I haven't seen a thread on the CS Bushman recently. IMO this is a great concept for a wilderness knife in that it can be made into a formidable spear easily capable of defense against man or beast or killing large animals. I have two of them, a large and a small. I find the small knife is a really good blade to have along. I gave this one to my daughter because I wanted her to have a means of defending herself if something happened to me.
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The knife is not without its defects. The round profile handle and socket shape combined with the slick surface of the finish could be a problem in wet hands. A simple cord wrap tends to loosen up quickly in use. I have seen may solutions to this problem. Mine is just one of many possibilities.
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I first wrapped the handle in rubber grip tape. This tape is the kind that sticks to smooth surfaces and itself. It also provides a solid base of friction for an additional cord wrap. If the cord is removed at some point you still have a non-slip surface.
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As you can see in the photo I added a finger guard made from a simple aluminum rod under the cord wrap. This does two things, it guards the finger but also changes the shape of the handle allowing you to index the blade easily. I am much more comfortable allowing my kids to use the knife like this.
The original sheath left much to be desired. I found this sheath at a flea market and it fit perfectly. Sorry I don't have a source for these. I have never found a way to make good use of the hollow handle for some form of kit. I have mine stuffed with a BSA Hotspark and a supply of braided Jute twine that has been lightly treated with Vaseline. This is a friction fit but very tight, you really have to tug hard to get it out.
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To attach the knife as a spear point I use a screw eye that stays laced to the sheath. Once you have the spear shaft fitted, align the blade where you want it and mark where the hole falls on the shaft. Shove the tip of the knife into the mark to start the hole and turn the screw eye in using a small stick.
Hiking with a spear or having one in camp can be dangerous. I always cut the shaft taller than my head so the point will always be above me when walking. I have seen people attach these to shorter walking sticks setting themselves up to get impaled in a fall. The original sheath is very handy as a blade cover if you have made the knife into a spear. In camp I leave the blade covered and the spear propped up in a place where it won't fall over. Never leave an uncovered spear on the ground or someone will kick the blade through their ankle. Mac
