(Part 3) Top products from r/Bushcraft

*Tl;Dr. BUY CHEAP AT FIRST!! Any Morakniv and the Gator Combo hatchet/saw will get you started with shelter building, firewood processing, and campcraft projects. Total is about $50 USD. I hate pruning saws in general, but if you must have one then the Corona is slightly cheaper than the Bahco, performs the same or better, and has more size options. If budget isn't an issue silky makes professional grade saws, but consider just getting a buck saw blade and making a frame yourself.**

 

I've collected an assortment of knives/axes/saws for trips into the woods and since there is usually 3 or 4 post per week asking about knife purchases, I thought I would share some of my experiences I have with budget/mid range cutting tools for Bushcraft.

 

Pictured:

1. Council Tools boys Axe.
   
2. Hultafors classic felling (They also make the identical husqvarna)
   
3. Bhaco Rucksack Axe on a 28" handle.
   
4. Tramontina machete with modified blade
   
5. Bhaco branded Mora in Stainless Steel
   
6. Esee 6
   
7. Esee Izula 2
   
8. Gerber Gator Combo
   
9. Bob Dustrude Quick Buck saw
   
10. Leatherman Wave
    
11. Opinel no. 8 Carbon
    
12. Esee Avispa
    
     
    
    Thoughts:
    
    
13. Council - Favorite pack axe. Perfect mix of head weight, handle length, cost, and availability. Theres also a smaller version with a 24" handle and lighter head some may prefer.
    
    
14. Hultafors/Husqvarna - Good for green/softwoods but I deal with hardwoods and don't bring it after getting the Council.
    
    
15. Bahco - came with a 19inch handle and I found it's too much compromise for the work it will do. A 28" handle with a slightly heavier head will perform circles around it. Out of the box it its designed for splitting. Takes a significant amount of grinding on the cheeks to be any good at chopping. Tries to hard to be an axe and a hatchet and fails at both IMO.
    
16. Tramontina - Cheap and effective machete. I cut the off some of the blade for better portability and working in denser brush.
    
    
17. Mora - Same thing as the companion but $5-$7 cheaper on amazon. Theres a reason everyone suggests Mora here. For bushcraft you are working primarily with wood and the scandi grind is made for it. Buy a mora first and figure out if you want something specialized later. Really anything with a Scandinavian grind will serve you well. Mora offers high carbon and stainless steel blades. Stainless wont rust but also wont throw sparks by scraping a ferro rod as effectively as carbon. Carbon steels will rust if you don't take care of them but hold an edge much longer. So if your using it for making fire and carving a lot of wood get carbon; if you want to use it for food prep and not worry about it rusting get stainless.
    
    
18. Esee 6 - Shameless McQ inspired purchase from earlier days but still my one knife/survival choice. It does everything adequately but nothing spectacularly. They're over a $100 USD and for a beginner just get a Mora. I mostly only take this car camping now or when I only want to take a knife and a canteen into the woods but it is a chore to use.
    
    
19. Esee Izula 2 - Got as a companion to the Esee 6. Its thick blade makes it poor for most finer work that its sized for. Works better as a fixed blade EDC.
    
    
20. Gerber Hatchet - Good starter hatchet for light wood processing and shelter building. The saw makes quick work of green woods up to 2" diameter and is a easily packable.
    
    
21. Buck saw - As far as packable saws go, this is the bees knees. its super lightweight, uses a standard size blade and the trapezoidal vs a triangular design you see in other pack saws allows for processing of larger diameter logs. I ditched my pruning saw as soon as I got this.
    
    
22. Leatherman Wave - Its heavy, its expensive and a poor choice for woodworking tasks. I use a multi tool every day at work but they dont really have a place for hiking/campcraft.
    
    
23. Opinel no. 8 Carbon - The blade is thin and the lock isn't very sturdy. It handles light carving in softwoods well enough for tent pegs, feather sticks, and pot hangers just not much else. Has a sharp spine for ferro rods and works well for food prep. The handle is bulky in the pocket but since its wood its easily modified. Good foragers knife.
    
    
24. Esee Avispa - Folder EDC. Not really for bushcraft but it's always on me and what I reach for to cut cord.
    
    
    Tools are a personal thing and I expect to hear about it in the comments on where others are coming from. r/bushcraft is largely an echo chamber for mora knives and for good reason. They are inexpensive, high quality, and well designed for the jobs you are likely wanting to do with a knife. Mors Kochanski goes in depth on this subject in his book Bushcraft; it's a must read for anyone starting out.
    

I'll have to disagree here. The Mora Bushcraft Triflex is one of the finest blades I've used. It is light weight, yet, is extremely durable. It sharpens easily, holds and edge, and is about the right size for bushcraft in my hands.

I've used them to prep meat and vegetables, carve wood needles, baton firewood, cut cordage, fell tiny trees, and most other tasks one needs in the woods or at home. It is a joy to use.

I've used other brands at 20 times the price and have been left not nearly as satisfied.

Don't take for granted that you won't feel bad about really using this blade. At less than $30 you won't worry about replacing it (but you might never need to).

I've held and used the Mora Companion and the Mora HighQ Robust, I give them to folks that go into the woods with me as gifts. They are fine knives as well, with the same qualities as the Triflex.

If you are cheapo, grab one of these knives and try it. I'd bet most people like them.

As for the knife is not an axe part, we'll disagree there too. The Parang type machete, and other long knives of similar design is a type of tool used in many parts of the world. It can be used very skillfully for rather delicate tasks, such as food preparation, or it can be used to cut down a tree. In some areas that's all a person carries.

Firesteel, I'm with stupid_guy, hit Amazon: Light My Fire Scout has been working for me. I like that when it feels like you are holding it right, you are. Works good in the dark that way.

Guyot Stainless Steel Bottle, 32-Ounce

And one more thing you didn't ask for, but I love. And I like to spread the love:

GSI Halulite Ketalist

I've got a compass that I've used for 30 some years, but can't find it anywhere.

Let us know what you get and how much you like it after using it a bit! :-)

There's a few good options on that price range. You'll probably hear about the Everest hiking packs. I've had one, and it's decent for the money. If I were you, though, I'd go for something a bit more robust and diverse. These days, I use an Outdoorz Freighter Frame and Pack. You can see it here. The frame is stout and gives you a lot of options for lashing items or quartered game to it. It holds a significant amount of weight with no issue and makes that weight comfortable to carry. The pack is spacious while not being so overly huge as to result in you overpacking.

I've not had the best experience before with Teton Sports packs, but these days people are saying they are pretty good. If you can look at one in person, I'd say take a look at it.

If you're looking more for the large canoe pack sort of thing, the Snugpak Bergen runs around 130. Alternatively, you could get all the materials to build your own pack. A canvas pack basket cover with leather straps could last you for many years, and it's a good learning project. You don't need a nice wooden basket, either. You can make one around a plastic trash bin from Walmart that will work just as well.

Everyone answering in here will give you a different way to go. You need to find what works for you. The biggest thing to think about in field vs home is, how long will you be in the field? If its for a weekend, then personally, I dont even bring a stone with me. I wipe down the blade before sheathing it, and I worry about it when I get home.

Now, I was raised by my dad (hunter) to treat your knives like you treat your guns when it comes to cleaning. When you get home, you do a full inspection, cleaning and sharpening. For the carbon knives, I use gun oil (Remington spray, yellow and green can). Spray it down, clean it up with a cotton towel, if there are spots, then put more oil on and rub (with the grain) it down with medium to light pressure using the RED scrubbie. Not the green, they are too abrasive, and the red ones have anti-rusting compounds. You can do the same for the stainless, you just wont need the scrubbies as often. If you are not going to use your carbon knives for a while (more than a month) then wipe it down with denatured alcohol to remove the oil, then put a coat of turtle wax (from the tub, not the bottle) and leave it sit. Do not store either in their sheathes, especially if the sheath is leather. Condensation is killer.

Then, before you head back out in the woods, do a check of the knife and a good cleaning and coat of oil (wiping excess off). Check for nicks, burs, folds, rusting and treat as necessary. It is really the same as for firearms. You cant clean them too often, and must clean after every use.

If you will be in the woods for an extended period of time, bring some oil and a couple different grit stones to hone while out. I use a Lansky 5-stone kit both at home and throw it in the kit now. Got a great demo and tutorial this past weekend with it, and it really works well with practice.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000B8IEA4

Treat even your cheap knives like firearms when it comes to maintenance and they will last much longer than expected.

Wow, That cooking set looks absolutely amazing.

I saw that $58 price tag and was a bit put off (as I was looking for cheaper starting stuff) but after going through the contents and seeing what I could remove from the amazon shopping cart It really doesn't seem that bad.

With the items mentioned in the original post I also added this and this the total came out to $65 on amazon.

After removing the stuff included the kit and having the tarp, knife, and paracord it is about $35. With the kit its puts the total up to about $95.

Considering this is about a $30 increase but with all the extra kit it really does seem tempting.

dont use the edge (blade) of your knife, use the spine of your knife (if it's a sharp 90 degree, and generally carbon steel works better than stainless). i really like the light-my-fire scout ferro rod personally, but the Sparkie mini fire starter is a sweet little rig; can create sparks on handed without an external sparker. your magnesium/ferro combo is very nice, and will last you a while, but when you plan to upgrade shop around for what you like.

How about a survival starter kit? I like to get a one-quart widemouth Nalgene bottle, a steel cup that fits around the base of the bottle for cooking, and a bottle bag to carry it in. In an emergency, you can take out the bottle and empty its contents into the bottle bag for carry while having a bottle for water.

For my friends I add something like a Survivor HK-106 series fixed blade knife with fire starter; it's not a top-quality bushcraft knife and I typically have to spend some time with it and a sharpening stone, but it is rugged, full-tang, stainless steel, and will get those bushcraft jobs done; I use it over others (such as the Mora, which I use in other applications) because it fits inside the bottle, the sheath fits too (though they don't fit when sheathed), and it's a good value.

You should easily be able to get all this plus a water filter or purification tablets and have budget for a few more items if you like. I usually leave it at this and let the recipient Google "water bottle survival kit" and finish customizing the kit--there's plenty of room left.

http://www.amazon.com/Condor-1-Pound-Hatchet-Leather-Sheath/dp/B004WMFMXW
http://www.helkonorthamerica.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=80

Thats a good place to start. I would only sell the Tracker if you need the funds for the other tools. Otherwise its a great part of your new and always growing gear collection :)

I use one as my catch-all machete/hatchet-type thing for clearing. I'm building roads through some woodland that my family owns. Mine is the Ka-Bar and I had a bit of a time getting the edge on it that I wanted, but now it's easy to keep sharp and I really enjoy using it. I don't bring an axe any more, just that, a weed-whip and a chainsaw.

Now I just need to get around to making a belt sheath for a lefty...

You might try a lansky knife sharpening system. I have been sharpening my knives for years with the same (relatively) inexpensive set. Or a slightly more expensive diamond set. You can reprofile a knife with these, so, for just regular sharpening make sure you use only the finer stones.

...For a axe / hatchet you do want a sharpening puck. And if you carry an axe or hatchet -- do yourself a favor and sharpen it regularly.

And get yourself a strop, too.

People who are a lot more technical about it use water stones, and more expensive knife sharpening rigs. But for me, the lansky is totally sufficient (and I do appreciate a honed blade)

edit: grammar

A Arkansas medium is a great stone to carry into a field. In order to practice getting the edge just right a tri stone is great.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00062BIT4/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

If you haven't already, definitely check out this book, by far the best I've seen on the topic (for animals), and I've read a bunch. This one is another great one.

For working my knives, I will start out with [this] (http://www.amazon.com/EZE-LAP-PAK-Color-Coded-Diamond/dp/B000UVS62S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452539411&sr=8-1&keywords=eze-lap) set of diamond paddles for $17. Most of the time, the super fine is all I need.

To finish, I will strop with 400, then 800 grip wet/dry sandpaper mounted on a piece of cardboard with doubled sided carpet tape.

I have this https://www.amazon.com/Karrimor-SF-Sabre-Backpack-Olive/dp/B0040GQJMS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484278176&sr=8-1&keywords=sabre+45

it meets most of your requirments, and I LOVE that back pack. it come in larger sizes as well.

It goes in and out of stock on Amazon. It can usually be had for around $28.

The Blackthorn Bottle is pretty similar to the original Nalgene, and is well reviewed, and only $25.

If you want to hang the bottle over the fire, people use a fish mouth spreader wedged into the mouth and hung on a stick.

Wetterling axes are good and so are the Husqvarna axes. However I would go with a Gränsfors Bruks Small Forest Axe.

I would not pay extra for a Les Stroud branded axe. Wetterling axes are good enough on their own.

Iv used these alot i dont use it to dig a wwi replica trench but it works great for cat holes and fire pits havent had it fail yet infact they are kinda hard to close back up

SE 8794SP Stainless Steel Folding Trowel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013KTADE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_-dqiybS4PH2YK

I highly recommend these, they sharpen fast and last forever, I use them on everything from machetes to axes

EZE-LAP L PAK Set SF/F/M Color Coded Diamond Hones https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UVS62S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Kv4VDbJN2AZ1B

Check out a field guide for your area. I'm an entomologist and we recommend the same thing for bugs.

The one I use. Other people may like different ones
http://www.amazon.com/Audubon-Society-Field-Guide-American/dp/0394507606

I'd actually recommend the Trail Hawk I've watched a couple of reviews and it stands up very well for the price and size.

Probably way too big for what your wanting but the Alps Commander gets good reviews, the pack is removable and it looks to be made for hunters.

I used a Bahco Laplander for a while before upgrading to a Corona, which I really like. Very fast at processing wood, durable, reliable.

Mora, Mora, and then another Mora. You can find the Heavy Duty carbon steel version for 15 dollars if you watch for deals. Seriously. Why even bother sharpening them, at that price they are almost disposable. But then there's the fact that they are great knives, so yeah sharpen that thing and use it forever.

If you don't like it, or want something different then you are only out $15. It's not a matter of why, but why not.

They can be bought on Amazon for around $200.


https://www.amazon.com/Gransfors-Bruks-Forest-Sweden-420/dp/B000WIROX6

http://www.amazon.com/SE-8794SP-Stainless-Folding-Trowel/dp/B0013KTADE

This is solid, small and light, and I've heard of people finding them for a couple bucks.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/South-Bend-Fish-Mouth-Spreader/34770979

https://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Claw-Fish-Mouth-Spreader/dp/B0036X3U3W

check these out, this is what I have and you can add side bags to make it larger.

https://www.amazon.com/Karrimor-SF-Sabre-45-Backpack/dp/B0040GQJMS?th=1

Hone! http://www.amazon.com/Smiths-TRI-6-Arkansas-TRI-HONE-Sharpening/dp/B00062BIT4

Even cheaper in Carbon Steel

Edit: or carbon with a thicker blade

If you need something to curl up by the fire with - this is a spectacular reference for animal sign in NA. There is a companion volume for birds, as well.

The KA-BAR Kukri Machete
Its an axe saw and knife all in one. This thing has taken out 1-3 inch diameter trees in one swing.
http://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-2-1249-9-Black-Kukri-Machete/dp/B001H53Q8A

This is what I use

*Edit:I have this one too, but I don't like it as much.

http://www.amazon.com/Corona-RS-7265-Folding-Pruning/dp/B001RD7LRO

Couldn't be happier with it.

Ive seen Bahco seeling knives made by Mora recently

http://www.amazon.com/Bahco-2444-Carpenter-Multi-Purpose/dp/B004YV99DA

Blaze orange is harder to lose in the woods...

Peterson will hook your shit up, son.

I'm a beginner, so take my suggestion with a grain of salt, but I've brought a Cold Steel Trail Hawk on my last few trips and it's worked well. They don't chop as well as a regular axe, but they're only $30. People go crazy on the mods, but all I did was sand the varnish off the handle and sharpened the edge. If you end up not liking it, well you're only out $30. This video made me look into them and give one a try.