What kind of knives do loggers carry?

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Jun 8, 2004
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Been watching the new season of Axe Men on the history channel and was wondering what those guys might be carrying. Any ideas?
 
Something small in their pocket or none at all. No real need for pocket knife in logging beyond the same stuff anyone would carry an EDC for.
 
Sadly, that show - like virtually all "reality" shows - is totally scripted, contrived and fake, so the knives they may use - if any - lose their significance. For me at least. Even so, its sorta fun to identify the knives, MTs, etc. that we see on tv.
 
There was a news story a little while back, of a gentleman in Colorado who happened to be a logger. He had an accident with his utility trailer, which fell on his foot. He ended up using a pocketknife to amputate some of his toes, to get free of it. As I recall from photos/video when they interviewed him, the pocketknife he used appeared to be a Schrade OT (Old Timer), a trapper I think. Here's a photo of him (his name is John Hutt), holding the knife:

The caption for this news photo reads as follows:

"John Hutt holds his Old Timer pocketknife while sitting on the front porch of his home in Montrose, Colo., Aug. 19, 2011."
jon_hutt_amputation_jp_110901_wg.jpg


(this photo accompanies an ABC News article at -->: http://abcnews.go.com/US/colorado-l...amputates-toes/story?id=14425919#.UM-FA4Oi8Vs)


David
 
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Well ... I´m no professional logger at all. But I need a lot of firewood each year. While out in the woods the regular tools (chainsaw, axe, wedge, maul, cell phone, etc etc etc) are with me - next to a Mercator K55K knife.
 
Whatever they carry, my guess, mostly from info from non TV glorified logging folks in a small PNW logging town, whatever they carry is usually small and doesn't protrude much, as not to get caught on trees and logs and equip. The small blade above would fit that bill.
 
I've been a forester since 1986, working mostly in WV, but also VA,MD,& PA. The loggers that I know and have worked with carried EDC pocket knives, usually small stockman, trappers, and barlows. The use I seen the most of, was to clean out the grooves on their chain saw bars.
 
Well whether or not you consider me a logger is your choice, and i wish i could say the knives loggers carry are romanticized and sexy, but in reality a good sturdy clip is most important, so traditionals tend to fall out of this category. Usually an easy open knife that can be handled with gloves.
 
Anything that's good for cutting pancakes. Everyone knows that lumberjacks love pancakes!

:D
 
I can only speak for NW loggers but hardly any wear a belt so belt pouches are out. Even if they did, it would be snagging on stuff all the time. The last thing a faller or choker setter needs is for something to snag when he needs to move NOW! Somebody on a tower or skidder might have different needs.
 
My younger brother is and has been a professional logger in the north woods of Wisconsin now for the last 25 plus years. I have made him slipjoints, small fixed blades and ordered different factory knives as gifts. He either looses, gifts or breaks them in short order! LOL
Here is a recent picture of him doing his thing.
Jimlogging.jpg
 
The orange handled rosterfri single blade knives that u get when u buy a Saw. Our local John deere dealership also carries a bunch of logging stuff and that's what they said that most loggers in our area carry. My brother and cousin logs and they carry whatever they can get their hands. My pawpaws uncles logged back in the crosscut saw era, and he said they carried big knives like big cattle knives and single blades. He said that u could buy a case knife for about 75 cent and a Remington for cheaper than that! That was the good ol days.
 
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