Almost any knife, within reason, can be used as a bushcraft/survival knife—do you agree?

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It's true that many different types of knives can be used for camping and other outdoor tasks. It seems to me that if you have a good hatchet, then a smaller less robust knife can be sufficient for outdoor, bushcraft sorts of tasks. But having the right tool makes things easier and not everyone has a hatchet every time they go camping, so there is definitely a place for bushcraft knives, depending on one's exact needs.
 
bowman47 said:
It's true that many different types of knives can be used for camping and other outdoor tasks. It seems to me that if you have a good hatchet, then a smaller less robust knife can be sufficient for outdoor, bushcraft sorts of tasks. But having the right tool makes things easier and not everyone has a hatchet every time they go camping, so there is definitely a place for bushcraft knives, depending on one's exact needs.
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FWIW, if you need to cut a branch to make a fire, a wire saw of sufficient length is really all you need.

I never made an open fire when I went backpacking but I always carried a couple wire saws w/me in case of an emergency but I never carried a hatchet or anything heavier than an SAK (for a knife) because, when you go backpacking, weight matters.

But, if you have bigger plans than that just making a small fire w/a few twigs, they also make "rope" chain saws which IMO would still be better than carrying a hatchet. 🤷‍♂️
 
Mannlicher said:
a sharp rock will do, if you have the skill to use it.
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I definitely do not lol.

I’ve seen vids online of folks making do with rock knives to prep firewood, kindling, etc. Makes me appreciate even ‘basic’ knives that come in 1095 or Aus8.
 
sgt1372 said:
FWIW, if you need to cut a branch to make a fire, a wire saw of sufficient length is really all you need.

I never made an open fire when I went backpacking but I always carried a couple wire saws w/me in case of an emergency but I never carried a hatchet or anything heavier than an SAK (for a knife) because, when you go backpacking, weight matters.

But, if you have bigger plans than that just making a small fire w/a few twigs, they also make "rope" chain saws which IMO would still be better than carrying a hatchet. 🤷‍♂️
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You might want to carry a hatchet where you live 😂😂
 
Yup, the knowledge is important and the know how to use it with the tools you got….i have heard. 😀
 
cbach8tw said:
Yup, the knowledge is important and the know how to use it with the tools you got….i have heard. 😀
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Yes, you don’t need a chainsaw, you need someone with a chainsaw who knows how to use it properly.

N2s
 
I'm of the school that any knife would be a blessing if one needs to be out in the woods for an extended period, for whatever reason. That said, I do feel the more specialized a knife is, the less useful it is, other than for its intended purpose. For that reason, I most often carried a two-blade folder or a camp/scout knife. A buck 112 is great for most things too. But hey, most of us here still have > 100 knives in our house, so we enjoy them all. :)
 
Danke42 said:
I like to start at the top and work down.
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If I am just making a fire, wouldn’t just using scap on the ground suffice as long as they are not green or wet? To be honest , all we’ve done is glamping, I had some wood bought at the campground store, I used pine cones and twigs to start the fire. 😀 we did use a Dutch oven to make a pot pie with crust. My friend was smart how to use it. So knowledge and how to use it is important.
 
not2sharp said:
Yes, you don’t need a chainsaw, you need someone with a chainsaw who knows how to use it properly.

N2s
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Yup, the knowledge to know you need someone who can use a chainsaw and just feed them with some good food. Wise man.
 
cbach8tw said:
If I am just making a fire, wouldn’t just using scap on the ground suffice as long as they are not green or wet? To be honest , all we’ve done is glamping, I had some wood bought at the campground store, I used pine cones and twigs to start the fire. 😀 we did use a Dutch oven to make a pot pie with crust. My friend was smart how to use it. So knowledge and how to use it is important.
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The best rule to follow is if it's on the ground it's likely wet.
 
Oh and if anyone is going to say "Well it's been crazy dry here for months and all the fuel on the forest floor is dry as a bone" that's not the time to start a fire unless you're a really good long distance runner.
 
There's almost always lower limbs of trees that are dead, some spruce trees have sap pockets like pimples almost, poke them and use the sap, it's amazing fuel. Yes most fires can be made without splitting or chopping anything, at least in the wooded areas of the US if you know what to look for.

That said I'm a knife guy and I'm gonna knife lol personally I don't care what verbiage the company uses for a knife, if the design speaks to me and materials/heat treat are solid I'm in*.


*except for scumbag owned conpanies.
 
Danke42 said:
Oh thank the lord we're talking about batoning again.
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did you earn your badge yet though?

8y6nd2.jpg
 
I would say the title is correct! In a survival situation, I would use a broken pair of scissors if I had to! Training and knowledge are just as important as any tool.
 
Alberta Ed said:
A buddy of mine survived for several days on an island in the upper Skeena one chilly October with no more than a SAK to cut firewood.
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The saw blades on them are outstanding. It is amazing how efficient they are. I like to practice ‘bushcraft’ skills just for fun at my remote property. I used the saw on my Swiss Champ to cut through a 6” log simply by cutting a bit, rolling the log for a new angle, repeat. Just wanted to see what it could do.
 
beeinak said:
The saw blades on them are outstanding. It is amazing how efficient they are. I like to practice ‘bushcraft’ skills just for fun at my remote property. I used the saw on my Swiss Champ to cut through a 6” log simply by cutting a bit, rolling the log for a new angle, repeat. Just wanted to see what it could do.
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They are really good saws, unlike leatherman saws that are pull cut only, the vic saws drastically out perform them. They are like mini tiny silky saws, and I love my silky saw.
 
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