alittle rant of mine

tarmix101 said:
That is the EXACTLY opposite of how I meant it. Using your head, and good old fashioned common sense is what will keep out you of a bad situation in the first place. Help you survive a bad one in the second.

Good planning, good kit, and the knowledge on how to implement both is what I was thinking.
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I'm not directing my comment specifically at you or PM, but the type of statement to which I referred is repeated ad nauseum on this forum and many times its used as a counter-argument (at least implied) against even having the sort of discussion this thread addresses -- about what you have with you in the first place. It often goes hand in hand with the line that the best survival knife is "the one you happen to have with you". My point (and here I think you, PM and I are all in agreement) is that I never "happen" to have a knife with me, I choose to carry certain knives, because of where I'm going and what I expect to encounter. The Boy Scout motto, "Be Prepared", still resonates for me many years later. I take that as being prepared in knowledge and in the gear I bring (and how I carry it on my person).

Anyone who grants this point shouldn't have a problem discussing what are the best knife/knives/blades to bring into the wilderness and why.
 
XMP said:
I'm not directing my comment specifically at you or PM, but the type of statement to which I referred is repeated ad nauseum on this forum and many times its used as a counter-argument (at least implied) against even having the sort of discussion this thread addresses -- about what you have with you in the first place. It often goes hand in hand with the line that the best survival knife is "the one you happen to have with you". My point (and here I think you, PM and I are all in agreement) is that I never "happen" to have a knife with me, I choose to carry certain knives, because of where I'm going and what I expect to encounter. The Boy Scout motto, "Be Prepared", still resonates for me many years later. I take that as being prepared in knowledge and in the gear I bring (and how I carry it on my person).

Anyone who grants this point shouldn't have a problem discussing what are the best knife/knives/blades to bring into the wilderness and why.
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Be prepared.:thumbup: Nail on the head to be sure.:thumbup:

Being prepared to me includes knowledge in what you plan on doing as well. Case in point. Built some Penny stoves a few weeks ago. First few times failed miserably. Finally was able to come up with two that worked well. Rather than relying on one (untested) when I really needed it, I tested it first in what I thought were real conditions (cold, half the fuel I would normally use, ect....)

All to often when trouble hits, it's peoples lack of ability, or poor decision making that makes the situation worse. Some people also have a false sense of security due to the latest and greatest gear they may have purchased. That new knife you just paid to dollar for will not save your A**. I see your point XMP. I only mean to point this out. Someone with minimal skill can "choose" to carry the perfect knife for survival, environment, ect.... and still find themselves in deep trouble without the skills to use it.

Too the original poster, that knife can be whatever you're comfortable with. Chopper, 4" belt knife, or a trio of cutlery. As long as you know how to use it.....you're +1 already.


My Grandfather used to say:

"Never walk out your front door without your wallet, pocket knife, and your brain. Too many people walkin' around without all three".

Still makes me laugh.:)
 
XMP said:
It often goes hand in hand with the line that the best survival knife is "the one you happen to have with you". My point (and here I think you, PM and I are all in agreement) is that I never "happen" to have a knife with me, I choose to carry certain knives, because of where I'm going and what I expect to encounter. The Boy Scout motto, "Be Prepared", still resonates for me many years later. I take that as being prepared in knowledge and in the gear I bring (and how I carry it on my person).
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I guess I will stir the pot some myself.

I never use the phrase "the one you *happen* to have with you" but I
frequently use the phrase "the one you have with you".

The statement "the best survival knife is the one you have with you" is
more than what it appears at face value. It is one of those bits of wisdom
that are an open invitation to think more deeply about their meaning.

It is easy to dismiss it as a slogan that people like to throw out to newbies.
The deeper meaning is that the best survival knife is the one that you are
willing to carry and you are willing to train with.

Would you agree that *some* quality knife is better than *no* knife?

Some people think the Farmer is a survival knife. If they are willing to practice
with it and carry it every time they step foot in the woods - more power to
them.

If I am spending the day in the woods I carry a Fallkniven F1. Are there
better "survival" knives? Possibly. However, if they were more expensive
I wouldn't use them as much. If they were larger I wouldn't carry them
as often. So, the F1 is the best survival knife for me.

The same is true in many situations. What is the best CHL weapon? Maybe
a sawed off 870 pump with a pistol grip. :p Ok, maybe a Kimber 1911.

But if you won't train with the Kimber and if you often leave it at home
because it is too hard to conceal, a S&S chief's special is better because
it is the one you will have with you when the SHTF.

This is just my opinion and opinions are hard to prove wrong, so yeah
this is mostly :jerkit: :jerkit: :jerkit:
 
tarmix101 said:
My Grandfather used to say:

"Never walk out your front door without your wallet, pocket knife, and your brain. Too many people walkin' around without all three".

Still makes me laugh.:)
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Great quote!

I enjoy the discussions about what the best survival knife that so regularly pop up here; but I'll readily grant that the typical American temptation is to buy competence. Buying a fast car doesn't make one a racecar driver, buying a high-end pistol doesn't make one a great shooter, and buying an expensive knife doesn't make one skilled in the woods. I think Americans (and I include myself here) are tempted to fall into that trap.

Still when I go to the range to practice I'd rather do it with my Ed Brown or Wilson Combat:D
 
XMP said:
Great quote!
Still when I go to the range to practice I'd rather do it with my Ed Brown or Wilson Combat:D
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I hear ya.... and the point is well taken. Skammer and I have gone down this road before. More than once IIRC.

One of these days we all need to get together and hash it out with a knife/skills bonanza.

Logistically would be tough, but would be one hell of a good time.:D
 
tarmix101 said:
I hear ya.... and the point is well taken. Skammer and I have gone down this road before. More than once IIRC.

One of these days we all need to get together and hash it out with a knife/skills bonanza.

Logistically would be tough, but would be one hell of a good time.:D
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Sounds like a good idea. We need a Rocky Mountain Gear Testing Rendezvous! I'm sure that would put all these threads to rest:D
 
These "best knife" threads are always great! I have to say that anybody who says "this is the best survival knife" is a fool though. Many highly respected and extremely experienced survival instructors choose knives that may not be the best choice for me. Does that make it a bad knife? Hell no. But I won't argue anyones point that they have found their perfect knife. You don't have to convince ME that your choice is the best, as long as it works for YOU. I don't know what you plan to do with your knife, everyones needs and wants are different.
 
One's favorite or 'best' survival/bushcraft/etc knife should be a tool that fits their particular and unique set of skills, rather than the other way around. Some are attracted aesthetically to one or the other and tend to let that decide what skills they accumulate and practice.

I have both big blades and small blades, and I try to be well rounded enough to be comfortable with either or both. That way, mood can decide what comes with me on an outing. They're ALL fun.
 
Wow, you guys posted this one up. Lots of good points.

If you guys were wondering where I got my opinion from; I have spent my whole life in the woods eather hunting, backpacking or just finding new trails.

I have tried small blades and axes and also big choppers but the only blades I find useful is a good 6-8in thick blade with a sak or multi tool.

My original post was to try to point out distinctions between those blade types and their uses.
 
I would love to jump in and offer an opinion on bush knives etc., BUT I am more of a river rat! Spend most of the summer up and down rivers with a medium jon boat setting catfish lines and fishing, soooo the knife that I carry the most in a "wilderness" setting is a 9 inch fillet knife! Nothing like pulling over to a gravel bar for a little r&r and making a fire, etc... I think several people have said it best when they have said use what works for you....most of us simply enjoy the outdoors in one way or another, and I am not too worried about "labeling" what I am doing or even the tool I am using as long as it works in the situation I am in...

Let's simplify it even one step farther. On this forum we like knives, gear and the outdoors!!!!
 
mckrob said:
I am not certain where this came from, but speaking as someone who works out of aircraft/helicopters, I don't think I have ever been onboard an aircraft that didn't have an axe as part of the standard survival gear.

I agree with many of your other points, infact most people that make a living in the bush are actually not too concerned with their knife, everyone has one, but not too many people get excited over what they carry (like us knife lovers), it's usually just a Leatherman or a sak.
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I agree - it's not that long ago that bush planes up here were legally required to have an axe on board.

I have a yard guard - same as the hook, without the useless hook on the back where it's in the way for lots of stuff - and it's okay. It does not do half the work my tuned Wetterlings axe does, of course, and it weighs half a pound less. I often carry it on my belt when I hike.

There are uses for big knives, small knives, and axes in survival, and people that can't see that don't know much about survival or living in the bush!
 
^ I have handled both of them and the hook does not get in the way. It also isnt useless, it can be used for some prying and untying knots.

Thanks for all of the replys and opinions!
 
At least this hasn't turned into a mora vs chopper war.
Use what you like and find what works best for you.
The region you are in plays a big part to.
In some regions an axe makes much more sense then a big chopper or machete, in others machetes and their ilk rule.
I personally don't know anyone that camps or 4x4's in my area that doesn't have an axe and/or saw with them (not counting day hikes)
However further south the situation would be different
I am not wrong for doing this in my region and a guy from the deep south may not be wrong for choosing a machete instead.

Pick what's right for you and what works in your region
 
coyotebc said:
At least this hasn't turned into a mora vs chopper war.
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That's why I went with the "no knife" position today. :p No knife v. no knife = no argument!

Plus, we're survival types. We open beer with our teeth, right??!!!:D
 
just to satisfy this tangent; :jerkit:, since I brought it up:
I would never reply to another guy's thread with an insult to him, so my :jerkit: has nothing to do with what I think of any particular person here. I hope I didn't insult anyone, and if I did, :o.

As Brian mentioned earlier, (thanks Brian, you picked up what I was putting down) I was likening the semantics of categorization to mental masturbation, hence :jerkit:, and trying to point out the fact that your knives don't define you. You define yourself, and your choices in knives- or anything else for that matter- can be wide open to all sorts of possibilities.

It's a shame to limit oneself to only one kind of knife, especially in places where you can use them, like the wilderness, which accepts every and all kinds with open arms.

Storage is the final frontier:D
 
macgregor22 said:
^ I have handled both of them and the hook does not get in the way. It also isnt useless, it can be used for some prying and untying knots.

Thanks for all of the replys and opinions!
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I have also used both...my experience is different but to each their own. I find it at best useless but generally in the way for choking up and some pushcutting.
 
SolarPort_IridiumCharging_352304.jpg


What are you guys, Grizzy Adams throw-backs? Welcome to the 21st century. :D


And don't give me the 'all the satellites are down' scenario... They're made of INFI! ;)
 
macgregor22 said:
Wow, you guys posted this one up. Lots of good points.

If you guys were wondering where I got my opinion from; I have spent my whole life in the woods eather hunting, backpacking or just finding new trails.

I have tried small blades and axes and also big choppers but the only blades I find useful is a good 6-8in thick blade with a sak or multi tool.

My original post was to try to point out distinctions between those blade types and their uses.
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Thats the problem your knife is based on your experiences... not everyone lives the same, in the same area, same physical build, same up bringing or same thoughts.
I also noted in your first post that you said that bushcraft guys said whittling was important in survival... uhhh Ive never heard that. Ive only heard that their knives are slicers... and just because it slices well doesnt mean its weak either. There are some pretty stout bushcraft knives out there.
 
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