Your Favorite TRADITIONAL Bushcraft/Camping Fixed Blade

Trout Hound

Trout Hound

Joined
Sep 28, 2014
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693
Well, we certainly have plenty to choose from: Moras, Puukkos, KaBars, Nessmuks, Kepharts, Marbles, Bucks, to name a few. For those of you who like to spend some time in the wild, what's your favorite traditional fixed blade for bushcraft and camping, and why?

I've always used a Mora myself, can't beat the value. But, at some point, I might like to try out something different. I look forward to hearing from everyone!


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Actually, you might be surprised to hear that my knife of choice tends to be a SAK. I never owned a fixed blade as a kid, since I lived in a 'knives are scary ooh' kind of house. I had my Vic Huntsman, though, and I made it work. The combo of the saw and the blade tend to be all that I need, although I've recently been experimenting with fixed blades now that I have access to them. My usual woods carry is a Vic farmer and a Mora of some kind, but I've been looking hard into getting a nice kephart.
 
I've been using a Stewart-era 52-100 Marbles Fieldcraft for the last 15 years. It's a fantastic small knife.

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But this year I'll be trying out a Hess Knifeworks Whitetail in 1095.

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I'm a big fan of stick tangs and convex ground blades.
 
Back in the day, my fixed blades of choice for camping and such were a Western L66, and Ontario 499 "Pilot's Survival" knife.
I still like them, of course, but the ones I had are long gone. I think my last L66 was lost when I moved from California (where it was my EDC) to Iowa. I've no idea what happened to tbe Ontario. My mother probably gave it to someone, along with my Scout knife, when my parents divorced.
These days, I have a Buck 470, 877 (white handle made in USA Walmart edition), and a Cold Steel "Bushman" (not the Bowie style), and a Mora 612 for when/if I ever get a chance to go camping again.
I would like to get a Nessmuk and Kephart, though.
 
I am a fixed blade guy and I have a lot of them, mostly in protective custody. I love the old WESTERNS, Ruana, Randalls, Marbles, Schrades, CASE, ad nauseum. But when I pull one out to carry and use, it will probably be a Buck 102/105/118/121. They are just so right. My cousin Gloria tells me that I am not.
 
Here's mine. It is a homemade McPhee-style Nessmuk knife I made by cutting down an old 8" Russell-Harrington butcher knife. It has a 4 1/2" blade. With it are my GEC #54 Moose and my H&B Forge Shawnee axe.

 
My new favorite is my red micarta GEC fixie canoe... I don't have any real-world use with her yet but hopefully that changes soon. I think my most used fixie for camping has been my Becker 15 and 16. I always seem to have one of those plus either a hatchet/small axe or folding saw. Seems to cover all my needs in the woods. I guess it goes without saying for me that I always have a pocket knife on my as well... that can range from a ZT, Spydie or Benchmade to one of the many traditionals I own. Lot of the time it is a whittler of some sort.
 
Bark river mini kephart. I haven't had a chance to use it since it just arrived but I have a good feeling about this one.
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I almost never use fixed blades apart from when I am inside an animal but here she goes.

In terms of favourite of my collection, I do love these four blades owned by my late grandfather. I came into them this past summer and had a blat using each of them to dress and butcher my moose.One still with the factory edge when it came to me, he was a collector for sure. Or maybe an accumulator. Of everything. Ha! In terms of use I really like using this Kellam fang. It will do my moose this year. Not convinced on the scandinavian style grind yet but I will give it a solid try. It is very typical blade to handle ratios for that style of knife but blown up so it uses well in the cold with gloved hands. Plus I could not bear seeing one of my grandfather's knives slip from the boat into the depths of the river.

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Kellam is not my photo
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When I do bring a fixed blade, it is one of the bottom four Laconico blades here (varies depending on mood):
 
Schrade USA 15OT and 152OT with a Western L36 as back up...those are my favorite knives to have and use while hunting.
 
I generally carry one of a couple different knives in the woods from my current accumulation. A few years ago I purchased a Kabar Becker BK-xx (which is not traditional and now discontinued) on a whim and I really like this knife. It gets carried in the woods. I like the blade shape for general purposes and my other choices are similar. Others are a Dozier Pro Guides knife or a Blackjack 125. I have a Condor Kephart which is inexpensive and like the design..... I keep him-hawing about buying a "better" Kephart knife to add to the knives that I am likely to carry in the woods. I seldom split small wood with a knife, but I can do it with any of these knives sufficiently well for my needs. A woods knife has to be a size you are comfortable carrying and don't leave it at home because of the size. I'm looking at the Bark River Kephart designs, but honestly I may go handmade on this one.

I also usually have a simple large SAK with me also although I have been straying a bit and carrying a GEC #71 Bull Nose for the last month or so. I suspect I will go back to carrying the SAK every single day as I have since the 1980's when I truly discovered their utility.
 
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My camping knife is from Boy Scout days. A 1960s Western Bird/Trout model with stacked leather handle. Never needed more of a knife for any camp job or even boy scout jamboree work. Carbon steel with a full flat grind. Sheath needs a new snap now though, so it no longer goes on the belt.
 
I don't do much camping anymore, but my main fixed blade for just about everything is this drop point in CPM-M4 by Stuart Davenport (samuraistuart).

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I spent a LOT of years with a Mora #2 on my belt. (red wood handle)
 
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