Description
Svord Peasant Knife Wood. 6 5/8inch closed. Hardened and tempered high carbon tool steel blade. Extended blade tang allows for one hand opening. Brown wood handle. Designed and produced by B.W. Baker. The Peasant Knife is based on models used in Bohemia and Bavaria 300-400 years ago. Made in New Zealand
Phil Price – Airgun World Magazine –
Do you think that you’ve seen everything there is to see when it comes to knives? Well, unless you’re 400 years old and from Bavaria, it’s unlikely you’ve seen one of these, because that’s where this design originates. This simple yet clever knife is made in New Zealand of all places, and caught the eye of Welsh knife specialists http://www.sportingcutlery.com, who immediately fell in love with it. The reason it’s so simple is that it relies on friction to control the blade, so there are no springs, locks or levers and although it doesn’t lock, it cannot fold shut during use.
This is because the blade has an extension tang that sits inside the handle when the blade is extended and because it’s there, and inside your grip, the knife simply cannot close. The friction is easily adjusted with a slothead screw, allowing you to choose a setting that suits your needs in seconds. The blade shape is a nice deep belly drop-point, excellent for all gutting and butchering duties, with the blade being made from carbon steel rather than a stainless steel alloy. There are two main reasons for this. One is cost. Carbon steel is as cheap as chips. The second is that it’s easy to sharpen and keeps an edge better than any inexpensive stainless ever could. Any knife designed to work hard needs a good edge that lasts and doesn’t need special tools or stones to get the edge back.
The handle is comfortable with no odd lumps or bumps and the synthetic material has a slight surface texture to add grip. On the subject of the handle, you can choose from the bright orange one on test, black synthetic or wood, all at the same price which it has to said, is remarkably low. I guess its most direct competitor is the classic French Opinel but the Svord has some advantages in my eyes. As it doesn’t lock, it complies with the legal carry law and the friction adjustment feature is superior to the Opinel. They share the carbon steel blade idea through, and are priced similarly.
The choice of steel is at the heart of any knife, and the high-carbon tool steel chosen here has been hardened and tempered to make the very best use of its properties. This type of metal is more flexible than a stainless steel alloy of a similar price and is therefore less likely to chip or snap. It can also be sharpened and honed to a fantastically keen edge, something which many stainless steel alloys never achieve.
The extension tang has another trick up its sleeve, in making this knife a one-handed opening and closing tool. For field use, I consider this absolutely vital in a modern hunting knife, which is quite funny when you remember that this is a 400 year-old design. I guess you could say the Bavarians were somewhat ahead of their time! The end of the tang has a loop built in that allows the knife to be attached to a lanyard around your neck, attached to your belt or perhaps your rucksack – whichever way, giving instant access to the one-handed opening.
All these features are truly well thought out and prove that this is a proper working tool designed and built for hard use in the field. OK, it ain’t pretty, and the standard of finish isn’t exhibition quality, but who cares? This is a knife for country folk who use their kit every day and use it hard. They need inexpensive reliable knives that are safe, reliable and sharp and the Svord Peasant ticks all those boxes with ease.
Our sample has the bright orange handle, which is a great idea in my opinion. If you were to drop it in the grass or put it down and forget where, the colour will draw your eye every time, making it a hard tool to lose. However, lets face it we’ve all lost kit over the years and the fact that the standard Peasant only costs £14.95 means it wouldn’t break your heart or wallet if you lost it. It’s nice to see a well-made knife that will do its job without fuss or drama. SC tell me they’re selling well with many customers buying one and then calling back to buy more, as gifts for friends and co-workers and to have them as spares to be left in their 4×4 or shooting jacket. The Svord Peasant really does what it claims and at a bargain price which I think sees it as a classic in the making.