View Full Version : Trail knife
franktown99
08-07-2012, 10:43
I am looking to buy a nice trail/ heavy use knife and was looking at the Buck Hoodlum. If anyone has suggestions or opinions I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks
The Heretic
08-07-2012, 10:47
Best trail knife I've ever owned is the Tops Tom Brown. A little pricey but the last trail/survival knife you will ever need to buy.
StagLefty
08-07-2012, 16:44
If your looking for something that big consider the ESEEJunglas:
http://www.the-knife-connection.com/esee-knives--junglas.html
I have one and I think it's the ultimate all around camp knife. JMHO [Beer]
+1 on ESEE knives all are good. Made like a tank and lifetime no question warranty!!! A guy on here is selling a brand new Junglas for a good price. Good luck with your search.
knifeoutlet.com has the hard-to-find junglas in stock
I'll throw in another vote for any one of the ESEE knives. They are quality tools and if it matters to you they are made in the U.S.A. Mine may be a bit smaller than what you are looking for but here is a picture anyways.
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m98/rjs1970/utf-8BSU1HLTIwMTIwNDE1LTAwMzAxLmpwZw.jpg
+ 1 on the EESE 6. Rapid Fire bunkers has them for a good price.
Support the locals
franktown99
08-08-2012, 09:54
I just ordered a Junglas and would like to thank everyone for there help and advice. Our fellow members are a wealth of trustworthy advice
I just ordered a Junglas and would like to thank everyone for there help and advice. Our fellow members are a wealth of trustworthy advice
Don't forget to post up some pictures of it when it arrives. [Awesom]
If you ever get another one Becker bk2. The thing is a beast.
spongejosh
09-10-2012, 18:51
If you ever get another one Becker bk2. The thing is a beast.
I just bought a BK2 from amazon on a whim. This thing is a beast. The blade is a full 1/4" thick. I feel like a boss opening boxes with this thing. [ROFL2]
SA Friday
09-10-2012, 20:35
Becker
ESEE
Cold Steel
TOPS
All built pretty well for the money and will get the job done. I have a Cold Steel tanto recon I picked up like 8 years ago that is amazing for bushcraft stuff. The tips is wrong, but it still does the big stuff really well. I really want to get my hands on the new TOPS B.O.B. knife. It looks built really well and has many of the features I look for in a bushcraft knife. I don't really care about 'pretty' cuz I'm going to beat it up.
rustycrusty
09-11-2012, 02:54
+1 Becker bk2
No joke- it IS 1/4" thick full tang...It is a sharpened pry bar- indestructible. worked better than a friends hatchet for chopping wood and then splitting it.
Chuck Norris of knives.
The BK2 is a tank. I have been using mine for 5 years doing almost everything with it in the mountains. That knife is a tank. No other knife comes close to it.
Whistler
09-11-2012, 10:33
An often overlooked beast of a blade originating in the Vietnam era is the Puma White Hunter. Still made today (thought the blade is Solingen Stainless now) and likely the best knife I ever carried.
KevDen2005
09-11-2012, 14:16
I have an ESEE 5 that I love!
Big fan of R.A.T./ESEE. Carry a RAT-3 every day. Had a first gen RC-4 but never used it. Use an RTAK II (earlier version of a Junglas) about twice a year.
All that said, I'd recommend an Greco MST. Heavy/solid 5" blade that holds an edge.
http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL686/2648371/6918264/364947141.jpg
I've owned the following for a number of years and it serves me well. You can see it is quite hefty, so it depends what you mean by a trail knife. I use mine as an all purpose blade. It holds an excellent edge and it is indestructible. As you can see, I like it. Get what you think suits your needs.
C ) Model 14 "Attack"
7 1/2" blade of 1/4" stock.
Top cutting edge sharpened.
4 1/2" handle of durable Black Micarta.
(Green micarta handle material available upon request.) (stainless steel blade, sawteeth, forward curved hilt, nickel silver hilt, name etching and name plate are available at additional charge.) Extra heavy 7/8" wide tang runs through channel handle, which is firmly fastened with epoxy. (Note: Standard with finger grip handle. Single Finger Grip and Border Patrol handle shapes available at additional charge.) Straight oblong hilt of 1/4" brass. This knife was designed to meet the demand for an almost indestructible all-purpose knife, though it is especially suited for combat and survival purposes. With wrist thong through brass ferrule in handle.
(Wt. 14 oz.)
Not_A_Llama
09-17-2012, 21:17
BK2. Stands up to an absurd amount of abuse, and still holds a edge.
from the knife you mentioned you are looking at big knives. I'd stay away from the one you mentioned, but would definitely go for anything BK9, ESEE Junglas, or Ka-bar war sword. The Ontario RTAK is good, but the handle can be big for lots of peoples hands. The Hoodlum has had several fractures right at the notch on the blade with people batoning wood. It appears to be a stress riser point. Looks good, but I would not trust it. Any of the ontario heavy knives will work as well. If you want a sharpened prybar, the Ontario Marine Raider bowie is that.
If you want a 'tacticool' 'bad-ass' blade, have fun; there are many choices ranging from moderately practical to downright silly.
If you need to do real-world camp chores, a good small axe (think Gransfors-Bruks) is vastly superior, except perhaps in desert environments, where a large knife isn't very practical, either. Try building a shelter or cutting a bunch of firewood with that big-ass 'survival' knife, then do it with the axe. You will use considerably more energy and take substantially more time with the knife.
Not_A_Llama
10-30-2012, 16:30
Do some batoning with a heavy duty knife like the BK2 - I personally discovered as a former axe enthusiast that a knife is easier and less tiresome than an axe, especially for wood splitting, and is a far more versatile tool overall. Cutting rope, butchering, food prep, fashioning a spear, digging, whittling tasks... All much easier than an axe.
Been there, done that. It's no contest with proper axe technique (unfortunately, rare today).
Cutting rope with a good axe is one easy stroke. Butchering a whole animal is also easier than with a big knife, especially when heavy bones and large joints are involved (Gransfors-Bruks actually makes a special round-flay-poll 'Hunter's Axe' for this purpose). Spear-making? Three or four easy strokes will get this done. For digging,I would never abuse a good blade this way; I'll use a shovel or make one with my axe if needed. Whittling is much easier with a small knife, but the Swedes carve bowls and other useful objects with axes (actually, my favorite axe is called the 'Swedish Carving Axe' - the edge is literally shaving sharp and well shaped for a variety of tasks).
Last year, I had to limb a bunch of storm-damaged trees - the little (two pound) carving axe enabled me to fill a stake truck in about the time it took two guys with chainsaws to fill their truck. Most of the limbs took a single stroke to remove; the limbs were mostly between one and two inches in diameter. I have also taken down a couple of medium size trees with the carving axe when I left my felling axe at home. Good luck doing that with a big knife...
Not_A_Llama
10-30-2012, 17:07
Share your "proper axe technique", if you would.
I'm at least an order of magnitude out from the results you describe.
First, find a good axe that fits your body, and has a suitable, properly sharpened head for the task. The head weight, balance, haft length and shape all affect 'fit'. Lacking someone to help who knows axes, try various axes in your hands to see which feels best to you as you slowly and smoothly make short swings at imaginary targets. One bit of good news is that the better makers have evolved their axes over many years and by following the manufacturer's suggestions, you won't go too far wrong (don't buy a three and a half pound felling axe for day hikes).
For heavy cutting, like felling or splitting, start with one hand near the 'fawn-foot' at the bottom of the haft and the other a comfortable distance toward the head. Swing smoothly toward the target while sliding the upper hand toward the stationary hand (at the bottom). After a few strokes, you will start to develop a smooth, accurate stroke. Don't try to force things - let the axe do the work.
Lighter cutting, like most limbing and small splitting, can be done with one hand, obviously employing a smaller, lighter axe. Lots of practice, again concentrating on letting the axe do the work, will pay off in saved energy and fast, efficient cutting.
For some work, you might use two hands on an axe primarily meant for one handed use. An example of this would be felling a small tree with a medium camp axe. The converse is sometimes the case, such as light limbing with a Hudson's Bay pattern axe, like the 'Scandinavian Large Forest Axe' by Gransfors-Bruks.
The U.S. Forest Service has videos and manuals that cover axe work in much greater detail and from a much broader knowledge base than I possess. Hope this helps...
Bruks makes the best. Watterling is second and believe it or not Condor makes some decent hatchets. You just need to sharpen them. A good hatchet is fully the equal or maybe a bit better at chopping than a big knife, but it is much worse at batoning or fine work. Most people who take a hatchet or axe, end up taking a small blade as well, which is an excellent combo. I personally like the gransfors bruks hunting axe with 20 inch handle.
franktown99
01-11-2013, 18:52
Okay so sorry for thr delayed update so I ordereed what I thought was the Junglas but turned out to be an RTAK 2 but I am still very happy. And thanks to everyone I now have a BK2, BK7, RTAK2, MORA along with other misc. blades. I think the little push in the right direction has turned me in to an addict
Come on over to the ESEE and Spyderco forums and we'll help you dig the hole a little deeper.
I like the beker, randal, and the esee, if you are looking for something in the 5" range check out the busse pig shank as well.
franktown99
02-28-2013, 17:09
please send me a link to those forums (ESEE, Spyderco)
StagLefty
02-28-2013, 17:24
Here's the one for ESEE http://jungletraining.com/forums/forum.php?
please send me a link to those forums (ESEE, Spyderco)
I'm betting he's talking about Blade Forums.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/673-Manufacturer-s-Forums
Stevensje
02-28-2013, 19:00
Just picked up a Condor spike axe from Rapid Fire Bunker Yesterday. Pretty sweet!
StagLefty
02-28-2013, 19:48
I'm betting he's talking about Blade Forums.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/673-Manufacturer-s-Forums
Yeah but ESEE quit blade forums a few years ago and Jeff Randall started his own forum.
please send me a link to those forums (ESEE, Spyderco)
www.spyderco.com (http://www.spyderco.com) <click on forums
I'm betting he's talking about Blade Forums.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/673-Manufacturer-s-Forums
Blade forums is worse than AR15.com or glocktalk for signal to noise ratio. I think "everyone" left BF in like 2004.
blacklabel
03-02-2013, 13:43
Blade forums is worse than AR15.com or glocktalk for signal to noise ratio. I think "everyone" left BF in like 2004.
If I'm looking for something specific, I tend to find what I need there but I never browse.
If I'm looking for something specific, I tend to find what I need there but I never browse.
Yeah google will find a knife review or something without having to "wade in".
Troublco
03-02-2013, 16:06
I like the Becker Campanion for heavy general purpose use. It's a beast, but it'll put up with abuse and holds a good edge. I keep one in my truck along with my MAX tool and other gotta haves.
I like the beker, randal, and the esee, if you are looking for something in the 5" range check out the busse pig shank as well.
Been looking for one of those pork shanks
I have heard some good things about the condor garuda
Bruks makes the best. Watterling is second and believe it or not Condor makes some decent hatchets. You just need to sharpen them. A good hatchet is fully the equal or maybe a bit better at chopping than a big knife, but it is much worse at batoning or fine work. Most people who take a hatchet or axe, end up taking a small blade as well, which is an excellent combo. I personally like the gransfors bruks hunting axe with 20 inch handle.
If I had to buy a "new production" axe, it would be a Council. Specifically, a 2 1/4lb Dayton Pattern boy's axe.
Wetterlings are nice if you have the money.
For a hatchet, it would be an Estwing. I prefer the leather handle.
Vintage? Take a look at the Axe Me thread. Lots of good quality axes can be had for very affordable prices.
Been camping since the early '70s (DAMN, I feel old) and never batoned a piece of wood with a knife.
As far as YTs to watch. This is the best place to start. I still watch these just for the amusement factor and wealth of information.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B7Wy7iskVE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojyl-dS4tRE
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3 Copyright © 2026 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.