Friday 21 March 2008

I have a variety of cutting tools for various tasks. I'm not a collector and I don't go for the most expensive knives like the Woodlore knives.
I'm still experimenting and haven't yet found the ideal combination but have found that I use the following cutting tools for the tasks described.













Companion Mk 2

This knife is a favourite general purpose knife. It's in a popular UK bushcraft spearpoint or drop-point shape. This knife was made by Phil Siddell. The blade is 3mm thick and the blade is 4inches long. This knife is a good general purpose and stands up to batoning and other woodcraft tasks.











Puuko
This is a traditional Finnish all purpose knife in the traditional Puuko shape. The blade is not as wide as the Companion and there a little better for food preparation. It's not very heavy therefore not so good for heavy tasks. I take this knife if I'm taking an axe along with me on an excursion.








Swiss Army Huntsman

This knife is always on my belt. Of course it's more of a utility tool than a knife for heavy purpose use. The little saw is handy as is the awl. I'm not keen on using the blades as they're not locking blades, but they are handy for cutting string etc.







Bahco Folding Saw

This is an excellent piece of kit and I never leave home without it. It usually resides in my tool pack or shoulder bag. I tend to use this more than the axe for cutting green wood.








Granfors Bruks Small Forest Axe

I suppose this is the standard bushcraft tool. This axe is an ideal size for splitting small to medium sized logs for firewood. It's also not bad for doing a bit of initial carving work, although perhaps a bit heavy. For felling trees it is a little too small. I take this axe along if I know there's some log splitting to do. If not, it stays at home.









Granfors Bruks mini hatchet

I bought this hatchet as I wanted something small to pack away in my shoulder bag. It hasn't disappointed me and I use it for wood carving projects and choping small dead wood for my wood burning stove. It's just got that extra weight more than a standard knife. A good little tool in my opinion.










3 inch neck knife

I'm not sure of the maker of this knife, but I bought it from Bearclaw Bushcraft. It's 3mm thick and even though the knife is small it feels good in the hand. It can cope with most utility tasks from food prep to small wood projects, even a bit of batoning. This knife froms part of my permanent neck carry.









Condor double-edged bill hook
I use this tool only for conservation work, although I suspect it would be pretty good for bushcraft use. The thing that put me off is the size of the tool for bushcraft use. It not really user friendly either but great for slahing your way through overgrown areas.









Martindale No2 Golok

I've had this tool for many years. It great for soft undergrowth but for chopping and cutting wood perhaps not the best tool. I don't really bring this on too many trips.








Cold Steel 16 inch Kukri/Machete
I bought this before purchasing a proper Kukri and I'm pleased I did as I don't think the shape of the kukri is suitable for my use. Again I would say pretty good for clearing undergrowth but not really suitable for general bushcraft use. Others may disagree.

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