The First Blood knife is uber cool, so not all Rambo knives should be looked at with disdain. I'd have no qualms about using this in the wild. Well, as long as it didn't get all scratched and dirty :yikes:
Why are bushcraft knives, and survival knives so different?
- Thread starter HillBill
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The First Blood knife is uber cool, so not all Rambo knives should be looked at with disdain. I'd have no qualms about using this in the wild. Well, as long as it didn't get all scratched and dirty :yikes:
I'm with JD on this one. It's far more than actually needed, but apart from cost and not wanting to scratch it, I'd have few qualms about it being my main user.
I'd use my own knife in the bush obviously 
But my knife is a compromise between a hard use utility and bushcraft knife now. If that knife never was, I'd take Rob Bayley's S4, Stu Mitchell's Secare or Andy Wood's AWS4. Those three I class as survival/utility knives first and foremost.
But my knife is a compromise between a hard use utility and bushcraft knife now. If that knife never was, I'd take Rob Bayley's S4, Stu Mitchell's Secare or Andy Wood's AWS4. Those three I class as survival/utility knives first and foremost.
I guess that makes a mora a survival knife - so the stuff of movies and fantasy
Exactly my point Hugh, if you NEED a knife to survive then any sharp edge you have with you will do.
All this stuff with compasses, hollow handles and serrations on the back is pure fantasy.
As i say try and think of scenario's in the UK where a knife would save your life, once you've got that list work back from it.
Using armed forces or pilots as examples is pretty pointless, pilots use ejector seats but i don't see anyone pushing for outdoors folks to carry them (more is the pity
)I often see folks creating a fantasy where they limit themselves to a certain number of kit items.
In that vain, if you were dumped in the middle of Kielder Forest for a couple of nights what would you sooner have a axe, saw or knife?
Now look at situations where outdoors types are likely to put ourselves in a survival or death scenario, how useful is a knife in those situations?
My take is pretty much useless.
Don't get me wrong i really enjoy using and buying decent knives, it's just with survival knives i feel it's another case of folks creating a fantasy to justify kit choices.
Again that's fine, but when advising on a survival knife design i think it's pretty pointless, far better that Mark just design his knife how he likes it with the features he wants to see in a knife rather than trying to follow some fantasy fashion.
If us knife folks think about and are honest most of our knife purchases are made because we either like a certain shape or style of a knife or it's one that was recommended to us.
I like the shape of my Ritter griptilians, the fat belly just appeals to me, if you'd have asked me before i saw one though it's a design characteristic i wouldn't have requested.
When i ordered my Stu Mitchell it was a clean sheet of paper design, when we talked i'm pretty sure we could have gone in any design direction.
The reason i chose Stu to create the knife though is because i like his designs, so i just let him make a knife in a design he likes.
Mark is getting a good customer base built up and a good name for himself, so he must be doing several things right, one of those must be his designs, so my opinion is that he designs a knife that he likes rather than picking features from many that are unlikely to order one of these (i.e. many posters in this thread like myself).
But of course no-one said that a survival knife need have any of those features - indeed the most talked about knife on this thread (the F1) has none of them.
Which makes a survival knife no worse than your Stu Mitchell of course
No-one needs to go bushcrafting at all. Therefore no-one needs any form of fixed blade knife. Nor should they need to "justify" their choices. Indeed the only person looking for people to "justify" their choices is you. You bought your Stu Mitchell because you like it. Why should Mark not come up with a knife that isn't Bushy standard that other people will like? Its no more ridiculous than the Sgian Dubh that Stu made - no-one needs a knife of last resort down their sock or the dirk since people are unlikely to get into a knife fight.
Indeed no-one needs a kitchen knife - after all you can get your mushrooms pre-sliced.
I really don't think anyone needs a custom knife so to ridicule the choices others make is disingenuous to say the least.
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This is a survival knife why because it was designed with and for some of the most trained and knowledgeable survival experts in the county (most are or where UK forces SERE survival instructors) as a knife they want to use and sell /recommend
But it definitely dosn't fit with the Normal media and hollywood vision of a survival knife
But it definitely dosn't fit with the Normal media and hollywood vision of a survival knife
After reading this thread I decided to have a look at my copy of 'The 10 Bushcraft Books' by Richard Graves to see what he had to say about a suitable knife for bushcraft. Here is what he had to say:
"For this work of bushcraft all that is needed is a sharp cutting implement: knife, axe or machete. The last is the most useful. For the work, dead materials are the most suitable. The practice of bushcraft conserves, and does not destroy, wild life."
Perusing the rest of the text it seems the recurring theme for a suitable knife is that is sharp.
"For this work of bushcraft all that is needed is a sharp cutting implement: knife, axe or machete. The last is the most useful. For the work, dead materials are the most suitable. The practice of bushcraft conserves, and does not destroy, wild life."
Perusing the rest of the text it seems the recurring theme for a suitable knife is that is sharp.
Man, does it really matter?
Just choose a knife and get using it
(talking to myself here)
Hahaha, that's because we've drifted off topic again. Mark just wanted to know what features a survival knife should have as he is going to expand his target market.
First ones half built
My view of a "survival" knife has never been one of an overly large blade, with all the gimmicks. I make tools, not toys I've always considered a bushy (with a few tweaks) to be the best starting point.
The one i'm currently building is from 4.5mm Elmax.... 5" blade, 4.75" handle, green and black (alternate layer) G10, stainless corbys and stainless tube (2 of each) and styled similar to my Eagle.... high sabre grind..... I'm calling it "The Crocodile"
I will be designing half a dozen models of "hard use utility/survival" knives.... so if this first one isn't to everyones tastes, fear not.... more will be forthcoming.
Just like to say thanks for everyones input... all taken on board. I posted this question on various forums, some here, some in the US... to see how opinion differs geographically...... gotta say..... it doesn't differ much really..... i guess knives and their uses are pretty solidly consolidated around the globe.... really not seen any suggestions for Ramboesque knives... so thats a relief
My view of a "survival" knife has never been one of an overly large blade, with all the gimmicks. I make tools, not toys
I've always considered a bushy (with a few tweaks) to be the best starting point.The one i'm currently building is from 4.5mm Elmax.... 5" blade, 4.75" handle, green and black (alternate layer) G10, stainless corbys and stainless tube (2 of each) and styled similar to my Eagle.... high sabre grind..... I'm calling it "The Crocodile"
I will be designing half a dozen models of "hard use utility/survival" knives.... so if this first one isn't to everyones tastes, fear not.... more will be forthcoming.
Just like to say thanks for everyones input... all taken on board. I posted this question on various forums, some here, some in the US... to see how opinion differs geographically...... gotta say..... it doesn't differ much really..... i guess knives and their uses are pretty solidly consolidated around the globe.... really not seen any suggestions for Ramboesque knives... so thats a relief
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First ones half built
My view of a "survival" knife has never been one of an overly large blade, with all the gimmicks. I make tools, not toys
The one i'm currently building is from 4.5mm Elmax.... 5" blade, 4.75" handle, green and black (alternate layer) G10, stainless corbys and stainless tube (2 of each) and styled similar to my Eagle.... high sabre grind..... I'm calling it "The Crocodile"
I will be designing half a dozen models of "hard use utility/survival" knives.... so if this first one isn't to everyones tastes, fear not.... more will be forthcoming.
Just like to say thanks for everyones input... all taken on board. I posted this question on various forums, some here, some in the US... to see how opinion differs geographically...... gotta say..... it doesn't differ much really..... i guess knives and there uses are pretty solidly consolidated around the globe.... really not seen any suggestions for Ramboesque knives... so thats a relief
Sounds like you have a solid idea on what to build.
Plus 1
yep, i'd like to see that too.
what's next? A 14" hollow handled part serrated saw back kukri? (with a full realtree dip obviously)
what's next? A 14" hollow handled part serrated saw back kukri?
(with a full realtree dip obviously)
Will do guys.
The next one i think will be aimed more at the the Military side of things.... based on my own experiences.
The next one i think will be aimed more at the the Military side of things.... based on my own experiences.
I reckon they will all be having something like G10 for the handle as i know of nothing which comes close to it for toughness.
Willing to be proved wrong on that though
Willing to be proved wrong on that though
Here's another one waiting with baited breath, and i already have a HB M.O.R.A. and S4 type of yours on my list.
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