Large bladed hiking knife

you might consider a folding saw over the hatchet.
Corona on the low end, Bahco or Silky on the high end.
Condor Golok is a trail clearing machine that chops like an 18" machete in a 14" package and under $50.
I've also heard good things about the Condor 12" bolo machete for hacking/slashing/chopping.
 
I think there is a lot of wisdom in the old nessmuk trio concept: axe no longer than armpit to hand, a stout fixed blade no longer than 5" and a small pocket knife.

There are plenty of modern equivalents that you can do here, such as swap out the axe with a good quality folding saw, or a chopper around 9" in length.

The think about serious hiking though is that weight is the enemy. I usually get buy with a folding saw and a 4" or 4.5" fixed blade like the bark river aurora.

Either way, I always have my delica4 on my.
 
b yond said:
It may not be a "big" knife by everyone's standards, but the LMF II has been a good knife for me, and I've actually abused it some. If you're going to be carrying an axe too, the LMF II should be more than adequate for all other needs, and should you lose your axe the LMF II could fill in as a light chopper and can stand a lot of batoning. The sheath is nice too.:)

GERBER%20LMF%20II%20INFANTRI%20G1463.JPG
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Yes....but what if you lose your axe AND your LMF? Then what happens?

As far as the LMF, in my opinion, the fact that it can stand a lot of batonning is far outweighed by it having the cutting geometry of a brick of government cheese. In a pinch, with the proper technique, any knife (even a folder) can baton.

So...if you have lost your axe, and if you are forced to use your knife to baton for your life (why?), then me...I'd want that knife to be a cutter too. Like a Mora, for example. Multipurpose.

Heck...if your "fallback in case I lose my axe" is a knife that doesn't slice well....why not just back your axe up with another axe?

But...that's just me.
 
The LMF II doesn't slice well?

Sure, you're not going to get a razor edge from the sharpener built in to the sheath, but a little sharpening with a lansky and mine cuts just fine...but that may just be me. I think the sharpener in the sheath is just to put something close to an edge back on it after you use it to cut a helicopter in half and chop down a small forest to build your log cabin.

I thought it to be a very stout, capable, and utilitarian knife.
 
Welcome to the wonderful world of lots of choices. :)

If you are going to pack the hatchet/axe, you don't need a large fixed blade knife in my opinion. A smaller fixed blade or even a stout folder would make an ideal combo with a hatchet/axe.

Otherwise, if you leave the hatchet/axe at home, a BK-2 or the like would be a great all-around knife.

For me, I want something like for hiking so I use something like an ESEE 3 or a Fallkniven F1, etc.
 
b yond said:
The LMF II doesn't slice well?

Sure, you're not going to get a razor edge from the sharpener built in to the sheath, but a little sharpening with a lansky and mine cuts just fine...but that may just be me. I think the sharpener in the sheath is just to put something close to an edge back on it after you use it to cut a helicopter in half and chop down a small forest to build your log cabin.

I thought it to be a very stout, capable, and utilitarian knife.
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Isn't that why you carry an axe in the first place? :) Chopper chop and slicer slice in my book. If (which I do) I'm going to carry more than one tool (and more than one chunk of weight), I want each tool to be more than "fine" in or "capable" of performing its tasks. I want it to excel.

But....I'm not prone to losing knives or axes! :D Don't do that! Especially away from civilization. Heck...even in civilization...make a point not to lose your stuff.
 
pickering said:
Off topic, sorry, but I noticed your bow, and I'm into traditional archery. What kind is it?
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That's a Howard Hill Halfbreed 60@29. It weighs less than just about anything else I have on me while hunting and hits like a tank. :D


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Beckerhead #42
 
I have a GB mini and can honestly say that if I could have only one tool for everything, that would be it. Forget carrying both. They're redundant tools. A good set up IMO is a slicer pocket knife and a good fixed blade for the what if scenario of losing the axe. However the GB is so small that I'm sure you could get a belt rig for it and then not even need the fixed blade. When I go out into the woods my chopper sees 95 percent of the use, the pocket knife the other 5 percent. I've yet to need my belt knife for anything. I just wear it cuz I like knives. :D
 
marcinek said:
Isn't that why you carry an axe in the first place? :) Chopper chop and slicer slice in my book. If (which I do) I'm going to carry more than one tool (and more than one chunk of weight), I want each tool to be more than "fine" in or "capable" of performing its tasks. I want it to excel.

But....I'm not prone to losing knives or axes! :D Don't do that! Especially away from civilization. Heck...even in civilization...make a point not to lose your stuff.
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I see what you mean. Personally, I don't take an axe hiking, as I differentiate between hiking and backpacking. The LMF II comes with me because I feel it can perform survival knife duties and can stand in for a hatchet if needed, plus it isn't horribly heavy or large and attaches to my gear well.
 
Becker BK9. It is a chopping machine & takes & holds a razors edge, Made in America (not the sheath), 3/16" thick, great handle ergo's & can be easily modified if you want more grip, all for around $80 to your door. It makes you smile when you use it too, because yeah, it works that good.
 
Think about what you'll need to do. I like a shorter Tramontina machete and a folding fiskars saw for wood processing. Very light and capable combo. Add a 1/8" thick 4-5" fixed blade and you're all set. Those 3 combined probably weight less than a full sized axe.

I don't know why people carry those big thick choppers. They weight a ton and are a "jack of all trades, master of none" kind of thing. They can't do knife work as good as a normal knife and can't chop like a machete/axe.

When hiking, weight is very important. A Tramontina or other thin machete is MUCH lighter than a thick chopper and will chop better.
 
Ok, maybe this is not what u asked for, but it could help u see things from a different point of view.
I know nothing of large blades for hiking, for the simple reason that I never had a reason to buy one for my hiking/backpacking/camping needs. As others have posted before me, it can be funny to carry such big choppers but personally I believe that u don't need it, and since weight is a mayor issue when hiking, if u don't need it, u shouldn't carry one.
And since u seem to be open to suggestions, I suggest u to consider this combo:
- a good fixed blade (3'' or 4'' will be way enough);
- a folding saw (more practical and lighter than an axe) if u have to process wood;
- a small folder/SAK for light camping chores.
This should give u a good option on any situation and fulfill all ur needs I guess...I have been trying many combinations over the years and this is where I got.
:cool:
 
crktm1612m said:
Think about what you'll need to do. I like a shorter Tramontina machete and a folding fiskars saw for wood processing. Very light and capable combo. Add a 1/8" thick 4-5" fixed blade and you're all set. Those 3 combined probably weight less than a full sized axe.

I don't know why people carry those big thick choppers. They weight a ton and are a "jack of all trades, master of none" kind of thing. They can't do knife work as good as a normal knife and can't chop like a machete/axe.

When hiking, weight is very important. A Tramontina or other thin machete is MUCH lighter than a thick chopper and will chop better.
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+1. Never found anything a hatchet could do that my 12" machete and folding saw couldn't handle. And for less weight too, as you point out. Now, a full-sized axe is a different story, but we're talking a bit of a step up in weight too. And unless you're building that cabin in the woods for an emergency shelter, it's overkill. I don't want to fan the flames of the familiar axe vs chopper vs machete vs folding saw debate, so I'll stop here. But just for the record, I've been very happy with my combo: Ontario 12" machete, Bahco folding saw, Mora Allround, and SAK of the day (lately, an Outrider). Prob comes in right around the same weight, and cost, as the GB mentioned by the OP.
 
Derek the Destroyer said:
COLD STEEL GHURKA KUKRI!!!! you can probably lop of the head of a bear with it if you had to. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwS9bV5X488
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If, while hiking/backpacking, one often encounters blocks of meat hanging from things, and one needs to chop said blocks of meat in half....that's an excellent choice.

But I'm sticking with my original point that a knife like that, while hiking, is jsut extraneous weight (especially when one is also carrying a GB).
 
marcinek said:
If, while hiking/backpacking, one often encounters blocks of meat hanging from things, and one needs to chop said blocks of meat in half....that's an excellent choice.

But I'm sticking with my original point that a knife like that, while hiking, is jsut extraneous weight (especially when one is also carrying a GB).
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Ya it is pretty heavy but it does depend on where you hike. I live in the redwoods and I have had encounters with mountain lions on more than one occasion. I sometimes carry my SOG tigershark too tho... its like half the weight of the CS.
 
Derek the Destroyer said:
Ya it is pretty heavy but it does depend on where you hike. I live in the redwoods and I have had encounters with mountain lions on more than one occasion. I sometimes carry my SOG tigershark too tho... its like half the weight of the CS.
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Now there's a CS vid I'd like to see! Lynn + bike shorts + kukri + mountain lion + closed room = pure entertainment!

Do you find yourself using the CS or SOG when you are hiking...or are they purely self-defense tools?
 
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