Thoughts on the Cold Steel Bushman

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ShooterMcgavin

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Jan 20, 2008
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I'm buying a Cold Steel Bushman... I plan to keep it in a sort of get home bag or small BOB. I wanted something cheap, because it will mostly just be an extra that sits more than gets used. I want it light and I want it durable. In an emergency situation, there could be some hard use like batonning, but I don't need it for prying. Is it a decent choice? I'm open to hearing other ideas if you have better suggestions. Thanks.
 
Good camp knife. Strong, and easy to sharpen. Worth the $30 or so they cost, and then some. Buy a couple and keep one in each car for emergencies. I did.
 
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jimh0220 said:
Good camp knife. Strong, and easy to sharpen. Worth the $30 or so they cost, and then some. Buy a couple and keep one in each car for emergencies. I did.
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Ha, that's exactly what I did. I found a site selling 2nds for $15+shipping, so I bought 2. I have wanted one of these for a long time, just as a beater knife to see how tough it really is. I think I will be happy with the choice for my needs. I will soon find out :) Thanks all.
 
I've heard these are pretty good beaters but I never got the hollow handle aspect. Mounting it as a spear look fun but is really unlikely, they talk about storing matches etc in it but how is that possible when there's no end cap? If I start cutting brush I don't want matches and fish hooks or whatever scattered all over.
 
They're a great choice for a truck/BOB/"spare" knife... if you can get past how smooth and round the handle is. People have added texture to them with paracord wraps, grip tape, etc.

I can't swear to it but I think you could find a crutch tip that would fit over the end. Or else just cram a cork or wooden plug in it.
 
The hollow handle is for sheer cheapness. Once cord wrapped it feels pretty good though.
 
MassMatt said:
I've heard these are pretty good beaters but I never got the hollow handle aspect. Mounting it as a spear look fun but is really unlikely, they talk about storing matches etc in it but how is that possible when there's no end cap? If I start cutting brush I don't want matches and fish hooks or whatever scattered all over.
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The hollow handle is one of it's best aspects, when you give it a think. It gives you the option to extend your reach for ground clearing, like a machete, or even longer like a pig sticker/spear. But the whole knife is just one tough little dude, and a bargain too. It takes a mean edge and holds it pretty well, the handle does get slippy but that's easily remedied with cord, tape, tubing etc.

If you want to store stuff in the handle (I store either a firesteel or a 5 foot pole :) ) you can bung up the choil end with a cork and the same for the butt end, or wrap your line, matched etc in soemthing that will simply bung itself in the handle without the need of a cork.

I've had mine for a few years now, finally decided to buy one after watching destruction tests and being convinced the idea of a spear would be cool, glad I bought it as it's one of my favourite knives!

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get one, you'll be hard pressed to be dissapointed. :)
 
Well this thread isn't the first to tell me to stick a cork in it! ;-)

Hadn't thought the choil end would need a bung, all the photos show the right hand side of the blade/handle which looks flush.

I doubt I would make a knife spear in a survival application but I must admit it sounds fun as hell! Is there a hole you can use to fix the staff in the socket with a screw or nail, or is it strictly "friction fit"?
 
MassMatt said:
Well this thread isn't the first to tell me to stick a cork in it! ;-)

Hadn't thought the choil end would need a bung, all the photos show the right hand side of the blade/handle which looks flush.

I doubt I would make a knife spear in a survival application but I must admit it sounds fun as hell! Is there a hole you can use to fix the staff in the socket with a screw or nail, or is it strictly "friction fit"?
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there is a screw hole, and the left side as you can see has a hole big enough for a finger/kit to fall out of.

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I'd bund the top and bottom if I stored small bits.
 
I have several including one of the originals with leather sheath. Pretty tough knives. I saw a video over at CS for new products in 2013 and it showed a secure ex sheath for the Bushman.
 
I bought 4 of them years ago, they were the Bushman mini version. I keep 1 in each vehicle and keep 1 hanging buy the fire pit, and my wife uses 1 as a garden knife. Tough as heck and easy to sharpen.

Chuck
 
I'm not real sold on the hollow handle because you can't store really anything in it. I guess that you could put together a little kit in a plastic bag and just stuff it in there. But they are cheap and I've used mine to chop some tree limbs and other medium duty "camp knife" stuff and it worked okay for how light it is. I just wrapped the handle with some hockey tape, but paracord probably would be better because then you've got some useful cordage.
 
Shann said:
I'm not real sold on the hollow handle because you can't store really anything in it. I guess that you could put together a little kit in a plastic bag and just stuff it in there. But they are cheap and I've used mine to chop some tree limbs and other medium duty "camp knife" stuff and it worked okay for how light it is. I just wrapped the handle with some hockey tape, but paracord probably would be better because then you've got some useful cordage.
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It works really nicely as a light-weight brush slasher if you stick it on a 1-3 ft. pole rather than a full-blown spear shaft. :)
 
I just put a basic lanyard on the handle to protect from slipping onto the blade. I like the hollow handle because it is light weight. I'm not convinced that I'll be using it for storage - maybe if I can work out a solid system for sealing the ends.
 
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