Knives of the pro's

I already know what I like, I thought it would be fun to see how diverse the field of experts are in their knives.
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It is interesting, as with almost all things it's fun to compare what the pros use. There is a lot to learn doing so or at lease plenty of interesting conversation.

One thing quickly learned, assuming the pro isn't taking money to advertise a product, is what works. You got a respected guy using a $20.00 knife you can resonably believe it is up to the task.

With knives I was lucky, we didn't pay any attention to what the pros of the day used, that ment reading when we could be out in the forrest playing. My first knife was a Boy Scout knife, it was a good knife, I'm not sure any crappy knives where being sold in the 50s, we didn't buy offshore stuff back then. But years of using this knife I learned what a good knife was and how to size them up.

Part of the fun is watching the guy and identifying the knife, like watch guys do with watches and guitar guys do with guitars, it's a validation as well as mind opening.

Jimi Hendeix used a Stratocaster, B.B. King uses a Gibson ES-335, Duane Allman a Les Paul, Buck Owens a Telecaster, Doc Watson a Martin D-18 or D-28. I have a Telecaster, a PRS McCarty and two Martins :) and play no where near as good as these guys.
 
Ray Mears used a Mora on one of his jungle programs, and on his Australian series he used a Fallkniven fixed blade and folder. I guess he didn't want to wreck his woodlore. In the northern woods he uses a couple of GB axes and Laplander folding saw, in the jungles he has his parang and folding saw.

I wonder which of the ESEE knives the RAT guys carry?
 
Yorkshire Boy said:
I wonder which of the ESEE knives the RAT guys carry?
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Jeff Randall claimed a few times in their forum that the only RAT-designed blade he carries is the RAT-1 folder (from Ontario) and that he is always bringing fixed blades of different design into the bush for reviews. I think last year he put out a thread asking people to recommend which knife he bring (that he had never used before) for the upcoming Jungle training that year. If I recall correctly, he ended up with a Bark River Bumble Bee.

We often tend to turn knives into symbols. The concept of 'the one' knife is a falsehood for many of us as it is for experts. I think some will just grab anything off a shelf of gear that have, some like Jeff Randall will deliberately try to continue choosing different options and others settle on something that they like best. Based on the discussion of this thread, there certainly isn't any winnowing of consensus or design elements.

Culturally, there are of course standards in design and application that has been reinforced by for fashion, the military or other factors. The sgian dubh, the finnish puuku, heck the buck 110 folder.
 
I consider professionals the people who do it for a living or who are in harms way. You know, the guys or gals you never hear about. Military personal, big game hunting guides, smokejumpers/firefighters fighting wilderness fires. Trappers in Alaska. These are the folks I consider pros.
Scott
 
Gossman Knives said:
I consider professionals the people who do it for a living or who are in harms way. You know, the guys or gals you never hear about. Military personal, big game hunting guides, smokejumpers/firefighters fighting wilderness fires. Trappers in Alaska. These are the folks I consider pros.
Scott
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Second. It's important to remember that many 'survival experts' are just trying to sell something by slapping their name on any product (Tom Brown) while others try to be politically correct, and some just don't know what their talking about (Bear Grylls).
 
Magnussen said:
He uses a 5" model of this (Trekker) without the shinogiji. (beveled area toward the back of the blade)

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That isn't what I had pictured. I was picturing the Bushknife. That is a great looking blade.:thumbup:
 
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G'day J Williams

Whilst I thank you for the compliment, I'll decline on accepting the label of "expert" because.....

After all, the only students I have are my two children (& believe me when I say I'm not being paid by them :D)

I haven't published a book, and don't have a following either :D

I haven't designed a knife because there are plenty of others who have more knife design skills than me :D

I don't make any money from my opinions either :thumbup:

I'm not into managing my image :thumbup:

I'm not a TV star.

I'm not from the Nth hemisphere either (after all, everyone here knows you have to be from the Nth Hemisphere to know what you are talking about when it comes to life outdoors, right?) :D

I actually use Stainless steel knives (which most here don't think is suitable for an outdoor knife :eek: ).

At the end of the day, I'm just someone who doesn't express an opinion unless it is backed up with real first hand experience :thumbup:

Not exactly what is expected from an "expert" :thumbup: :D



Kind regards
Mick
 
Mick, we in Britain loved "The Bush Tucker Man". I think the success of Les Hiddens' shows paved the way for Ray Mears' TV career.

I was about 11yrs old and in the Scouts, it used to be shown on Sunday morning on Channel 4, I would be gutted if I had to go with the family somewhere and I missed it! Then it moved to Sunday early evening and my dad would always let me finish watching it before calling me to tea. I liked his big hat, even larger grin :D, his Land Rover and all the cool stuff he did. I even liked the guitar on the theme music!

Ray Mears certainly has an incredible amount of respect for him and you'd be suprised at the number of non-outdoor types my age who have a soft spot for TBTM.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QizyeEA3mL8
 
Mannlicher said:
Do you think some guy on the Golf channel uses a Callaway because it's a better club?
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Whatever a touring pro uses is so adjusted and so modified except for the name engraved it has no relation to the "stock" model so yes, the brand is all about money.

There is a group at every tournament that Id's every club in a Pro's bag. No reason we can't do that here.
 
In 1960, Francis Gary Powers carried a Randall Model 8 and a SAK.

10Powers8.jpg
 
When I get back from my wedding and honeymoon, if this thread is still in play, I will try to drag out my back issues of TK.

Dan Schectman wrote a regular column for a few years where he asked this very question of all the survival and outdoor 'pros' he could contact. The column yielded a number of interesting points, many of which have been mirrored in this discussion.

Best,
Marion
 
Marion, You took the words out of my mouth. I did write that column for TK and interviewed maybe 12-15 pros. K-bars and Moras topped the list with SRKs just behind. Very few used custom or high end knives. Interesting how guys with military backgrounds tended to favor bigger knives. Bushcraft/ hunter, trapper types mostly opted for Moras.
 
Congratulations Marion, I think I have that TK. I can look. Good idea, Why didn't I think of that?
 
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