Belt and Folder Knife Cull

As the Wilderness Gathering beckons, the time is right to scrutinize some kit with a view to ditching some excess via the ‘Bring and Buy’ stall.

The first area up for scrutiny are some knives. Many of you who may be like me, perhaps suffer the same dilemma - there is no such thing as a perfect knife! In my opinion it’s better to have a selection for the jobs you want to do - much like a handyman with a number of tools at their disposal. This is the approach I took when choosing which ones to keep.

This Puuku Leuko combo is my old favourite. If I’m not taking an axe and think I might have a bit of light chopping to do or undergrowth to cut back (perhaps when tracking) then this is the combo I take. The leuku is a 7 inch Stromeng laminated carbon and the puuku is a Jarvenpaa stainless steel. A nifty combination. I reach for this in preference to any others, especially on solo / lightweight outings where I know there’s not much heavy duty work to be done.

 

The prototype Woodlife Tracker belt knife – I certainly wouldn’t get rid of this one! It’s an absolute work-horse and potentially worthy of the Woodlife name. There’s still some testing to be done but it falls into the category of “… if there was just one knife you would take into the Wilderness, this would be it.” The micarta scales and no nonsense belt clip give it practicality and function over form and it’s as tough as old boots. At 6mm thickness, it’s not lightweight but I have carved a spoon with it. Of course, it’s incomparable for batonning jobs. I’m seeing Duncan Chandler at the Gathering. Let’s hope he’s in a position to do a production run.

 

Roger Harrington Bushcraft knife - I bought this off a friend as it came with a matching bushman’s pal neck knife. To be honest, I haven’t used this as much as I should as it’s an excellent knife. I think perhaps the lack of handle shape puts me off a bit. Having small hands, I tend to like a handle style with a bit more belly and grip. Still, it’s worthy of staying around until the next cull.

 

EKA W11 – This is a superb sub £100-00 bushcraft-style knife. In terms of form, it ticks all the boxes for me. It’s not a heavy-weight but it’s a great all round knife at the price. I didn’t like the original hollow grind with secondary bevel, so I let Chris Grant loose on it and it came back a completely different knife for the better, complete with convex grind. The sheath was the first sheath I made.

 

Frosts Clipper knife – Needless to say, I wouldn’t get a buyer for this even if I wanted to get rid of it! They are so cheap, light-weight and practical it makes sense to have a couple hanging around on a “grab and go” basis. Perhaps not the most robust of tools, but if you are just doing a few odd jobs you won’t go too far wrong. I often use it as a neck knife as it’s so light. The additional benefit is that you won’t cry too much if you lose it!

 

Gerber Profile – If I’m just out for the day, sometimes I don’t even need to take a belt knife, but it’s nice to have something in your pocket or pack which is light weight but robust enough to be worth carrying. This Gerber Profile is certainly lightweight. You don’t know you’ve got it on you. The blade locks back so it’s safe to use and the plastic scales are deceptively comfortable if you decide to do some impromptu carving. I wouldn’t baton with it though.

 

EKA Super Swede 92 – Someone recommended this to me as an unobtrusive, large-ish, folding pocket knife to go on an expedition with. It’s sturdy when locked back and the rubberised handle provides an excellent grip which won’t shrink, swell or deteriorate in damp or wet conditions. I took this to Namibia with me and it was used for kitchen duties while the EKA W11 was used for crafts. Looks like the Swedish knife-makers prevailed in Southern Africa!

 

Leatherman Charge – Funnily enough I bought this at the Gathering 2 years ago. Basically, it goes where I go, permanently affixed to my belt next to my pouch. It’s a bit heavy, but it serves so many functions it’s difficult to give any reasons why it should be left behind.

That leaves 4 knives to get rid of. The Phil Siddell Companion 2 is going as are a couple of cheap and cheerful Lapland style knives. I wonder what I’ll come back with!