The Elusive “One Knife” for Bushcraft…?

[Umbra88]

Hi all,


I’ve been bushcrafting / wood wandering for quite a while now, and I’ve found myself on an endless quest to find the one knife that does it all for me.


Where has it led? In the early days, I wasn’t too bothered, carrying any old folder that caught my eye—usually a Buck, Opinel, or SAK. My first “proper” knife was the Helle Viking, and while it was a great companion, I knew I needed something more.


I moved on to a Helle Utvaer, which I really got on with. The more I used it, though, the more it became just a woodworking and fire-making knife. As you’d expect, the Scandi grind excels at those tasks, but I hunt and fish a lot, and it just didn’t cut the mustard when it came to field dressing game or food prep.


For heavier jobs like shelter building, I usually have a Silky saw and an axe in my pack. But I started wondering: if I wanted to leave the axe behind on my ranger outings, what would that true jack-of-all-trades knife be?


For now I’ve settled on the TRC Polheim. I still own and enjoy my Scandi knives, but the Polheim has become the knife I reach for most often. The edge retention is excellent, it cleans up easily, and it can take a beating.


So, what’s your knife journey been like? Have you settled on “the one,” or do you have a trusted few that cover different roles?


I know a jack-of-all-trades knife will never be the absolute best at any one task, but for me, a knife that does everything more than adequately is about as close to “the one” as I’m likely to find. I’d like to hear others peoples journeys and see what they have found to work best

 

[FIU]

I gave up on any idea that any one knife would ever satisfy my needs, let alone desires. No, I am irretrievably and unrepentantly knife promiscuous and I reckon this is how I will remain as long as the cash holds out.

At this point, I must have a few hundred knives, machetes, swords and even some spears.

Here in Florida you can draw a line through the peninsula. South of Orlando one would do best with a thin bladed machete, like the Ontario or Latin American style machetes. North of Orlando all the way to Canada a thicker blade knife or machete is called for. I do carry knives into the Everglades, mostly to open bags, help with fruit and as a defensive back up to firearms in the event one of the alligators, crocodile, panther, bobcat, venomous snake or bear decides to take their chances for an easy meal. The last few years, I've been carrying Varusteleka Skrama or Jääkäripuukko, Peltonen M07 or one of several different Joker brand knives in the field.

I too am not a fanatic about the Scandinavian grind for the field knife blade. Most of what I am doing with a knife is slicing and not chopping. Machetes, hatchets, axes or even small military style spades make better wood chopping blades than almost anything that I can carry on my person.

I have never needed an excuse to buy another knife, even though I have enough knives to blade up the half the hillbillies in Macon County, North Carolina. I too think, this one will be the ONE, as I buy the next dozen blades.

 

[John Fenna]

The Peltonen knives are my "go to" ... at the moment ...

 

[Springchicken]

I think that, for me, familiarity is key: is the knife that I'm using have that recognisable - and therefore trusted - 'feel'? Based on that, I find myself reaching for my Orford Woodlander. Though, that said, I find myself also utilising a full tang Peltonen M09 with increasing frequency. The choice is made irrespective of the environment in which I find myself; they may not be the best tools in all circumstances but, as I said, they are familiar.

 

[Damascus]

Mike morris 6inch camp knife and a victorinox ranger 79 or similar, best combo for me

 

[Longstrider]

I was a pretty feral kid and spent my life 'over the fields somewhere'. After much badgering my father relented and bought me the one thing I kept asking for ... a "Bowie Knife". It was a Sheffield made (Rogers) 8" blade Bells pattern bowie.
I did everything with it. Everything.
It paunched and jointed bunnies, it gralloched deer, it cut sticks and split firewood. It helped build many a dam and numerous 'dens'. It chopped down trees and was used to play 'Split the Kipper' (Ask your grandad ) As a kid I openly carried it on my belt whenever I headed for the fields and woods. You could do that back then.
Once addicted to using a 'larger than average' blade for everything that was that. I used a Fallkniven A2 for a while until someone at Bushmoot pointed out that as a maker and fettler of knives I should make my own version ... so I did.
It has an 8" blade of 5mm thick 01ground to very high sabre grind with a convexed (rather sharp ) edge, a brass guard and pommel and is made with a 3/4 full tang. Handle is of snakewood. It's called the 'Moot Iron' and the name is deep-cut hand engraved into the butt end of the pommel.

It does everything as well as the original did and I will never part with it. I have a knife that I love and that does everything I want of it.

 

[homesicksteve]

The answer to the one knife conundrum is 4.

Convex-flat-scandi-lite/backup

 

[HorseGuy]

I gave up on any idea that any one knife would ever satisfy my needs

Me too. It's a case of using the right tool for the job.

- A big heavy blade for chopping (I use an old antique billhook which bought dirt cheap then cleaned it up and re-sharped it).

- A smaller blade for more delicate or controlled tasks (I use either a Fallkniven F1 or Mora Companion).

- and a jack of all trades tool for all other tasks (a Victorinox Soldiers Knife which is what I use for about 90% of tasks when I'm out in the horses field or around the stables).

 

[Van-Wild]

Ive had the same knife since 2006, an SWC Woodlore (pre-RM collab). Before I had an axe, it did everything I needed it for. Its served me well over the years. If I had to take just one knife for an extended trip, it would be the one for me hands down if it was my only cutting tool.

Now, having said that.... I've had an axe for some years now, especially in the winter. If I carry the axe, I'll also carry a Victorinox Rangergrip 79 in my pocket for the smaller cutting tasks. Ive used it for everything from cutting cord, to gutting fish and deer.

Is there one knife to rule them all....? I think the real question is: what will I be doing with it, and what is my skill set?

 

[sidpost]

Can you make do with just "one knife"? Sure.

However, a big knife isn't that good for meal prep generally, and similar fine tasks. On the flip side, a small knife good for meal prep and simple camp chores is terrible for carving a spoon or building a shelter or campfire.

Ignoring nanny states and municipalities, most of us carry more than one knife, or a knife and an axe/hatchet for good reason!

Can I make a meal with an axe? Yes I have done that. Can a heavy cleaver slice a ham? Yes if it has a keen edge the ham was cooked well. Could I build a shelter with a Morakniv? ...

Yes, if the need is there, you use what you have. Who plans to use and axe to make a meal or a heavy cleaver to build a shelter? On, the flip side, if that is all you have, and you need to get out of the weather and make a meal, you could probably make do with two rocks if you had to!

 

[Springchicken]

Can you make do with just "one knife"? Sure.

However, a big knife isn't that good for meal prep generally, and similar fine tasks. On the flip side, a small knife good for meal prep and simple camp chores is terrible for carving a spoon or building a shelter or campfire.

Ignoring nanny states and municipalities, most of us carry more than one knife, or a knife and an axe/hatchet for good reason!

Can I make a meal with an axe? Yes I have done that. Can a heavy cleaver slice a ham? Yes if it has a keen edge the ham was cooked well. Could I build a shelter with a Morakniv? ...

Yes, if the need is there, you use what you have. Who plans to use and axe to make a meal or a heavy cleaver to build a shelter? On, the flip side, if that is all you have, and you need to get out of the weather and make a meal, you could probably make do with two rocks if you had to!

How would you define 'big' and 'small'? My reason for asking is that I would consider a leuku or parang-type of knife 'big' and something like the Peltonen M23 'small'; that then leaves a large middle ground of cutting tools with a blade length of around 11cm that seems to be something of a sweet spot for bushcraft, and perfectly adept at dealing with both larger and smaller tasks. Where do these very useful blades sit in the spectrum?

 

[Billy-o]

Been a big fan of the Brisa Trapper for a long time now. O1, flatground, 1/8" stock, 3 3/4" blade. It can do most things if kept sharp. I asked a maker for a slightly more refined version of it. Todd Kroenlein on BCUSA provided that.

I have a Stefan Aberg that I like a lot too. But it is mainly because of its severe beauty, I think. My go to big knife is a Stuart Ackerman StoneCutter. 6" blade in 5mm O1. A broad beastie but entirely deft.

I very much like my (now rather old) Fallkniven F1 with the micarta scales. It is a finer grind than the standard thermorun version. The blade is ground flat near the spine, then hollow then convex at the edge. Makes a super slicer, but not really there for banging through logs.

The Roselli Hunter is a good outdoors knife, and I like the look of some of the Casstroms

 

[HorseGuy]

I know a jack-of-all-trades knife will never be the absolute best at any one task, but for me, a knife that does everything more than adequately is about as close to “the one” as I’m likely to find.

While I still think that having something small like a Fallkniven F1 for most tasks and partnering it with something big like a saw, hatchet or machete for chopping duties is the best option. If I had to choose one knife as a compromise that can cover everything well it would probably be a Fallkniven S1. Not the best chopper nor the best camp knife but it is still good at all of those things. Probably the closest you are likely to get to an ideal middle ground, one knife solution that can do everything well.

 

[Umbra88]

Thank you all for your well thought replies and opinions on the question.

I’m beginning to think my quest will never end. I have a “gentleman’s” folder I carry most days, hardly know it’s there and it’s my box opener, pocket fidget tool…

There’s the middle knife which is currently the polheim. As stated it’s a good bit of steel. The traditionalist in me likes the birch handles and the easy going scandi grinds but in real world ops, day to day, the Micarta, magnacut and kydex is easy to live with. It’s shame it’s not convex, having said that it rarely struggles to complete a task.

Then if I need anything bigger it’s usually the hatchet or the GBA. Bushcraft axe, it’s been faithful and great for splitting and heavy duty fire and shelter prep

The silky saw does the cuttin’

I’ve noted the peltonen has come up a few times, I’ll investigate

Of course the place we live and the chores we have dictate a lot of our choices. Larger knives have just been banned in UK, so naturally our choice is limited. There’s also some rules around skinning and hygiene for deer stalking so again slims down the catalogue again…

I’ll continue to read on as more people add their experiences, gratefully, and keep on carrying around a small arsenal of dedicated tools!

Thanks again