good camping knife?

[The Tourist]

I have recently had to go looking for a similar knife. However, I wanted something different, something I had never had before. I bought a Buck Alpha Hunter.

(On one criteria I might be outside your needs. I bought mine form a Buck salesman and got a discount.)

I believe that most people who buy field knives never think of one of the main reasons to have a knife when camping, and that is food preparation. You might not always get that big deer, but you'll probably always eat. Due to space considerations, usually the one decent food knife is EVERYONE'S food knife. The shape of a really good one follows the line of a Japanese hocho, that is, a belly with a shallow yet defined arch, good for 'rocking' when slicing.

The Alpha Hunter is stainless with a coated laminate type handle. Cleaning consists of dunking it in a river and then wiping the blade with modest rust resistors until you get back to civilization.

I did not like the quality of the edge when it arrived, so I reprofiled the edge to a more perfect grind line on the Edge Pro. I have not needed to sharpen it since. As I expected, the men who have seen it find it to be unremarkable; the women who have seen it think it's a great camp knife.

 

[Fireshaker]

Dig with a knife? Just buy a folding spade and grind an edge on it! (Ok maybe not)

I would put my vote with Pendative. A SAK and a Kukri would do you wonders.

 

[TOB9595]

The suspense is killing me
What did you decide or are you still wading thru all the informative tips above?
I REALLY like my BK7
Tom

 

[wildjim]

The suspense is killing me
What did you decide or are you still wading thru all the informative tips above?
I REALLY like my BK7
Tom

I guess we'll never know?

Anyway an update through time as I plan a Appalachian Trail hiking trip this year.

The current plan for knives are:

KA-BAR Ethan Becker BK2 and BK11

BUCK folding saw

Cold Steel Rifleman Tomahawk

Machete - Cold Steel SAX or Tramontina T414

All the gear is acquired only choices aren't carved in stone yet.

I may scale down to the Becker BK2 and the Cold Steel Tomahawk.

Any ideas and suggestions are welcome. . .

 

[the lone gunman]

The old Buck 119 is darn hard to beat. I always have one in my jeep. Rugged time proven design and if you lose it, just stop in walmart for another one . $35.00 or less.

 

[wildjim]

The old Buck 119 is darn hard to beat. I always have one in my jeep. Rugged time proven design and if you lose it, just stop in walmart for another one . $35.00 or less.

I have one of those but the KA-BAR Ethan Becker BK2 is the knife for me and at wholesale prices it costs me just a little more than the Buck 119. The KA-BAR Becker BK2 is a lot of knife for the money even at full retail its fair priced in the current market.

 

[scamero]

I hike/backpack quite a bit in the NC mountains. It's illegal to cut trees in most of the forests here. Heck, in alot of places you can't even build a fire. I carry a carbon steel swedish mora in my pack, and a folder of some sort in my pocket. I also carry a small sharpening stone. If you're getting into the survival aspect of camping: clothing, shelter, signaling gear (fire), and water are the most important to learn about. Direction finding is also pretty important. Knives actually rank pretty low down on emergency stuffs as much as it pains me to say it. More people die from weather exposure by far than anything else in the wild. People simply don't bring the right clothes, and get caught in bad/unexpected weather.

 

[wildjim]

I hike/backpack quite a bit in the NC mountains. It's illegal to cut trees in most of the forests here. Heck, in alot of places you can't even build a fire. I carry a carbon steel swedish mora in my pack, and a folder of some sort in my pocket. I also carry a small sharpening stone. If you're getting into the survival aspect of camping: clothing, shelter, signaling gear (fire), and water are the most important to learn about. Direction finding is also pretty important. Knives actually rank pretty low down on emergency stuffs as much as it pains me to say it. More people die from weather exposure by far than anything else in the wild. People simply don't bring the right clothes, and get caught in bad/unexpected weather.

Very good advice and information!

I have read and viewed so many survival books and DVDs like all of Ray Mears, Hoods Woods and several military survival books and videos.

I guess I am reading into their "wilderness" application more than the reality that I'll be within 10 miles of a McDonald's Restuarant at all times ; )

 

[Pilot1]

The old Buck 119 is darn hard to beat. I always have one in my jeep. Rugged time proven design and if you lose it, just stop in walmart for another one . $35.00 or less.

Yep. I've had mine for over 20 years and its still my hunting knife on every trip. While I have much more expensive fixed blades, that's still my choice for that task.

 

[elkins45]

The suspense is killing me
What did you decide or are you still wading thru all the informative tips above?
I REALLY like my BK7
Tom

I doubt we'll ever know the answer to this six-year old question. I checked the OP's statistics and he hasn't posted on BFC since 2005, so I think the chances are slim he's going to visit this thread and let us know.

 

[elkins45]

I guess we'll never know?

Anyway an update through time as I plan a Appalachian Trail hiking trip this year.

The current plan for knives are:

KA-BAR Ethan Becker BK2 and BK11

BUCK folding saw

Cold Steel Rifleman Tomahawk

Machete - Cold Steel SAX or Tramontina T414

All the gear is acquired only choices aren't carved in stone yet.

I may scale down to the Becker BK2 and the Cold Steel Tomahawk.

Any ideas and suggestions are welcome. . .

That tomahawk is gong to get awfully heavy. I've done a fair bit of backpacking and I have yet to meet anyone carrying a tomahawk.

 

[wildjim]

I doubt we'll ever know the answer to this six-year old question. I checked the OP's statistics and he hasn't posted on BFC since 2005, so I think the chances are slim he's going to visit this thread and let us know.

I wonder if he is lost in the wilderness?

 

[jonnygyptian]

i live in an outdoor environment, and knives/ blades/ tools are part of the lifestyle! I swear by having different tools for different jobs... in an ideal world meat would be sliced with a variety of fine bladed knives, veg with a similar blade ... wood chopped with an axe or saw and jointed with chisels etc... In less ideal or impromptu circumstances, its good to be prepared! so, boyscouts and girlscouts alike....... swiss army tools are cool , all sorts of proper-good bits an bobs that you never imagined youd need til you did... i'm growing ever attached to my gerber suspension... having clean snapped the plier-pivot of my first it was unconditionally exchanged under warranty and , some design changes evident, the second has never let me down! my current fave heavy duty blade is my puma, nice fat blade... liner-lock but delicately profiled to a real keen edge.... ive just bought a tenmylle green river purely cos it looked so nice!! I've yet to appraise this one... the blades stamped 'china' and nothing else but it feels lovely and its sharp as a razor as promised... to be fair, most occasions for heavy kit I use an axe, billhook and at home I often resort to the chainsaw!!! never skimp on the tools as they are what make us able to better our situation, whatever that may be ... it's all good

 

[vic2367]

buck nighthawk or a special119
becker
sog

 

[wildjim]

i live in an outdoor environment, and knives/ blades/ tools are part of the lifestyle! I swear by having different tools for different jobs... in an ideal world meat would be sliced with a variety of fine bladed knives, veg with a similar blade ... wood chopped with an axe or saw and jointed with chisels etc... In less ideal or impromptu circumstances, its good to be prepared! so, boyscouts and girlscouts alike....... swiss army tools are cool , all sorts of proper-good bits an bobs that you never imagined youd need til you did... i'm growing ever attached to my gerber suspension... having clean snapped the plier-pivot of my first it was unconditionally exchanged under warranty and , some design changes evident, the second has never let me down! my current fave heavy duty blade is my puma, nice fat blade... liner-lock but delicately profiled to a real keen edge.... ive just bought a tenmylle green river purely cos it looked so nice!! I've yet to appraise this one... the blades stamped 'china' and nothing else but it feels lovely and its sharp as a razor as promised... to be fair, most occasions for heavy kit I use an axe, billhook and at home I often resort to the chainsaw!!! never skimp on the tools as they are what make us able to better our situation, whatever that may be ... it's all good

Wise advice, Thank You. . .

Practical life's experience has taught me to use the right tool for the job and usually all will go well ; )

 

[dawsonbob]

Becker/Ka-Bar Bk-2. If I could only have one knife for the wilderness, that would be it. Mine has never let me down

 

[wildjim]

Becker/Ka-Bar Bk-2. If I could only have one knife for the wilderness, that would be it. Mine has never let me down

The KA-BAR Becker BK2 is so thick and appears so strong; although I may never put it to a real test if it ever broke in a survival situation I would just sit down, cry and maybe give up ; )

My Dad used say to me "boy if they can make it you can break it" But that was because I would take everything apart to see how it works ; ) Not too much for me to take apart on the BK2 ; )

 

[dawsonbob]

The KA-BAR Becker BK2 is so thick and appears so strong; although I may never put it to a real test if it ever broke in a survival situation I would just sit down, cry and maybe give up ; )

My Dad used say to me "boy if thay can make you can break it" But that was because I would take everything apart to see how it works ; ) Not too much for me to take apart on the BK2 ; )

If you can manage to break a BK-2, I'll cry with you. I'm sure it's possible, but I think you'd have to really work at deliberately breaking it.

 

[wildjim]

If you can manage to break a BK-2, I'll cry with you. I'm sure it's possible, but I think you'd have to really work at deliberately breaking it.

I can only imagine some sort of heavy equipment and machinery would be necessary to break a Becker BK2?

 

[dawsonbob]

I can only imagine some sort of heavy equipment and machinery would be necessary to break a Becker BK2?

Yup. Anything short of that would only dull it a bit.