What do you look for in a camp knife?

BMCGear

BMCGear

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I really hate the term "survival knife" but I'm looking for something like that. I want a general purpose camp knife that if I needed to rely on I could. I'm curious what you guys look for? Grind, blade length, steel, etc. This knife would be used for "survival" tasks and general camping stuff.

Any suggestions would be great as well. A friend of mine has suggested the TOPS BOB and has one. It seems like a nice knife but I'm not sure about the scandi grind with the microbevel?

I look forward to your responses.
 
Hmmm..after 27 years of woods and survival-esque fun and practice...I have to say id go with a 4-6 inch blade, combo edge/drop point, a well contoured micarta handle, full width/length tang ending in a pommel. This gives utility as well as power and control. 1095, 1055, or 5160 steel...no stainless for me. Thickness .180 to .250. At 4-6 inches, at say .180 or .250, you have a wide rang of tasks it can complete (with longer/thicker size leaning more slightly in one direction over the other. For general camp use, though, id go for .180 with a four inch blade at minimum. This will allow for small diameter battoning, slicing, light prying, scraping, fine controlled carving, etc. As far as grind..either flat or saber.

As far as range of knives..bk2, bk16, esee 4, esee 5, esee ls.
 
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I tend to prefer:
-5-6 inch blade
- 1/8 to 3/16 thickness
- Full tang
- Scandi / FFG / or high sabre are all good choices
- Micarta handles
- Lanyard hole
- 90 degree spine
- O1 or 1095 steel
- Solid leather sheath
 
i would prefer the following spec .

4-6 inch blade
Thicknes 0.16 to 0.24 inch depending on the task
Full length exposed tang on handle with pommel if possible and lanyard hole
Plain edge if possible (i tried to keep the serrations on my folders)
Drop point a must!!
Scandi, FFG, convex or sabre are fine .. so long not hollow/concave.
Kydex sheath mainly or nylon with molle attachment option at least
Removable micarta or g10 handle scales for ease of cleaning
DLC, Black Oxide coating
Some of the steel on my fixies are CPM 3V, Elmax, 1095, 5160, AUS8
I prefer stainless steel as some of my activities are done close to coastal area but do love to keep a few high carbon steel blades around too.
 
ESEE 6, best bang for your buck and will last a life time. I have $600 Busse Combat knives, I have custom made knives, but my ESEE6 with an ESEE3 piggybacked on it will always be in my pack or on me when I camp. The only thing that would make that combo perfect is if they had a squared spine for striking a fero rod. I put TKC scales on my ESEE 6 and use a Godspeed sheath for both, but that's just preference. I do bring a large chopper or axe that stays in my pack, but there isn't much that this combo won't do.
 
I have yet to consider Esee 4 or 6 due to the thickness and width of the handle .. kinda like OKCs which i can actually sand it down to suit my palm

I kinda like the DPX HEFT 4, 6 and HEST 6 too
 
My definition of a "Camp" knife is still the same definition I understood back in the 50's when I was a Boy Scout...a folder with a main blade (typically a spear point), a can opener, a bottle cap opener, and a leather punch/awl. My taste's have changed since then, and my "Camp" knives consist of a alox Farmer, along with a ESEE Izula, and ESEE 3 fixed blades.
 
Mostly materials used, who made it, and whats the use case. I usually bring a few camping.
 
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What do I look for:
1) A reputable maker
2) A comfortable handle
3) A reasonably safe sheath
4) A sharp usable blade

It sounds simple, but most knives will fail to meet all of these 4 criteria. Among "survival knives" the most common problem are worthless blade gimmicks like sawbacks, cutouts or notches. What you want is a simple sturdy blade without the stress risers and cut interruptions.

n2s
 
Let me describe the Becker BK 16
  • Full tang
  • Over 4 inch blade
  • Full flat grind that is easy to sharpen
  • 1/8th inch or thicker (3/16 is already thick)
  • Field sharpenable steel (1095)
  • Comfortable full handle
  • Balanced in the hand
  • Light to use
  • Good secure sheath with lots of different carry options
  • Good guarantee
  • Under $70
I strip the black coating

The TOPS BOB is an excellent similar length knife that is much heavier, thicker, with a lesser sheath for more money
The convex scandi is a hybrid grind that I strop but do not know how to maintain it when I sharpen it, either sacrifice this grind going to a regular V saber or convexing it

Victorinex Alox Farmer
Awl, openers, saw, and a clean blade
 
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As others have said.
5" blade ( give or take) flat grind drop point.
Good carbon steel ( with good HT)
Good sheath
Well fitting handel
Full tang.
Good luck let us know what you get.
 
Just use the knife you are used to. If you don't think you want to use it to split a cord of wood take a hawk or small ax along and let it do the work of wood processing. That and a good pocket knife will work. If you really want to have fun with your friend get an old hickory butcher knife and form it to the blade shape you prefer and make a sheath.
 
You can't go wrong with the TOPS B.O.B. or the ESEE 6. Both are great performing knives. The only thing I like a little extra about my B.O.B. is the bowdrill divot in the handle. I've used it about 5 or 6 times now. ESEE has them edged out on the warranty side of things, as they will literally replace your knife for almost any reason.
 
Anyone tried the OCK TAK-1 before?

maxresdefault.jpg
 
Vic Farmer or Huntsman. These can handle 99% of camp/survival tasks, no problem. Not the latest and greatest, but you can be sure to have one on you any time you are in the woods.
 
I designed this knife and had it made by Tim Olt It is the camp knife that I take most often. The S30V blade is 6 inches, and .25 thick. Bocote wood handle is beefy. It slices, chops, carves, batons, whittles, cuts and is hefty enough for defense if it were to come to that.
 
I find that the most common task around camp for me is food prep. To that end I bring several very thin food prep knives with me. Keeps the PB out of the J jar and makes sharing ingredients with camp buddies more hygienic.

Wood processing tools are separate. Saws, axes, fixed blades, folders, and power tools. In all my tools I look for ergonomics and performance. A good survival knife has a comfortable secure handle and a blade design (length, weight etc) that suits your environment. A machete works in a jungle, while a sak works in an office.
 
My choice for a camp knife is one that you are comfortable using and have confidence it will stand up to the kind of use you are likely to put to. The knife needs to be a full tang design and in a blade steel that has good edge retention with less than a 0.25" thickness. I am not all hung up on steel. I think the Blackjack 125 embodies most of the qualities I seek in a camp/woods knife combination as it comes from the factory. But my choice of late has been a Dozier Pro Guides knife. I am more comfortable using a clip type blade versus a drop point design. I like a pointy tip. That even applies to field dressing and similar tasks. The fixed blade needs to be comfortable to wear on your belt and have a sheath with good blade retention. It has to be a sheath you trust.

I believe in carrying at least two knives; one 4-5" fixed blade and a folder. The folder generally is a simple 111mm sak. But I also really like the GEC #42. If you are carrying a pack of some sort, add a folding saw. The folder can handle most of the food prep with it's thinner blade steel.

A Mora would be useful for the food prep task and they are light and dependable. One can be slipped inside your pack easily. I don't particularly like the retention on most of the plastic Mora sheaths. I am always concerned that I will loose the knife.
 
IMO, a knife is a part of your larger set of equipment and the overall set of equipments depends on where you camp, when and by what techniques.

For me, "camping" generally means backcountry (or occasionally by bike) travel, where weight is at a premium and I'm relying on a stove for food and tent or tarp for shelter.

I find this to be a great combination for that.
Outdoor Carry by Pinnah, on Flickr

I should note that for more ultralight travel, the Squirt is all that is really needed (assuming prepackaged foods).

(For bike or XC trips, other tools get carried, obviously)
 
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