Best camp knives

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Old Savage
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Best camp knives

Post by Old Savage »

Have a number of great 4-5" knives but thinking something bigger.
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Blaine
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by Blaine »

Just me? I think a knife and a small camp hatchet cover it better than a big knife. A leatherman, or equivalent is desirable.
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by Sixgun »

In elk camp we always have a Ka-Bar full size military knife ....similar to the ww2 ones.....on the table for easy access for needed chores.

Of course everyone carries a personal knife of his choice, usually a Wave Leatherman. Hatchets and saws for butchering and pounding in tent stakes and axes and chainsaws for wood.

You just can't do it all with one knife....like rifles and handguns, you need variety.---6
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jkbrea
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by jkbrea »

I have a Ka Bar Becker bk2. Darn near indestructible but a little heavy for some. The blade is very thick and sharp. You can chop wood, pry, dig...
Tried to post a pic but screwed up.. :oops:
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by fordwannabe »

I HAD what I consider to be one of the best camp knives ever. I bought a tracker from the originator of them Dave Beck. If you Google it you will see it is very handy in camp. He lived a couple miles from me and I asked him to build a sheath that included a small but thick and stout little drop point he made . With that pair on my hip I could handle darn near any cutting chopping chore, I came across but somebody offered me 5xs what I paid for it sooooo. You can buy decent repo's for around $200. However I have said for years If I was ever limited to one knife for out door activities, it would be a kabar.
I have a WWII kabar in all my vehicles.
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by Mike Armstrong »

If you can hack the price, an ML Knives "Hudson Bay Camp Knife" is my favorite. Look 'em up. REALLY "Made in USA"!
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Malamute
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by Malamute »

Depends on what you want a camp knife to do. For food prep, any butcher or kitchen knife of the appropriate size would work. For light wood processing for fires something heavier would be better. Ive not tried to make a knife to camp wood production. A light axe/hatchet does it easier.

Some guys have been re-shaping the common Old Hickory butcher knives into smaller, handier knives.

Some of these would make a fair camp knife, and the prices are pretty good.

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/464/1
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by 1894cfan »

jkbrea wrote:I have a Ka Bar Becker bk2. Darn near indestructible but a little heavy for some. The blade is very thick and sharp. You can chop wood, pry, dig...
Tried to post a pic but screwed up.. :oops:
I have the Cutco version, CUTCO/KA-BAR Outdoorsman, costs more but I like it better than the Becker BK2. YMMV
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by Blaine »

jkbrea wrote:I have a Ka Bar Becker bk2. Darn near indestructible but a little heavy for some. The blade is very thick and sharp. You can chop wood, pry, dig...
Tried to post a pic but screwed up.. :oops:
I've got one of those....a real Beast. Good knife.

Not mine, but they look like this....
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by walks with gun »

About 20 years or so I got interested in flintlocks and 18th century reenacting, I since found out a tomahawk is a very handy tool for cutting kindling, cleaning game, and sometime sleeping with at night. I still like my big knives but the hawk is pretty nice. Otherwise my camp knife is my old leatherman, the tools and saw in it come in handy while prowling the woods.
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by Terry Murbach »

Of all my big knives nothing NOTHING beats my Cold Steel TRAILMASTER and I've beat the stuff out of it with no mercy. I also have a long time love affair with the BUCK 119, 120, and 124 knives. The latter is a ringtailed tooter I'll tell you.
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by jeepnik »

I've found that you will need several "camp" knives. I usually have a Woodsman's Pal on hand for big stuff. A large "butcher" knife of unknown origin takes care of slightly smaller stuff. The most handy is a Chris Reeves' Aviator. And finally a couple of multi tools.

I usually have a hatchet and a small axe around, as well. When I leave camp I usually take a Woodsman's Pal, the Aviator and a multi tool. The Pal usually does anything a hatchet will do so that can stay in the camp.
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by shortwheels »

Wow what great advice you just received, now it is up to you !!!!
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Old Savage
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by Old Savage »

I decided to go with TERRY'S suggestion in O-1 steel as an initial option.
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by Terry Murbach »

Old Savage wrote:I decided to go with TERRY'S suggestion in O-1 steel as an initial option.
You made an excellent choise, Sir. The first thing I did with my CS-TM in O1 was to blue the blade with OXPHO-BLUE. It's not been so much as wiped down since then and is spotless corrosion free. THIS IS A REAL KNIFE WOOOEEE !!!
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Grizz
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by Grizz »

Mike Armstrong wrote:If you can hack the price, an ML Knives "Hudson Bay Camp Knife" is my favorite. Look 'em up. REALLY "Made in USA"!
this is the actual original "camp knife" and the design dates at least to the early 1600s. mine is made by condor and is a lot of knife for the price.

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'course, the one I am making, sloooowly, will be better than the condor by a good bit . . . :)
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by minish »

I am pretty much a knife nut and over the years I have tried just about every type/style out there. I would suggest looking at some of the tools used by people that work and use these tools every day - parangs, goloks,bolos and kukries, etc. They work. That C.S. Trailmaster is an awesome tool though- very useful and a big cool factor.
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by Old Savage »

Well it seems that Terry's recommendation has now led me to the acquisition of a Buck 119 and I must say I am very pleased. Likely wanted one of these since their inception. :-)
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by Streetstar »

Old Savage wrote:Well it seems that Terry's recommendation has now led me to the acquisition of a Buck 119 and I must say I am very pleased. Likely wanted one of these since their inception. :-)
I have always liked this family of knives. Reasonably priced, - tough to sharpen for me, but once sharp holds an edge reasonably well, -- plus - looks -- darn things are pretty enough to look at home with a 3 piece suit
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by Griff »

My general duty camp knife is a Blackhawk #7-1, but I'm with Sixgun, a hand axe, hatchet, maul, and smaller knives all have their place and specific duties in camp.
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by 1894c »

+1 on the Buck 119... :)
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by Buck Elliott »

A Cold Steel Recon Scout on my belt, with a Buck 110 in a chaps pocket and a Trailmaster in a saddlebag.
If I'm going to be out for a while, a 3 1/2 to 4 lb falling axe is great, with a 16" Estwing camp axe for lighter chores..
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by AJMD429 »

The expensive one is the Leatherman 'Wave' I bought used at a pawn shop, but the other two actually get the most use, except for butchering, which is usually done at home. One is a cheap $25 heavy knife, and the other a Kobalt (Lowe's Home Improvement) pocket knife that I like because it has one blade that uses replaceable razor blades. I think it cost about $12. So between the three I have about $100 in them, and have never had any of them fail to perform.
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If I were camping for an extended period, or where I might need to make shelter or firewood, I'd have this along (top one in the picture below), although I think of it as more of a 'machete' than a 'knife'. All it says on it is 'U.S.M.C.' and it is a very heavy knife.
USMC vs WP vs Gurkha.png
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Re: Best camp knives

Post by CowboyTutt »

Carried one of these for years in a nylon sheath with a multi tool in the sharpening stone pocket.
https://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-1281-Extr ... B000BSWEB4
That and a Eastwing small hatchet has been my working combo for years. 'Tutt
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