Les Stroud Survival Series

[JonathanD]

Not to be confused with his bushcraft knife from Helle, these are his long awaited new survival series of blades from Camillus...

 

[robevs73]

I liked the Helle knife a lot and got to play with a stainless on at the "gathering" last year, these look a lot like the Bear Grylls stuff so it looks to me that Camilius are jumping on the same bandwagon.
I don't like the comedy show that Bear hosts so I don't like the knives, regardless if they are ok tools, that may sound a bit daft to some people but that's how I feel.

 

[copper_head]

Don't know about anything else but those sure are ugly! I'm intrigued as to what the advantage of a non-stick blade would be?

 

[JonathanD]

I don't like the comedy show that Bear hosts so I don't like the knives, regardless if they are ok tools, that may sound a bit daft to some people but that's how I feel.

Not daft, just human. That's exactly how I thought of the Gerber until that review I did.

Strouds Bushcraft Helle knives shouldn't be confused with this range though. He's stated that he spent time developing this range for an entirely different customer and use. Based on Strouds experience. And how he came to the same conclusion as BG and Gerber, should actually show that there might be some merit in the designs despite the way most of us look at them and frown. I hope they are released at the same time so that I can do a comparitive review.

 

[JonathanD]

Don't know about anything else but those sure are ugly! I'm intrigued as to what the advantage of a non-stick blade would be?

In sub zero temperatures, a huge advantage, it's why we Teflon coated our pistols when I was in the military. FGYT should give you the low downs of the other merits of that particular coating soon as he sees this.

 

[Stew]

Too easy to jump to a quick judgement of these with no real basis! I shall reserve judgement!


Is the middle one a folder? Hard to see for me.

 

[John Fenna]

Golly Gosh - another range of Fugly knives from a survival show!
I love the Helle Temagami but these are ......fugly!

 

[copper_head]

In sub zero temperatures, a huge advantage, it's why we Teflon coated our pistols when I was in the military. FGYT should give you the low downs of the other merits of that particular coating soon as he sees this.

Thanks Jonathan, so would that to be to stop them freezing in their holsters or sheaths in this case... Or am I barking up the wrong tree?

 

[JonathanD]

Thanks Jonathan, so would that to be to stop them freezing in their holsters or sheaths in this case... Or am I barking up the wrong tree?

More to stop them adherring to the skin in sub-zero temperatures. And to prolong life as well. Less friction means less wear and easier cutting too.

 

[copper_head]

More to stop them adherring to the skin in sub-zero temperatures. And to prolong life as well. Less friction means less wear and easier cutting too.

Hmm makes sense I guess, thanks. I love this forum I learn something new eveyday

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

I would imagine the gun teflon coating would be stop the light oil from freezing, the heat being sucked out by the steel ?

 

[JonathanD]

Here's a message from Mr Stroud...

Hi all - I got to thinkin'....there was a press release already, but other than that there have been just a few questions here and there about me releasing a survival knife line. Firstly - yes - I have already released a BUSHCRAFT knife with the most excellent company: Helle out of Norway. The purpose was to design a high end bushcraft knife that is a one of a kind knife made by hand by the fantastic people at Helle. No two knives in this line are alike. I have even been able to visit the plant myself and sit at some of the machines hand crafting out my own blade. - In fact someone will unknowingly get one of these knives and it will be the one I worked on myself!!! I am very proud of these knives and very proud of working with Helle on them. Now. That said - Helle and I were not interested in developing a knife line together that was more specific to survival - including some survival attachments. That is where Camillus comes in. I had turned down a number of knife companies who had courted me (including one specific line of knives you could probably guess at - they went with someone else) simply because they would not adhere to my strict quality policy: "If I am going to design a survival knife for you to put in your hands - then it better be quality enough to put in my own". They were all more interested in profit and celebrity. Camillus is fully committed to working with my own designs to develop a line of survival knives you can trust with your life. So if you want that one of a kind bushcrafting knife then please enjoy what I personally designed with Helle....and if you want to outfit yourself with a survival knife designed personally by me and tested by me - then you will see the prototype we will unveil in Vegas at the Shot show in January - I think I will be there at the show on the 18th. ....Camillus had no issues with the fact that I designed a beautiful one of a kind bushcraft knife with Helle and Helle has no issue that I am designing a fully loaded survival knife with Camillus......Listen folks - whether I became Survivorman and created a whole new genre of TV or not - I would have eventually tried to write a manual (which I did called Survive!) develop a line of survival knives and develop a survival kit. As an instructor of many years - these three initiatives were always in my heart to do. So now I am able to do so thanks to creating survival for TV - ok fine - buts what's most important to me is that whatever I put my name on - it be of the highest quality. Know this: In my opinion - the survival knife...book...kit that I put on the market will be the best there is. The price point may be a little higher than those who are cashing in on the whole 'survival thing'....but our lives are worth it. For me its not about marketing or cashing in on celebrity....its about survival. Les

 

[mountainm]

I do worry a bit when you see "and more..." on an advert. It's the equivalent of an etc. What it really means is - we're sure there are other things to say but we either can't be bothered to think of them or they're to inconsequential to list etc.

This of course is criticism of the advertising, not the knife. The knife is just ugly.

 

[John Fenna]

There are interesting comments on BCUSA about Camilus stating they do not use 440 yet the adverts saying the knives are 440 ... this needs a bit of clarification I think...
How soon are you going to get a sample to review Jon?

 

[Wilderbeast]

It's not how it looks it's how it plays! Admittedly it does look like something one would expect to find strapped to a storm-trooper or the more serious of the airsoft brigade but let's not judge it until we've handled it. I trust JohnD's judgement and he seemed to think that the BG knife wasn't too bad, despite the scalding it was given here. Try to judge the knife rather than the man it is associated to!

 

[TinkyPete]

hmm interesting...

"curiouser and curiouser " said Alice

I would like to see them in person and try one out before passing judgement

 

[sasquatch]

Regardless of how the knife performs Les has certainly played his cards right and fair play to him! He's got the best of both worlds, the serious knife through Helle and the survival ones that people will buy in quantity in North America. I'd do the same if I was in his boat, I'd rather have money than fame.

 

[JonathanD]

How soon are you going to get a sample to review Jon?

No idea as yet. I want to get this and the BG Compact at the same time as they seem to be similar knives.

 

[JC1984]

Any news on these? Has there been a review? I'm a big fan of Stroud, I think he's a great character to get more young people interested in the outdoors and bushcraft.

 

[MSkiba]

For a survival situation these will be brilliant! But for a bushcrafter to use and use and use over many years I don’t think they will. I’m not sure if they are Teflon coated, or titanium coated (it doesn’t state), but the last titanium coated knife I sharpened ended up in the bin, they just don’t like to be sharpened.

+1 vote for JD to review the one without a serrated edge! I'd be particularly interested in how easy they are to sharpen in the field, and how well they hold out after sharpening.