Camp knife suggestions

[jtcarm]

I need a decent fixed-blade camp-knife for, well, camping and general woods loafing. It would need to be capable of skinning big game and strong/heavy enough to baton wood.

Prefer a blade no more than 6", but a balance that is on the blade-heavy side.

Suggestions?

 

[lihpster]

ESEE 5 or 6.


Edit: or a Kabar.

 

[opaul]

Boker, EESE, Benchmade and Helle come to mind. What is your budget?

 

[rockquarry]

How do you "baton" wood? I'm unfamiliar with the term.

 

[lihpster]

How do you "baton" wood? I'm unfamiliar with the term.

Put the knife on the wood you want to split and use another piece of wood to drive the knife through the wood.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Get a Morakniv.
Excellent knives, Hard to beat for the money.

 

[Flattop5]

Becker. Or Esee.

KA-BAR Becker BK2 Companion, polyester sheath | Advantageously shopping at Knivesandtools.com

---------------

 

[A10]

How much you want to spend? My preference is either Bark River or Dan Tope. Pete Winkler makes some fine knives too. I carry two, a Bark River Fox River and a Tope Recon.

 

[Rpg]

I'd get an Old Hickory butcher knife and keep it with the camping stuff.

Nothing fancy: probably find one for $20.00.

 

[lihpster]

I'd get an Old Hickory butcher knife and keep it with the camping stuff.

Nothing fancy: probably find one for $20.00.

Many a mountain man headed for the Rockies seeking fortune with something similar in their belts.

 

[Onomea]

I think you want two knives. One for skinning and another for everyday camp chores, like batonning wood. Maybe a Falkniven A1 for everyday chores, and a dedicated Buck 110 for skinning.

 

[shutupdata113]

Esee 6 for the win

 

[s&wchad]

I think you want two knives. One for skinning and another for everyday camp chores, like batonning wood. Maybe a Falkniven A1 for everyday chores, and a dedicated Buck 110 for skinning.

Either 2 knives, or a knife and a hatchet. I've dressed a lot of deer and a 3" blade is more than enough. A larger knife is fine for cutting up meat, but it's awkward for field dressing and skinning.

I've seen reviews of survival types batoning wood with a huge Rambo style knife. I'd have little use for something like that in the field. If I caught someone batonong wood with one of my good hunting knives, we'd have some serious words and I'd never let them touch my gear again. Use the right tool for the job.

 

[dmar]

If you want a really nice knife that is very capable, get the Fallkniven. The Esee knives a very good knives, as well, and have a great warranty. The Esee 5 is an a real beast of a survival knife. It's blade is a quarter in thick. The Esee 4 is still a hearty knife, but not as stout, it's a very good all around knife.

As for camping using your knife to chop/split/batton wood, I say much of that is just knife forum talk. If your planning a camping trip, pack a hatchet/ax, don't use your knife.

Can you get away with using your nice camping knife to split some wood in a pinch? Sure. Should you? No. That's survival situation stuff, where you suddenly find yourself in the elements, unplanned and unprepared.

My opinion here, but just like with guns, those of us who like knives take things to the extreme when conjuring up scenarios of what may happen/how they could be used. Sure, you could be in a situation where you'll need your knife to batton some wood, and should have a knife that can handle that task. But, I wouldn't subject my nice knife to that abuse when I have a perfectly good hatchet handy. That said, the knives I mentioned above can handle it.

I've got several nice camping/survival knives, including the ones listed above, and if I had to choose one, it would be the Fallkniven (A1 or A2, pick your size). You could skin with these knives as well, but again, I'd probably have a smaller skinning knife handy if I was planning that task.

 

[dmar]

Either 2 knives, or a knife and a hatchet. I've dressed a lot of deer and a 3" blade is more than enough. A larger knife is fine for cutting up meat, but it's awkward for field dressing and skinning.

I've seen reviews of survival types batoning wood with a huge Rambo style knife. I'd have little use for something like that in the field. If I caught someone batonong wood with one of my good hunting knives, we'd have some serious words and I'd never let them touch my gear again. Use the right tool for the job.

Funny Chad, we were on the same wavelength, at the same time... You said it more concisely...! .

 

[The Norseman]

Sharper Edge

I suggest this Buck Knife, I have with me, easy carry, useful size
and stays sharp. Circa 1980 Buck 102 U.S.A Knife 7-3/4"L, 4" Blade,
came with a Buck Black Leather Belt Loop Carrying Case.

The Best to you and your Endeavors.

 

[jtcarm]

I suggest this Buck Knife, I have with me, easy carry, useful size

and stays sharp. Circa 1980 Buck 102 U.S.A Knife 7-3/4"L, 4" Blade,

came with a Buck Black Leather Belt Loop Carrying Case.



The Best to you and your Endeavors.

With a Mountain Gun no less.

Talk about same wavelength!

 

[Onomea]

Don't have any myself, but I've seen Scandinavian hunting knives with large comfortable looking handles and short blades. For skinning, I assume.

These two would be a good combination. The first is my no-name knife reportedly purchased at Abercrombie & Fitch in the 1950s and a veteran of a number of Canadian hunting trips:



The second is my father's WWII Cattaraugus 225 Q. (These are still available on eBay, etc., and are excellent knives.)



I agree, though, that for splitting and chopping wood, a hatchet makes more sense.

(The pocket watch, a 21 jewel Sangamo Special by Illinois, is included gratis here 'cause I like American railroad pocket watches.)

 

[Flattop5]

Don't have any myself, but I've seen Scandinavian hunting knives with large comfortable looking handles and short blades. For skinning, I assume.

These two would be a good combination. The first is my no-name knife reportedly purchased at Abercrombie & Fitch in the 1950s and a veteran of a number of Canadian hunting trips:



The second is my father's WWII Cattaraugus 225 Q. (These are still available on eBay, etc., and are excellent knives.)



I agree, though, that for splitting and chopping wood, a hatchet makes more sense.

(The pocket watch, a 21 jewel Sangamo Special by Illinois, is included gratis here 'cause I like American railroad pocket watches.)

I had a great Illinois Bunn Special, but stupidly lost it to a pawn shop when I could not re-start the loan. By the time I could, the watch was already sold. Luckily I still have a similar Hamilton.

------

 

[Ray1970]

I think you want two knives. One for skinning and another for everyday camp chores, like batonning wood. Maybe a Falkniven A1 for everyday chores, and a dedicated Buck 110 for skinning.

Yeah. I'm not keen on using my field dressing knife for other camp duties.

My combo is an ESEE 5 (or 6) for general duties and an Izula for delicate tasks.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

The OP asked for Camp Knife suggestions.
To me that suggests Kitchen Knife.
Not a Hunting knife, not a Survival knife.
To me that's a smaller, lighter knife.
I have been in camps where somebody had a small Buck.
Like the 102 somebody already suggested. Excellent choice.
In the days of yore, Hunting Knife choice got down to big game , usually deer. Are you going to use it to cut through the Pelvis?
Then you need a substantial knife.
Survival Knife? You probably want a rather substantial blade.
Camp Knife? Peeling potatoes? Trimming a Roast?
Cleaning a fish? Smaller thinner blade probably preferred.
Lots of the long time successful big game hunters use a saw or hatchet to open the pelvis.
My first Deer was one of those Indiana Corn eating, Apple Munching Bucks.
Opened that Buck up with a big Buck. Model 119 I think.

 

[Jack Flash]

After seeing the Crocodile Dundee movie, ("That's not a knife, THIS is a knife!") it seemed like everyone had a huge Bowie Knife advertised for sale in all the gun rags.

If you go to YouTube and search "knife" you get a lot of bushcraft this and bushcraft that. Lots of information (and misinformation). You will see you can spend just about any amount you want to on a knife. It's easy to get carried away so try to start out simple.

Back when they were going for about $12 each, I bought a couple of AK bayonets. They are pretty rugged and come with a sheath that turns them into wire cutters which I would imagine will cut a lot of things besides wire. They make a pretty useful all around belt knife, but you will probably pay more for one now.

I agree that unless you just bailed out of an airplane, you should take along a hatchet when you go camping. You didn't ask but another very handy thing to have along on your belt is a Leatherman Wave. I bought a Surge and it is nice but pretty heavy and bulky. Others really like a Swiss Army knife.

 

[dave1918a2]

I pack a Randall #5, or a Corbet Sigman hunter. Both 5 inch blades. I also pack a Gerber hatchet. Never see Me using a knife to split wood. On fishing trips I pack a small custom with a 3 inch blade, and the hatchet. Also have a pack saw and a CRKT shovel in the truck.

 

[Targets Guy]

I never pass up an opportunity to show off my 1969 Buck.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Put the knife on the wood you want to split and use another piece of wood to drive the knife through the wood.

I sure would not!!!!!!!!!.....Do that to any knife I treasured or of quality.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Put the knife on the wood you want to split and use another piece of wood to drive the knife through the wood.

I sure would not!!!!!!!!!.....Do that to any knife I treasured or of quality.

Buy an axe.

 

[JJEH]

I like TOPS Knives and perhaps the BAJA 4.5 RESERVE EDITION or the MOHAWK HUNTER will be to your liking.

If you need bigger, the LONGHORN BOWIE might be better. I would let mine go if you are interested...

 

[Echo40]

Buck 120

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

If you want to be John Rambo, use a Rambolike knife. For real life, use hatchet or Tomahawk one wood. I always have a SAK or 2 and usually have a vintage Kabar for in between work. If I could only have one it would be a Kabar in the woods and SAK in town.

Ivan

 

[Jack Flash]

If you want to be John Rambo, use a Rambolike knife. ...

But then be sure to be in a Rambo-like situation. Don't embarrass the S&W Forum by sitting at a picnic table in an RV park wearing shorts, flip-flops, and a $400 commando knife.

It's been a long time since I went out into the woods without much more than a backpack and a tent. Truth be told, back in those days my most useful tool was a garage sale folding shovel and a roll of toilet paper.