My "under 100 bux" wilderness cutting tools kit

jca21

jca21

Joined
Apr 12, 2006
Messages
3,188
well fellas. i haven't posted in a long time so i figure i'd update what i've been up to lately :D

i have many knives as i'm sure alot of you guys do too... alot of people here probably have more and better knives than i can ever dream of :rolleyes:

cept as a student my wallet is always empty :grumpy:

but my passion for hiking, trekking, camping, and fishing is always poking at my heart ;)

my under 100 bux (thats CANADIAN dollars, as i live in bc :eek: ) kit consists of the following.

1x mora clipper
1x fiskars hatchet
1x fiskars retractable saw

i picked up the fiskars hatchet for $29.99 and the fiskars pruning saw for $19.99 at my local crappy tires :o


the mora i picked up for around $15 bux at a store called nikka in steveston village (i think only people from b.c. specifically lower-mainland will know where steveston village is :D)

grand total comes to

29.99
+ 19.99
+ 15.00
--------
64.98
plus tax (multiply by 13% thank you harper for that crappy tax cut of 1%)
= 73.43

i also carry a small sharpening stone but got that for free so it doesnt count ^^

with this setup
i can chop trees
build shelters
split wood
whittle
make feather sticks
make fuzz sticks
clean game (especially fish)
and much much more :cool:


i didnt really like the sheath that came with the fiskars hatchet... so... i went to my local MEC and bought a kuny's leather sheath for 5 bux canadian and modified it a little to make it fit

heres a link to the kuny's leather sheath if you guys are interested.. considering it only costs five bux i thought it was a nice alternative to the big bulky plastic sheath.

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_...older_id=2534374302696925&bmUID=1173807947573

well... thats all for now : D

i also keep a sak one hand trekker with me now as an edc at all times.. just bought recently and i'm sure it will get alot of use ^^

cheers

JCA
 
Good on 'ya. It seems like you got just about everything covered.

I will warn you though, if an SUV crashes into your helicopter and you have to save the three Sports Illustrated swimsuit models trapped inside, you're going to wish you spent alot more. None of your choices will take on the really tough jobs like asphalt pavement, rebar, or car doors. Mac
 
haha pict i never thought i'd be saving sports illustrated swimsuit models trapped inside a helicopter or an suv.

i wish i could afford an suv that'd be hella nice :D or a helicopter even better

i have a little bit of money put aside and i'm leaning towards buying a grohmann survival knife number 4

gonna cost me around 100-110 canadian but it looks like a damn nice knife. would be great to use that as my primary and use the mora as a backup ^^
 
"I never thought i'd be saving sports illustrated swimsuit models trapped inside a helicopter or an suv."

I guess then, that you are not prepared for a Real Life Survival Situation...

My basic cutter kit consists of a $10 Mora SWAK, $6 Tramontina machete, and a $10 Tramontina folding saw. That's $26 US. IMO this is all I NEED to spend to do actual wilderness tasks in central Brazil. Would I LIKE to use better stuff? Yes.

Actually I'd like to find a Brazilian-made, affordable functional small fixed blade like the Mora that I could recommend to my students but I haven't found one yet.

To the buying of knives there is no end, in fact for many it seems like an end in itself. There is a wealth of information here regarding what affordable wilderness cutters work well. Get out and use your tools and then after you gain enough experience you will begin to know what upgrades you'd like to make if any. Mac
 
:eek: thats sounds like one heckuva setup..

i don't really have experience handling machetes; hatchets and axes i've used since i could pick them up.

how well do the tramontina machetes work on hard woods?
 
IMO the machete makes a poor axe if you're cutting through really hard wood. That's what I use the saw for.

If cutting hard wood with a machete you want a heavier, longer blade, in essence an axe with a sharpened steel handle. The problem with that is that when you have to use the machete for really heavy brush and tall grasses it will wear you out real fast. To use a heavy machete all day in tight brush you either have to have forearms like Conan the Barbarian or be ambidexterous because one arm ain't gonna cut it (pun intended).

I do just fine with a 14 or 16 inch Tramontina on saplings, thin bamboo, grasses, weeds, and brush. They are alot of work to cut through seasoned wood and you wind up taking quite a beating on your wrist. The saw rips right through seasoned wood just fine and is much easier, and quieter. Mac
 
thanks for the tips mac you've been alot of help :D

most of the woods i deal with are hardwoods and seasoned woods so i guess i'll stick with my hatchet :D
 
I tried to put together a complete woodsrunning outfit for less than $150. The best quality for the least $. I hit the flea markets and got--Boy Scout packboard and pack $8, 3 carbon steel butcher knives $5, Collins ax head $5, new handle with wedges $8. JC Higgins 12 gauge bolt action shotgun $60. From Army surplus--sleeping bag $20, wool blanket $10, 8x8 canvas tarp $10, German Army surplus mess kit, $10. Total $ 136
 
Flea marketes, farmers markets and place alike are Awsome for finding good deals.
 
pict said:
IMO the machete makes a poor axe if you're cutting through really hard wood. That's what I use the saw for.

If cutting hard wood with a machete you want a heavier, longer blade, in essence an axe with a sharpened steel handle. The problem with that is that when you have to use the machete for really heavy brush and tall grasses it will wear you out real fast. To use a heavy machete all day in tight brush you either have to have forearms like Conan the Barbarian or be ambidexterous because one arm ain't gonna cut it (pun intended).

I do just fine with a 14 or 16 inch Tramontina on saplings, thin bamboo, grasses, weeds, and brush. They are alot of work to cut through seasoned wood and you wind up taking quite a beating on your wrist. The saw rips right through seasoned wood just fine and is much easier, and quieter. Mac
Click to expand...

Pict makes a very good point, you must consider your region, what you will be chopping/cutting and your own use.

What may work well in Ontario, may not be the "best" thing in the Bayous of the gulf coast. What may work well on "green" timber, may not be so great on seasoned hardwood, and so on.

I see a lot of video on-line of people chopping down a conifer, less than 1 foot in diameter. Try a 3 foot diamter Oak tree. Huge difference.

I think the tools should be tailored for the region and/or main use intended.
 
well i gave in and stopped by my local knife store on the way home. they had the grohmann #4 survival knife in and i bought it.. :D

couldn't resist...

if i had stayed longer i'm sure i would have maxed out my credit card in a few minutes. :rollseyes:

gonna take the #4 out this weekend and see what it can do ...

the mora will be a backup knife now :D


also i totally agree with u skunk.

tools should be tailored to the region

and my region is BC (which by the way is beautiful so for those who haven't come here COME HERE)

theres a 408km trail :eek: which i'd like to attempt some day but for this summer i'm getting ready for the west coast trail and a few others

cheers
 
20 year old hatchet my dad got twenty years ago-10$
SAK Spartan-30$ (actualy, free present)
Soon to have mora, 12$
Kitchen knife from walmart-3$

Totoal-55$
 
I can get a Tramontina machete here in Mission for between $6.99 and $18.99 depending on size and type of sheath.
If you want to see a good quality knife store check out Warriors and Wonders on Cambie street in Vancouver.
A machete can be very effective if you need to cut through salal or other brush here in our temperate rain forest.
I usually carry a hatchet however in some areas the machete can do a very good job
 
coyotebc i actually frequent warriors and wonders :D

they're prices are alot better then house of knives :eek:

any good trails in mission?
 
jca21 said:
why the kitchen knife? just outta curiosity
Click to expand...

Well, first of all I dont have my Mora yet. Second of all, I car camp, so I like having special stuff for cooking, not having to wash my belt knife and so and so. When I go backpacking no kitchen knife.
 
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