Bushmaster® Bushcraft Explorer Knife - Fixed Blade

I've had this knife for 2 months, used it several times and am more than satisfied with it. First, its a really good looking knife, in my opinion. Second, it feels very good in my hand. Third, its very sharp. Fourth, the sheath is excellent. Fifth, can't beat the price. I'd buy it again as a gift.

I love the convenience of a good horizontal carry fixed blade knife, so I had to check out this one. Even though the measurements are clearly noted in the description, it's longer than I originally though. However, it's not so long that it's combersome or awkward to wear horizontally. The edge of the blade came sharp enough to shave the hair off my arm, it's evenly beveled, pointy and very sturdy. The blade is much thicker than the photo leads one to believe, which is a good thing. After several aggressive cutting and chopping tests on a dried tree branch, it held its edge just fine, which I would expect from 1095 carbon steel. It's even stamped "1095 HIGH CARBON STEEL" on the backside. The scales are symmetrical, very nicely finished, without cracking or chipping and are tightly secured to the tang with smoothly peened, solid brass pins. The hollow brass lanyard hole is nicely done, as well. Also, it feels good and secure in my hands with plenty of room to grip. The sheath is made with a good quality, pliable leather, has a decent leather welt and is securely stitched and riveted. Although I don't believe I'll use them, the hollow rivets are a nice addition that would aid in lashing it to something. It wears securely both vertically and horizontally. The snap closure that secures the knife in the sheath snaps together good and tight. Considering the overall quality of the materials used and workmanship in relation to the price, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this knife to anyone looking for a quality Bushcrafting knife.

This is a very good knife and a good value. Nice heft, sturdy, full tang construction. Tang is nearly 3/16" thick. Wood grips look great and fit the hand well. Sheath is also sturdy, good looking, sewn and riveted, real leather and very well fitted to blade. Only 2 small nitpicks: backbone of tang had very minor discolored spots, and also as a southpaw I haven't found a natural comfortable way to draw the knife from its sheath. That said, this is still one of my top 3 favorite sheath knives, the others being a Remington Drop point and a Genuine Ontario brand Air Force survival knife purchased at a PX in the 1980s. I'm very pleased with this Bushmaster. Carbon steel blades are not rustproof, to take good care of yours with a light film of Rem Oil, mineral oil, or any light oil and it will only get better with age.

When received this knife, it had some rust on the spine of the blade. NO BIG THING. I cleaned it good and gun blued it. Rust gone. This knife is a perfect size for any bush craft task. SHARP, SHARP, SHARP right out of the box. The sheath had a crack in the leather strap that goes around the sheath. No Problem. I soaked it in mink oil for about an hour. Problem solved. All in all, I love it and yes I would recommend it to my friends. I love the entire knife, Stoutness of the Blade all the way to the wooden scales. A beautiful knife that will last me the rest of my life.

Great! I am well satisfied with my purchase that I have ordered 2 more for friends. Would have loved to have had this blade during military career.

The knife came in just a bit dull but a couple of passes on the wet stone, it was razor sharp. The sheath is very good quality. Will be using it for some yard work tomorrow.

the knife is ok, i'm using it in my shop. it takes an edge well, the real deal is the sheath. I've been looking for a good sheath for my custom hunting knife and this one is perfect, well made, good quality. i'm thinking of buying another one for a handmade knife I have. money well spent.

Best money I've ever spent.

Just received mine today!! VERY Impressed! Its a Workhorse of a Blade and the Sheath is REAL Leather! Cant beat the Quality of this knife for the Price!! Very Good Purchase!!

I am by no means an expert, but I ordered this knife for the sheath, and I am glad I did. The knife itself is of high quality... Durable and ergonomic!!! And the sheath is honestly of great quality!!! I fully intend to order several of these as gifts for my brothers and my best friends. You wont be disappointed, especially at this price.

I have many knives.... some expensive, others not so much. This knife is the best value of any knife I own. I have beat this knife to death and can't seem to hurt it. The durability plus the sheath... make it ridiculously low priced. I'm gonna order another couple. Its a no brainer. ????

This is a very good knife both in functionality, and looks. It came shaving sharp right out of the box. It is very comfortable in hand, and the fit and finish is very good too. It's a good knife even if it was twice the price! I would put this knife up against any normal production bushcraft style knife under $100. The sheath alone is worth the price Most knives nowadays seem to come with either cheap nylon sheaths, or shoddy made low quality leather, but not this one. The sheath is awesome. The knife snaps in almost like it was kydex, the leather is of pretty decent quality as well, and it is constructed good. The stitching is even, and it feels quite sturdy. I would easily pay $30 for the sheath alone. I own many knives of all price ranges, and I would match this one against any of my other more expensive 1095 steel knives of this size, style, and intended use designs. It's refreshing to see a well built product, made with quality materials, at a price anyone can afford. Good job Bushmaster, and good job BUDK!

Great item, one of the best from Budk

A hell of a great knife. Beautiful, sharp working knife with a fantastic sheath. Sharp enough to shave, right out of the box. Might buy another to keep as a spare.

Very sharp right out of the box. Sign of good knife. Sheath alone is worth the price . Great quality and price. So far it has let me down, work horse of a knife... and I'm picky bout my blades.

I love the convenience of a good horizontal carry fixed blade knife, so I had to check out this one. Even though the measurements are clearly noted in the description, it's longer than I originally though. However, it's not so long that it's combersome or awkward to wear horizontally. The edge of the blade came sharp enough to shave the hair off my arm, it's evenly beveled, pointy and very sturdy. The blade is much thicker than the photo leads one to believe, which is a good thing. After several aggressive cutting and chopping tests on a dried tree branch, it held its edge just fine, which I would expect from 1095 carbon steel. It's even stamped "1095 HIGH CARBON STEEL on the backside. The scales are symmetrical, very nicely finished, without cracking or chipping and are tightly secured to the tang with smoothly peened, solid brass pins. The hollow brass lanyard hole is nicely done, as well. Also, it feels good and secure in my hands with plenty of room to grip. The sheath is made with a good quality, pliable leather, has a decent leather welt and is securely stitched and riveted. Although I don't believe I'll use them, the hollow rivets are a nice addition that would aid in lashing it to something. The two leather straps for horizontal carry attach together with hook & loop rather than the typical snaps, but they are strong, so I don't see a problem. It also has a vertical carry leather belt loop on the back. Horizontally, it wears securely on my belt in several positions. The snap closure that secures the knife in the sheath snaps together good and tight. Considering the overall quality of the materials used and workmanship in relation to the price, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this knife to anyone.

I'm a fan of 1095 steel tempered properly & this knife has a reputation for that. The scandi grind, scout carry sheath & proper overall design for wilderness chores, makes this a good value. The modified coke bottle scales were a pleasant surprise; I didn't think I'd like it that much, so far works fine from my limited use, but really haven't done enough with it to tell if there are any 'hot spots'. I was less happy with some signs of mass production line workmanship, including marring of the leather, uneven finishing on brass pins. Although not terrible by any means at Bud K's price point, I do like wear & tear to reflect "my" history with the knife, not someone else's.

Overall seems like a good knife for it’s purposes but it was sent to me with some corrosion around the tang and blade. Also some chips in the blade. I knew the price was too good to be true.