which 3 knives?

[inthebush50]

I feel you need atleast 3 knives in a bush/survival/outdoor scenario. My choices, my ka-bar phat bob do not know why but i love this folder. The Mora of course why? Cheap tough as nails sharp as hell outta the box. Ka-Bar Kukri for the heavy work! Just curious of others choices.

[ra2bach]

for a set camp or short hike and camp, I agree with three blades but not sure the "heavy" needs to be a knife. I use a 14" Fiskars axe in the pack for that. a Fallkniven A1 on the belt as my "do all" medium but an ESEE -4 or -6 would be a good choice as well. I also usually have a multitool with a small wood saw on it.

for backpacking I see the logic of using a two knife system to keep weight down. I use a 7.5" Scrapyard and the aforementioned Mora in this case.

for day hiking I'm happy with only the Fallkniven A1.

now, regardless of whatever other blades I choose, I also keep a couple Exacto blades and a handle in my medkit.

[inthebush50]

I bought a husky folding razor for work not long ago, came with a 10 pack small package of quick access razors. With the exacto knives these little razors will do a great job on small game and other smaller delicate tasks

[jyo]

I would go for my Falliknevn A1 and I choose the slightly longer Fiskers/Gerber (17") axe along with my EDC Spyderco Delica 3" smooth blade. I believe these would cover most anything, but a compact folding saw couldn't hurt.

[krisjon]

A quality folder (take your pick), a KaBar BK2 and a KaBar Kukri would be a very effective set up both in cost and performance.

[drsal]

Large kukri/machete to clear brush, mora knife, and cold steel bushman folder.

[LHS]

I generally get along with two: an old Spec Plus bolo and a Leatherman Wave. I do see some value in a mid size knife in addition, but I don't think it's mandatory.

[K.L. Davis]

1. Usually a short blade machete or "camp knife" - sometimes a boy's axe.

2. Some sort of ~4" blade knife like a ESEE.

3. Usually a SAK OHT - sometimes a multitool, I like the SOG and Gerber.

ETA 14 Sep: Minor update on page 3

[Muddyboots]

If I could only have ONE knife it would be a solidly built spear point, flat grind fixed blade no thicker than 3/16ths and 4"-5" range that fit my hand well.

A very common three knife combo is the OHT-SAK*, A 3"-4" folder and something like I described above. I don't feel naked with any one of them and all three is a toolkit. That said, I'm a fan of big knives in the 9"-10' blade range. My all time favorite is the Fehrman knives 10" Hood Hunter. I also like the Hoodlum by Buck but I should note that it is a lighter weight chopper than most people are comfortable with. I have a whole bunch of knives that I've used over the years and generally find that people who actually CARRY and USE knives have different opinions than people who car camp or go hunting once a year. It's like most gear, the more you use it, the more you know what you really need. There is also a lot of personal preference based on body shape, area of use/climate, skill level and brand loyalty. Get something YOU like and does what you want it to do. You can get solid high performance tools cheap (Mora & Green River for example) or you can get high end, beautifully done customs for as much as you can stand to pay. Get what YOU like.

I do want to point out that, as is true with a lot of modern gear, modern knives tend to be a lot heavier than their centuries old counterparts. The carried and used tools of people who lived a lot closer to the land than we do tend to be thinner in blade thickness. You might think that with the more variable steels of, say, the 16C we would need thicker stock to make up for the "deficiency." Well, it isn't the case! I have seen literally hundreds of EDC knives from Europe and the Americas dating back as early as the 6th C. There are NO 5/16" blades that were common. They used axes instead for that kind of job. We don't have some secret technique of modern bushcraft that requires us to have sharpened pry-bar knives. Many of us are practically clue less as to WHY to use a knife let alone HOW. If we think that our fore fathers who lived with a knife on their belt were stupid or ignorant about what they needed, you're kidding yourself. That said, I'm sure a the old smiths would have LOVED something as magical as 1095! They probably would have liked Micarta too.

I teach hiking, climbing and survival. I make about half my living doing it.

Muddyboots

* OHT-SAK= One-Handed Trekker Swiss Army Knife.

[Frailer]

One of the three should be something along the lines of a Victorinox "Huntsman." The saw works remarkably well, and the scissors come in handy for innumerable tasks.