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

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eveled said:
Yep, before there was bushcraft, it was just called using your knife. People overthink it. Also as you pointed out it’s mostly marketing.

Fact is whatever knife you have with you, when you are thrust into a survival situation is going to be your survival knife. Even if it’s only a piece of broken glass.
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This entirely!

The reality is that marketing and branding sells. The term bushcraft is just that.
 
Maybe not a good comparison, but the movie with Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin where they are in an airplane crash and stranded in the wilderness and avoiding a very angry bear, he had was his lock back pocket knife he was given at the beginning of the movie. He used it for a lot of things. The Edge, that’s it. Granted they did have a rifle they found in a cabin.
 
The rifle didn't make an appearance until near the end though. They killed poor Bart with wooden spears.
 
I'm glad to see this at the top of the list. Instead the continual What's your EDC today? By definition its the same as yesterday. Anyway back to the question, A simple SAK may work well most of the time, to start a fire reguires small pieces of combustible material, so the blade does not have to chop down a tree, or kill a grizzly. Skills are much more important than the knife, and how you handle your fear and anxiety about being in the woods/bush I think is a probably the most important. Panic and you may die, the knife wont save you from yourself. Granted a tiny sak will not be as useful as a decent fixed blade or 91mm SAK. That said I do hike in areas with Mountain Lions and a carry a buck 119 in those places. Not bushcraft I know, that's more of a survival situation. In summary yes pretty much any knife will work over no knife.
 
My dad served in the army most of his life and spent a lot of time teaching survival classes to his and other units he had one rule ALWAYS CARRY SOMETHING THAT CAN CUT AND SOMETHING THAT CAN START A FIRE this was told to me almost everytime I left the house he always said he didn't care what kind of knife it was it just had to do the job of cutting

Dad carried at least three knives everyday two folders in sheaths on his belt and a stockman in his pocket he used all three everyday for different tasks but the stockman saw the most use he carried a small fixed blade while in the army but said stockman did most of the work in the field
 
I agree with the OP.

Recon Tanto for example is perfectly capable as a bushcraft or camping knife.
Pretty much anything sturdy with an edge will do. Even Karambit can do some stuff.

Yet, for some reason people tend to think you need:
Scandi grind
Thick round handle
Extra wide tang
No hand guard
- or... "just a Mora"

Bushcraft fad has been here for a while, and has went too far IMO.
 
jbmonkey said:
did you earn your badge yet though?

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That’s great but needs more masculinity and seriousness. Maybe some skulls and viking runes and mommys backyard in the background?
 
luethge said:
I remember the knives my grandfather / father used for work, fishing, hunting, camping and everything in between - Buck 110 and hatchet.. those guys never seemed to need anything more than a folder and a way to break down wood.
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Come to think of it, I don't think I ever saw my dad use a hatchet. I only ever say him split wood with an axe. Then it was a Buck 110 in the pocket and a filet knife in the tackle box. The filet knife now resides in its sheath in his kitchen drawer.
 
I think the knife depends on your idea of what you want to do with it and what your skill level is. I could get by with a Victorinox Camper if I had to, but if I wanted to make life a bit easier I would add in a larger fixed blade. I kind of like to bring a Cold Steel Trailmaster. But in all truth an axe or hatchet and bow saw would be a better choice than a big knife, and I would still want a SAK. This is from camping and hunting with my father and 20+ years as a Boy Scout and Boy Scout leader with two Sons that are Eagle Scouts
 
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brentondan47 said:
My dad served in the army most of his life and spent a lot of time teaching survival classes to his and other units he had one rule ALWAYS CARRY SOMETHING THAT CAN CUT AND SOMETHING THAT CAN START A FIRE this was told to me almost everytime I left the house he always said he didn't care what kind of knife it was it just had to do the job of cutting

Dad carried at least three knives everyday two folders in sheaths on his belt and a stockman in his pocket he used all three everyday for different tasks but the stockman saw the most use he carried a small fixed blade while in the army but said stockman did most of the work in the field
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I carry a lighter for EDC. Apparently people find it weird that I pack a lighter but don’t smoke lol.

It’s always gotta be you have a lighter = you’re a smoker.
 
DangerZone98 said:
It’s always gotta be you have a lighter = you’re a smoker.
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Another non-smoker who carries a lighter, although sometimes I carry matches instead.

Yeah, it’s a funny quirk of human nature - someone you know nothing about, you overreach an assumption based on the first thing you find out about them. Do it all the time myself.

Parker
 
catspa said:
Another non-smoker who carries a lighter, although sometimes I carry matches instead.

Yeah, it’s a funny quirk of human nature - someone you know nothing about, you overreach an assumption based on the first thing you find out about them. Do it all the time myself.

Parker
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Eeyyyy, yeah we’ve got enough rabbit holes already. I’ve already got muh knives and watches (I’ve slowed down mindless collecting thankfully).

No need to add cigars to the list lol.
 
As I write there are two men lost, dehydrated and requesting assistance in the Santa Cruz mountains (outside of my coverage area FYI).

Apparently they came to a section of trail that was blocked by a couple of down trees so they decided to go off trail and got lost.

Just an argument for larger survival knives. ✌️
 
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