I took the AUS-8A steel Bush Ranger out with me last weekend and thought I'd post the results. This has always been one of my favorite looking bowie knives. Sadly, the Cold Steel Bush Ranger has been discontinued in AUS-8A as well as Carbon V steel. One of the old catalogs states that it was designed by Lynn Thompson, the founder of Cold Steel.
When my son and I left to go out into a nearby wooded area, the Bush Ranger had an edge that would shave the hair off of my arm. Our first task was to use the knife as a "chopper". We found two trees about 2" thick and began chopping. The first tree fell in about 20 strokes and the second in about the same amount of strokes. The handle is made if Kraton (a rubbery type of substance) and is contoured to fit the hand. Chopping was an easy, comfortable task. I would hold the pommel of the handle as I chopped, giving me the leverage needed to make adequate swings. The blade is 7.5" long with a nice satin finish. I found that the length is just above what was needed to perform an easy falling of the trees. Later we found a tree with some strange fruit. We took the green piece of fruit, which is about the size of a softball, and sat it on a smooth tree stump. In one stroke I cut the fruit in half. It made a nice clean cut into the fruit which has the same thickness as a grapefruit. Then we sharpened a few sticks (to very accute points) with the Bush Ranger to use as spears. We placed some of the strange fruit up against a tree and targeted them with our spears. After returning home, I rinced the juice from the blade of the Bush Ranger and out of the leather sheath. No stains on the blade but the "cheap ass" Smith & Wesson sheath that I' been using to house the knife with, began falling apart. A phone call away and I ordered new Cold Steel sheath to replace my S&W one.
Sharpening was no problem. It took about 12 strokes on both sides to get the edge to shave hair again. I used the Med. side of the Spyderco Double Stuff . Overall this has been one of the best values on a fixed blade that I've ever purchased. I bought mine at a gun show for just $40 including the S&W leather sheath. Maybe at the next gun show, if I'm lucky, I'll be able to pick up a used Trailmaster for about $50. This time without a cheesy sheath.
When my son and I left to go out into a nearby wooded area, the Bush Ranger had an edge that would shave the hair off of my arm. Our first task was to use the knife as a "chopper". We found two trees about 2" thick and began chopping. The first tree fell in about 20 strokes and the second in about the same amount of strokes. The handle is made if Kraton (a rubbery type of substance) and is contoured to fit the hand. Chopping was an easy, comfortable task. I would hold the pommel of the handle as I chopped, giving me the leverage needed to make adequate swings. The blade is 7.5" long with a nice satin finish. I found that the length is just above what was needed to perform an easy falling of the trees. Later we found a tree with some strange fruit. We took the green piece of fruit, which is about the size of a softball, and sat it on a smooth tree stump. In one stroke I cut the fruit in half. It made a nice clean cut into the fruit which has the same thickness as a grapefruit. Then we sharpened a few sticks (to very accute points) with the Bush Ranger to use as spears. We placed some of the strange fruit up against a tree and targeted them with our spears. After returning home, I rinced the juice from the blade of the Bush Ranger and out of the leather sheath. No stains on the blade but the "cheap ass" Smith & Wesson sheath that I' been using to house the knife with, began falling apart. A phone call away and I ordered new Cold Steel sheath to replace my S&W one.
Sharpening was no problem. It took about 12 strokes on both sides to get the edge to shave hair again. I used the Med. side of the Spyderco Double Stuff . Overall this has been one of the best values on a fixed blade that I've ever purchased. I bought mine at a gun show for just $40 including the S&W leather sheath. Maybe at the next gun show, if I'm lucky, I'll be able to pick up a used Trailmaster for about $50. This time without a cheesy sheath.