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This makes no sense to me. If I have a knife, I'm going to use it. That's what it's for.
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Bear Grylls VS Les Stroud Knife Deathmatch!
- Thread starter TennesseeVol18
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This makes no sense to me. If I have a knife, I'm going to use it. That's what it's for.
stabman
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Les Stroud showed using sharp stone edges (really crude..just throw rocks at other rocks) for scraping bark for tinder.
He advocates saving your blade for when it's more needed, and that's a good thing.
Of course, not everywhere has good selection of stones. In the woods I was in, there was a decided shortage of any type of stone. We didn't even find any rocks when digging down for a fire pit.
But yes, using what materials you have on hand is what it's all about...but I don't want to have to construct a shelter or carve with a stone edge.
Scraping bark or descaling fish with a rock seems like a decent idea though.
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When it comes to survival, my money's on the Canadian.
Les Stroud is the man. Plus, he's Canadian.
Canada rocks. If you like snow, and large, hooved animals.
Which I do.
Les would break Bear down like a shotgun.
Moose
Les Stroud is the man. Plus, he's Canadian.
Canada rocks. If you like snow, and large, hooved animals.
Which I do.
Les would break Bear down like a shotgun.
Moose
stabman
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:thumbup:
I'd just pray that he'd lose that harmonica along the way, or have to make it into fish hooks.
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:thumbup:
I'd just pray that he'd lose that harmonica along the way, or have to make it into fish hooks.
Hater. I have many harmonica's, and I can't play as well as Les.
But, I can break quartz up, rub it on green bamboo, and use it as a knife sharpener, better than Grill Bears.
Just sayin'.
Oh, and Canada is awesome for a British owned colony.
Moose
Well, in a survival situation... it's cold, its raining, and you have a limited amount of time to get a fire going to get/stay warm. The only kindling in the area to start a fire with is soaked and your only alternative is to get your fire going using the potentially dry center of larger pieces of wood. You do not have time to scour the area for something that may or may not be present in order to fabricate a make-shift tool to carry out a task that a tool you ALREADY HAVE is more than capable of accomplishing... AND if you lack a fire steel(or other device) and have to resort to friction fire, you have even less time to waste on "making redundant tools." To not use the knife is completely and utterly asinine. If you don't make it past that first day, surviving the second day doesn't matter...
Gotta ask... what knife are you using that would be destroyed by cutting wood with it? If you're not going to use your "survival" knife to survive(I know, funny concept), exactly when WILL you use it? Are you waiting for a rainy day?
And why am I buying knives if I'm not suppose to use them? I guess if I want to cut something I could always go break a piece of glass off the bathroom mirror...
Sorry, you have me confused. Common sense tells me to use what tools I have available to my advantage to accomplish a goal and you're saying not to.
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Maybe some of you need to learn to make temp shelters, not shelters you need an axe for,
Thatll save using your only descent tool.
You dont expect to need to survive for just under 3 days just because of statistics...
Youll mess up your only blade just because your a lazy fool lol that watches too much tv shows.
Bear grylls is only out surviving for like 100 miles or less.
Learn to not use a manufactured blade and youll survive forever.
Maybe the government makes people depend on things to govern life expectancy, like cancer, oh no I impulsively used my blade for battoning after exagerating a situation now theres no rocks because im in the ar tic butim getting stalked by a polar bear and theres fish I could of speared, im dead.
Thatll save using your only descent tool.
You dont expect to need to survive for just under 3 days just because of statistics...
Youll mess up your only blade just because your a lazy fool lol that watches too much tv shows.
Bear grylls is only out surviving for like 100 miles or less.
Learn to not use a manufactured blade and youll survive forever.
Maybe the government makes people depend on things to govern life expectancy, like cancer, oh no I impulsively used my blade for battoning after exagerating a situation now theres no rocks because im in the ar tic butim getting stalked by a polar bear and theres fish I could of speared, im dead.
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Your replies are priceless coping. I think you should start your own survival/conspiracy show.
I can understand the concept of using your knife in a manner as to not cause long term damage to it.
But, saying that you should not use your knife is really quite illogical. If you have a tool, why not use it?
In a SHTF survival situation, if you had fishing line and a hook are you saying you would choose to make a spear out of scrap wood instead?
Cuz you know... you'd hate to lose/damage the fishing line and hook incase you might need it later right?
I can understand the concept of using your knife in a manner as to not cause long term damage to it.
But, saying that you should not use your knife is really quite illogical. If you have a tool, why not use it?
In a SHTF survival situation, if you had fishing line and a hook are you saying you would choose to make a spear out of scrap wood instead?
Cuz you know... you'd hate to lose/damage the fishing line and hook incase you might need it later right?
Well whats a resource, think its something around you that usable and relatively disposable.
A knife in a survival situation is not disposable. Youll certainly want a sharpener with you if you got tough steel, or youll want plain stainless thatll shartpen easily on a stone or any rough material.
Theres always more to bare in mind than the tv programmes suggest, the main aim of them is to invent situations for entertainment values, then to sell merchandisen, each time making money.
Just watch what you watch, it could get you killed in a day.
Good Edgec retention could waste a blade, same as bad retention.
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I don't know where to start, or if i should even bother.
Did I ever say that a knife was disposable? So, now you are talking about having a sharpener with you... so why wouldnt you use your knife if you could re-sharpen it?
Did I ever make mention of a TV program? If anything you are following Les by mention breaking rocks to save your knife.
Now, let me state that if I were in a situation like this and had suitable rocks around me, I'd do that too. But the bottom line is you aren't always going to have those readily available and to spend all your time/energy trying to find/make them would be counterproductive if you have a solid knife on you.
Believe me, I know that following a certain TV survival 'expert' could indeed get me killed. Again, never once mentioned watching or following any TV shows.
On a side note: If you are going to quote someone to respond to, you should try to keep on track to what's been said instead of throwing around your typical opinions about the general population.
Back to the topic.
Bear is great TV, but I'd rather be stranded with Les I think.
Did I ever say that a knife was disposable? So, now you are talking about having a sharpener with you... so why wouldnt you use your knife if you could re-sharpen it?
Did I ever make mention of a TV program? If anything you are following Les by mention breaking rocks to save your knife.
Now, let me state that if I were in a situation like this and had suitable rocks around me, I'd do that too. But the bottom line is you aren't always going to have those readily available and to spend all your time/energy trying to find/make them would be counterproductive if you have a solid knife on you.
Believe me, I know that following a certain TV survival 'expert' could indeed get me killed. Again, never once mentioned watching or following any TV shows.
On a side note: If you are going to quote someone to respond to, you should try to keep on track to what's been said instead of throwing around your typical opinions about the general population.
Back to the topic.
Bear is great TV, but I'd rather be stranded with Les I think.
jdk1
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Coping, I think most of us are in full agreement with you on using whatever is at hand. I see Les using a big, sharp rock to open a coconut and then using an sea shell to scrape the flesh. That makes perfect sense, but it seems you keep saying only a fool would take his knife out of it's sheath for any purpose. This is not logical. Using primitive skills (think Cody Lundin) will surely assist in long term survival, but even he uses his knife regularly. And yes, the survival shows are all about entertainment. Some also demonstrate skills, but it's purpose is to entertain above all else. I also agree that much can be done without using a blade at all in survival. That's fine, but there are some times when a blade is needed. You seem to think there are two categories of people here: Those, like you who are one with nature and can survive any situation using their cunning and whatever tools mother Earth offers, and those who stomp through the bush beating on every tree and rock within reach with their Rambo knife. I'd say most of us are niether. I'll say only a fool would forego the responsible use of a proper tool in a true survival situation by choosing instead to try to locate, fabricate, and use a less effective and likely more dangerous tool. Use what works best and when possible utilize every thing nature offers. That makes sense to us all, but trying to convince everyone on a KNIFE forum that only an imbecile would actually use a knife for survival is not going to work. I think tempering your seemingly extreme opinions a little and lessening the use of terms like "fool" and "idiot" may cause people to listen to you more and we might actually learn something from you. This is the internet, we don't know if you are a retired SAS commando or a, 11 year old in Wisconsin. Delivery style, in addition to reasonable content, is what matters in a world consisting of only words and nothing else. Take care.
I like 'Dual Survivor' Cody Lundin and his survival skills - and his $11 Mora knife. Not so fond of going barefoot.
Les Stroud must be running low on cash - the Camillus knife and his new 'ten day' survivor show being indicators. On his original 'Survivorman' series he used a Buck 119 on several episodes - that USA-made knife was available from my local WallyWorld until recently for $40 inc s/t. Still, he is the real deal. Okay, in July '07 he did have to buy a commercial fishing license and pay fines (Total: $2,800) when he and his nearby four man rescue team were 'found' in a coastal Yukon park filming an episode. Still - the real deal.
Bear Grylls has done some silly things - including TV commercials. But in his defense, he held the title of the youngest man to climb Everest for a while - and that was after breaking his back in a parachute jump while in the British army. He also later flew over it in a powered hang glider - and circumnavigated the British Isles in a sea kayak. Of course, given a choice between being stuck with Bear or Les - I have to admit, Bear would be more entertaining... you could dare him to eat or drink nearly anything (Les' harmonica might get old...). Of course, Bear has a camera crew - with a satelite phone for quick extraction...
Still, as a mostly armchair survivalist, I enjoy all three shows - and admire the folks for their accomplishments - and remember that the shows are entertainment - meant to sell advertising. I have added one of their knives since watching their shows - an $11 red birch wood handled Mora - thanks, Cody!
Stainz
Les Stroud must be running low on cash - the Camillus knife and his new 'ten day' survivor show being indicators. On his original 'Survivorman' series he used a Buck 119 on several episodes - that USA-made knife was available from my local WallyWorld until recently for $40 inc s/t. Still, he is the real deal. Okay, in July '07 he did have to buy a commercial fishing license and pay fines (Total: $2,800) when he and his nearby four man rescue team were 'found' in a coastal Yukon park filming an episode. Still - the real deal.
Bear Grylls has done some silly things - including TV commercials. But in his defense, he held the title of the youngest man to climb Everest for a while - and that was after breaking his back in a parachute jump while in the British army. He also later flew over it in a powered hang glider - and circumnavigated the British Isles in a sea kayak. Of course, given a choice between being stuck with Bear or Les - I have to admit, Bear would be more entertaining... you could dare him to eat or drink nearly anything (Les' harmonica might get old...). Of course, Bear has a camera crew - with a satelite phone for quick extraction...
Still, as a mostly armchair survivalist, I enjoy all three shows - and admire the folks for their accomplishments - and remember that the shows are entertainment - meant to sell advertising. I have added one of their knives since watching their shows - an $11 red birch wood handled Mora - thanks, Cody!
Stainz
No just try not to use a knife. ur better of learning how to survive without a knife than with one.
Theres obviuosly natural climates that will subject you to really needing a man made k ife ornot needing one at all.
All im really trying to say is do not jump to your knife, same for defending yourself, unlike the tv shows will claim.
But yes if you de ide to go directly for your only decent blade, then you just ewasted its worth and decreased its life expectancy and yours.
Theres obviuosly natural climates that will subject you to really needing a man made k ife ornot needing one at all.
All im really trying to say is do not jump to your knife, same for defending yourself, unlike the tv shows will claim.
But yes if you de ide to go directly for your only decent blade, then you just ewasted its worth and decreased its life expectancy and yours.
stabman
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Dude, you're getting into total nutbar territory here.
Time to stop digging (even if you made the shovel out of readily available materials).
Im pretty sure its logical.
Extreme anything is an exageration, if people abide by it and use it as a teaching, every choice and decision they make in a survival situation is more than likely going to be stupidity and irrationally dramatised.
Note how you took this to a personal lvl In the second sentence.
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Double tap by software.
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We can disagree. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. But it is not necessary to call others "fool" or to imply -- from the heights of a feeling of superiority -- that they are fools simply because you have a different opinion That behavior merely invites similar treatment while reducing your credibility.
As it happens, a good many folks with demonstrated expertise, say John "Lofty" Wiseman who taught survival to the SAS for seventeen years or so, or Myers, or Kochanski - all demonstrate actually using a knife for long-term survival.
To me, and everyone else but you, if you have a genuine survival need and a knife helps meet that need, logic dictates using the knife.
The knife you select to take into the wilderness is very much selected as an exercise in judgment.
As it happens, a good many folks with demonstrated expertise, say John "Lofty" Wiseman who taught survival to the SAS for seventeen years or so, or Myers, or Kochanski - all demonstrate actually using a knife for long-term survival.
To me, and everyone else but you, if you have a genuine survival need and a knife helps meet that need, logic dictates using the knife.
The knife you select to take into the wilderness is very much selected as an exercise in judgment.
Well I can guarantee an increased life expectancy and easyer living in a survival situation if you try your best to not use your knife, but manufacture one yourself from whats around you as much as you can.
This is not opinion..
You cannot guarantee anyones safety over prolonged time if they dive into anything with their knife, especially since theres no means to recreate another blade of fine steel when stranded.
The only reason for such claims is to increase economy, which isnt nescessarily a problem.
This is not opinion..
You cannot guarantee anyones safety over prolonged time if they dive into anything with their knife, especially since theres no means to recreate another blade of fine steel when stranded.
The only reason for such claims is to increase economy, which isnt nescessarily a problem.
Silly me, I thought this was a discussion on the TV survivalist's knives! Instead, it seems to be a sometimes incoherent discussion of saving your good knife and fabricating implements. The saving your good knife makes me recall my beloved and long departed mother - and her 'good scissors', which were off-limits to everyone. I never found out what their intended use was. Perhaps the common goal of the TV survivalists - the known terminus of the event within a matter of days - is the key. Making it to a river - the coast - a road - some form of civilization - is the key. The knife/cutting implement doesn't have to last a long time! Now, if the event is the destruction of life as we know it - including civil unrest, etc - I may just press ESC and play another game!
Stainz
Stainz
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