparedness and self-reliance, terms that used to feel ridiculous, are taken a lot more seriously these days. This opens up a market and a potential to sell to an entirely new base of people. But an axe is simply an axe, quite literally one of the oldest tools known to man. And yet, companies are still coming up with new models, and new ways for us to chop our firewood and build our fences. The Gerber Bushcraft axe and hatchet models are an interesting hybrid, floating somewhere between the functionality and practicality of a traditional Fiskars style axe, something we’ve seen before from Gerber, but with the ‘tacticool’ aesthetic choices we’ve come to expect from their knives. What I wanted to know was whether this was a high quality axe with a cool paint job, or just a bells and whistles attempt to build a product no one asked for. So let’s take a closer look at these new models and see how they hold up to the task at hand!

Gerber Bushcraft Axe and Hatchet | Review by Padraig Croke

Gerber Bushcraft Axe and Hatchet | Review by Padraig Croke

The [Fiskars Norden axes](kato://content/migrated_pageid_1049) were one of the most impressive releases of 2019. But are these axes really that good? Bushcraft expert Siegurd van Leusen found out and wrote this expert review. For this review he used the [Fiskars Norden N10 felling axe](kato://product/F1051143).


## First impressions


Fiskars is mostly known for its characteristic, orange-black, with glass-fibre reinforced plastic FiberComp handle. For the Norden N10, however, Fiskars opted for a wooden look and feel. Great, because I don't think any axe enthusiast will love the plastic look. You read it well: love. It is not the most important aspect, of course, but the eye wants something too. The axe looks chic, which is mostly the result of the wooden handle in combination with the carbon steel axe head and the steel ring in between the head and the handle.


When it comes to strength and durability, you need a Fiskars axe. During the chopping courses we teach, we always explain that if you are looking for an axe that requires little to no maintenance, it is best to purchase a Fiskars axe. Unbreakable, indestructible and easy. Nothing can beat a Fiskars.


But with the launch of the Norden collection, Fiskars introduces a handle that is partly made from hickory wood. When I held the axe for the first time I was immediately enthusiastic. I did, however, also immediately wonder: how's the handle holding up if I use it? I love wooden handles - that is an understatement - but I also care about sustainability.


Wood is stunning, but let's be frank: how many handles did I have to replace in the past? Every year I organize dozens of lumber clinics for people who have no experience when it comes to chopping wood, so axes regularly break due to misuse.


In short: wood is beautiful, but also vulnerable. Especially if you don't know how to handle it. The Norden collection, however, is unique. The handle namely consists of one part hickory wood and one part FiberComp. We will test it to find out how this works.


Thanks to the FiberComp construction the axe head is integrated in the handle and will therefore not let go. A FiberComp handle absorbs vibrations and increases the grip and the comfort as you use the axe. The glass-fibre reinforced plastic FiberComp handle of a Fiskars axe is stronger than a handle that is merely made from wood. A wooden handle will break, with a FiberComp handle you can keep going.

Fiskars Norden N10 | Expert Review by Siegurd van Leusen

You often see it in YouTube reviews: batoning with a fixed knife. Large and small knives are 'violently' put to the test. But is that a good idea? Why would a knife be able to handle this, or not? We explain!


## What is batoning?


Batoning is splitting a piece of wood by hitting another piece of wood (the baton) on the knife. The knife is used as a wedge. As such you can easily end up with small pieces of wood for wood carving projects and for lighting fires.

Batoning with a fixed knife

Enthusiasts will know who ’Nessmuk’ was and what he meant for modern bushcrafting. Our own bushcrafter Padraig Croke tested the ‘Nessmuk system’ for us with a [Hultafors Ekelund](kato://product/HF841710) axe, [ESEE JG5](kato://product/EE-ESEE-JG5) fixed blade and [LionSteel BestMan](kato://product/LI-BM13-UL) folding knife.


In my [last piece of writing for Knivesandtools](kato://content/migrated_topic_587) I spoke about tool combinations, and choosing the right items for the tasks you may find yourself doing, as well as the type of terrain or woodland you are heading for. This is a topic I personally find fascinating, and I am always interested to see peoples tool combinations, and why they carry what they do. With the seemingly endless array of choices available to us outdoors people today when it comes to tools and brands, the task of finding the right combination that works for you can seem daunting. Survival knife or bushcraft knife? Axe or hatchet? Should I bring a saw?


*The Nessmuk Trio* was a tool combination pioneered by a man named George Washington Sears. Also known as Nessmuk, Sears was a woodsman and early conservationist from the late 1800s, and is regarded, alongside Kephart, as one of the grandfathers of modern bushcraft. His book, entitled *Woodcraft and Camping*, has been in print ever since its publication in 1884, and remains a staple in any book collection. Many, including myself, have poured over his work and attempted to digest and recreate his kit and tools, and today he remains one of the most influential figures in the bushcraft world. Nessmuk believed that his combination of tools (a belt knife, hand axe and pocket knife) could complete any task he needed to accomplish while out in the field. In this article I would like to look at this combination. Not just how it is relevant in today’s outdoor pursuits, but also how we might modify it to suit the types of tasks the modern outdoorsman finds himself working at today.

The Nessmuk Trio: A modern take by Padraig Croke

As a nature enthusiast I often spend a great deal of my time in the woods and mountains to observe and film the Parc de Chartreuse. During my adventures I prefer to use tools that are reliable and look great. When I first held the Fiskars Norden N10 I immediately noticed one thing: this axe feels like the Fiskars X10. The difference? The N10 is enhanced with a wooden handle.

Fiskars Norden N10 | Expert Review by Nicolas from Chartreuse Nature

## Differences between the Benchmade Puukko and Leuku


### Blade length and shape


The most striking difference is, of course, the length of the blade. The Puukko is 9.5 cm long and is therefore also great for fine wood carving tasks. It is enhanced with a slightly more pointed tip for the precise tasks.


The Leuku is 13.2 cm long and, as such, about a third longer. It also has more of a 'belly' in its edge. Especially hunters will appreciate this as they gut game. The longer blade makes it also more suited for batoning wood.


## Which of the two will you choose?


They are so similar that making the right choice could be tricky. But we do have some advice: will you also take an axe with you for the more demanding tasks? If so, go with the [Benchmade 200 Puukko.](kato://product/BE200) Will you only bring your knife? That is when the [Benchmade 202 Leuku](kato://product/BE202) will be the best choice, because you can also use it for batoning and such because of its longer blade.

Benchmade Puukko vs Leuku: battle of the bushcraft knives

Bushcraft enthusiast Padraig Croke has been using the [ESEE Izula](kato://content/migrated_pageid_884) for many years. He’s the perfect person to tell us about his long term experiences with the ESEE Izula in this Expert Review.


I have had the Izula II for a number of years now, and it has become a really solid part of my kit. At 4mm thick and with a comfortable 4 inch handle, it’s a lot more knife than it first appears. The Izula II was my first “non traditional” bushcraft knife. Having only dealt with scandi grinds up to that point, the Izula was my first introduction to a flat grind blade and ultimately led to a love affair with [ESEE knives](kato://content/migrated_pageid_356).


## Why carry a companion blade?


Often times, when packing for a trip or a day hike the choice of tools comes down to the pairing of certain combinations. For example, if I was to take my [Morakniv Garberg Carbon](kato://product/MO13147) blade with me, a perfect companion to this could be a simple [Mora 106 carving blade](kato://product/MO106-1630), or my [Eldris](kato://content/migrated_pageid_449?ms_fk_zm-series=%5B%27Eldris%27%5D&Category=0ee353ea-8981-44f3-9d0a-fbf0881dbc09), which is stainless. The question I ask myself is, what am I doubling up on here? Is there a reason I would choose to carry this blade over that one, and what do I plan to do when I’m out? Is it a craft based camp, or am I just going for a hike and some lunch? What type of woodland am I going to and what type of tools are going to be needed to process wood. If I was in a coniferous woodland for example, then maybe I would not need a heavy processing tool like an axe with me, as a saw and a large belt knife would maybe prove more effective. My small tinder and kindling sources in a woodland like that are most likely going to be processed by hand, gathering bundles of resinous branches off the forest floor or between the crooks of the trees. Or if my material is marginal… some light batoning and feathersticking. Carrying a larger knife in this instance would make sense, as the lack of an axe might limit your options, should you need to process something larger or split logs down. On the other hand, a broadleaf forest will consist of harder, denser woods that will burn much longer but will require larger tools to process it, such as a bow saw and a hatchet or small axe. In that case, the carrying of a hatchet would mitigate the need to carry a larger knife.


When it comes to carrying a companion blade or “neck knife”, I have found the ESEE Izula II finding its way into my kit on almost every trip since I’ve bought it, about two years ago, becoming one of my most beloved tools to carry. Paired with a larger knife, such as my [Fällkniven S1X](kato://product/FKS1X) or [ESEE PR4](kato://product/EE-ESEE-PR4), the Izula can really deal with the more nimble of tasks required of a blade in the field. Food processing is a little tricky, due to the thickness of the blade, but ferro rod striking, notching and carving, and cutting cordage are tasks I regularly assign to the Izula II. Of course we all love our primary belt knives, but in reality I have found when I carry a neck knife like the Izula II, it’s often more than enough to tackle basic camp chores.

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