Requesting a Long Knife/short sword/staff recommendation

A

Animatronic Fireman

Joined
Sep 16, 2011
Messages
192
Hi everyone

This is my first post here. I am looking for a long knife, short sword or staff/spear recommendation. I was wanting something for defence against a wolf for when I go camping/hiking in Canada in a park where carrying a rifle is not allowed. I know it is unlikely to be attacked by wolves and in the event it was cougar it would probably attack before I had a chance to react. I would like some sort of defence that an animal demonstrates extremely out of the ordinary behaviour as one of my friends' camp was attacked by rabid wolves and if their tents hadn't been reinforced with wood someone could have gotten hurt. I will be carrying bear spray and air horn in the event I encounter a bear. Some of the items I have been interested in or had recommended include:

Randall #18 with staff attachment
ESEE, Junglas Machete
Valiant Co, Survival Golok
Swamp Rat Rodent Rucki
Fallkniven, NL1 or NL2
Svord, Scramasax
Scorpion Knives, Yatagan
Cold Steel, Natchez Bowie

I am really not sure what kind of steel I should be going with in a long bladed knife. If anyone has any experience with these knives and could provide some input or another recommendation that would be much appreciated.

Thanks
 
Welcome to the forums:

CRKT Hisshou
Cold Steel Natchez
Cold Steel Assegai with short shaft
CAS Hanwei Tactical Wakizashi
 
While I do think the Swamp Rat Rodent Waki and the Busse AK47 are great tools, they seem to be more about toughness rather than being combat focused. The OP seems to be asking for something he could use as a last ditch self defense tool and that comes down to the ability to use it quickly and with great control. The Rodent Waki and the AK47 can take probably more abuse than other blades that are a similar size and weight, but they seem to be heavier than swords or blades that are designed primarily for combat.
 
Kaizen1 said:
While I do think the Swamp Rat Rodent Waki and the Busse AK47 are great tools, they seem to be more about toughness rather than being combat focused. The OP seems to be asking for something he could use as a last ditch self defense tool and that comes down to the ability to use it quickly and with great control. The Rodent Waki and the AK47 can take probably more abuse than other blades that are a similar size and weight, but they seem to be heavier than swords or blades that are designed primarily for combat.
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I haven't seen the AK47, but surely the Rodent Waki can't be much heavier than the Hanwei Tactical Wakizashi you mentioned? I have one myself and I find it much heavier than my ESEE Junglas and not nearly as easy to wield with one hand.

I would think a tough machete would be great for this task, or perhaps a kukri. I personally would want something light enough to swing around with one hand, but tough enough to chop through bone, as I assume that would be the intended goal. Unlike humans, I doubt most of us would have bothered remembering the muscle and vein structure of a wolf, so if attacked by one, I would aim to cut the whole thing in half(or separate the head from the body).

That said, I feel my ESEE Junglas would be the best suited for that task.
 
The Valiant survival Golok is a helluva weapon, especially in the 15" blade b/c it is so agile when used one-handed (I have owned 3 different lengths). More so than the other options you listed, and as a short sword it has more reach than a long knife.
BUT I think if I was worried about predator animals I would feel safer with the Asagai short spear - something nasty comes at you, you want to be able to impale it deep as it comes at you, not flail at it with one hand after it's gotten close enough to do so.

Alternately, a tomahawk would have better penetration ability than a knife/sword, while still being easier to wield one-handed than a spear. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/im...age_text_0?ie=UTF8&n=3375251&s=sporting-goods
 
I'm not familiar with a lot of what you posted, but the junglas gets a lot of love here. Also, here's my only kukri- a HI Tamang. It's very handy, does a lot and if you are swinging it with bad intentions can be downright dangerous.

IMG_2323.jpg
 
The most vicious brute you are likely to encounter in Canadian national parks is the black fly, followed by the mosquito. DEET works well on these. As for wolves/cougars, it's hardly worth worrying; bears are rarely a hazard provided you take reasonable precautions, as you note.
 
RainDropDamascus
Thanks for the reply. Both of those look very cool. I think the Rodent Rucki might be a bit more suitable for what I am looking for as it looks a bit easier to use one handed.

Kaizen
Thanks for your reply. The Hisshou looks very cool but a bit expensive, definitely something to keep an eye out for in the event of a sale, same goes to the Natchez. I had done some research into the Cold Steel spears awhile ago and I was worried about the durability of the shaft, I vaguely remember there being some issues with it. Thanks for this Wakizashi recommendation, looks like a great blade for the price.

Noctis3880
Thanks for your reply. I had been keeping an eye on the Junglas, glad to hear it is worth a closer look.

fishface5
The Valiant Golok is a great deal, I think I'll be getting one of those or something else from Valiant no matter what I else I purchase. Which 3 lengths did you own. When I double checked the sight the 15" was considered the large model which I wasn't expecting. I am sure I have read about some issues with Assegai short spear. I think the Randall 18 with the anodized aluminum or stainless steel shaft might be a better although way more pricy purchase. I remember having a desire to get a tomahawk awhile back but couldn't find one I wanted for a good price. I should start looking as a tomahawk would be a good item to carry.

rpn
Thanks for the reply. Glad to hear the Junglas is a good consideration. Will look into some Kukris too. I had checked out Kukri house. Is there much difference between them and Himalayan Imports?

Alberta Ed
Thanks for the reply. I know the chances of seeing wolves and cougars are extremely low but the last time I went camping in Saskatchewan I saw wolves. Just want some protection in the event I encounter an animal that it demonstrating out of the ordinary behaviour. On a side not I just got back from Alaska and the Yukon and saw my first grizzly bear which was awesome. Funny that you mention the bugs in your post though as I'm allergic to OFF so you're right they truly are the most vicious brutes.
 
For a spear, I would recommend the Cold Steel Bushman. I'm surprised no one recommended it. I've used it as a knife, chopper, and spear, and it works very well. It throws well, sticks deep, and if bent it easily comes back to true. I would recommend caring a large screw eye to secure the Bushman to a staff.

IMHO a Kukri would be a very good option as a survival knife/chopper that can double as a weapon. Kukri House has a good reputation. I don't own any of theirs, but I've consider a couple of their offerings. As I understand it, the main difference between KH and HI is the quality of the finish. Although KH has lower prices for the knives themselves, when you add shipping costs to KH, the prices end up being very similar.
 
I also recommend the Hi Kukri. I'd get a Panawal AK, a full tang. It will cut like an ax, so it will save you from
needing to bring an ax.
An alternative might be one of the larger "knives" that you can get from Kris Cutlery dot com.
They sell nice stuff, and the quality is high.
 
I think Cold Steel will serve you fine for the intended purpose. I would cringe to think of you slashing with a #18 threaded onto a staff. Also I don't think you want to lash $800 in infi to a stick and swing it around.
 
Animatronic, not sure if youre trolling or inexperienced. A single knife, no matter what brand, won't do you any good in such situation.
I can tell you that much as a previous woodworker.

If you're "actually" into preparing, look up one of more popular survival forums (I am not allowed to link here) and ask about handling such situations.
Keeping calm, using the proper technique and know-how is your sharpest tool.

If you really REALLY HAVE to buy something, go buy a small chainsaw. It's a tool, a weapon and most important, it's loud enough to scare off about anything. ;)
 
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Flush;10025153 If you really REALLY HAVE to buy something said:
I have never been to Canada and don't know about their parks, but in any case it seems to me that a "small chainsaw" it's going to be too much of a burden (and that is without the fuel to make it work, which could also become a serious hazard if ignites, let's say if somebody puts it too close to a camp fire). If you are thinking in beating off an attack by ¿rabid wolves?, then it's very seriuos situation, because as far as I know, animals usually don't come close to humans, except if they are starving or yes, rabid, or any other condition that will make them more aggresive. For this particular situation maybe a spear, in a long staff would serve you better, but I don't know if you have the expertise to defend against several wolves attacking you, as a pack.
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Flush said:
Animatronic, not sure if youre trolling or inexperienced. A single knife, no matter what brand, won't do you any good in such situation.
I can tell you that much as a previous woodworker.

If you're "actually" into preparing, look up one of more popular survival forums (I am not allowed to link here) and ask about handling such situations.
Keeping calm, using the proper technique and know-how is your sharpest tool.

If you really REALLY HAVE to buy something, go buy a small chainsaw. It's a tool, a weapon and most important, it's loud enough to scare off about anything. ;)
Click to expand...

I am in Washington state. A while ago, a 130 lb woman was attacked by a Cougar that outweighed her from behind. She killed the sucker with a pair of 3 inch tweezers from her fanny pack. While being chewed on and mauled, this little lady managed to stuff a pair of tweezers in the Cougar's eye, down into the brain. The interviewed her on the news, showed pictures of the dead cougar missing it's eye where the tweezers went, and showed all the stitches she received (hundreds). Call her up and tell her a 12, or 20 inch blade would have done her no good, let alone a spear!

Another man in Florida killed a brown bear with a piece of fire wood! Hit it in the head with a piece of firewood and killed it. I bet he would be interested to learn that a spear or large blade would have done him less good than a piece of firewood.

There is a big difference between "ideal" and "worthless".

I carry a bear gun when I go into certain areas. (where, for example, one bear tried to get into my landcruiser with me through the rolled down window. Came down off a ridge, followed the moving vehicle, and tried to climb in through the window while my mother was frantically rolling it up (it was a juvenile bear). Another time, it the same area, an adult brown bear chased me out on a dock. I went to the end of the dock and had to dive under the water, and swim under another dock). The bear was looking a and sniffing for me, when a group of dogs started barking at it, and it moved on. That bear was killed later that day on the neighbor's back porch with a compound bow. I have seen some where in the neighborhood of 30 bears up there.

You could also look into the boar spear from Cold steel. bigger, heavier, which might be a problem for lugging around.

The shaft will be much heavier and stouter! Also, you can put a sheath over the spear and use it as a walking staff. Cut it to your desired length, etc etc.

Pretty cheap option to explore. I have a few Busse models. The Swamprats are very well made. The steel can take any kind of abuse you can think of. Not too pricy (for the quality).

You can also pick up different models from all three family companies (swamprat has the longer wakiand now the ruki model, Busse has the AK47 and shorter Ruki but they are a lot more money (about double). The one not mentioned yet is the Scrapyard Scrapazashi, with the wrapped handle.

I have a Busse B11 (1/4 inch thick 11+ inch blade length, I also lug around a KZII-- Busse khukri with a 12 inch blade.)

I am lucky enough to live where I can also pack firearms.


Wolves, cougar, even heaven forbid a bear can and have been killed with spears, and blades all through out history. I would suggest that most people are not looking to tangle with one without weapons that go "Bang" but that does not mean that you are better off curling up and laying down to die.

Bear spray.........Good! Air Horn.....Good! Spear (if you can lug one around........Good!) Big knife.........or well designed short sword (IE Swamprat waki) Good!

A rabid wolf, or very hungry cougar (many family/friends have had run ins with them) would be much easier to deal with if you gave them a face full of bear spray and had something longer and pointy to poke them with, if that was not enough.

All tools that hopefully, you never have to do more than play with!

On a side note, those big knives, and short swords make great (and fun) survival tools that are actually useful for other things.
 
Preacher Man
Thanks for the reply. I have got lots of recommendations for turning a Bushman into a spear and kukri. Bushman is a really cheap option and there are tons of price ranges for kukris plus they all look great.

arty
Thanks for the reply. I couldn't find the Panawal AK, full tang is definitely the way to go. I'm going to send you a PM with 2 I liked.

ron_m80
Thanks for the reply. Lots of recommendations for Cold Steel. And I think you're right about the Randall. I was really leaning towards that before posting this thread and I might have made that really expensive purchase and then think it was to nice to bring out into the woods. For the price of the entire setup I could get a Rucki, kukri, Bushman and a case of beer.

Flush
Thanks for the reply. I'm not trolling. Inexperienced yes but not totally naive. I wasn't asking for a particular brand but that was probably just an oversight on your part. You're definitely right that there is other subject matter that should be read up on. I understand that I won't be taking down a black bear or a pack of wolves. However, one of my best friends' camp was attacked by three rabid wolves. This wasn't her and her boyfriend's camp, this was geological exploration camp that would have contained at least 10 people. The wolves attacked while they they were sleeping and the only thing that stopped them was a rifle (all 3 wolves had to shot as the sound didn't scare them away and another woman was injured by a bullet that ricocheted). I don't imagine I'd fair that well against those 3 wolves armed with every single item recommended in this thread but I would like some tool with stopping power in the event I had to try. The bear spray/air horn combo will probably be the most successful combo of tools in any dangerous situation I encounter but I have no idea if the wolves being messed up on rabies would respond to it. Whatever I end up with with I will be using for things other than just animal defence I just didn't want to say that in the topic because if I said I was going to use it chop wood than spear recommendations (other than the Bushman) would be gone, etc. I think chainsaw would be a little heavier than what I am looking for and although I would probably look slightly crazy with a Rucki I would definitely look crazy with a chainsaw. I'm sure I could get away with a Bushman, Junglasm, golok or kukri. Long reply, not trying to be an attack but the gist of it is that I would like *something legal* that could be a difference maker in a strange situation.

Alvaro Candanedo
Thanks for the reply. Chainsaw is definitely heavier than what I am looking for plus all the other inconveniences you mentioned. You're right, if I am unlucky enough to encounter an entire pack alone I probably won't be posting here anymore.

Bigfattyt
Thanks for the reply. Glad to hear your stories and that you made it ok. Thanks for understanding my request. I'm not looking to go hunting with a melee weapon and I understand that the bear spray and horn work just as good on wolves as they do on bears and am just looking for something in the event they don't work. Glad to hear more info on the Busse/Scrapyard/Swamprat dealio. Reading about INFI made it sound great (I'm sure it is) but right now I think the Rucki is priced really good and if a Busse is going to be double that definitely makes the Swamprat all the more appealing.
 
I would get a swamprat rucki available now, or a Busse Ruck if you are willing to spend that much. Magnum slabs balance a lot better for tip control but I love both of mine.
 
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Just a side note, rabies isn't called hydrophobia for nothing. You might want to consider a water pistol to see off anything rabid. The only problem is it don't work for anything else.
 
I second the CS Boar Spear. You can put it on any kind of shaft you like, and can even make shafts in the wild in a pinch. I put mine on a 40" oak dowel and it's not going anywhere. For what you are talking about reach is the key... you want to do a lot of damage from far away.
 
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