Field knife advice

[Tackleberry79]

Lots of really good info here has me rethinking my approach. And some reading material is in order I think. Thanks for ALL the replies. Always open to more info.

[Ryan Acuff]

I'm a big fan of my Cold Steel Recon Tanto. Their SRK is a slightly shorter and more conventional version.

It's basically a razor sharp crowbar. A necessary knife trait when you need to do some "urban foraging". Boxes, cans, windows, and doors don't always open themselves.

[SqueeDAB]

My '3s are for daily chores and light hikes. I wouldn't hesitate to rely on one for "general fieldcraft", but it wouldn't be my first choice, unless accompanied by a hatchet or a machete. Rearranging foliage is tough with a 3" blade, and its something that regularly comes up when out in the woods.

My '6 got me through a 2 day primitive skills class. I did everything from process firewood into managable pieces, to carving a bow drill kit. It's also very balanced, and because of that it feels very light for its size.

For fieldcraft, *I'd prefer my JUNGLAS and an ESEE-3, but if i had to choose just one it is the ESEE-6 for sure.*

My day hike setup (The '3 with pouch goes on my belt, in case I am seperated from my pack. The JUNGLAS comes in handy, especially when shooting, to construct a blind or clear a good spot to prone out):

All of this^, and *especially this*, and what Warhawke said.

Most of what can be said has been said. I'll only add that your AO should play a part in tool selection. In Southern Louisiana, I can get away without having an ax because wood tends to be a bit softer in this humidity. Though I agree w Warkawke, I can get by w the right machete/chopper.

I like one general purpose small blade in the 3-4" range
Mid-sized combat/utility in the 4-7" range
Large chopper, machete, ax

My combos are usually
1. Izula 2 or ESEE 3 (with a few survival items attached via ranger bands/bicycle inner-tubes)
2. ESEE 4 or 6 (both have set ups similar to RatDrall's 6)
3. Condor Golok machete or Junglas

and sometimes a CS Trail Hawk

Regarding the ESEE 4: it's a great knife, but the balance/handle-to-blade ratio is a bit strange for some hands. Adding thicker liners will help, and there are some aftermarket handle scales that turn it into a complete machine.

(to the OP, thank you for the compliment)

Condor Golok:


Junglas, 6, and 4 w TKC scales:

[Wilburt]

i like my ESEE 3 on my Suregrip. I almost bought a ESEE 5, but wanted a light fast set-up.

[MAJORSDAD]

I personally like the Scrap Yard Knives myself (a division of Busse Knives). There are very reasonably priced and pretty close to being indestructible. Now I say pretty close because I did destroy one once but this was after stabbing it into the hood of a car several times, then using a three pound sledge on the spine to cut through the hood blade edge first and then finally hammering on spine of the blade cutting into a double wall thick bumper reinforcement bar. The blade finally broke in two but I sent it back and received a new one no questions asked. Now if a blade can take that kind of abuse then it should have no problems in the field.

[aklovinguy]

I carry my Anza Bowie for smaller work (field-dressing animals, general cutting work) and a full-sized Cold Steal trailmaster for big jobs (the only cold steal knife I own because I got it cheap and used, the Ronald McDonald of the knife world gets none of my money).

The 'One-size-fits-all' crap is just that, crap. A knife is a specialized tool and you should have the right knife for the job. A big heavy chopper is great when you have big heavy chopping jobs to do, but it won't replace a machete or an axe (no matter how many people tell you that they can do anything an axe can do with their favorite foot-long edged crowbar, they just don't know anything about axes). Likewise a six-inch skinning/utility blade won't be anywhere near as good as a foot-long chopper when you need to split kindling, even though I bucked up an eight inch thick branch to test my Anza, it was a lot of blister inducing work.

My general rule is, heavy chopper on my web-gear,
general cutter on my belt (5" or 6" inch blade suitable for turning Bambi into steaks),
hatchet or mini-axe on either belt or web-gear (I use a Wetterlings mini-axe, it works on wood or for hacking through bone when skinning a large beast, I will start carrying my Norlund hatchet when I get it handled finally),
as well as my pocket knives for fine work.
If I were going in the field for an extended period I would have a machete and a light axe (one of my double-bit cruisers no doubt, as the 26" handles are a bit easier to pack than the others) secured to my pack as well.

I know it sounds like a lot of weight to lug, but since you can't pray into a radio and receive manna from a helicopter, you need the tools to actually live off the land. I see too many people on the internet lugging 97 pounds of tacti-cool gear and ammo and zombie-slaying knives and damn-near no food and no way to gather food except for their little wire snare and the fishing line from their $12.99 survival-tin. In the real world, if you are forced into a guerrilla warfare situation (or other extended in-the-field scenario) you need to worry more about keeping body and soul together than separating other peoples bodies from their souls. I myself have come a long way over the years, steadily reducing the weight of ammo and weapons for supplies and snivel-gear. You are NOT going to be combat effective when you are cold, hungry and malnourished because you can wield your AK like the hammer of Thor but you have no idea how to find edible food or build a fire when it has been pissing-down rain on you for a week.
Americans have been spoiled for a very long time by the availability of supplies and equipment we have. The 'Leave no trace behind' camping ideal has done a lot of damage as well. In a TEOTWAWKI situation or when you have become a Guerrilla you need the kind of skills our forefathers had, the ability to go into the field with a gun, an axe and knife and a few tools and survive on what nature provides. I consider my copy of 'Camping and Woodcraft' by Horace Kephart to be one of the most important books I own as it provides the kind of information that is sadly no longer available on long-term survival without outside supplies. Things like making furniture and long-term shelter (even how to build a log cabin), how to cook in the field, land navigation without a GPS. A lot of the information in the book is seriously dated of course (the original copyright is 1917) but much of it is timeless and even more provides a good foundation for recovering the skills our modern world has cast aside. I wish someone with the appropriate skills and knowledge would update this book.

what he sed ^^^

[DrSal]

As an "aside" comment, in addition to getting what ever fixed blade field knife, the cold steel 'bushman' folder for about $20-$25 would be an excellant companion as well ...

[Jian]

When I bent my old leather stacked Kabar I bought a Blackjack Knives model 14 halo attack with the single quillion guard and ungrooved micarta handle.

They hand make em here in michigan where I live and the edge I can put on the convex A2 is wicked.

I pair it with a SAK and cruiser axe when chopping is in order.

P.S. I was using the kabar with a baton

[Brute1100]

I'm looking into this area myself... But I'm looking more for heavy field craft back packing... And the Ontario rtac 2 keeps coming to the top... Heavy but a knife with those abilities is good weight by my thinking...

Live, Laugh, Love. If that doesn't work, Load, Aim and Fire. (repeat as necessary)

[ranastas]

The rtac is a good blade for that role brute, I have esse's and ontsrios and their both great, their a lot of Ontario hate rolling through this thread but I have a rat3 in d2 that I carry daily and trust with my life