help me choose a camping knife

Thanks for the suggestion which certainly is a very viable and one I will seriously consider.
Couple of things ... I carry a silky saw which would negate one purpose of an ax. Secondly, another handy use for a knife is quickly chopping off side branches from a 'center pole' ..a task that I find is easier and quicker with a suitable knife than an ax. That's just me . An ax would surely do the task just as efficiently.
 
crabtab.. you sort of nailed it for me! It probably doesn't make sense practically but I just really like knives!!
 
Deadboxhero ... Since your post I have looked at this knife. Man, what a beast! Tempted but may be a bit larger than I need. Something in the range of 6 to 7" length that is a good chopper and small wood splitter. Don't need a machete. Have a Central America style jungle machete for bush clearing. Need something with a thick enough spine to allow batoning.
 
Kniff said:
crabtab.. you sort of nailed it for me! It probably doesn't make sense practically but I just really like knives!!
Click to expand...

Exactly! Not much about my knife collecting addiction makes practical sense. You have come to the right place.
 
The BK-7 sounds like it is in your future. It is at the upper end of what I am comfortable carrying on my belt unless it's a machete and I really like machetes as choppers. I tend to lean toward something smaller for hiking and camping unless it's car camping. Then I bring a wide assortment of cutting tools. The small saw does a lot of things very well and offsets the need for much chopping unless you're just playing around which most of us do. The BK-15 is my favored knife general purpose woods knife and works for camp site activities. People like the design or they don't. Guess that's why Kabar has discontinued it. The Condor Moonshiner would be a great playing around knife but I don't know if I would hike with it on my belt unless I planned some chopping and then would have a short machete with me. But it's fun to have choices.
 
Since you already have the esee3 and Mora which can handle most daily standard camp chores, and it seems like you are looking for a chopper to fill that void of what the other 2 can't do well;

Kabar BK5 (magnum camp) or Potbelly
-both make great true choppers.
H&K Feint is a solid stainless option in coated 440c

All three can be found at great prices right now.

My personal go2 camping Knives of choice (at the moment);
a SAK Huntsman
A Mora Companion
CRKT FreeRange folder or Cold Steel Code4

+BK5 on the pack for clearing/light chopping (took place of a machete)

(I Also like to carry a SOG badaxe on the pack for processing wood and heavy chopping, especially for extended trips)

Needless to say I don't mind a slightly heavier load then most, my (light) infantry days served me well...
 
Delimbing and splitting wood.

I prefer a small axe, sometimes called a boys axe. Essentially a hatchet type head with a longer 18" handle. More power for splitting (between the legs method) and still small enough for controlled one hand delimbing. But, I can see the argument for a larger 9" (or bigger) chopper type blade too.

But honestly... in the backcountry, I switched to a folding wood stove for those rare occasions (like XC skiing) where I may be likely to build a fire.
Hot Chocolate by Pinnah, on Flickr

This type of stove can be easily fed with a folding saw and a 4"-5" fixed blade. So much lighter and easier.

Now, if the issue is recreational wood harvesting for the sake of wood harvesting, use whatever makes you the happiest.
 
Bark river Canadian special is one of my favourites but i guess it is too small for your intended tasks..
 
22-rimfire said:
The BK-7 sounds like it is in your future. It is at the upper end of what I am comfortable carrying on my belt unless it's a machete and I really like machetes as choppers. I tend to lean toward something smaller for hiking and camping unless it's car camping. Then I bring a wide assortment of cutting tools. The small saw does a lot of things very well and offsets the need for much chopping unless you're just playing around which most of us do. The BK-15 is my favored knife general purpose woods knife and works for camp site activities. People like the design or they don't. Guess that's why Kabar has discontinued it. The Condor Moonshiner would be a great playing around knife but I don't know if I would hike with it on my belt unless I planned some chopping and then would have a short machete with me. But it's fun to have choices.
Click to expand...

My thanks to you all. All very good suggestions and just what I wanted. Believe I am going with the Condor Varan. Like the blade shape and spine thickness; grind should be good for batoning; blade length at 8" is at about my preferred limit; sheath seems much more to my liking than some of the others. The price is right and I find that I am more likely to carry a less expensive knife and use the heck out of it without worry than one of the more expensive types !! Kind of ridiculous but can't seem to help myself!

Kniff
 
Maybe a Condor Varan?

FATWOOD1.JPG


Edit.....oops sorry just seen you already picked it:hopelessness:
 
Ontario SP-52 is it for that price range. Also it will likely be made straight, while some of the bigger BKs will be heat curved, which is annoying. The Ontario handle is also way superior to the BK-9's handle.

Gaston
 
Kniff said:
My thanks to you all. All very good suggestions and just what I wanted. Believe I am going with the Condor Varan. Like the blade shape and spine thickness; grind should be good for batoning; blade length at 8" is at about my preferred limit; sheath seems much more to my liking than some of the others. The price is right and I find that I am more likely to carry a less expensive knife and use the heck out of it without worry than one of the more expensive types !! Kind of ridiculous but can't seem to help myself!

Kniff
Click to expand...

Looks like the OP already made a great choice! OP, let us know when you get it and post some pictures! (We love pictures)


Gaston444 said:
Ontario SP-52 is it for that price range........The Ontario handle is also way superior to the BK-9's handle.

Gaston
Click to expand...

Nope. Just opinions on personal preference.
 
craytab said:
Looks like the OP already made a great choice! OP, let us know when you get it and post some pictures! (We love pictures)




Nope. Just opinions on personal preference.
Click to expand...

You can easily re-shape the Ontario handle to your own opinion and personal preferences, and your hand is always fully isolated from vibrations: You can't reshape the BK-9's handle, or isolate your hand, on that horrible vibration fest that is the Becker skeletal tang...

Gaston
 
Gaston444 said:
You can easily re-shape the Ontario handle to your own opinion and personal preferences, and your hand is always fully isolated from vibrations: You can't reshape the BK-9's handle, or isolate your hand, on that horrible vibration fest that is the Becker skeletal tang...

Gaston
Click to expand...

Still constantly stating personal opinion as if it were fact.
 
With the ESSE 3 and the Mora, the only thing missing is the Becker BK-9. Keep in mind, that I say that as an owner (and user) of a Schrade SCHF9 and 9N. Get the BK9!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top