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Slightly late, but it's rare I see my philosophy shared, which is genuinely to "buy cheap; buy twice". Whatever job or hobby you're buying for, quite often you see some aficionado assert that the enquiring beginner should buy expensive option X, and some other will assert they should buy...

I ordered one of these on Sunday and it arrived today! On first impressions it seems incredible value. I've needed to get one of our boys a small light head torch for cubs and camping for a while and so your post came at the perfect time. We're actually off camping today and I had just enough...

I'm wondering whether our boys would like to learn how to use a catapult. What's the best bang-for-buck starter catapult I could get them? Bear in mind they can break pretty much anything so durability is key.

Like @Nice65 says,for larger tools you might be better off with something that lets you keep the tool still and move the stone over the tool's blade edge. Some people actually prefer the smaller £/€/$2 6x1 format stones that I linked to for this. Alternatively, you could use a puck. If you...

I've recently been down a bit of a sharpening rabbit hole, and ordered quite a few bits and pieces from AliExpress - a £26 clone of a €1,000 sharpening system, some diamond plates that fit the system some larger bench diamond plates for freehand sharpening etc etc. I did a fair bit of reading...

Thanks for the heads-up. The AliExpress pricing lottery served it up at £10.39 for me but (like the others have said) it was an instant buy. Thanks for mentioning this. I'm going to try and find it. Sounds good.

Got this... https://bushcraftuk.com/community/threads/the-ive-found-a-bargain-thread.128887/post-2068903 ... And it turned out to be excellent. I'd recommend getting one, but you could emulate it fairly well with a couple of pocket-size diamond plates... Something like these...

That's what I was wondering (since I couldn't manage what Chris managed to do and find any mention of whether it locked) It seems sensible to me that in or close to riots, the the bar is raised in terms of justifying that you didn't intend to use it as a weapon, but I'm not sure that forms...

Really weird reporting... https://www.cps.gov.uk/mersey-cheshire/news/teenager-jailed-taking-knife-site-planned-protest No mention from anyone about whether it was over 3" or locking...

Thanks a lot for the constructive criticism that's been provided. @woodsorrel - that's very much in line with my thinking - and thanks for teaching me about "countershading" - a great pointer. @TeeDee - thanks for the kind words, and I agree about the check shirt idea. I got a Barbour shirt...

I like the idea of going less noticed when walking in the woods, but the wife (and most of our friends) would scoff (and, rightly or wrongly I always think I might be accused of being a Walter Mitty) if I took to wearing anything in a camouflage pattern. It got me wondering whether I could get...

These generic 6" firesteels are normally at least £10, but I just got this one and it seems to produce decent sparks and is currently £6.79 - quite a bit cheaper and comes with a decent striker (and some extra freebies you may or may not put value on!) https://amzn.eu/d/68ErG2j

Thanks for so many excellent ideas and suggestions everyone. Yes, I've been reading around the subject and reached the same conclusion myself - I'm surprised places sell these magnesium flakes because they must become fairly useless fairly quick. It's a bit different to how you're using yours...

Until recently I didn't usually carry tinder (and in my head, I think I've scoffed at it/felt it was cheating a bit) but occasionally I like to shave flakes off a magnesium block as part of getting a fire started. I feel like I'm getting a bit lazy in my old age, and will take a few of those...

The Mora Heavy Duty is my recommendation. (I have an old Mora Robust which looks like it got renamed, and the new Robust Pro looks shorter and with a clumsier handle profile) I can't see what more expensive knives like the Garberg offer for the extra £££.

Ha - nothing assuages the buyer-guilt like convincing someone else to buy too! Seems like a really good deal - I wonder if they're mistakenly based their price on the much cheaper Work Sharp Pocket Knife Sharpener... This looks like a worthwhile modification: (I bought mine because I've...

Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener, £20 on eBay... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/116206535514

Thanks - yes, I saw the Fieldmaster. Personally, while I rarely open a bottle of wine with a cork, I *do* use the corkscrew for undoing knots quite often, so, for camping, I think the corkscrew's more useful than the Phillips, but I'll probably let price decide for me.

Thanks - that's a great reply. That all makes a lot of sense. Thanks both. Broch, the Huntsman is the one I'm looking at. Mainly because I'm a tightarse and it seems like the one that you can pick up for under £25 quite often. I'm going to add some other similar or helpful threads I've...

Short version: What inexpensive penknife, headtorch, and other pocketable bushcraft kit for a young camper? Long version: Our 3 boys have been begging for their first penknife for a couple of years now, and last summer I said they could have one the next camping season - ie in 5 months' time -...