Just trying to make things easier to find by category instead of searching the "catch all" threads on kits and gear.


From Sweden, hands down the sharpest factory grind out there. I have posted this before, but it bares repeating. Buy two when you purchase.
Pathfinder Product Review #14 New Mora Knives - YouTube

Why would someone pay 125 bucks for an axe? If I lost my Gransfors Bruks, I would buy it again. Ray Mears would agree. Here is why.

Gransfors Bruks Axe Forge Tour - YouTube

Ray Mears Bushcraft - Choosing and Using an Axe - YouTube

I keep going on about Mora knives and their quality for 12-15 bucks.
But for higher priced knives, here are three makers to look at.

Helle Knives
http://www.helle.no/

Turley Knives
http://www.turleyknives.com/

BlindHorse Knives
http://www.blindhorseknives.com/knives4sale.htm

Becker BK2, 1/4'' thick chunk of steel for about 65 bucks. Here is a video on the Becker knives.

Ethan Becker, BK&T Line from Ka-Bar, Equip 2 Endure - YouTube

Ontario Knife company: Old Hickory Butchers knife.
1095 steel, full tang, sharp spine for throwing sparks, brass harware on the handle. I paid seven bucks for mine. On the cheap or just starting out, or just wanting to put a kit together for reserve and forget about, this would be a knife to consider. If you are on the cheap, go with this knife for chopping tasks and then get a 12 dollor Mora knife for carving tasks. Between the two brands combined, you will get a hell of a lot of cutting options for twenty bucks.

This video starts out slow, but he does increase the pressure on this blade as the video progresses, and he alternates between German and English.
Old Hickory Knife -Excellent Survival Knife - YouTube

ONTARIO OldHickory 7-14 - YouTube

Old Hickory 5 piece kitchen set - Ontario Knife Company - VirginiaBlades.com - YouTube

Looking for a good folding saw, and thinking about one of these.

http://www2.fiskars.com/var/fiskars_amer/storage/images/frontpage/products/yard-and-garden/pruning-saws-and-tools/power-tooth-r-softgrip-r-folding-pruning-saw-8/5249-2-eng-US/Power-Tooth-R-Softgrip-R-Folding-Pruning-Saw-8_product_main_large.jpg

Comparative Review of Folding Saws Under $20 - YouTube

Gerber, Tomahawk, Trailblazer axe review - YouTube

Fiskars 14" Axe/Hatchet Video Review - YouTube

Traditional bush tools in application.

Handtools For Trail Work - Complete Documentary - YouTube

These Old Cabin Logs - US Forest Service - Full Documentary - YouTube

Axe care:
Quick video on axe care from Ray Mears with his Gransfors Bruks forest axe. In this and other videos the viewer will see the importance of stripping off any varnish on handled tools. The varnish makes the wood dry out, crack and shrink. The varnish will shrink and crack which will add to the blister affect. When applying the linseed oil to the handle it will swell the wood and tighten the axe head.

Ray Mears - How to look after your axe, Bushcraft Survival - YouTube

More indepth and nostalgic demonstration.
US Forest Service, An Axe to Grind - Complete Documentary - YouTube

ColdSteel TrailHawk:
For twenty-five bucks it can't be beat. This and a Mora will take care of all cutting tasks with material 4'' in diameter or less. My Gransfors Bruks is most prized, but the Trailhawk does most of the work because most of the work is on the lighter side. The blade on this trailhawk is thin which is not the ideal shape for splitting, but it will do a great deal of tasks that would otherwise put pressure on a knife blade. These trail hawks are ugly when purchased, they look like toys, but removing the black paint, and refinishing the handle will give you a tool that is an obvious replication of the small Viking axe. My forest axe is not always needed, but the type of demands for general manipulation of the natural environment, I can't say enough about this tool or one like it. Very pack friendly.
Cold Steel Trail Hawk - YouTube

Throwing the Tomahawk - YouTube

Legalities of BLM public land use.
http://fenceviewer.com/site/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=79753:tunk-mountain-tree-cutting-under-investigation&Itemid=938

Just bought a Fiskars X7 hatchet, 14" for $24.95 at my local Walmart. They had the 7" folding saw, but after watching the review on it, I'm going to look for something else. I bought a 6" file for it. The plastic sheath is a piece of junk, so will find a leather sheath for it somewhere.

I will give it a run, and let you know what I think.

A bit impractical when out in the woods to pack along the sharpening stones, but shows proper method for sharpening before you go out.

Ray Mears - How to sharpen an axe at camp, Bushcraft Survival - YouTube


I have a small file for my pack (6" double sided medium and fine) to sharpen on the go if needed.

techlife: Techniques for sharpening an axe - YouTube

I have been using a sharpening puck. They are double sided with medium and fine course. They can be purchased for under ten dollars.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31C2w38LXIL._SY300_.jpg

I was deployed back in 1994 to help with the wild fires in Idaho. We were supporting the National Forest Service. Primarily, we were digging fire lines up an down mountains (3 ft scrape, 10 ft pull back).

I worked with a Pulaski Axe. With all the cutting and scraping, we learned real quick that having a sharp tool made life much easier, and the nature of the work required cutting at the base and root level (for a proper pull back on each side of the scrape). Constantly cutting into dirt dulls a blade very quickly. I used a file to sharpen the Pulaski at every water break during the day. The steel may not have been the best, but constant attention with a file worked wonders.

http://www.razorbackprofessional.com/uploads/images/True%20Temper/products/30362_L_01.JPG

Just bought a folding saw today.

Wicked Tree Gear

http://74.220.207.162/~thewillt/TWTH/wp-content/uploads/blogger/-7fmnb5GZUjc/TtW2JZznxCI/AAAAAAAAAtY/R3dsuHpqrpo/s1600/WickedTreeSaw.jpg

This thing has some wicked saw teeth, and it saws through wood like butter. We have a 60 year old lilac bush/tree (it's huge) out front, and had to prune some of the branches. It cut through them with virtually zero effort (up to 3" dia).

It has nylon lock nuts to keep things nice and tight, it doesn't rattle, no loose feel to it at all. It has a high carbon steel blade, deep double sided teeth for cutting in both directions, A molded, rubberized hand grip sleeve fits the hand great over a cast aluminum frame. It weighs in at about 8 oz.

So far, I couldn't be happier with it.

Wicked Tree Gear - Todd Pringnitz - hand saw - Bow Hunting - Deer - Deer hunting - YouTube

Comparative Review of Folding Saws Under $20 - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnghWbjL6Ik)

Yesterday the oldest boy and I went out and worked with the Fiskars hatchet and the Wicked folding saw for a bit.

The hatchet is serviceable - although I did have to improve the factory edge on it quite a bit, and it is a flat edge, not concave. It will take a considerable amount of file work to get a concave edge on it.

The Wicked folding saw I bought is PURE GOLD.

Today, I bought the inexpensive 7" folding saw from Dollar General. It was $4, not fancy, not extremely well made (plastic handle with rubber hand grip, top lock mechanism, and a blade of undetermined metal.

However, it is the same saw that is featured in the above video (which placed 2nd in the cut test), and does quite well in cutting. As an extremely inexpensive saw, with care, it does quite well. It has deep teeth made for cutting in both directions, and locks both in the closed and open position.

The hatchet is serviceable - although I did have to improve the factory edge on it quite a bit, and it is a flat edge, not concave. It will take a considerable amount of file work to get a concave edge on it.

Just leave it as it is and purchase something more suitable to what you have in mind. Think of what you already have as a knife blade on a long handle, this is what makes the tomahawk so useful. They are not really splitters, but heavy duty knives with handles. Using the hatchet like a knife, you might find that you use the hatchet more than the knife for basic camp tasks.

The hatchet splits quite well. We took several 4" branches and split them several times into much smaller pieces. It just didn't cut or chop very well. I was able to saw through the same branches with the Wicked hand saw in roughly 1/3 the time and effort.

After some file work, it did a much better job at cutting (and still didn't have the edge fold over on itself from being too thin). I realize that a hatchet is not an axe, but the factory grind on the blade was very sub-par, IMO.

I may look for a different hatchet in the future, but for now, this one will work for things that are too big for the folding saw, and as you said - using it as a large knife (shaving, shaping, etc) makes sense.

Did I mention that the Wicked saw is pure gold? LOL

how to make a knife from a file - step by step - YouTube

Mora 164 hook knife.mpg - YouTube

Making a Bowl Using a Gransfors Bruks Kubben Hatchet - YouTube

Axe Carving - Kuksa - Kasa - Noggin - YouTube

Spoon Carving by Silver Fox Bushcraft - YouTube

This YT channel has many quality videos on homesteading upkeep.

How To Sharpen an Axe by Wranglertar - YouTube

How To Chop Down A Tree With An Axe - YouTube

This knife seems a little gimmick to me, but people who have them love them so it seems. That alone is why I am posting this up. Tops makes some bomb proof knives, I know I have one, but their marketing is a falsification as if indians had anything to do with the invention or the development of metal.
However, as it is, I have no experience with this tool and once again it is presented here in light of the fact that this tool has a devoted following.
TOPS Tom Brown Tracker Survival Knife - YouTube

Folding saw demo.
The Best Survival Tools - Folding Saws - YouTube

Man that dude can cut fast:rolleyes:. Anyway I have that Baco saw in my bug out bag but I have'nt tried it yet. But by the looks of it that Silky(sp?) is the way to go. I watched nothing but bushcraft stuff on YouTube for about a year and really accumulated alot of stuff from stoves to axes and knives. I've always loved and collected knives and machetes and swords. I think you and I were talking about those Swedish axes a while back. Well hopefully I wont have to live under the tarps that I bought and eat dehydrated food.

10 Things to know about blade steel.
1. There is no BEST blade steel
A knife is a tool. It is designed with a specific set of functions in mind. Steel is the heart of a knife, and it, too, is chosen with certain functions in mind. As such, there is no “best steel.” Asking what is “the best steel” is like asking what is the best medication–you need to know what you’re doing with it first. For example, a big chopping fixed blade, one that can withstand the heavy blows that come with clearing brush or cutting bone, will freckle faster than a red head on a sunny day, but the new ultra stainless steels can’t hold an edge very much at all by comparison. To figure out what is the “best” steel you first need to figure out what you are going to do with it. Is it an EDC blade? A chopper? Is it something you use in and around water? Each of these uses calls for a different steel. For an EDC blade I really like ZDP-189.
http://www.alloutdoor.com/2013/06/24/blade-steel-ten/

Gerber Gator Junior Machete:
Well, its that time of the year where fire restrictions are in place so the Gransfor-Bruks gets left behind on my outings since firewood processing is non existent. But, still there is the need for dealing with brush for setting up camp. I saw this machete by Gerber and since it had a price tag of twenty bucks, give or take, I gave it a try. The conclusion is that it is worth the money. The blade will need some attention depending on what you require. The saw went through 4" trees better than my folder saw. The blade went through the limbs on the tree fairly well. This tool hangs well off the belt and will take pressure off more expensive blades you may have. It is short enough for a hunting pack as well as an addition to yard work. I will be taking this with me this year on a archery hunt for clearing shooting lanes. No doubt there are higher quality machetes out there, I am no real fan of Gerber, but for the price and versatility of this tool, it is worth the money.
Gerber Gator Machete Jr. a Survival Podcast Review - YouTube

I've used Silky and Corona for years. Excellent, excellent, excellent products.

These saws use a Japanese, tooth design that is hundreds of years old. A white man did not invent it, before anybody brings that up.

Silky has curved, folding saws like the Corona, as well as fixed saws, and many models with all different types of blades for pruning and woodworking.

Corona offers many models, fixed and folder.

What you see in the video are pruning blades being used on seasoned hardwood. Silky offers blades specifically for use on hardwood which are far more effective than what is demonstrated.

Both marques are money well spent.

Machete Modifcations Tutorial Part One - YouTube

Ontario Machete Field Sharpening - YouTube

A second test on the Gerber Gator Jr..
After a second outing with this blade I have come to know this tool for an additional advantage over others like it. Size matters, and in this case the lesser length of this particular machete by comparison has some beneficial characteristics. This tool has a sheath with belt loop compatibility like others do but consider this: This tool is not the greater length when comparing to my upper leg bone. What this equates to is that when kneeling down the tip of the sheath does not contact the ground first which would otherwise create a situation where by I would be toppled to one side. A machete of greater length, while in the sheath would be troublesome when doing other basic camp tasks. The same is true for example of some belt axes and tomahawks with handles that are longer than the femur. So when considering a chopping blade to be worn on the belt this consideration plays out more and more for day to day tasks around the camp. With a smaller machete it can be worn all the times and be on the ready, whereas other larger chopping blades are fine while the individual is standing. I never carry axe blades on the belt for the simple reason that in a fall the handle has a tendency to push the blade into the vital areas of the torso.

Knife laws by state.
http://www.knifeup.com/knife-laws/

When looking at knives while on a budget specifically folders: Kershaw knives will run you about a hundred bucks for a folder as well as other respectable brands like Benchmade and Spyderco. But also you will find that these same brands will have models in the twenty dollar range. What gives? These inexpensive models of otherwise expensive brands are outsourced and made in china.

Having used knives and other edged weapons for a few decades now, I finally switched from Gerber to Kershaw about 10 years ago. Initially it was because my Gerber quickglide folder's sliding lock showed a tendency to open while being carried as it wore. I replaced it with a nice ($85) Kershaw locking folder in tanto blade style, which I have banged around hard and kept sharp to this day. Recently, needing a smaller knife for times when my larger one might cause problems, I purchased one of Kershaw's 25 dollar locking folders in a smaller but similar blade style, with rubberized grip slabs.

The difference between the two knives is how they open. The cheaper knife uses a finger stud on the back of the knife to allow you to flick it open. It's fast, but not nearly as comfortable or instinctive as the thumb edge opener on the more expensive knife.

For the money I haven't found a better set of knives, despite the cheaper one's being made overseas, so far it's proven to be rugged and well designed. The only thing I don't like is the strange finger maneuvering required to fast-draw and open the thing with the finger stud.

I don't think I would attempt any heavy work with the cheap knife, but as a pocket or backup weapon it seems capable enough for the job.

Here is a good source for knife reviews.
Kershaw Chill: "$16 Well Spent" by Nutnfancy - YouTube

Sorry about the air guns is the only photo I have of my favored knife.

Sorry about the air guns is the only photo I have of my favored knife.

That would open up a 55 gallon steel drum or stick through a car door.:D

That would open up a 55 gallon steel drum or stick through a car door.:D

:) Yes it can. It does not look it but it is titanium blade. and the top air rifle is with the exception of the barrel hand made by my younger brother. With custom teflon coded pellets we make our selves, can go through three empty 50 gallon drums at 30 meters. One at 50 meters. It uses a combination of a gas ram piston as theobens have and also is a small container that when you pull the trigger it sprays a touch of ether behind the pellet. In .177 it drives a 22 grains pellet twice the length of a normal pellet at 2100 fps.

it took us 2 months of trial and error to stabilize the flight of the pellet.

It sounds like you have a directive for a new thread in the Outdoor Living section. Airguns. I can talk about BBgun fights with Crossman 760's, but that's about it. I have more listening to do on the subject than talking.

It sounds like you have a directive for a new thread in the Outdoor Living section. Airguns. I can talk about BBgun fights with Crossman 760's, but that's about it. I have more listening to do on the subject than talking.

That is an idea yes. check air guns at http://www.pyramydair.com/a/Air_guns/Air_rifles/Precharged_pneumatic_PCP_air_rifles/155.

You be surprised at their performance and velocities now days. Some of them can compete with .22 rimfire. The reason we chose them for training our young as well our selves is that a break barrel adult rifle will build the same time your arms and upper body and back giving you a rock solid hole of the rifle while shooting standing or seating positions.

Some of them require a 45 to 60 lbs. effort to cock.Shooting an average of 200 pellets per session figure out how much lbs. you press every session. Using left and right arm loading in succession.

Another part few know is that 100 meters with an air gun translate 1000 meters with a sniper firearm. Any way you right not the thread to speak of my hobby here.

I am having trouble posting links on my end. Go to wilderness outfitters on you tube and pull up the recent video: Knives JMHO part 1
Top rated information here on making decision for yourself about what you need in the wilderness with regard to blades. This is a must see video. Can someone please post the video. Thanks.

For cutting bush and other chopping tasks on the farm, I always had good results from a golok-style machete.

The weight is very much toward the front end of the blade, which makes for a good, strong chop.

And they're usually made of low-carbon and mild steel, which (as you all know) is much easier to sharpen than stainless steel.

If you need a wicked edge, a golok can take a wicked edge; but they don't need to be wickedly sharp to do most chopping and slicing tasks due to the weighting of the blade.

It does require more oiling and needs to be covered when not in use. But hey, a good tool needs to be maintained. That always was true, and always will be.

Also, the use of mild steel keeps the price down. So a golok is usually much cheaper than a comparable-quality machete of another type.

(Actually, I much prefer a low carbon or mild steel blades for most tasks. But that's just my personal preference, I guess - all this carbon steel stuff wasn't so readily available when I was younger and when I did the majority of my farm work.)

Knives JMHO - YouTube

I hope this is the right one as I could not find one named as part 1.