Stupid question.

[kgd]

People go camping without a hatchet?

Yes, perhaps a majority of people go camping without a hatchet. Some people don't even bring smore fix'ns. You use what you like, what you are familiar with and what you have.

 

[bladefoolish]

Yes, perhaps a majority of people go camping without a hatchet. Some people don't even bring smore fix'ns. You use what you like, what you are familiar with and what you have.

I guess I just got used to having a hatchet around from my Boy Scout days, when I always took my red-handled Official Boy Scout Plumb Hatchet camping with me. That, and a Marbles Ideal my father bought me when I was about 10, and an official Boy Scout knife were constant companions.

Come to think of it, my edged equipment hasn't changed that much. I still use a plumb hatchet, and only recently retired the Marble's for a Barkie Northstar.

 

[Erasmus]

I use a camp knife to cut up trouts, open cans, pop tops off beer bottles, whittle a spoon when I forget to bring a plastic one, open food wrappers, cut up quails, create kindling, cut out splinters, cut strings and rope, cut surgical tape, modify gear, sharpen pencils, cut fishing line, poke at food roasting on the barbecue...

Just endless uses.

 

[dartanyon]

I going to go out on a limb here

... cutting?

 

[machine26]

Some people don't even bring smore fix'ns.

You LIE!?

haha, a camp knife to me is the same as a hunting or survival knife. typically a 3-5" fixed blade.

 

[GRIM 62]

Whatever I'm in the mood to bring along at the time.I like to play with different knives!

 

[Mistwalker]

People go camping without a hatchet?

I go "camping" all the time, I haven't taken an axe or hatchet to the woods with in twenty years. And other than the woods in my back yard no machete in seven or eight.

 

[Bushman5]

I watched a show "Jeff Corwin's Extreme Cuisine" in thailand. An old man used a razor sharp barong type knife for everything, it looked like about a 10 or 12" blade with some heft judging by the way it went through the bamboo. I watched him prepare an entire meal, vegatables, fish and herbs, and steamed the entire dish in a section of bamboo. He used that knife like it grew out of his fore arm, opened my eyes. Chris

Amen! large knives can be used just like small knives. Its all in how you use them. :thumbup:

 

[Marion David Poff]

Traditionally, in the knife industry, if you describe something as being a 'Camp Knife' it meant a Hatchet Replacement. The term was used particularly often among Blade-Smiths, the heat and beat crowd. Every year, the story goes, Moran made himself a new 'Camp Knife' for his yearly camping. And the knife he would make was never under 6 inches long, or at least, so I understand.

That can be the issue in these conversations sometimes, we each define things for ourselves, and then we can find out that there are definitions that others have used, and continue to use. If you called up and asked somebody like Jay Hendrickson for a 'Camp Knife', you would likely get a big knife, alternately, if you wanted something small and thin, you might ask for a 'Hunting Knife'. Likewise, Jerry Fisk.


Camp Knives.....

http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/862073/

http://www.cutleryscience.com/reviews/carter_camp.html

http://www.knifeart.com/danunakadanh.html

http://www.riverjunction.com/catalog/guns/knife_rio.html

http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f14/camp-knife-chopper-15112/

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=686739

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=684165

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=681316

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=683106

Marion

 

[bladefoolish]

I go "camping" all the time, I haven't taken an axe or hatchet to the woods with in twenty years. And other than the woods in my back yard no machete in seven or eight.

I guess it's a matter of personal preference. I'd feel sort of naked without one around -- not just for the cutting edge, but also for using the blunt side as a makeshift hammer as need be.

 

[bladefoolish]

"Likewise, Jerry Fisk"

Jerry Fisk designed a "camp knife" (called the "Camp Knife" " that I've alway sort of lusted after, but the prices are steep for 'em these days.

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/blackjack-bk-t-magnum-camp-knife-jerry-fisk

 

[bladefoolish]

"That can be the issue in these conversations sometimes, we each define things for ourselves, and then we can find out that there are definitions that others have used, and continue to use."

Exactly. When I made my initial post, that's why I put the work "camp" in quotation marks -- my post was not intended to be about what size knife works best for camping, but rather to ask about uses for a catagory of knives -- the word "camp" does not refer to a function, but rather a "term of art".

 

[Marion David Poff]

bladefoolish - I was not just answering you, but addressing the other posters, the 'discussion' so to speak. I was not trying to correct you.

And Jerry did the design on that, but for a production firm, which would probably explain why it does not fit the example.

But, nowadays, people are defining 'camp' to mean more things.

Did not mean to offend, if I did.

Marion

 

[bladefoolish]

You didn't offend at all -- I thought your post was informative and well thought. And, the Fisk design has about an 8" blade, I believe, so to my mind it fits the category.

 

[Diamond Dog]

Really I think of a camp knife as something larger like a chopper to be used as an all purpose beater. When car camping with the family I will take an ontario 12" or 10" machete I forget the exact size at the moment. I use it to split wood for kindling, and use it rearrange the logs in the fire, chop small branches to be used for the fire. I don't use it to do any dedicated cutting chores as I use a smaller knife/edc for those tasks such as gutting fish, food prep etc. I will also bring as a back up a buck 119-hardly sees much use unfortunately but used as a back-up for car camping again for a just in case something happens scenario.

 

[silenthunterstudios]

The older generation that I've spoken to, views camp knives as scout folders. I love big knives, they are fun to use around the property.

However, I have developed an appreciation for a 5" fixed model, my Victorinox one hand trekker and a hatchet.

 

[bladefoolish]

The older generation that I've spoken to, views camp knives as scout folders. I love big knives, they are fun to use around the property.

However, I have developed an appreciation for a 5" fixed model, my Victorinox one hand trekker and a hatchet.

I dunno, I call a scout-type folder a "scout knife" or a "camping knife", and I'm probably of an older generation.

Like I said before, I have always heard large, heavy knives primarily designed for outdoor use called "camp knives", e.g. the Swamp Rat Camp Tramp. This does not mean smaller knives are not, or cannot, or should not be used for camping. The merits of a certain size knife for camping is not the subjects of this thread. I was saying that I rarely found a use for this size and type of knife when camping, and was wondering how other's here might utilize such a knife, and how necessary or desireable they found them to be for general outdoors use.

 

[bladefoolish]

"Really I think of a camp knife as something larger like a chopper to be used as an all purpose beater"

Now, that makes sense to me. I can see when a large, beater knife could come in handy for crude chores.

 

[Jeff Clark]

One reason I like a hatchet is for driving tent pegs. If your hatchet has a flat backside it is great for that. I used to have one with a great nail-puller section that would pull the stakes too. I remember I got it at a sort of logging supply store in Eureka California.