Newbie needs to gear up!

[vistor]

Introduction
Hi everyone, im new around here.
I live in sweden, at a small town.
I have always liked being out fishing and camping in the woods, but ive never had any great tools(just some ordinary mora knifes).

Now recently i found this forum, and ive been readning alot about bushcrafting, and the parts where people learn to craft their own stuff, being masters of handling their knives and axes and creating great fires etc.

I would like to learn all of this aswell, but i can only imagine how long it will take me.

Anyhow, i recently got a dog and he just loooves to be out in the forest, and so do i. But i feel its kina, boring for me to just wander the forests all day with him, so i thought maybe i wander off in some woods and find myself the perfect spot for me to begin training myself with an axe and an knife, maybe try to actually create something?
And while im playing with my hatchet and sticks he can have fun in the woods!
Maybe this is a stupid idea?

I wanna start off small, and then extend it with time, such as setting up a tent for the night and staying there with him etc etc.

Anyways, to my problem!
I have a backpack wich cotains:
- Tent(if i need it)
- First aid kit
- Leatherman wave
- Cooking supplies(if i need it)
- dogcandy(gotta keep him happy)
- And if needed food/water .

So im kinda, missing
A knife?
A hatchet?
A ?(Recommendations for a newbie who wants to start training on his craftmanship)

What would you recommend for me?
I was thinking for myself maybe i should start off with an mora bushcraft knife and a gränsfors hatchet but im not sure what i really need and if these items meets the requirements to process wood etc.

My budget for these is around 100pounds, but i could always buy one thing first and then wait a few weeks and then get the next and so on

Last words
wow, hope my thread wasnt a complete mess..
Any recommendations on what to read/what to get/ or if im in the wrong place and should get out of here(my deep fear) are welcome!

Have a great day and thanks for reading

 

[rg598]

I'm assuming you are talking about day trips here. If you will be spending nights out, I would invest in a good sleep system way before worrying about cutting tools.

As far as cutting tools, I strongly believe that a person should be able to work on the tools which they use. I believe you should be able to use a file and stone to reprofile an axe and sharpen it. I also think you should be able to re-hang your axe. If you can do those things, then your options open up quite a bit. You can take less than ideal axes with good temper and return hem into working condition. A GB hatchet is nice, although I think it is too light as a dedicated carving hatchet. I also think you will be better served with a cheaper hatchet that you can work on. That way you can create the bevel you want for the work you are going to do. Husqvarna makes some reasonably priced ones.

A Mora knife is fine. All of them work. The ones with "bushcraft" name in my opinion are just a way to get you to spend some more money on the same product. If you are going to do fine carving, the smaller knives are a bit better.

I also have a set of gauges, which I like more than crook knives.

 

[Toddy]

Overnighters I'd take more care over my sleeping than my carving kit, tbh.

That said, you can carve very well indeed with an ordinary pocket knife; it's all down to practice.
The standard 'bushcraft' knives are robust enough to do almost anything, but that doesn't mean they're the best tool for everything.

Same with axes. I get more use out of my folding laplander saw than I do out of my axe.

Best advice ? learn to use, and to sharpen, the tools you have. When you become familiar enough with those to decide where and why they don't suit you as well as they might, then time to look for something else.

We all have different uses, different interests, different abilities, and our tools reflect that.

In general the recommendation is for newbies to buy a Mora or similar; they're very sound tools and they won't break the bank, and if you knacker the edge then it's not a disaster. Similarly with the laplander saw, and the axe too.
You could buy all three of those for under your £100.
That so many people who've been doing this for a while still own and use these tools is the clearest indication that they're sound

In time you might wish for others, see if you can meet up with folks (there are a fair number of Swedish people on this forum and others) and if it's like here, then the 'shinies' come out to play and folks are happy to let others handle their tools and discuss.

A last word; sharpening is basically the aggressive removal of metal, using a strop is not only less aggressive but it works very well and it's hard to destroy a blade using one. I haven't sharpened a knife in months, but I strop every single time before I put them away.

I hope your trips out are a lot of fun

cheers,
Toddy

 

[vistor]

Overnighters I'd take more care over my sleeping than my carving kit, tbh.

That said, you can carve very well indeed with an ordinary pocket knife; it's all down to practice.
The standard 'bushcraft' knives are robust enough to do almost anything, but that doesn't mean they're the best tool for everything.

Same with axes. I get more use out of my folding laplander saw than I do out of my axe.

Best advice ? learn to use, and to sharpen, the tools you have. When you become familiar enough with those to decide where and why they don't suit you as well as they might, then time to look for something else.

We all have different uses, different interests, different abilities, and our tools reflect that.

In general the recommendation is for newbies to buy a Mora or similar; they're very sound tools and they won't break the bank, and if you knacker the edge then it's not a disaster. Similarly with the laplander saw, and the axe too.
You could buy all three of those for under your £100.
That so many people who've been doing this for a while still own and use these tools is the clearest indication that they're sound

In time you might wish for others, see if you can meet up with folks (there are a fair number of Swedish people on this forum and others) and if it's like here, then the 'shinies' come out to play and folks are happy to let others handle their tools and discuss.

A last word; sharpening is basically the aggressive removal of metal, using a strop is not only less aggressive but it works very well and it's hard to destroy a blade using one. I haven't sharpened a knife in months, but I strop every single time before I put them away.

I hope your trips out are a lot of fun

cheers,
Toddy

Hi!

Thank you both for great answears!

- Im not going to spend the night yet, i got a trip this august planned with my buddies to camp the woods for a few days.
But i will be buying stuff for that the same month as the salory for july comes!
I bought a tent at "decathlon" which, i know from biking and hiking experiance have some great stuff for the price so hopefully it will hold up.
(Waterproof, windproof lightweight etc)
But one goal with this, "bushcrafting" is me feeling confident enough to spend a night alone in the forest with minimal wood and supplies with me, but i guess that will take a while to achive.


As im in sweden all moras are dirt cheap in the big warehouses, i think i saw an mora bushcraft for 15 pounds the other day when i was browsing knifes.

But i cant help wanting to invest abit more in a knife, but maybe its not just worth it?
Im thinking maybe start off with a decent knife and the lapplander saw and then later on buy a nice hatchet.
Or just start off with the knife? but then again ill have a hard time processing wood without an saw/hatchet, and batooning with a knife just seams wrong...

Atleast i have some very nice clothes and shoes to wear while im outdoors, and an backpack.

oh btw, do you know any "good" youtube guy i can watch for generall tips?
And what sharpening tool should a newbie start out with?

Thanks again for the warm welcome!

 

[rg598]

If you still don't have a complete set of gear for overnight stays, I would invest my money there rather than spend it on an expensive knife. Odds are it will not let you carve any better.

I use a knife and a Bahco Laplander saw on all my trips. They work very well. I love axes and hatchets, but have not carried one in over a year.

I know we all gave an urge to gear up with cool gear so we look the part, but that has little to do with being comfortable in the woods.

Start going on actual trips in the woods first, and you will quickly figure out what you need and what you don't need. See how much wood your regular camp requires, see how much processing you need to do, and then go buy the appropriate tools. I would start out with a Mora and a saw and go from there. Save your money for a good sleeping bag.

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