Trail knives with hickok45

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DangerZone98

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Dec 7, 2019
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TL;DR: What’s your trail knife? Do you guys have one?

Stumbled across this gem of a video. It’s a pleasant surprise to see some knife content from one of my favorite gun channels. It’s also interesting to be reminded that not everyone is as obsessed with blades as we are, and as long as it’ll do the job safely, that’s just about enough. 😅 Love that the Kershaw Camp 18 made an appearance here. Man, that knife looks tiny next to hickok.

I don’t really have a trail knife since I live in the city, though I do have blades that can fulfill that role. Do you guys have a designated “path clearing” trail knife?
 
The last couple of years i've been mostly using my modified orange handle Condor Eco Golok for trail clearing:

Photos - Finetuning a couple of Condors

Currently busy finetuning two Condor choppers, a Bushcraft Parang and an Eco Golok machete. For years i've only used kukri models for trail clearing (a Tora Blades Camping kukri and a Cold Steel Kukri machete) here on the Veluwe, and the plan is to get some hands-on experience using a few other...
www.bladeforums.com www.bladeforums.com

The also modified green handle Condor Bushcraft Parang comes along as well when i expect to encounter thicker kinds of wood.
Both fit together easily in my daypack.

When i go without my daypack i often carry this modified Kronenkrebs Scout knife:

Photos - Vintage Kronenkrebs Fahrtenmesser / Scout knife

Currently busy with modifying another large sawback scout knife, this one manufactured by the no longer existing Solingen based firm of Kronenkrebs. The stag handle was way too thick for my hands, and the low sabergrind geometry was far from ideal for it's intended use as a large allround camp...
www.bladeforums.com www.bladeforums.com

Partly due to the mods it's a remarkably capable knife.
 
Trail; knives?

Go to YouTube and see what the "Through Trekkers" take along while on the Pacific Crest Trail. The PCT is over two thousand miles of hiking trail from Mexico to Caneda in some of the most scenic and rugged country in North America. These folks are on the trail for up to two weeks at a time, backpacking elf contained. None of the videos I have seen tout the carry of anything like what is thought of as a survival knife or a hunting knife.

I have long thought that those who are prepping to Bug-Out and go off the grid should concentrate on the daily living, daily trekking part of that scenario instead of emphasizing the tactical aspects.
 
What kind of trails he going down anyway? He's always heeled, so he should cut his weight down with a smaller knife. But I remember in one video he used a Delica to cut open a box.
 
GB940Rookie said:
Clearing trails? Obviously a Machete.
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I'm not sure it's all the obvious. Depends a lot on what part of the country you're in. In the northern Rockies, where I am, a saw and/or axe are going to get you a lot farther, and a lot more efficiently, than a machete will.

So, to answer the OP's question, given my location and context, I don't generally carry a big "trail knife" with the intention of it being a tool I'll use for trail clearing. It's just not an efficient tool choice. I carry whatever general purpose hiking knife I feel like carrying that day (usually something in the 3.5-4.5" range) for whatever knife tasks might arise, and then, if it's early season or after a significant wind event, I'll strap a folding saw and/or axe to my pack.

My 'big' knives (6"+ blade) tend to remain more dedicated camp knives if I'm car camping or basecamping in one place for multiple days.
 
Smithhammer said:
I'm not sure it's all the obvious. Depends a lot on what part of the country you're in. In the northern Rockies, where I am, a saw and/or axe are going to get you a lot farther, and a lot more efficiently, than a machete will.

So, to answer the OP's question, given my location and context, I don't generally carry a big "trail knife" with the intention of it being a tool I'll use for trail clearing. It's just not an efficient tool choice. I carry whatever general purpose hiking knife I feel like carrying that day (usually something in the 3.5-4.5" range) for whatever knife tasks might arise, and then, if it's early season or after a significant wind event, I'll strap a folding saw and/or axe to my pack.

My 'big' knives (6"+ blade) tend to remain more dedicated camp knives if I'm car camping or basecamping in one place for multiple days.
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Clearing already established trails of small limbs, which is the subject here, a machete.
 
GB940Rookie said:
Clearing already established trails of small limbs, which is the subject here, a machete.
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Didn't see that specified anywhere, but ok. I'm not necessarily talking about dealing with large trees across the trail - even for smaller limbs (4-8" in diameter?) I'll still take the saw/axe every time.

It's also a matter of wood type. Have you ever tried using a machete on 4" of Doug Fir? Machetes were developed, and are still used today, in certain environments for good reason, and part of that is vegetation type. Those reasons aren't universal.
 
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coolbreezy37 said:
My dedicated path clearing knife is currently the BK9, recently got a Junglas 2 which seems to be be a worthy contender.
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The BK 9 is a wonderful knife (haven’t tried the Junglas), but when I see these two mentioned together, my mind naturally turns to Skrama. It chops better for me than the Becker, although I think I would find the Becker more comfortable for a long session.

That said, for the kind of brush and small branches that seem to be the subject of discussion here, my preference would be something like a 14” bolo, of the Tramontina or Imacasa persuasion. My reservation would be for their use on the trail. I use them around the yard, where I can schlep them around in the two-wheeled cart I use to haul my cuttings to the brush pile. I don’t think,I would enjoy carrying them on the trail.
 
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VorpelSword said:
Go to YouTube and see what the "Through Trekkers" take along while on the Pacific Crest Trail.
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You didn’t watch the video, did you?

It’s not about a backpacking knife.

He’s talking about a knife to carry on existing trails that occasionally have overgrown vegetation or trees/branches blocking the path.

One of the most enjoyable things for me to do in the woods.

I have several trail clearing knives. My favorites in order of increasing weight are the Swamprat Taliwhacker, the Swamprat SawManDu, and my Chopper/Fighter by Bill Siegle.

If I know there’s a tree down, I’ll take along an axe or saw, but if I’m just checking the trail I carry a knife. (Well ok, several knives, but only one biggun 😅).

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Smithhammer said:
Didn't see that specified anywhere, but ok.
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He states it in the video. He clears the walking trails on his property with the knives on the table. If I recall correctly (I watched the video days ago), he also says he keeps one of them in his truck or ORV to chop off branches that grow into the road when he's driving on undeveloped trails/roads to keep them from scratching his paint.
 
riversidedep said:
He states it in the video. He clears the walking trails on his property with the knives on the table. If I recall correctly (I watched the video days ago), he also says he keeps one of them in his truck or ORV to chop off branches that grow into the road when he's driving on undeveloped trails/roads to keep them from scratching his paint.
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Yes, I caught that in the first few minutes of the video. But I didn't take that to assume the OP's needs were necessarily identical. I was merely pointing out that context can matter, and that depending on what sort of environment one lives in, efficient choices for trail clearing tools may differ.

But to play along, if I'm going to carry a large knife on the trail, it will probably be a Skrama 240 or the CPK SDFK. ;)
 
Smithhammer said:
Didn't see that specified anywhere, but ok. I'm not necessarily talking about dealing with large trees across the trail - even for smaller limbs (4-8" in diameter?) I'll still take the saw/axe every time.

It's also a matter of wood type. Have you ever tried using a machete on 4" of Doug Fir? Machetes were developed, and are still used today, in certain environments for good reason, and part of that is vegetation type. Those reasons aren't universal.
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My thoughts exactly.

In an Amazon rain forest(?), yeah, a machete. Here in South Texas (*around green Mesquite/Oak), not so much. A machete, even one of the best, would be a mangled mess in seconds. (*Green Mesquite is a booger, so much so that some Manufacturers actually give a disclaimer)


I beat the crap out of my recently acquired Bohler K329 Work Tuff Gear/Aurora Borealis "Kodiak" today, working with some pretty good-sized downed branches (*green Oak), and knew I would regret not getting a pic or two.

Man, that little Kodiak ate that stuff up. After a good cleaning, I noted one miniscule chip on the blade, which may or may not have been my fault. I like putting a small micro-bevel on my blades that have a pretty obtuse convex edge. The tiny chip was on the micro-bevel, but not on the convexed portion. All-in-all, it was a MONSTER.


That being posted, that K329 Kodiak saw one day of usage. (* ~4 hours, give or take) I've owned an SK85 Kodiak for quite some time and have beaten on it mercilessly. In my extensive usage, that SK85 (*SK5?) has shown to be no slouch. South Texas wood (*green/aged Mesquite, green/aged Oak, aged Ligustrum) is brutal, even on the BEST axes/hatchets. (*4140, 1075, 1055, etc.)
 
scdub said:
You didn’t watch the video, did you?

It’s not about a backpacking knife.

He’s talking about a knife to carry on existing trails that occasionally have overgrown vegetation or trees/branches blocking the path.

One of the most enjoyable things for me to do in the woods.

I have several trail clearing knives. My favorites in order of increasing weight are the Swamprat Taliwhacker, the Swamprat SawManDu, and my Chopper/Fighter by Bill Siegle.

If I know there’s a tree down, I’ll take along an axe or saw, but if I’m just checking the trail I carry a knife. (Well ok, several knives, but only one biggun 😅).

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Beautiful knives and pics. Do you use the sawback spine on that last knife often? Or do you find it handy?
 
Over the last few months, my little DT-12 and 240 Skrama have seen the most "truck box" action...









The 240 Skrama has a face that only a Mother could love, but sure is a damned fine tool.

I think my little SK85 Kodiak is going to get thrown into that rotation. It has proven to be a great little tool for the hard woods here in South Texas...



 
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