Category: Cutting Tools (Page 7 of 9)

Condor k tac kukri desert – Im not a big kukri fan, Ive had another four kuks including an extrema ratio and a cold steel. Id probably get another cold steel when they come out in 3V and replace the handle with micarta. The Ktact is the closet.

Tops earth skills – really looking forward to trying this one out.

Extrema ratio waki – Ive trained in several blade disciplines. My sword work was primarily Aikido and kali. I prefer short swords as Ive trained longer in Kali. 12 to 14 inch blades are my favorite.

Tops firestrike 45 – I was looking at the 7 inch hunters point version of the anaconda and found this one instead. I dont like choils.

Tops cuma kage – another short sword/machete style.

Id have to modify

Tops Brakimo – from the looks of it Id like to round off the grip more and go over the spine to bring it to a full 90 degrees.

Tops bob field craft 154cm green micarta – once again sharpen the spine , round off the jimping, grind back the pommel depending on the balance.

Maybes

Tops anaconda 9 inch tanto point – been a big fan of Ron hood.

Becker bk 9 and 7 – had both of these. What Im thinking of is modifying the BK9 to BK7 clip point and length to have a thicker version

Tops msk 2.5

Tops scandi trekker

Let me know in comments what you think or own them.

https://www.survivalsuppliesaustralia.com.au/

Some of my current knife collection. Top to bottom.

Almar Sere 2000
Benchmade Griptillian
Cold steel ti lite
Kershaw blur

Spyderco delica zombie
Spyderco delica serrated
Spydeco pikal folder
Spydeco tenacious

• Sere 2000 and Tenacious

Askari backup
Mission knives MBK ti
CRKT Bearclaw
Spyderco pikal fixed
Spyderco Temperance

• Temperance and Jeff Crowner TORIS – TROIKA Knife

Tops Ferret
Katz Parrasite
Tops Scapal
Esse CR2.5
Gene Ingram pocket warncliffe

Scrapyard knives warden
Spyderco Moran fb101
Spyderco mule team

Jeff Crowner bush knife
Jeff Crowner golok
JEB kukri

Becker BK 2 01 steel
Becker BK 7 01 steel

Spyderco bushcraft
Quickhatch knives bushman
Tops Tanimboca Pukko
Lt Wright Shemanese
Esse RB 3

Jeff Crowner TYR Group tracker
Almar Sere Operator
Tops 4.5 hog
Caldwell 1 in 6

• Jeff Crowner 12 inch bush knife

Im down from 600 blades. You can only carry so many when traveling. I still have an LT Wright Sospes on order.

The Esse junglas 2 is one of my favorite knives. If I was going on Alone this would be the blade I took with me. Dan from Ochoco Bushcraft gave me the idea of customizing it, by stripping off the powder coating and using feric oxide to give the bare metal a patina. Im also putting a 90 degree spine on the blade. Although I tend to use a tool steel scraper on my ferro rods, this blade Im intending for a stand alone piece to use with minimal equipment.

I wont be changing the grip scales although the new canvas micarta ones look good from the blade connection. The main problem is the shipping from the US to Australia. I like the standard grip panels, however I will be soaking them in Inox to stop them from marking and sealing the micarta with brass lacquer and wiping over the grips before the varnish sets.

Ill also be modifying the sheath by covering the kydex with leather to give it a more bushcrafty look and doing a leather braid up the edge to finish off the sheath edge.

Finished pictures forthcoming.

I get a lot of good ideas from Dans channel, check out the dingle stick link below this is the only place I have seen this idea demonstrated.

Customized

Blade Connection micarta grips

Dingle Stick

I came across a Youtube video by Omaha knife detailing the difference in bevels, handle lengths and head weight of the Gransfors line of axes and splitters. I wish someone had done this years ago. I was thinking of what brands of axes I had owned over the years :Eastwing, RMJ, Cold Steel, CRKT, Hibben, Firestone, Fiskars, and think Ive become some sort of axe snob when it comes to bushcraft style of axes. Only going for Gransfors. I am still considering a council tool camp axe. At this stage I own three Gransfors and am looking for a longer handled splitter of around 24 inches.

Gransfors full Line up and comparison

Australian Dealers I recommend.

Philip and Lea

Gransfors Bruk

Dawn mowers

https://dawnmowers.com.au/brands/gransfors-bruk-axes

Council Tool Woodcraft Carver

Council Tool Woodcraft Camp Carver Axe

Ill put a picture here of a Firestsone Belt axe I dont believe there are many of these in the country.

Had to put this off for a few weeks. I now know why they don’t show you how to do this on you-tube with stitches in your shoulder and doped up to the eye balls on pain killers but I got it done.

Does anyone else have the problem of which knife to take on bushcraft courses or is it just me. I still own too many. Im not sure if were doing any axe work but I think its unlikely. When I go out myself I like carrying a small knife and a large knife and dont bother with a belt mounted saw. On courses its different. An ESSE RB-3 is my go to in a cross draw along with one of several larger 6 inch blades. I keep going back to my Spyderco Bushraft for this course only because were doing firebows and Ill need a Scandi grind for processing wood. Otherwise I prefer other blade grinds. I like 6 inch blades and feel naked without taking one. I have an LT Wright Sospes on order which would solve my current problem.

Knife Only Survival Skills by Tony Nester

About 130 pages long, I read it in half a day. The first half of the book details the big 5 survival priorities and PMA positive mental attitude and for the first time someone has actually said from interviews that no one remembers the acronyms that are drilled over into us in courses.
Survival Psychology actually makes sense the way tony explains it. The first half of the book concentrating on basic fire making, water, shelters and signalling for someone stuck for three days.
The second half focuses on longer term skills such as hand drill, dead falls, procuring fish and wild game. Survival wild game meaning rodents.
Wasn’t really much on knife skills that I assumed the book was about but what I liked is he went through scenarios and explained how his courses worked and predicaments that people found themselves in.

Would I buy it again . No. Would I read it again. No. Would I recommend it. Yes to the right person. Would I buy other books by the same author Yes definitely. Did I enjoy reading it. Yes. Did I learn anything. Quite a lot, filled in some holes. Hard to say that from books coming out on the market at the moment. How would I describe it. A survival book not a bushcraft book, but a survival book that gets you interested in reading more on the subjects that were brought up. I cant say that about many books either.
Having said I wouldn’t read it again. After finishing this review I’m going to read it again. Just to pick out the little bits and pieces that I want to look into in more detail.

I brought the Puukko of eprey to see what it was like. Id been watching Joshua Enyart from Youtube The Grey Bearded Green Beret and he seemed to favour the Puukko design. I ended up having a mate replace the screws with copper rivets and sandblast the grip to give it better handling. I also wanted the edge taken back from a modified scandi grind to a full Scandi however he thought that the grind had been taken too high and taking it any further would make the edge too week. Time to test it out. Thx for the work Pete.

Gray Bearded Green Beret – Survival Training, Live Training, Survival Gear

Before I started writing I read many articles from an author known only as Schwert on the outdoors-magazine.com website which has now come to pass. It was because of the influence of this author that I started to write. Below is the only article I can now find from him and I wanted to share it.
Nessmuk and his Tools

https://blackbooksdotpub.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/nessmuk-and-his-tools.pdf

The Tops Hog 4.5 one of my all time favorite knives this stays in my GHB. Im never far from it. Just fits the hand and so user friendly. Ill try and do a review in the next few weeks.