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

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Lots of nice knives out there. The South Fork is a collaboration between Spyderco and Phil Wilson. 5" S90V blade, polished G10 handle. Go well with a big chopper or a hatchet.

 
Consider Survive's GSO 5.1. It's the only knife in this size that I've ever used that I'd say is as good/versatile as a RMD, if not better. Also a Boss Jack would be great.
 
Siegle SAR-4 is a nice companion to my Heavy Heart:

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Just my $.02
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For a big blade, it’s usually the SHBM or B11 or the CGFBM.
For something smaller, the SHSHII or NMSFNO or a ZTSJ.
For small blades either a SHBA, SHMS, ABA, HOGMUK, SMOGW or the SkellyW.

My usual outdoor carry is a SHBM/SHBA combo on the pack and a SHSHII/SHMS combo on the belt.

I can't just pick one but any of these would do just fine for me.
 
this is my outdoor knife along with a leatherman wave and a spyderco or kershaw blade that I carry at the time. But I think I am going to retire this baby and get it refinished. It has lived a long hard life and should spend it's remaining days near home instead of at the risk of being lost. So I may start using my 911 or my HOG Heavy ASH1 which I do consider too small even though it is incredibly thick and heavy. Not a fan of the ASH though, as I prefer the longer 8.5" plus blade length.

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Might be a little big considering your size range bro...but I almost always take my Tramp with me wherever I go!

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I'd say the Basic 10 LE might just be the best all around knife for the weight, even better if you can find one without a choil......:)

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If that's too much for you to carry, my next pick would be the Boss Jack CG. Smaller yet and I would choose the Basic 4 LE (Magnum)....:)

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for me its the S5LE or HRLM becIause they are already used and I'm too scared to use one of my safe queens. Heck even my cg rmd is still a safe queen.
 
for me its the S5LE or HRLM becIause they are already used and I'm too scared to use one of my safe queens. Heck even my cg rmd is still a safe queen.

Safe queens are f**************! if you need to collect something try gold. D********!
Use them or sell them to someone who will.
-rant off-
 
These are my Sub 8" finalists/keepers...
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Left
Siegle Hardcore ATS-34... One of a kind!!!

Right
Swamp Rat Camp Tramp... This one's been around the world!!!

Top-Bottom
Jared Oeser Woods Knife... with one heck of a story!
Busse CS CABS... shouldn't lose this one!
NWA (Nick Allen) Custom Sierra Scout Variant... Manzanita Burl handle!
KFU (Chris Bowden) Kephart... I can't even begin to say how sweet this feels in hand!
Swamp Rat 1st Gen Ratmandu... can't let it go!
Coty Handley Custom from a drawing I sent him... PERFECTION!!!


#1 Big Blade...
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Busse Basic 10LE (I prefer my DCBB non-choil version for using, but I don't have a current pic) Light but TOUGH!!!


Good luck in your search!!!
 
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Abe Elias (Diving Sparrow Knife Works) has a bushcraft series that compliment a chopper or axe. Also John at JK Knives makes a sweet Kephart. Scott Gossmans Tuskers or Kephart would also be something to look at.

The other option is take the Busse or kin knife you like best and send it off to have some mods done.
 
"Outdoor knives" depend on where you are going outdoors ... this idea of 4 inch blades and "bushcraft" seems to be out of step with those who truely "live" outdoors ...

In Jungles you have parangs and machetes ... in the frozen North you have 7 to 8 inch Pukko's ... in Africa it varies from Machetes to 7 inch blades carried by tribesmen ...

In India ... Nepal ... Khukri's ...

In the early days of the West ... a large blade was the choice of trappers ...

Why are all these blades a bit bigger than a 4 inch blade ? Because they can chop down a tree if need be and baton through logs to make firewood ...

I have tried so many different knives in all sizes and have yet to find the 4 inch blade that sorts out the basic needs for a fire ... so I like a knife which is as light as possible and as tough as possible which can do these things ... something I can carry on me and not feel burdened ... and I always go back to a Basic 9 as the best compromise for everything. It is as near as you can get to a perfect "all rounder" IMO ...

A Basic 9 and a SAK or Leatherman as a compliment tool and no matter where I go I am well equipped ...

Everyone who supports a 4 inch bade always says the same thing that I would also have an axe ... yet when you go to places where people rely upon tools to get by in wilderness or jungle environments ... no-one is carrying an axe ... why? Because they are too damn heavy when compared with a larger knife that can "do it all" ...

Unless it is too cold to choke up on a longer blade and take off gloves to mess around with opening a SAK or Leatherman ... then there is a case for a smaller fixed blade with a large handle to be used with gloves or mitts ... but in the absence of those conditions I find I can get by fine with all Bushcraft tasks with the Basic 9 ... including the tree chopping and log preperation for a fire ...
 
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3 of my favorites, the wardog, the basic 4 and cabs! great choices all through the thread. non busse blades JK phoenix or kephart, fiddleback bushcrafter or horton micro camp
 
For non-Bussekin fixed blades...NWA Sierra Scout or Bark River Bravo 1 or 1.5.

Nod going to the Scout for the hand-made factor. It may well be the perfect all around camp/trail knife.

However, if I'm packing a larger fixed blade, next is usually a folder in the sheath pouch.

BOSS
 

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I agree, great post Peter.

A large blade can accomplish many tasks, most importantly it can usually flex into the role of a smaller blade. A smaller blade will never be able to stretch into the role of a large blade that can split chop etc.

Of course this all depends on how much you are willing to carry and what tasks you see yourself coming across. Personally I usually take a chopper, a sub 4" blade and a food prep blade. Why? Because I like knives and enjoy carrying multiples. If I had to be out for days on the move, I might pay very close attention to what I was taking, until then Ill carry a good variety.
 
I don't really do extreme outdoors... not at the moment...
But each time I'm out I have a set, a smaller 3-4" blade, rotating GW, SW, AD, RS, MBC (R3 and LMS on the way) on my belt (mind you, I can't flash carrying knife(ves) here), a mid size B4, Hog Muk, R4 or 411, and larger blade Chopweiler, TGLB, 711, 911, Rat Mastiff, Rat Daddy or MOAD (NMFSH on the way) in the pack. There's a Leatherman in the pack too. I do believe in 'better to have it when you don't need it than need it and don't have' ...
There's a some more that sneak in into the rotation, or are on the wish list for the rotation...
You gotta get some in your hands to see what will work for you, no one can tell you that you 'have to' or 'will never' manage with this or other knife...
 
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