A knife, an axe, a saw.

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Tracker NTS-054

Forager
Sep 8, 2013
172
0
Nottinghamshire
Evening all,
I'm bored stuck at home and thought I'd play devils advocate ;)

Part a) If you had to choose one of the listed tools (knife/axe/saw) to take with you into the woods with the rest of your gear, which would it be?

Now is where it could get interesting:


Part b) You can now choose two of the listed tools to take with you? What would they be, and would your choice still include your tool from part a?

I wonder if there's a 'right' answer to this one, but for me, it would be a knife, and then a knife with a saw.... (But that's a hard decision to make :p )

All the best, Lewis
 

Haggis

Nomad
A) Axe (With a sharp axe one can do anything from cutting down trees to building a cabin to gutting a fish; an axe is a finishing tool.)
B) Axe and Knife (Knives are handier than axes for many tasks requiring finesse.)
 
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dwardo

Bushcrafter through and through
Aug 30, 2006
6,454
476
46
Nr Chester
A saw for me is only really to make a pretty cut for wood that is to be made into something. That or for use with a wood burning stove to cut fuel to length.
So knife,

Then axe and knife.

Problem is this would change depending on weather or location.

More and more often I find my self taking a "proper" saw out with me now. Laplanders and the like are ok for small diameter stuff and occasional use but they take far more effort than a bow saw with a good blade. This took about 5 minutes to make, worked perfectly, weighs less and cuts three times faster than a pocket saw with less effort.

IMAG4536_zpsu3vi8f4t.jpg
 

Goatboy

Full Member
Jan 31, 2005
14,956
17
Scotland
I would say
A) Knife. (Always at least one on my person - unless the law dictates otherwise)
B) knife and Axe.
Though all things considered if I were to be stuck in the UK with only one thing it would probably be a billhook. Does everything quite well and is dam robust. (Not a battoning fan unless really pushed but that's just me!). A saw if handy for firewood production, especially if I have the Frontier stove with me but it is a luxury.
 

redandshane

Native
Oct 20, 2007
1,581
0
Batheaston
No doubt Knife ;then knife and saw

An Axe is a heavy item Very useful but I can manage without
NB I sometimes take all 3 but that's for fun or convenience if I am seriously hiking any distance I don't take an axe
 

Johnnyboy1971

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Dec 24, 2010
4,155
26
52
Yorkshire
Knife then knife and saw.
If I take my axe then the saw goes too, the weight of my folding saw is minimal and they are both carried together in the same sleeve.
 
Nov 29, 2004
7,808
22
Scotland
Unless I was likely to be processing a great deal of wood (Transylvania in January type thing), then knife, followed by knife and saw.

I would swap the knife out for an Axe if lots of chopping was on the agenda.

:)
 
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Big Stu 12

Bushcrafter through and through
Jan 7, 2012
6,028
4
Ipswich
I would say

A) Knife, but a close decision between that and an Axe.. in other works a sharp edge.

B) Knife and Axe thats Personal Preferance due to the two sharp edges, for fire wood I just snap up the wood, or if its too long feed it in to the fire as it burns.. the axe would do all the heaveir work, so to preserve teh edge on the knife as long as posible.
 

Tiley

Life Member
Oct 19, 2006
2,364
374
60
Gloucestershire
A) Knife
B) Knife and saw

The second was tough. A saw is light and, in some cases, foldable but it isn't so good at splitting wood. Of course, you can baton with the knife but it's not ideal - that's the preserve of the axe. Blimey - I think I'm about to change my mind...
 

Tracker NTS-054

Forager
Sep 8, 2013
172
0
Nottinghamshire
So, interestingly, of those who answered between the three choices (I must apologise for omitting the golock and chainsaw :p ) - nobody has yet changed their answer in part A to part B such as a-knife to b-axe and saw....

So maybe this means that there is no 'best' combination apart from what you're comfortable with using.. (Unless there are certain conditions such as extreme cold as some people pointed out)
 

Corfe

Full Member
Dec 13, 2011
399
2
Northern Ireland
Knife, for sure. Hard call between the axe and saw, but I think I'll plump for the axe. (Hard to rough out a spoon blank with a laplander... :) )
 

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