Casstrom no 10 swedish forest knife

Deer Stalking seems to have an endless list of accessories and ‘must haves’ yet, along with binoculars, your choice of knife is of paramount importance. Having no knife when you have a deer to gralloch is bad enough, but a bad knife is not only irritating but potentially dangerous. That’s why a welldesigned and sharp knife is worth its weight in gold. I do tend to use cheap, almost throw-away knives, but there are some excellent knives for under £100 that will give a longer life and sharper edge, plus pride of ownership.

Scandinavian Design

One such knife is the Casstrom No 10 Swedish, a splendidly designed multipurpose knife for hunting, bushcraft and general use by Casstrom with that typical Scandinavian flair and design.

Casstrom is owned by David Bäckström who originally came from Sweden and as well as designing his own knives he distributes a whole line of knife and outdoors accessories.

The knife is quite heavy, but feels very well-balanced in the hand at 185g, which I like as it gives a confident ability to any task it is intended to do. This knife has a distinctive handle design with a semi humped back of 122mm long and 22mm diameter at its widest, where this palm swell cradles the palm and allows the fingers to sit naturally and safely. It is secured by three brass pins and has a brass ferrule through the top end for a sling attachment. Best of all is the availability of the handle in Oak, Bubinga or Micarta so traditionalists and the hygiene conscious have an alternative choice.

I had the Oak version with a nice pale oiled Linseed finish that patinas with age and is separated from the hilt by a single black strip of Micarta either side for definition between stainless blade and oak handle. Only thing I would change is a slightly deeper front guard to stop your fingers moving forward onto the blade.

The blade is 98mm long and 3.5mm thick and made from high-grade Sandvik 14c28N stainless steel which is ground with a flat Scandinavian grind and a satin finish. This steel, in combination with the grind, makes these knives very strong, and very easy to sharpen.

It comes complete in a dark brown, all-leather sheath with well-stitched seams and reinforced ferrules and a deep belt loop for a natural and well-supported carry. The knife fits very snugly in the sheath and they complement each other perfectly.

I have used this knife now on Roe, Fallow and Muntjac deer, as well as numerous rabbits – although it’s a bit big for the latter. I like the way it feels in the hand, it retains a very sharp edge that is easy to re-sharpen when it becomes dull, and I really like the traditional feel to it. I know ‘surgically clean’ knives are all the rage, but high-quality knives like this Casstrom No 10 Swedish are still highly practical in the deer field.

PRICE: £69.99
CONTACT: Casstrom UK 01628 330 330