Hoodlum or Trailmaster? I want your input...

brewcitymike

brewcitymike

Joined
Aug 26, 2011
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I have been eyeballing both the Cold Steel Trailmaster and the Buck Hoodlum as a possible next large camp/survival/chopper knife. I know a lot of people think survival knives should be in the 4-5" range but thats not what I want to discuss. I like large blades and these are two that are nearly identical in price and very close in size. I am swaying toward the Hoodlum as I support Ron and if even a nickle of the money from his design goes to his wife and son, I would like to help them out, also I like 5160, and its just s cool looking knife to me, though I do wish the blade were a bit wider at that length. An extra 1/4 inch in width would be good. As for the Trailmaster, its SK-5 which I'm not very familiar with but the C.S. stuff get s decent reviews and performs pretty well in what I've seen anyway. I debated the Recon Scout but decided to go the larger of the two Cold Steels. I know someone will probably say "for that size just get a BK9 or an RTAK, they're better and cheaper". You'd be right and thats why I own a BK9 and am in the process of trying to trade for an RTAK;) I'm just looking to hear how these two have performed for you, how they feel in your hands(mine are pretty big), how well they hold their edge and if they're easy to sharpen, etc, etc. I appreciate whatever you can contribute. I'm also very open to other knife suggestions that fit mainly the price range($140- 170) and roughly the size(8-10.5" blade). Thanks
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I have an old carbonV trailmaster 2nd. I think it's about useless as a chopper, not enough weight out front. Then again I haven't used it in a while. Convex grind can get fairly sharp, but its pretty thick. Not a bad knife, I just think there's better choppers.
 
Anyone out there informative about the SOG Creed?? With the weight in the front of the monster I assume it chops great...right??
 
brewcitymike said:
Anyone out there informative about the SOG Creed?? With the weight in the front of the monster I assume it chops great...right??
Click to expand...

It appears to have a pretty dramatic hollow grind. I would imagine that will counteract any advantage its balance brings, as far as chopping goes.
 
BTW...you might want to check out the Ontario Ranger line. Big, bombproof chopper/basher/smashers in 5160, up to 9 inch blade lengths.
 
I'm working on obtaining an RTAK right now and I really don't like the way the Night Stalker and the RD9's tips look, the only ranger knives I really like are the Afghan, RAK and Shiv.
The rest aren't my cup of tea, looks wise. I do have a RAT-7 which is very nice feeling but I'm holding off on using it cuz I'm trying to trade it right now. I've also been eyeballing the Condor Boomslang and Speed Bowie, and the Kershaw Outcast has been on my list for a while. If I were to choose from the two up top, right now it would be the Hoodlum cuz it's 5160 and cuz the trailmaster has a bit too much of the Wild West bowie look to it, more for fighting almost. I only really became interested in it because I saw a couple videos where it performed nicely and the guys swore by it for outdoor/survival use.
 
You said you were trying get a RTAK. Unless it's a real good deal, you might try a Junglas. I've never had a RTAK, but many prefer the Junglas, saying it's a more refined version. It is designed by RAT/ESEE, but made by Rowen. Rowen's work is absolutely top notch. Just a thought.
 
The Junglas can be gotten on ebay for around 170. It is better than the RTAk becasue the heat treat is a little better, better handle scales, and the RTAK sheath BLOWS whereas the Junglas sheath is awesome. And the warranty from ESEE is as good as it gets in the industry, literally. It costs a little more but it is definitely worth.
 
hoodlum and junglas are about the same price the junglas being cheaper at two stores I just looked at

Ive never used a junglas but my esee 6 doesnt hold an edge as good as my hoodlum
 
Truly I'd like to get the RTAK 1, not the RTAK II, or an original Newt Livesay RTAK would be just awesome. Anyone know of a good place to look for a like new RTAK 1?? I do love kydex but with a knifethat size, I'd like to have the pouch for a mini kit if all I'm carrying is the knife.
 
Supposedly, the Scrapyard Regulator makes a decent chopper (more of an all-rounder/absurdly pointy, heavy-duty combat knife). It's probably out of your price range on Ebay or other secondhand markets, but it's a thought if you can find one for less than $200-$250.

Otherwise, I would go with the Hoodlum over the Trailmaster. I have some experience with the Junglas like other people have mentioned. It's an excellent knife by itself, and you get a fantastic sheath and excellent warranty with it as well.
 
I don't prefer exposed tangs on any camp knife, the subhilt is not comfortable for chopping and neither is the jimping of that thumb ramp. You can secure it in the sheath to use the butt end as a hammer, plus it's got a pot lifter notch... it's the Trail Master for me by a wide margin.
 
For chopping or heavy use the knife handle makes a big difference. The straight handles like the handle on the Trailmaster will cause your hand to fatigue faster because of the effort required to maintain your grip. I have used the RTAK II and Trailmaster for removing 1-3" branches from trees I cut down in my yard. After about half an hour the trailmaster became almost unbearable to use. I have used my RTAK II for many hours without developing blisters or grip fatigue. The friends I had helping me also experienced grip fatigue and blisters using the Trailmaster. Many say the Junglas is a better knife, and it is, but only slightly. The Junglas is not twice as good as an RTAK II, but you will pay twice as much compared to the RTAK II. For chopping you can't tell the difference between the two. If your options are between the Hoodlum and Trailmaster and your primary use is camp/chopping activities, I would go with Hoodlum, your hands will thank you for it.
 
The Carbon V Trailmaster was my main hard use knife for a while until I replaced it with Busse. I don't have the Buck Hoodlum but I have a custom Hood designed by the late Doc Ron and made by Fehrman, which I think is similar to the Hoodlum in design if not materials, including pot notch..
The Cold Steel is a great knife in some ways but the kraton handle is awful and i had to wrap it for extended chopping. And carbon V rusts quite badly, although the formula changes from time to time.
The Fehrman ( mine is coated CPM 3v) is lighter, faster, better handle, better steel and a better knife all around.
Fehrman is roughly on par with Busse, and both makers' knives are outstanding and really worth the extra bucks, in my view.
 
I too, have read many complaints about the RTAK, not sute which version, but they seem to break sometimes. I've also heard numerous reports of the Hoodlum not being a very good chopper. It just looks looks like a very narrow blade to me, not wide like the Junglas. Good luck in your search. Watching the exchange is likely good advice, but you have to be fast.
 
just fyi, I just ordered an Esee Junglas for 155.95 from chestnut ridge knife shop, seemed to be a pretty good deal...have not received it yet(ordered last thursday) but hopefully this week....

Spider
 
You're right, I was gonna recommend a BK9, then I read your post a bit more closely :D.

Of the two... I would probably personally go for the trailmaster. The pot notch just would make me nervous any time I had to really pound on the blade for something.

That said, I have no experience with either knife.

Good luck man.
 
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