What knife in USA when you go camping....and bushcrafting....?

Chui

Chui

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In UK the most popular knife by far is an icon style piece made famous by Ray Mears - the Woodlore.

This knife has a stout handle and blade and is scandi grind.

It is well known in UK that for carving, working with wood, battoning etc., this knife is brilliant.

What do you guys use please.....?

Or, is it the case, that because hunting is so much more prevalent/widespread, you all use a different knife/different grind and then make-do when it comes to tackling wood/setting-up camp/camp chores etc....?


Look forward to your replies, guys :)
 
These days I lean towards Kephart style knives with full flat or convex grinds. I'm just not a fan of the geometry that a Scandi grind tends to produce and I don't need or want my belt knife to be terribly stout, as I generally have a saw and/or hatchet for bigger jobs. A fairly neutral handle to accomodate multiple grips comfortably and a nice, thin blade to slice well are my main criteria at this point.
 
My big camp knife is a Bark River Bravo 1.5 in CPM 3V with micarta handle.

That said, I don't always take it. My quiver of camp knives includes Swamp Rat Ratmandu, T.O.P.S. Fieldcraft B. O. B., Mora Garberg, Mora Carbon Black and Spyderco Mule.

It depends on the trip. The more time walking and less camping, the lighter the knife. When camping more than walking, the heavier knives come along.

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Right now my camp fixed blade is a Kabar Becker BK-15. I am probably going to get myself a Bark River Kephart to celebrate Christmas (you know... giving to myself. ;) I want something a bit "better" than the BK-15 and the Kephart is in the running at the moment. There is one other Barkie that I am considering as well for the role.
 
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Its hard to say what the most popular knife style is in the US for camping.
For the general public, the drop point hunter would take the cake. Woodlore and french trade would follow after them.

Me, I switch between a Winkler Hunting Knife (French Trade) and a woodlore clone.
 
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I take these when car camping, sans the Techno. If I only carry one fixed blade, it's the RAT RC6. I'll always have a folder also.
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I plan on adding a Spyderco Sprig or Junction soon, or maybe a custom.
 
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- thanks for replies, fellas

And, also, are there any knives made your side of the pond with scandi/sabre grinds that may fit the bill too...?
 
Chui-888 said:
- thanks for replies, fellas

And, also, are there any knives made your side of the pond with scandi/sabre grinds that may fit the bill too...?
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The TOPS and Mora's I listed earlier are scandi grinds.

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I like my Kabar MK2 for camp chores but if I know the day is gonna be mild , in regards to camp chores , I like to take a bit smaller fixed blade . One of my favorites is a Premiere Lifetime Sheffield . It's pictured on the left . The Old Timer Combo is my sons knives
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Scandi grind is popular and commonly used among bushcrafters in the US, for the same reasons it's popular across the pond. But outside that crowd, I'd say a flat- or hollow-ground blade of around 4-6" is the most common fixed blade.

Something like this could be considered a very traditional knife in the US: Flat ground, around 5" cutting edge, carbon steel, with a drop- or clip-point.

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The knife shown above is patterned after the Green River Belt Knife, which has been produced by the same US company since the early to mid-1800s. It was popular among frontiersmen who needed an all-purpose knife for processing game and general camp chores. It was also a common "trade knife" used in bartering with American Indians. The same basic design features are common in many contemporary American outdoor knives today.
 

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I just had look at that Ray Mears Woodlore, that is one incredibly expensive knife. It's a Scandi grind 01 fixie, how they heck do they justify that price? I have a TBS Boar which looks identical to that, also UK sourced.
 
Bark River Aurora LT 3V on my belt all day and ESEE Junglas for the heavy work.


 
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I take my Grandpa's old Schrade Old Timer. Best camp knife around for all the small jobs. Big jobs get the saw or the hatchet.


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My becker bk16 is my go to for camping. Will usually have a hatchet also for wood, and a mora companion for food prep.
 
All good suggestions thus far ... but I'm a Becker guy and find Ethan's handles on well shaped 1095 very well suited for field use.
 
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