What is the right knife for camping/bear attacks/wild mountain folk kind of knife?

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I don't live anywhere near any bears, but I think I saw in a documentary once that the best thing to do when faced with a bear is to slowly back away. I think the guy was a forest ranger or something, and he was saying that most bear attacks happen when people accidentally invade a bear's territory. If you back away the bear sees you getting off his patch and doesn't maul you. Turning your back apparently makes them instinctively chase you.

I don't know how accurate this is, but it's probably worth a try. If I absolutely had to go up against a bear with a knife I'd probably go for something like the Cold Steel Spike. Judging by the shape of the blade, I think it'd work quite nicely for the bear to pick his teeth with once he's done eating me. ;)

Chris
 
akabu said:
Used for hundred's of year's and hikeing staff all rolled into one ,with a Mora 2000 y'll set up. http://www.coldsteel.com/spears-high-performance-spears.html
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Broke, on impact, 1/4 of the point off the CS Assegai on the 2nd throw into a fir tree. The metal is brittle. However, it was easy to throw it well in anger. Sweet spear, straight shaft and pointy blade, looks the part. Probably OK for soft targets, not something with bones.

But, if you did use the CS Assegai on a bear, you would be setting up the next guy (after you'd been eaten for annoying the bear) to pull the thorn from the bear and make a friend.

Now, the Bushman, large or small, can be thrown into a hard target all day long without breaking. It flexes and wobbles when stuck into a hard target no matter how much violence has launched it. Not as sleek looking as the Assegai but it lasts longer. Your arm will give out before the Bushman does.

Best,

oregon
 
I am another person who isn't too concerned about bear attacks in the woods but something to note is that in the last couple of years there have been 2 articles in knife magazines about people who have killed bears with their FOLDING KNIVES. The bears were not full grown healthy monsters but it does prove that it can be done. Both men were older and seriously injured but at least they did not forget the most important principle- fight like hell with whatever you have at hand until you cannot fight anymore. On top of that all one can do is carry whatever makes then feel OK in the woods and enjoy your time in the real world.
In my survival kit/hipsack I carry a Kershaw Outcast so I guess that would be what I would use if I had to- but I would try to leave first and then use my Crawford Survival Staff before my knife.
 
The OP did also post about "wild mountain folk." For some reason we are fixed on bears when we should be more focused on wild mountain folk. I think.
 
Forgive me for this, but I JUST can't help it!! OK, now get yourself a .44 Mag. or .454 Casuall. I am sorry, but everytime I think of this situation, and it screams GUN to me.
 
Whoa, now I feel as though I need to donate money to save the bears as it seems as though some people are jonesing an encounter to find out the answer to a stupid question.:D
 
Here's a scenario for you......you kill a bear with your sebenza, and it turns out to be a protected species!
Your knife is impounded as evidence, and it is years before you can get it back, if ever.
If you kill the bear with a cheap chinese knockoff and find yourself in this situation, the knife will be a lot cheaper to replace. :)
 
Paraphrased from another forum:

"If you're really worried about bears, you should attach some small bells to your tennis shoes (so the bears can hear you coming and get away) and carry some of that special pepper spray just in case they don't.

Also, keep an eye out for bear scat while your walking around. This is one of the best ways to tell if there are bears in the area. If you've not seen bear scat before, it's pretty easy to identify. It smells like peppers and has little bells in it."
 
blue8 said:
Whoa, now I feel as though I need to donate money to save the bears as it seems as though some people are jonesing an encounter to find out the answer to a stupid question.:D
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Perhaps that money is better donated to "Save the Dumba$$es" who try to take on a bear with a knife....:D
 
Yeah just carry a good old fashioned katana with you. Just strap it to your back like in all the ninja movies and if your martial arts squeels don't make the bear run off in terror and the throwing stars are ineffective you can whip out the sword and chop off its head.
 
Brian Jones said:
Perhaps that money is better donated to "Save the Dumba$$es" who try to take on a bear with a knife....:D
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You are so right about that!! ROFLAO!!!!!!
 
Seeing me in a ninja suit would probably kill the bear with laughter, or at least give me enough time to get away. I think you may have something with the throwing stars though. Maybe nunchuckas.
I always get a kick out of the nature photographers who say that after years of spending time in grizzly country they feel that the bears are beginning to accept them and then the next time they go out, they get eaten. Just leave these things alone. I also get a kick out of the hunters who get on a plane, fly to bear country, drive to a lodge, spend the night drinking, cooking, sleeping in a warm bed, wake up, get on a snowmobile, ride ten miles into the woods, get off and hike a few hundred yards to a den where they know a bear is about to wake up and shoot the thing as it comes out of hibernation and say that they went bear hunting. Honestly, what is the point. Why not just go the extra inch and put a gun on a tripod, aim it, set up a remote camera, and pay someone else to pull the trigger when you see it come out sitting in a lazyboy.
 
Like some others mentioned, busse, swamp rat, and ranger knives would be the best knife brands you could get. But for a black bear attack, you`d be good with a HI ang khola, or a ranger knives RD hawk or Entry tool. For a grizzly or polar bear attack, I`d reccomend you buy a Barret M82 .50 sniper rifle. Those polar and grizzly bears are tough son of a guns. You wont do a whole lotta damage to those with a knife. Probably just make em madder.
 
Million Dollar Cowboy Bar in downtown Jackson Wyoming has a full mount of a grizzly killed when it attacked a guy with a Bowie. Bowie won with the help of a large stick. Don't think it'd be there if the guy carried a Sebenza!
 
I carry my G23 in S&W .40. My plan is to try to avoid soiling myself if it charges, stick my hand in it's mouth when it reaches me, and let go all 14 rds as quickly as possble...
 
Any thick-bladed machete should do, and those are usually soft enough to resharpen in the field - on a rock if need be.
 
Why would anyone want to save a dumba$$. Let em go.
 
'Taint confidence that knife's given you, to get up into a bear's face. More like it's made you stupid.

Don't think you'll best the bear in a knife-fight. (Likewise if your thinking you'll get the upper hand in an encounter with a cougar.) I've seen lots of black bears here in California's wilderness areas (and in human areas), usually they run off when they see you. And, sometimes you see them before they see you. So making noise is a good idea - - like someone said earlier.

I've been charged by a black bear once - - scared the $hit out of me too. Stood my ground, facing the bear, waving my arms and shouting and clanging pots worked (still have those dented pots). Within about 10 feet of me the bear broke off its charge. So, guess you'd call that a false charge. Same bear kept circling the campground though until I hit it with a couple good sized rocks. I even saw it step right over two late risers in their sleeping bags - - didn't have a clue a bear had stepped over them. Since then I've had bears come up and sniff me during the night too, then saunter off. But, never, ever, would I consider taking a stab at the bear under any of those conditions. Good way to lose your face.

Now if you want a good camp knife (and that gives you some sense of authority or confidence), I second the BK7 suggestion. I've had mine for going on 5 years, and it's still my favorite for car camping and backpacking. It functions as axe, fish cleaning knife, can smasher, cooking and whittling blade, all in one. It's easy to sharpen, holds an edge (even when I dropped it on a boulder, edge down), and is in your price range $40-$50.

Somebody suggested a KaBar above. Naw, go with a blade that has a beefy metal tang that fills out the width of the handle, and not a skinny KaBar tang sliver that bends if ya try to pry something with it.

TT2Toes
 
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