Field Knife Options: Laredo or Natchez Bowie vs Trailmaster vs Outdoorsman vs SRK

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dragonsteel

Joined
Feb 17, 2014
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Need your opinions. I'm struggling with choices for an outdoor knife. Can some of you comment on what you use for hunting, camping, etc and some of the subtle differences between the blades I am considering. My wife and I are outdoors people and will be going on mission trips, Africa, SE Asia, etc and will each need a couple of knives to take with us. I am considering the following:

- Natchez Bowie
- Laredo Bowie
- Trail Master
- Outdoorsman
- SRK

All my CS knives save one are VG1/San Mai so I would stick with this pattern. This means of course that we're talking about a lot of paper for multiple knives. So if price is no option, which would you go with knowing you might be in the bush somewhere?

BTW, we each will have one folder each, I'm getting the Espada Large and she's getting the Medium. We'll also have neck knives as well. I was thinking of the SRK for backups with either the Trail Master or one of the Bowie's for primary. I can't see much difference between the Natchez and Laredo but any light you can shed is appreciated.
 
DShiflet said:
The Natchez and Laredo are specifically designed as fighting knives, not outdoors knives.
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Really?! I wasn't aware of that as I viewed them as outdoor knives with perhaps some tactical features. The design doesn't seem to fit with being for purely combat or tactical objectives to me, they just seem too big for that purpose but I could be wrong.
 
dragonsteel said:
Really?! I wasn't aware of that as I viewed them as outdoor knives with perhaps some tactical features. The design doesn't seem to fit with being for purely combat or tactical objectives to me, they just seem too big for that purpose but I could be wrong.
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Search this forum. The CS rep himself has stated multiple times they are fighting knives-and their design has a LONG history as EXACTLY that. They are not modern "tactical" knives, they are based on knives that were carried over a hundred years ago, as secondary weapons for when the pistol or rifle had been fired and you didn't have time to reload a second shot. The size was one of the main reasons they were fighters-they were meant to give you respectable reach in a fight. While the average frontiersman wouldn't carry a sword as a sidearm, he would carry a big knife as secondary weapon. A magazine article from 1847 states "the Bowie knife was originally designed to fill the need for a wearable, convenient close combat weapon - a short sword much shorter than the saber or other swords of the day, yet still possessing a heavy blade. This cleaver-like blade had enough weight to give the blade sufficient force in a slashing attack, while permitting the use of cut-and-thrust sword fighting tactics".

The Natchez Bowie is even named after Natchez Mississippi, the site of the Sandbar Fight where Jim Bowie famously used his knife to kill Norris Wright, despite having already been shot, beaten, and stabbed.
 
Trail master makes good field knife and also can be used for SD It will take abuse and then ask for more.

As all ready stated the Natchez Bowie Laredo Bowie are fighting knives. Hold one and practice a little and you will see How well they would serve . I kike the Laredo my self

The Espada is also based off a Spanish fighting folder It will serve for other chores of course But its not best general use knife. I suggest you look at other models .
 
Have to agree with those recommending the Trail Master if field work is going to be its primary function. If primary function is fighting or self defense, then I'd chose the Laredo. If the only function is fighting, and concealment is not an issue, then it is the Natchez all the way.
 
Natchez and Laredo are indeed fighting knives and their tang reflects this being cable tang. I think the outdoorsman would excel as a hunting knife but as general outdoors knife go an srk as your secondary and a trail master as your primary would be your best bet, personally I'd get an srk in vg1 San mai and either a trail master or gurkha kukri in sk5 but that's just me.
 
I'd take the SRK paired up with a machete or tomahawk.

The Laredo is probably the last knife on earth I'd pick for bush use, or really, any use other than decorative. It's a half tang with a goofy steel cable welded onto it. I don't know about the Natchez.
 
Wolf_1989 said:
I'd take the SRK paired up with a machete or tomahawk.

The Laredo is probably the last knife on earth I'd pick for bush use, or really, any use other than decorative. It's a half tang with a goofy steel cable welded onto it. I don't know about the Natchez.
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I have to agree with this. An SRK and a Machete would be good combo. I think a Master Hunter and a Trail Master would also be a good combo.
 
Wolf_1989 said:
It's a half tang with a goofy steel cable welded onto it.
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No, it's not
The cable tang is a steel wire that vibrates (kind of like a guitar string) to distribute shock. It also dramatically changes the balance point and heft of the knife.
I see a lot of misconceptions about the cable tang, but in all of my years here at Cold Steel I have NEVER seen one fail.
 
I really like the Trail Master and the SRK. Both make excellent survival and outdoor knives.
One of my favorite set-ups that I have seen for outdoor use was a Survivalist friend of ours who carried a Trail Hawk head (with sheath) along with a large fixed blade.
The Hawk head was small and relatively lightweight, and he used it for all of his wood processing, leaving the knife sharp, clean and safe for other bushcraft tasks. It made a lot of sense to me, and a few of our employees now have a hawk head in their pack when hiking or hunting.

The combination of a Trail Hawk head and a large fixed blade (I'd probably choose the Trail Master - I love that knife!) would be hard to beat

I consider the Laredo and the Natchez to be through-and-through fighting knives. It's what they were designed for.
Everything about them was engineered for that use.
Could they be used in a survival situation? Yes, I believe so...and I think they would do very well in the right hands, but for me it is not the highest use of these knives. It's using the wrong tool for the job.
Only my personal opinion of course...
 
The biggest issue may be what CAN you take when going foreign. Secondarily is what do you want to risk being taken from you. A compact, light, yet capable blade seems like a great place to start. The SRK seems to fit the bill nicely. I can't say for sure, but from what I've read I believe the other blades mentioned would get either: A) Confiscated upon arrival, B) You arrested at some point, or C) earn you much unwanted attention from either authorities or rebels/militias/highwaymen. The above mentioned SRK and machete may just get by without drawing the unwanted attention. If you've got this figured out already, then a big knife can be handy. Even though it's not on your list, I second the CS Gurkha in SK-5 if you're wanting to pair it with a smaller knife anyway, but it definitely looks like a weapon. Good luck.
 
I prefer the outdoorsman to the srk, its better at everthing except maybe drilling, upswept is underrated.

For heavy field use the trailmaster all the way, my sk5 has taken years of chopping
 
dragonsteel said:
Need your opinions. I'm struggling with choices for an outdoor knife. Can some of you comment on what you use for hunting, camping, etc and some of the subtle differences between the blades I am considering. My wife and I are outdoors people and will be going on mission trips, Africa, SE Asia, etc and will each need a couple of knives to take with us. I am considering the following:

- Natchez Bowie
- Laredo Bowie
- Trail Master
- Outdoorsman
- SRK

All my CS knives save one are VG1/San Mai so I would stick with this pattern. This means of course that we're talking about a lot of paper for multiple knives. So if price is no option, which would you go with knowing you might be in the bush somewhere?

BTW, we each will have one folder each, I'm getting the Espada Large and she's getting the Medium. We'll also have neck knives as well. I was thinking of the SRK for backups with either the Trail Master or one of the Bowie's for primary. I can't see much difference between the Natchez and Laredo but any light you can shed is appreciated.
Click to expand...
It may be simpler to buy locally (discretely) when at your destination point.
 
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