Review by Nick Rositano 

Bryan Baker, Master Cutler, first started making knives as a hobby in his teenage years. After being made redundant in 1983 by his engineering firm at just 18 years of age, he decided to turn that hobby into a business. But the way he individually forged his knives meant they were expensive, so to increase his chances of making it in the New Zealand market, he had to revise his production methods and pricing. By doing so, SVORD Knives created a name for itself in New Zealand’s sporting arena. 

As his designs improved, SVORD Knives grew in popularity in other countries as well, including Australia, USA and several other countries. SVORD Knives are 100 per cent handcrafted in New Zealand. The knives are warranted for life against material failure, which gives you an insight on just how well made and respected these knives are. There really aren’t many products in today’s market which offer a warranty like this. 

SVORD Peasant Hunter featuring a polypropylene handle, giving the user a comfortable and steady grip! Easy to fold and pack away! 

When I began unboxing the three knives The Report was sent for review, I was thoroughly impressed with the quality and craftsmanship of each knife. I was sent a Peasant Knife, a Kiwi Curved Skinner 6” and a General Purpose 6¼”. Each knife has its own use, but I found the Peasant Knife to be a perfect all-rounder for its compatibility. The Kiwi Curved Skinner 6” and General Purpose both come standard with a heavy-duty black sheath able to be attached to your belt for easy carrying. Both the Peasant and Curved Skinner feature a durable polypropylene handle available in a range of colours. All three models of knives feature Swedish high carbon tool steel blades, as a few of you would be aware that carbon steel blades are well known for having a high wear resistance, which helps keep edges sharper as opposed to stainless steel blades. Whether you are a hunter, fisherman or general outdoors person, you can well make whatever knife suit your individual circumstances. 

My freezer was running low, so I decided to head out to stock up on some prime free-range venison. I put the Peasant Knife and the Curved Skinner in my pack, with the aim of landing a nice spiker or doe. I headed out early in the morning, with the glorious sounds of mother nature, which take your breath away every time. I spotted a couple fallow does feeding at around 150m away… 

SVORD Kiwi 6” Skinner featuring a black sheath with belt holder capability. 

It was now time to do the groundwork and put both the Peasant Skinner and Kiwi Skinner to use. I decided to start the dressing process with the Peasant Skinner followed by the Kiwi Skinner. Let’s just say the SVORD Knives really do make it easy work compared to some other knives on the market. The biggest tip I could offer to anybody new to hunting and who is looking at field dressing is to always sharpen your knives before or after every trip to ensure the best possible performance out of them; we all know just how difficult and more time consuming a blunt knife can make the job! 

To get the best wear out of your knives, SVORD recommends using a wooden chopping board rather than a plastic one. Handwash the knife in warm, soapy water after use and then dry it thoroughly to prevent any rust. However, we know that in some cases this can be a little difficult to get every drop of water out of the blade, so if any surface rust does develop, SVORD recommends a Scotch Brite scouring pad to gently clean it away. Another good habit to get into is, if you know you won’t be using the knife for a while, put a small amount of olive, gun or vegetable oil to build a protective layer against any rust. For sharpening purposes, a diamond sharpener or oil stone should be used. SVORD never recommends the use of a pull-through knife sharpener, as this will destroy the cutting edge of the knife and your investment. To test sharpness of a blade, I recommended slicing through a sheet of paper. A sharp blade will cut through like butter; however, if the blade is blunt, it will catch or rip. This method was passed down to me by my late father. 

The Peasant Hunter retails for around $30, which is quite affordable for a knife that is backed by a lifetime warranty. The Curved Skinner retails for $140 and, in my opinion, is a great investment for anybody in the market for a knife that will stand the years in field dressing. The SVORD General Purpose is on the higher end of the SVORD offerings, with its mahogany handle, retailing for around $150.  

SVORD General Purpose featuring a mahogany brass handle, black sheath and belt holder capability. 

Anyone looking for a good quality knife should be sure to have a look at the SVORD range; I can assure you that you won’t be disappointed. 

The Svord range is available to shop here – https://theknifevault.com.au/collections/svord