Production 4-5" camp knife

My experience camping and hiking in the outdoors vs the local KOA is that no one pays any attention what so ever to a knife unless it very large. I carry the SOG Seap Pup Elite in state parks on hikes and no one even notices. I don't try to hide it, but I usually have loose clothing on too. A jacket pretty much obscures a fixed blade knife in the fall through spring. I don't wear Rambo clothes either as I have no interest in such things. I sometimes wear camo pants, but rarely wear a camo jacket or shirt unless I am hunting, fishing, or plan on trying to not be seen in the outdoors. I feel really uncomfortable walking into the local walmart with full camo on. I also usually have a handgun with me in the outdoors; usually concealed if I am in public areas vs along a trail.
 
hikeeba said:
And Gibsons are awesome, but I've always been partial to Fenders (two Teles and a Jazz Bass)
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I have a couple nice Fenders myself, including a 50th Anniversary Strat...very sweet. But sometimes, "Only a Gibson is Good Enough" :)
 
22-rimfire said:
My experience camping and hiking in the outdoors vs the local KOA is that no one pays any attention what so ever to a knife unless it very large.
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You raise a good point; I certainly wouldn't whip out the Trailmaster at the Ranger station to clean my fingernails. ;)

About cammies... I wear BDU pants or shorts cuz the material dries out fairly quick and for the pockets. (three beers in each leg pocket no problem!) Plus they're reasonably cheap and last a long time.

I have a jacket too but don't wear them all together, lol. More than one item of camoflage clothing, unless you're actually hunting, makes you a certified mall-ninja Rambo wannabe!
 
GibsonFan said:
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... only thing left is a machete and maybe a filet knife... a nice medium/fine 2-sided diamond stone would be handy... any recommendations?
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I am a huge machete fan. Use it for camping, canoeing, etc. My favourite user is the Tramontina bolo. One thing to watch out for, though, the Tramontina bolos of recent manufacture (at least the ones I've seen) are significantly thinner than previous production, making them less effective for chopping on wood.

BTW, batonning was a hot topic a few threads ago - you can baton machetes until the cows come home - no significant damage.

Doc
 
Tramontina makes a number of models, some very thin and some very thick. Is it possible you have just seen different versions? My Tramontina bolo is one of my most used large brush blades, really solid knife, especially with the pimped out plastic bag pict inspired grip.

-Cliff
 
Cliff Stamp said:
Tramontina makes a number of models, some very thin and some very thick. Is it possible you have just seen different versions?
-Cliff
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That could be, it's just that where I usually buy my machetes (Le Baron) are now carrying the thin models and there is not a lot of places carrying working machetes around here.

Doc
 
James Green Dragon said:
I'm not a fan of the 5" Kabar knives. The handle is too small for my hand & the edge is too thick. Great sheath though...

Perhaps a little out of the price range but this might fit the bill:

http://www.agrussell.com/knives/by_type/straight/custom_shoppe_stag_handled_hunters_bowie_.html
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That's kind of what I was wondering about the short Ka-Bar :( . That AGRussell is a gorgeous knife but it costs nearly what ALL my camping knives do! If I decide the mini-bushmaster I ordered isn't suitable, I'll flip a coin between the CS Master hunter and the Ontario TAK-1.I think I've got a couple mora's picked out for light duty/kitchen stuff...

DOC-CANADA said:
BTW, batonning was a hot topic a few threads ago - you can baton machetes until the cows come home - no significant damage.
Doc
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I remember the batonning discussions very well :) Last week I tested my TM by batonning... I'll review it fully if anyone cares; for now let's just say the wood is in many pieces, knife is in one piece and it took about 1 minute to bring back to shaving-sharp :) Thumbs up for CarbonV (guess I got one that was heat-treated right).
 
FWIW, my Tramontina 14" Bolo has a .085" thick blade. The 12" machete's blade is .075" thick. Both are less than a year old.
 
How about a Becker Crewman blade is in the 5" range and strong as a tank. The sheath has a nice pocket that you can fill with survival supplies. Price is about $50.00. Another good knife within your size and proce range is the Cold Steel SRK. I've got both size Bushman and they are a good buy as is the Mora Clipper.
 
Thanks for the good ideas, all. I ordered a CS Master Hunter (nice knife design, dumb name :rolleyes: )... the TrailMaster and Rifleman's Hawk I've gotten recently haven't let me down, so I'll give the MS a try.
 
One of my favorites is an old Schrade 165. It's well proportioned, takes a great edge, has a very robust blade, and a very comfortable handle. I also like the patina it developes. Works for me.
Bob
 
longbow50 said:
If I had 75.00 to spend, I'd be tempted to get a Mora 2000, a Victorinox SAK w/saw and a tank of gas. :)
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I'm with ya 100% on that one:thumbup: . Mora's are great knives for the money. Hard to argue with that IMO.
 
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