Edged Tools

I have a variety of cutting tools for various tasks. I'm not a collector and I don't go for expensive knives. I like a nice looking knife but that shouldn't detract from its function. 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 on a fairly regular basis.

Frost Clipper - There's not many people who haven't started off with either a Mora or one of these Clippers. For £8 - £10 you can't go wrong. I don't use mine so much anymore but wouldn't hesitate using it again.

Companion Mk 2 This knife is a favourite general purpose knife and the only custom knife I've bought. 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 3.5 inches long. This knife is a good general purpose and stands up well to batoning and other woodcraft tasks. I'm not sure about the large brass bolsters. I might take these off (if I can.)

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

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 axe. It's 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 chopping small dead wood for my wood burning stove. It's got that little extra weight to it more than a standard knife. A good little tool in my opinion. 

3 inch neck knife JoJo is the screen name of the person who made this knife purchased via 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 formed part of my permanent neck carry but it is a little heavy for this.

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 slashing 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.

Leuku Puuku Combi - This is my current carry. The smaller puuku is from Jaavenpaa and is made of stainless steel. Excellent for those food prep jobs. The jaavenpaa leuku that originally came with the combi I found unsuitable as it was also stainless.It just wasn't tough enough for the job, so I purchased a 7 inch Stromeng version (middle). This was a better stell and so far up to the job. I had to tweak the sheath to make the Stromeng fit. I love the double sheath system.

Benchmade Snody Activator - This is a great little 2 1/2 inch neck knife made out of D2 steel made by Benchmade after a design by Mike Snody. It's a lovely fit in small hands and I love the serrated thumb grip which also helps strike a firesteel. Nice for little carving jobs. Again, a slightly annoying secondary bevel, but this one I can live with. The whole thing is nice and slim making it the perfect neck knife.

EKA Nordic W11 - This is a classic bushy shape and size (11cm) from 4mm steel made by the Swedes. The steel is Sandvik. I love the weight of the knife and shape of the handle; but I hate the grind, which is a deep hollow grind with a 20 degree secondary bevel. I'm following what most people do with these knives and attempting to put a convex grind on it. I've not had chance to test this out yet because of my AT injury. (Nov 2008) People but either have this or the Falkniven F1.