Found the photos I was searching for, so more Temp 2 Love. I much handier in the woods than I am on the computer.
It breaks wood down just fine, as long as you don't lose your mind,
Pencil, pencil lead, shavings, no issues,
We have built many fires together,
It handles all that fine. But it also excels on the food side of camp. It even sees use in my kitchen.
Yes, that is Spam, don't judge me.
A Spam Western is quite satisfying at home or in Camp. The Temp 2 can butter toast well also. You'd be surprised how many knives suck at this.
If doing things like this is what you are seeking,
If I'm not on snowshoes, I'm cooking over a wood fire. And even sometimes on shoes. But I'm usually alone then. The bride has her limits.
The bride is crazy too. She likes raw spinach on her burgers. The Temp batons right through that too.
Campcraft/Bushcraft means different things to different people. But I find I build a shelter once a week, a deer or two per season, partridge, or a rabbit, sure, hiking stick ocasionally, a chair every now and then, a fire every day. But I cook three times a day.
I think amlot of folks are disappointed in their blades. Not because the blades are bad, or somehow lacking. But because they made their choices poorly. Big choppers are easy to like. Fighting knives are cool too. But one of my first testing criteria for a new knife, is will it feed me well?
The Temperance does that in spades,
Being VG-10, it rinses well too.
No matter which knife you buy. Be it the 6HM which I have to believe is a wonderful knife. I own the RB-3 and really like those handles. Or the Fallknive S-1 Forest Knife, or even the Spyderco Temperance 2.
Think about what percentages you will use your knife for. If batoning is 90% you will be happy with a big pry bar of a knife 90% of the time.
Kf fine carving is 90% you will be happy with a fine carver 90%of the time. You most likely won't be in love with the big chopper doing fine carving, but that isn't the knife's fault.
I think the 6HM, or maybe even the ESEE PR-4 or the S-1 or the T2 fall in the General purpose category. Jack of all, master of none type thing.
If all you usage is split between 10% here, and 15% there, with 20% doing something else. One of these type knives may very well make you happy over the long term. I say long term, because any knife will make you happy for a few days. Jt over time you will lose interest if you chose poorly.
Just to muddy the waters a bit more. ESEE just anounced/released a Nessmuk style Camp knife at Blade this week. I think it will come in somewhere around $100.00, and should fit your size requirements. It may be worth a look too. But it and the PR-4 are 1095 and coated in Black Oxide.
Hope this helps.
LV,
