Everyone takes a knife with them, right ?

[Grandpa Paddler]

Usually carry several knives when tripping: a basic SAK; a larger folding lock back; river shorty on my PFD; A hefty sheath knife in the food barrel for processing firewood. If fishing is on the agenda a filet knife comes along.

 

[Canotrouge]

Nice knife seeker. After hearing an account told by a MD on a bear hunt in Alaska where after a fall he watched a companion die due to a fixed blade knife severing his femoral artery I do this--- I line all my fixed blade knife sheaths that aren't hard plastic with thin metal on the sharp side. Pretty easy to do and if properly done, the edge doesn't get dull.

That is why I like dangler sheet like on Pukko knife or the like!! They are never in the way and always move out of the way!!

 

[deerfly]

my name is eric and I'm a recovering alcoholic with a cutting tool problem, that also fishes and hunts too much...

So generally I will have several knives with me, both on my person and scattered about my kit depending on the trip and mission afield. At the bare minimum I will have a multi-tool on my person along with a compass and small fire steel. I rarely step out of the truck or camp without them. Like most of you I have a small stainless rescue/emergency knife sheathed and attached to my PFD too, but rarely take that out for general use. More often than not I will also have a small but sturdy sheath knife on my belt for light duty camp chores, bush crafting and field dressing game, filet knife for fishing, etc. Although I like and use all my medium duty knives the mini-arora has proven to be a very good cross over blade for most things I typically need a knife for. For trips where I expect to do more bushwacking then I may swap out the smaller sheath knife for a heavier duty 5.5" blade survival style or a Golok, which can double as a machete or light hatchet for chopping. I will generally have a silky pocket boy folding saw and either a hatchet or boys axe too. The more I use the forest axe the more I tend to favor it over the others. Its still easy enough to pack, light enough for light chopping or carving tasks, but substantially more efficient and safer to use for heavier cutting and splitting tasks when you need it. I could build a log cabin with that forest axe if I had to...

 

[Seeker]

Nice knife seeker. After hearing an account told by a MD on a bear hunt in Alaska where after a fall he watched a companion die due to a fixed blade knife severing his femoral artery I do this--- I line all my fixed blade knife sheaths that aren't hard plastic with thin metal on the sharp side. Pretty easy to do and if properly done, the edge doesn't get dull.

I typically carry a SAK Fieldmaster in my pocket, with any sheath knife in my pack... I dislike how they hang, and they're not really that handy around camp except for when it's fish or game cleaning time... the one exception was for a large Nessmuk style blade i have, on a dangler for the reasons mentioned by someone earlier, that I used mostly for squirrel hunting in LA... didn't want to carry both a machete and a skinning knife, and it was a nice compromise... heavy enough to trim a few branches/brush here and then, or cut my way through a thicket to recover a squirrel, and the weight forward design was handy for feet-removal.

A lot of old timers talked about lining their sheaths with thin sheet aluminum, fastened with copper rivets, neither of which are hard enough to damage a blade.

 

[Uncle Mur]

A couple more of my selections.
The tanto folder is a Chinese knockoff but a good stout knife and looks cool. The skinning knife I found on one of my woodland hikes. I can only imagine the dismay of its previous owner for loosing it.

 

[lowangle al]

Nice collection of cutlery Deerfly and I really like my small forest too.

When I'm tripping I carry a pocket knife and wear a neck knife. I have a leatherman and well equipped Swiss army knife in my repair kit.

 

[Canotrouge]

my name is eric and I'm a recovering alcoholic with a cutting tool problem, that also fishes and hunts too much...

So generally I will have several knives with me, both on my person and scattered about my kit depending on the trip and mission afield. At the bare minimum I will have a multi-tool on my person along with a compass and small fire steel. I rarely step out of the truck or camp without them. Like most of you I have a small stainless rescue/emergency knife sheathed and attached to my PFD too, but rarely take that out for general use. More often than not I will also have a small but sturdy sheath knife on my belt for light duty camp chores, bush crafting and field dressing game, filet knife for fishing, etc. Although I like and use all my medium duty knives the mini-arora has proven to be a very good cross over blade for most things I typically need a knife for. For trips where I expect to do more bushwacking then I may swap out the smaller sheath knife for a heavier duty 5.5" blade survival style or a Golok, which can double as a machete or light hatchet for chopping. I will generally have a silky pocket boy folding saw and either a hatchet or boys axe too. The more I use the forest axe the more I tend to favor it over the others. Its still easy enough to pack, light enough for light chopping or carving tasks, but substantially more efficient and safer to use for heavier cutting and splitting tasks when you need it. I could build a log cabin with that forest axe if I had to...

Hmmmm axes.... I think axes are more important than knifes.... I always cary an axe(except las trip, the one we got a moose, last weekend, I forgot my axe... the brother in law broth one... it was dull as crap, the edge was thicker than the pole lol) I like my axe a lot, I can do everything with an axe the can be done with a knife and more !!

 

[deerfly]

canotrouge, I agree a good axe or hatchet is must have for any remote outing, which is why I always have one. I also agree if you could only have one tool a hatchet or small axe would be preferred over a knife for sure. An axe can do what a large knife can do, but a large knife can't do what an axe can do...

I should clarify too, my preference is the scandinavian forest axe, which is considered a boys axe with the 25" handle. I sort of confused that in my original post with the GB small forest axe, which is the next size smaller at 19" and maybe 1/2lb lighter.

 

[Canotrouge]

canotrouge, I agree a good axe or hatchet is must have for any remote outing, which is why I always have one. I also agree if you could only have one tool a hatchet or small axe would be preferred over a knife for sure. An axe can do what a large knife can do, but a large knife can't do what an axe can do...

I should clarify too, my preference is the scandinavian forest axe, which is considered a boys axe with the 25" handle. I sort of confused that in my original post with the GB small forest axe, which is the next size smaller at 19" and maybe 1/2lb lighter.

My GB Scandinavian forest axe follow me most everywhere... I wish it had a bit thicker head, it's not the best splinter out there lol... I'm still on the search for the perfect axe, maybe that (new Concile tool https://www.canadianoutdoorequipment.com/wood-craft-pack-axe-24-handle.html is interesting!! )

 

[deerfly]

that axe looks interesting, but I'm always a bit skeptical of reviewers that claim an axe stayed razor sharp after 2hrs of use, unless of course they were slicing tofu on a cork cutting board...

I'm perfectly content with my gb scandi, it you succumb to a moment of weakness and buy one of them coucil's be sure to give us a full report

 

[Canotrouge]

that axe looks interesting, but I'm always a bit skeptical of reviewers that claim an axe stayed razor sharp after 2hrs of use, unless of course they were slicing tofu on a cork cutting board...

I'm perfectly content with my gb scandi, it you succumb to a moment of weakness and buy one of them coucil's be sure to give us a full report

I read a few reviews on Amazon.... And one of them with pictures attached was n't really happy with the craftsmanship of the axe... And plus Concil tool doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to quality, fit and finish of there products!! I will stick with my GB for now!!