What knife do you take into the woods?

R

Rameshacklee

Joined
Jun 29, 2006
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I'm kind of new posting here, but I have been reading alot and learned a good deal from this forum. I was wondering though, what do most of you take into the woods with you? Its easy to review this knife or that, but what is the one you like to carry the most and why? I know for myself, I tend to carry a Randall 14 with a stainless steel blade when I camp and hike. It's not too big a knife, covers a range of cutting ability and doesn't shy from punishment. Not to mention, the Randall finger grooved handle just feels so nice in the hand. However, when I do trail work, cutting back branches and stuff, I end up carrying a TOPS Tracker most of the time. Its got a heft and cuts pretty well. So that's my peace. What do other people take with them into the woods?


Rameshacklee O B
 
Not spending much time in deep woods, i carry a Cold Steel Vaquero Grande on our local nature trail and around the lakes. It's good at cutting back small branches and expecially vines and thorns.

Recently, I got a Spyderco Assist and carried that for a while. Even though it is shorter than the Vaquero, it cuts as well.
 
Rameshacklee those are some great knives, the Randal sounds great. I carry a slipjoint sodbuster with me when I go in the woods. If Im going to do serious camping I carry a hatchet. I just like a small hatchet for doing the stuff that the bigs knives do.
 
Depends. It may be a chainsaw, a 3/4 axe, a machete, or some combination. Always a Leatherman since the first one appeared and, for the past couple of years, a yellow mini grip in my pocket.
 
I grab either my Ontario TAK-1 or my 12" OAL khurkri. Both are good for the woods and fairly light on the belt.
 
I always have a few folders in my pocket (some of you nitpickers might consider that I carry more than a few).

When I'm walking around in the woods, I do like a fixed blade. At the moment, my favorite one is:


orig.jpg


Big enough for just about any job, except really hardcore brush clearing.
Small enough for comfortable carrying.
 
Typically I carry a single large locking folder like a Benchmade 710, Buck 110, or Spyderco Pacific Salt, and a Swiss Army knife.
 
Back in 1969 I carried a KaBar on my little trips to the woods (SE Asia). It served the purpose perfectly!
 
Lately it's a combo of these two:

Karasuando Galten (Boar)

Galten.jpg


And a Case 3375 Yellow Delrin Stockman

Case-3375-Stockman-Yellow-D.jpg


Together these two seem to cover any cutting job.
 
I only have a few fixed blade knives...but my newest will be the next one I take into the woods. My Schrade XTimer XT1B, looks like it may do a pretty fair job.
 
My current wilderness knives are:

-a John Greco Explorer - 9.5" blade of carbon (8610?) steel and black micarta handle slabs. OAL roughly 15"
-a Benchmade 551 Griptilian in D2

I prefer a large, stout knife to a hatchet or small axe; for my purposes, a large knife is more versatile. The Grip goes everywhere with me, be it in town or out.
 
I change my outdoor carry a lot, but I usually stick to one fixed blade (with a 4" blade, more or less), a SAK with a saw, a back up folder or pocket fixed blade. If I'm taking any gadget, like a stove, that might need fixing, I add a Swisstool.

Sometimes I just carry a fixed blade and a SAK. This past two weekends I've been using a Case trapper or large stockman, a RAT-3 and a Swisstool Spirit.
 
In the bush or for for any wilderness activities I carry a fixed blade knife on my belt so that it is there when I need it. The boreal forest is thick and full of underbrush making a large knife handy to beat back the brush on trails and so forth. I also carry a couple of good locking folders. A good knife will do most of the tasks a hatchet can, that way I can leave the hatchet back at the camp. Heck we use the splitting axe there and the chainsaw too. Really all you need in the bush are your knives and something to get a fire going as your basic tools.
 
Bark River Woodland for a fixed blade and either a BM Mini Grip 556 or a Case Stockman just like The Last Confererates with CV steel.
 
Depends why I'm going into the woods. If it's just for a casual walk I'd probably just take whatever I'm using as an EDC (currently a BM 940) and a SAK. For a short hike I'll add a Dozier K-1 General Utility or maybe my Dozier Arkansas Traveler which is even lighter. Sometimes I forget it's next to my belt buckle. I used to carry my Randall 14 but I found it to be a bit heavy as a belt knife for just hiking, so it went on the pack instead of on my belt.

Lately the Randall has been replaced by the Fehrman FJ, below with the Randall.
fehrmanrandall.jpg

They're both good knives but as long as the knife is on my pack it might as well be bigger. The Fehrman has a very nice handle geometry and feels very good in my hand and the CPM 3V steel is great for a big knife.

If I'm going into the woods to do some work, I carry an axe (double bit or single depending) and maybe a Stihl chainsaw. Haven't done that in awhile.
 
Depends on where. If here local a good fixed blade capable of doing some chopping and stake making and my Swiss Tool multi tool for the saw blade and other useful tools. My regular everyday carry knife and of course a good pistol capable of both self defense and hunting. Around here a 22LR is plenty most of the time. If in wilder country I may carry something with a bit more knock down power though.

STR
 
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