the definitive knife thread

[wareagle69]

So lets answer all the questions here and now, maybe i can learn something as well.
what i carry is a 2in gerber folding blade, i have been shown by a trapper/hunter how to skin even a moose with such a knife.

the gerber 4in fixed blade i use for a couple of things but it sure helps to split kindling with another peice of wood. i'll explain why
An axe or hatchet as some like to carry to me is of no use in a survival situation, i use my folding saw blade 9in in length it is much safer to use, it uses less energy to cut wood with and is less weight and cumbersome as as i mentioned above much safer to use
As i already said i use a folding saw blade and also carry a bow saw with handle to cut much larger wood
these four blades are compact and durable the 2in is my pocket, the 4in on my belt the 9in also in a kit on my belt and the fixed blade bow say in my day pack all actually lighter than an axe alone and able to handle any situation
so as i have said and will continue to mention is about saftey and the injuries that an axe in the wild can cause.
Now do not misunderstand i own a couple of axes for splitting wood to heat my home with, but i will not use one in the wilds.
I have also said before that i have carried the navy seal buckmaster, the rambo and my kukhri(handmade for me)
So if you can tell the folks here what you carry and why it is effective then we can answer allot of questions asked repeatedly.
also i hope to prove my theories in person with you all some day as to why i carry what i do, but i stand by the 4 i have mentioned-time proven for me
thanks
WE

[Ken]

So it's Friday the 13th. and that's not enough for WE. Instead, he's trying to start a war. :sneaky2:

[wareagle69]

thanks for your input ken that was helpful

[Rick]

I carry an Ontario RAT-7 for the heavy work. I use it to chop and split smaller wood mostly. This is also my combat knife. I carry a Kershaw Blackhorse lockblade folder because I like everything about it. It's handy, well balanced, durable and fits my hand like a glove. It's my medium use knife. I carry a Mora 780 as a utility blade although I really like the HighQ series that Mora just came out with. Since the 780 has been discontinued I might move to the HighQ. I have a Kershaw Onion on my survival key chain and a Ka-Bar BK11 neck knife as a back-up. It's set up using Pict's thread as a model for a neck knife. (I think I said Becker Necker in another thread but it's a BK11.)

I carry a hatchet when I car camp. It's an Estwing Sportsman. I like it for small work but I've been thinking I need to upgrade to something larger for splitting wood. A maul is probably in my near future for car camping.

[crashdive123]

Well, one thing definitive about the definitive knife thread is that I moved it to the knife sub-forum.

You guys just know that Sarge is gonna merge this don't you?:innocent:

[Rick]

You have the 2d Vs. Ken thread and Sarge has the knife thread. I need a hobby I guess.

[canid]

i think everybody should carry the greatest number of the largest knives they can manage without falling over. they should also be shiny, and patterned after weapons from anime shows (http://lankong.blogspot.com/2009/03/buster-sword-advent-children-version.html).

[kyratshooter]

Never send a knife to do an axe's job.

Bet you can build a house with a tack hammer too.

Seems there is not wood other than pine or spruce up there in Canada that falls apart when you look at it or threaten it with a steak knife.

Come down south. We have real wood down here. Campgrounds are littered with big chunks of hickory with knives stuck in them from folks actually thinking they can baton through our wood. I split them out with my axe and sell them at the flea market.

I'll bet you do not carry firearms in the woods either, due to them being dangerous and all. We don't need and accidents or the possibility of them happening, so best leave the guns at home.

Better walk or take mass transit to the forest also. We would not want someone having a wreck while driving to the woods and hurting themselves. Better leave that driving business to the pros, they know best ya know.

[Winter]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/w6f7/three.jpg

Old pic. 1918 bolo modded due to damage. It has micarta scales under the paracord. Good chopper, good for batoning through wood, good draw knife.

Vic trekker. The serrations, being forward, don't interfere with close in work. Those serrations are gone now de to sharpening. Vic saws are awesome for traps, snares, construction, etc.

Gerber fiskars saw/racheting pruner set. The fiskars saw fricken exploded last fall on a hunting trip and my buddy who broke it gave me a wyoming saw which seems more robust. The pruner cuts one inch limbs effortlessly which is nice for making a bough bed, and, they weigh nothing.

It I'm hunting, I carry a small fixed blade. It's just what I prefer for dressing game. Currently, It's either a Guy Stainthorpe Bushcrafter, a Scout knives Nessmuk, or a cryoed 5160 Blackjack Trailguide.

The stainthorpe in my leather. New. Excellent knife. The O1 has patina-ed nicely.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/w6f7/S4021371.jpg
Scout knife L6 nessie. I can't wait for the damn green coating to wear off. It's a fine worker.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/w6f7/003.jpg

[Erratus Animus]

The definitive answer to the definitive knife post is that Knives are tools. So the question that needs to be asked is( in my best Dirty Harry voice)" Do you have the skill to use the tools you have or do you need a different tool? Well do ya..... punk!":innocent:

seriously think about it for a minute. Dont ponder the what if till you have the what is covered. FOR WHERE I LIVE ( dense woods and water) the what is includes tools suited for the environment based on my knowledge of how to use the tool. For my buddy ( read no skills at all which is why i keep him, he makes me look good) He feels he needs to be armed with half a dozen knives ranging size and shape to cover most anything you can think of. They are a security blanket for him and that pretty much all they are because he does not posses the skill to use them in the manner they were made for.

That said I carry a hatchet, small bush knife - 5" blade, and a leatherman charge. I built the hatchet and knife to preform for me in the way I needed them too on a semi daily basis.

on the avg what do you actually do with a cutting tool. Add that up and you will see the direction that will benefit you the most. But what if ..........:spam:

Winter I like that L6 knife. If the coating wont come off send it too me :)

[tsitenha]

I grew up using axes/hatchets, large ones for heavier work, smaller ones for more intrecate work. An ax is a tool to be mastered over a period of time like a knife or a saw.
In the older days most coureur de bois carried both a knife and an ax/hatchet
doesn't have to be 6lbs and 35" long handle
Even Dick Proenneke used the right tools for the job

[randyt]

I reckon it depends on the situation. most of the I time spend in the bush I'm doing something "productive". for example if I'm trapping a axe is very handy for chopping through ice, cutting and driving stakes etc. then there are times I'm out there wildcrafting or generally just hanging out , a axe is really not necessary handy yes. I usually carry a oldtimer stockman pattern folder and a fixed blade knife like a mora or something along those lines. I always have a multi tool like a gerber or leatherman.

firewood and such I use squaw wood and large dead wood. if the wood is to long I burn it in half and half again. I don't see the need to split any wood. a hardwood forest may be a different situation.

needs and concerns are different for different folks. this works for me

[wareagle69]

Never send a knife to do an axe's job.

Bet you can build a house with a tack hammer too.

Seems there is not wood other than pine or spruce up there in Canada that falls apart when you look at it or threaten it with a steak knife.

Come down south. We have real wood down here. Campgrounds are littered with big chunks of hickory with knives stuck in them from folks actually thinking they can baton through our wood. I split them out with my axe and sell them at the flea market.

I'll bet you do not carry firearms in the woods either, due to them being dangerous and all. We don't need and accidents or the possibility of them happening, so best leave the guns at home.

Better walk or take mass transit to the forest also. We would not want someone having a wreck while driving to the woods and hurting themselves. Better leave that driving business to the pros, they know best ya know.

you're new here so you don't know who i am or where i am from or even my background and training so i'll let that statement pass by
that being said you did not mention anything that you carry when going off into the bush, mountains, desert and so on, other than an axe in a campground, don't know, never been to a campground so maybe it is useful there, but after 7 days of rain how are you starting a fire by cutting up a large pecie of wood with an axe? or skinning a rabbit for breaky?

As far as what is said about proper tools for the job i agree 100%, but what about safety and when in the bush on a 1 week trek far from the roads, why carry the extra weight of an axe when there are much better methods.
this thread is not meant as an attack on axes it, it is meant to help evryone understand what to use in what situation.
I heat my home with wood, for that a chainsaw works great then an axe, but i'm not carrying a chainsaw when i go trekking in the bush-see the difference
I am just trying to emphasise the point about the size of the knife my 2in gerber can skin my meal quickly and safely
It is not about being dangerous so don't carry a gun or drive, it is about being 20 miles away from a roadand bleeding profusley because of using the wrong tool or right tool wrongly.

[wareagle69]

i'm trying to think if there is a geographical variation use for knives, having played and lived in the desert, mountains, thick bush. for instance, if i am playing in the painted desert what would i carry vs the swamps in florida vs hanging out in sothern mossouri or the artic tundra.
have not seen dave or cody's show but i do know les and allen and even they have a different opion on carrying an axe into the canadian north, so no matter what i think my neighbor says he will never go into the bush w/o an axe, me i have develped a sytem where i do not need the weight.
for building a cabin an axe is awesome, but how many build a cabin when hiking on the AT trail or where ever

[crashdive123]

While skill with an edged tool certainly plays a part in the equation, I think that environment and desire play a bigger part. I don't carry a machete while hiking, but if I lived in an environment like Pict's, I would. If I carry a larger blade or small axe it mostly because of desire, but would probably not find their way into my pack or onto my belt here I normally spend time. If I lived in a different environment, they may. I have not "needed" a large knife to do what I want to do, but sometimes "wanted" one. Honestly, my go to knives have blades under three inches - but sometimes I'll have something bigger out of desire.

[Rick]

That's a pretty good summation, Crash. We carry what we want to carry.

WE - Don't worry about kyratshooter. There are no mountains, deserts or bush in Kentucky. It's all flat prairie land and the water all runs uphill. He holds a secret desire to be a Hoosier and he's just taking it out on you.

[wareagle69]

i guess what i am looking for in this thread is kind of a breakdown of knives for the newbs that come here. like crash has said and i will echo for me my most useful knife is my 2in gerber, that cost me like 40 bucks if i recall, for everyday use it reigns most useful for me, but it does come down to persoanl likes, just trying to make this an informitive thread of why to carry a small blade or why to carry a chainsaw

[Erratus Animus]

Were I live, work, play, hunt and camp a hatchet is a very intelligent choice. Without it you can get by however you will burn more calories trying to use tools not ideally suited for the task.

A hatchet is very useful. Now dont get ruffled here but listen; you may not yet posses the knowledge to know how useful it can be.

As for what Les and the boys carry and have to say......:spam: and in the words of Forest Gump" thats all I have to say bout that"

Threads that show the legitimate use of a tool would serve ppl better in letting them chose what they need for the chores they anticipate.In our zeal to discuss things lets be careful in drawing lines in the sand. :innocent:

[Justin Case]

I carry what I have, a sharp boot knife, a swiss army knife, a leatherman and a heavy duty ww2 folding machete than is stout enough to use like a short handled axe.

[rwc1969]

I have a bunch of knives, but most are in a place I can't easily get to them.....my back!!!

But, I really just use a folding 1,2 or 3 blade pocketknife and the SAK fireman that I won from Sarge.

For filleting fish I use a Rapala with the plain wood handle and brass pommel. A big one for real big fish and a medium one for everything else.

For deer I use a 3-4" lockblade or a 5-8" fixed blade. My only requirement on the fixed blade is a full tang. I don't know enough about steel types to comment, but prefer one that sharpens easy, doesn't chip or break over one that is harder to sharpen and is prone to chipping and breaking. I prefer non-SS, but do use them as well.

I'd rather have to constantly touch it up than have it be hard to sharpen or break.

I prefer a gentle point rather than a dagger like point, because they tend to not break the tip off.

My knife is a mutli-tool and I use them all well beyond their specs and intended uses. I prefer knives made in the USA, Europe, etc. over ones made in third world countries.

Regardless of the type of knife I like to keep them sharp enough to easily shave with using soap and water. I no longer fully hone my knives, because I use them so much they get dull regardless of how good a hone they have. I do take some of the burs off, usually by just lightening up my strokes as I go. I use a steel?, porcelain, or ceramic V sharpener and touvh them up as I go. I won't use a dull knife and am always aware of the path it will take in case I slip.

The only exception to a sharp knife is my machete, which is about 22-24" long, 4 or so inches wide and a good 3/32 or so thick. It has a broad and nearly round point. I use it to clear shooting lanes, trails to some extent, and branches from trees when hunting deer. It is quite dull, but the weight does the job of hacking thru brush and small saplings/ branches.

I only use an axe or the like when cutting wood for the fireplace, and a splitting maul to split wood, and I don't have a fireplace anymore. I sold my axe and maul at the last garage sale.

[wareagle69]

Were I live, work, play, hunt and camp a hatchet is a very intelligent choice. Without it you can get by however you will burn more calories trying to use tools not ideally suited for the task.

A hatchet is very useful. Now dont get ruffled here but listen; you may not yet posses the knowledge to know how useful it can be.

As for what Les and the boys carry and have to say......:spam: and in the words of Forest Gump" thats all I have to say bout that"

Threads that show the legitimate use of a tool would serve ppl better in letting them chose what they need for the chores they anticipate.In our zeal to discuss things lets be careful in drawing lines in the sand. :innocent:

well to quote mathew quigley
"said i never had much use for one, never said i didn't know how to use it"
you will get to know me if you stick around here and you will soon learn that me and bow are very persistent at doing research and what i have found is the amount of effert put into splitting wood with a hatchet compared to a bow saw is different, i can saw thru faster than a hatchet.
now i am not reffering to an axe that i use at home to split wood with, but who carries that big of an axe on a backpacking trip, sure you might bring it to hunt camp with you, but in my research so far of folks lost in the bush none of them had a long handled axe on them

[Winter]

How is this turning into a debate?

If your toolset works for you and mine works for me, what is the issue?

To each their own. I know people that swear by small knives. My son and I went out to practice building a skunk cabbage leaf shingled shelter the other day and all I brought along was a 4" bladed knife. It worked, but not as hard as I had to. HAHAHA.

I'm used to a big knife. I won't go out without one again.

I am a builder of things in the bush. I enjoy it. It's the thing that steers my tool choices.

Bob has an axe, Ed has a bowsaw, Sven carries a sharp stick. They all spend weeks in the bush a yr. Which one is "right"?

All of them.

[kyratshooter]

you're new here so you don't know who i am or where i am from or even my background and training so i'll let that statement pass by
that being said you did not mention anything that you carry when going off into the bush, mountains, desert and so on, other than an axe in a campground, don't know, never been to a campground so maybe it is useful there, but after 7 days of rain how are you starting a fire by cutting up a large pecie of wood with an axe? or skinning a rabbit for breaky?

As far as what is said about proper tools for the job i agree 100%, but what about safety and when in the bush on a 1 week trek far from the roads, why carry the extra weight of an axe when there are much better methods.
this thread is not meant as an attack on axes it, it is meant to help evryone understand what to use in what situation.
I heat my home with wood, for that a chainsaw works great then an axe, but i'm not carrying a chainsaw when i go trekking in the bush-see the difference
I am just trying to emphasise the point about the size of the knife my 2in gerber can skin my meal quickly and safely
It is not about being dangerous so don't carry a gun or drive, it is about being 20 miles away from a roadand bleeding profusley because of using the wrong tool or right tool wrongly.

Thank you for showing mercy on me and my opinions. that means a lot to me, being new and all, since in post #14 you say the exact same thing I just said.

How come all your recient posts seem to be opinion baiting, change course in mid stream and then you disappear after the argument starts between two other members?

You are a Master, arn't you?

[Erratus Animus]

Faster does not equal easier. Again my point being where I am geographically it is a good choice. You can research all you want but if you are not in that area testing then it matters not. To me its kinda like testing snowshoes in La and saying hey I did not sink in the mud but they sure are clunky and now the neighbors think bigfoot is in their back yard.:laugh: Next time you are in this area and a gator, coon or feral dog attacks I say get to sawing! Firearms are not allowed on reserves out of season here either.

No need to get upset either just making the point whats good for you does not mean everything else is not good for others.

[Erratus Animus]

How is this turning into a debate?

If your toolset works for you and mine works for me, what is the issue?

To each their own. I know people that swear by small knives. My son and I went out to practice building a skunk cabbage leaf shingled shelter the other day and all I brought along was a 4" bladed knife. It worked, but not as hard as I had to. HAHAHA.

I'm used to a big knife. I won't go out without one again.

I am a builder of things in the bush. I enjoy it. It's the thing that steers my tool choices.

Bob has an axe, Ed has a bowsaw, Sven carries a sharp stick. They all spend weeks in the bush a yr. Which one is "right"?

All of them.


WELL SAID WINTER! Kudos

[wareagle69]

Thank you for showing mercy on me and my opinions. that means a lot to me, being new and all, since in post #14 you say the exact same thing I just said.

How come all your recient posts seem to be opinion baiting, change course in mid stream and then you disappear after the argument starts between two other members?

You are a Master, arn't you?

well since you asked, wheres the arguement between two memebers?
and i keep dissappearing cuz i'm trying to get the hay done between rain storms, oh wait i'm gonna disappear agin got another load of hay to do.
and no change of opinion, all i ask if for people to keep an open mind and do research, never just take what someone here says as gospel and move on with it but to always say ok, you say thats the best way, let me go to the bush and see.
even when i learn something from allen i still analzye it several ways to see if that is the best for me

[Winter]

The advice I give to people looking for a knife is simple.

Take any knife out. Use it. Form an opinion on what you like about it and what you don't.

Take that knowledge to select your next knife.

Only problem with this advice is that I am always looking for more out of a knife and have ended up with alot of knives. OK, not really a problem, I love knives. :)

[Batch]

I have an axe, a couple of machetes, and many , many knives. ALL of our camping is what MOST call primitive camping and down here you do not need an axe or a machete.

We start our fires in the back country with pine as a starter and the wood from hard wood hammocks for fuel. Break it between living trees works fine. Burn through the bigger logs.

[kyratshooter]

well since you asked, wheres the arguement between two memebers?
and i keep dissappearing cuz i'm trying to get the hay done between rain storms, oh wait i'm gonna disappear agin got another load of hay to do.
and no change of opinion, all i ask if for people to keep an open mind and do research, never just take what someone here says as gospel and move on with it but to always say ok, you say thats the best way, let me go to the bush and see.
even when i learn something from allen i still analzye it several ways to see if that is the best for me


Next year plant more hay.

How does that much hay grow in northern Ontario up there next to Hudsons Bay? Didn't think they grew crops that far north. Must be the global warming.

[Winter]

Any way you guys can argue somewhere else?

Trying to learn here.