Hogs, what is your go to outdoor knife? Need help picking one!

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Well this one could be a nice choice - when they start shipping that is :)

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Nice B4!!

This is my dream blade.

A blend between the hog muk and RMD with a thicker handle with a middle palm swell and a skeletonized tang.
 
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OldPhysics said:
Hmm. Handle.

When I think "handle," I think Andy Roy. Really, you need to at least borrow one of Andy's nice knives and see what it's like.

If you want, I'm sure I could arrange to loan you one of my own.

It would hurt ... but, with a modicum of tears ... we could make that happen.
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For handles it's Andy or Koyote Knives for me too...the two Koyote 4"ers I posted are poetry in your hand...zero hotspots and great woods blades...one is the Little Big Knife (LBK) the other is a Great Basin Bushcrafter (GBB)...the little one is a Convex EDC
 
KalEl said:
This is my dream blade.

A blend between the hog muk and RMD with a thicker handle with a middle palm swell and a skeletonized tang.

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Damn that thing is beautiful - even nicer than the mini-muk... really really great concept!
 
There are many smaller Bussekin that I like, RMD, HRLM, Rodent Solution, War Dog etc. but in the Busse family I like the CABSLE most. It is a very good little slicer, choiless with a comfortable and versatile handle so it can be used comfortably in any grip. But I prefer slightly thicker handles.

Non-Busse, my absolute favorite is the Skookum Bush Tool. The handle is super comfortable and versatile. You get your hand right up against the cutting edge. It is the best slicer I have ever used. I cut into wood with other knives until they stop, then take the Skookum and continue the cut. 3V holds an edge very well.

For certain types of cuts, e.g. when I want to carve a flat plane and I don't want the knife to bite too much, I like the Caldwell 1-4 or 1-5. I find that I can control the cut more with those than with the super slicers like the Skookum. It may be due to my lack of technique, but it works for me.

My small pocket fixed blade favorite is a Koster WSS. On the weekend I was around some non-knife people clearing trails for the kids. They had chainsaws. I pulled out the small Koster and cut down 1 to 1 1/2 inch saplings by bending the base and cutting the tensioned wood very easily. They could not believe what they saw, considering that they had chainsaws. :D

Pictures are in my Epic Fail thread here:

URL

Bussekin & Friends + Epic Fail

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l2lku2 said:
Bussekin & Friends + Epic Fail
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For bushcrafting purposes, I carry an RMD or Scrapper 5 on the larger side, and for smaller blades, I use Mora 911, condor bushlore or my absolute favorite bushcraft knife, the Fallkniven F1. Paired with a chopped of course.
 
OldPhysics said:
Hmm. Handle.

When I think "handle," I think Andy Roy. Really, you need to at least borrow one of Andy's nice knives and see what it's like.

If you want, I'm sure I could arrange to loan you one of my own.

It would hurt ... but, with a modicum of tears ... we could make that happen.
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That is a really generous offer! However I plan on buying one of andy's knives next batch! Hopefully that wont be too long from now.
 
I edc a boss street and I've used it for " bushcraft" tasks and it performed well. I like the thicker blade stock and tbe micarta handles. I owned a cabs and liked that it had no choil but it felt to "delicate" for hard use bushcraft. The S5le is an awesome knife for bushcraft but if mudders aren't your thing...
For esee I can't praise the 3 mil enough. Edc, bushcraft, food prep. Great all around blade. I also like the esee 4 with the 3/16" stock. The Junglas/3mil combo was my go to set before I picked up the B11/Boss Street.
 
There is an atypical Busse solution to consider. I would recommend either a meaner or an AD sent in to the shop for a modification to look like a HACK version of the same. I love my meaner HACK... it could probably be my only small Busse if I had to make that choice, since I carry it more than any other. The only change I would make is to leave the handles textured, even though I have never had any issues with slipping.
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It is an interesting point KalEl ... I am very particular about what I want for my smaller companion knife ... like Will I have a S5LE which has the spine ramp removed and is gradually being turned into a full convex the more sharpenings it gets ... but at 3/16 thick it is still a little thick for me and whilst I love Infi for a chopping steel ... I sort of look to thinner harder knife/steel combinations for my small knife ... giving ease of cutting and lengthy edge retention. These blades have taken me into the custom makers realm ...

In knives like this I like the idea of forged "laminated steel" where you can sandwich a very high carbon steel with a high Rc heat treatment for edge retention within outer layers of damascus stainless mix which protect the knife from rust ...looks nice ... and gives the knife greater "torque" ability as these metals are not as hard as the inner high carbon steel and effectively act like "splints" so working with twisting actions such as reaming fire drill holes or twisting out the atlas joint when cleaning Deer ... all of these can easily be done.

After this the most important thing is a knowledge of the "geometry" of the blade and how "thin" you can go at the edge and how thin/thick you can keep the spine for strength and if the blade is convex ground ... the shape of the convex ... I like a very high appleseed shape for these knives ... they cut the best ... or a flat grind with the right proportions. I also prefer a blade to be close to the handle or if it has a choil it needs a large thick handle which can take the majority of grip needed for control.

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The best two knives I have found so far which meet these or some of these criteria are the second one up from the bottom, a Japanese knife done by Master Itou in R2 damascus and a Phil Wilson Smokey Creek knife above it in K294 Uddenholm ( German steel akin to CPM M4 but with better particle consistancy ). Phil's knife is just the one steel ... no laminate protection ... so you have to work more carefully with it ... but it cuts the best of the two ... although in the "round" the Itou is probably the best at everything as it is very very hard to seperate them on cutting and edge retention.

These are in the Rc 64 range ... a different type of performance to Infi ... but each great choices for what they do best.
 
Hunter,
After all the knives you have tried, it will be interesting to see which one finally fill's the role. I have big hopes for the Basic 4 being the ONE however, you can't tell by looking at a picture. Can't wait to get the Basic 4 in my hand's.
 
Having only limited use with my S5LE, I am still going to have to say this is my go to. The 5in INFI blade is exactly what I need for all around outdoor use. It replaced my 511 and my Scrapmuck, which I absolutely adore. Luckily for me, the Mudder handles fit my hand oh-so-well. All that aside, since the Mudder handle doesn't suit you, hold out for a Basic 4 choiless bro. As far as these other brand, laminated knives go, I like the hard core/softer outer steel/san mai approach, but INFI does it one better by being through hardened and highly stain resistent. INFI INFI INFI
 
Up here in northern-ish Canada, especially during the winter I carry an axe of equivalent size to the Gransfors Bruks Scandinavian forest axe (soon to be the Scandinavian forest axe:D), a Silky Pocket boy 170 folding saw and a Spyderco Bushcraft G10.

I completely understand the big knife concept, and I own and use a lot of big knives myself. Its just during the winter, I prefer an axe.

I know its not a Busse-kin, but take a look at the Spyderco bushcraft G10. It preforms perfectly for all of your small work, and it is tough enough to baton almost any wood you can fit the blade through.
Its also readily available at many online knife/gear stores.

Although I would ditch my Bushcraft in a heartbeat for the Skookum Bush Tool:D
 
What a great thread ,Very refreshing.
I love my CABS, its with me 70% of the time in the bush,
I get just as much enjoyment from my Fallniven F-1.
But i do love my RMD if i am going to need a bigger knife.

How cool would it be to get a Limeted edition RMD made of INFI with cholless option.:thumbup::cool::cool:
 
Take a look at Nick Allen's (NWA) line-up. His Sierra Scout is darn near perfect. Or Dozier. One or both should be able to provide you with something to suit your needs. If you don't love them, its you, not the knife.:D
 
wow, alot of good knives have been talked about here! Falkniven F1 is a dream knife for sure!!! for a $100 bucks its worth the gamble to try it out. I like RMD,HRLM,war dog, F1, S5LE, boss street. I have a Gen 1 Howling Rat coming in the mail so that might be just the ticket for me. also waiting for my 2 B4's. Gosh I love knives!!!!!!!
 
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Those HACK's like Tim suggested are awesome.

There was also a Mean Warden or Game Streets, it have a Meaner Blade with a GW handle, killer knife
 
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