Knives and Tools

Recent Knife/Tool Reviews

Opinel No. 8 Folding Knife

Pretty hard to beat for backpacking. These are famous for a reason. Sharp, cheap, very light, locks well, long enough to get to the bottom of a peanut butter jar. Just let it darken but scrape off any obvious rust.  Note: this is not some Finnish survival fixed blade. It's a lightweight backpacker's knife. Doesn't mean you can't skin a deer with it, but be realistic. Full review

TheTentLab Deuce of Spades #1

Pages could be written about an ultralight backpacking trowel...I believe the Official Moto is "They help you doo-doo the right thing." But enough has already been said about TheTentLab's Deuce #2 and #3, so I'm here to finish the Trilogy with my few inputs on this wonderfully functional and compact tool: It helps me dig tiny holes in the backcountry and has been a reliable companion for a long time. Mostly I just forget it's there...until I desperately need it. First off, I wanted to use this opportunity… Full review

Council Tool Forest Service Axe

Decent axe for the price, but it came with a bad handle and worthless plastic handle wedge. I'd recommend buying the Council Standard boys axe instead due to the price difference. After suffering humiliation attempting to use the Gransfors small forrest toy, I went ahead and bought this. Well, the first time out it didn't go much better lol.  After about three wacks the blade sunk very deep in the tree, but with the handle no longer attached. I found out the hard way that the plastic wedge they… Full review

Gransfors Bruk Small Forest Axe

Not for any serious work at all. I stumbled across another glowing review of this axe and I figured someone should know the truth. You're paying for a fancy piece of equipment that's not built for hard or real work. This was the absolute worst camping axe my family ever owned. I had one gifted to me many years ago when these were much less expensive. Now they go for around 250 bucks on amazon which I find amazing.  This Gucci axe was sharp and cool looking, but then we actually tried to use it… Full review

Hults Bruk Jonaker

Handy trail companion. Bombproof craftsmanship and ergonomically excellent!                   This handy hatchet has been used on a multitude of adventures and it has really performed flawlessly. Knowing from the outset that it is a hatchet, NOT an axe, is beneficial in helping keep expectations realistic. If you are looking to fell some trees or split some large logs, don’t expect the Jonaker to be your tool. However, if you need an alternative tool to help split some smaller pieces,… Full review

Gerber Curve

Wonderful product, well-made. Worked reliably for many years. Full review

Estwing Leather Sportsman's Axe

Well-built little hatchet.             OK, so first off I must say that this review is from Australia, so pricing and types of wood encountered are very different to a USA-based review. Firstly, as it is fully imported from the US the little Estwing here sells for just over AUD$100.   The second thing to bear in mind is a thing called the janka hardness scale, an international scale that determines the hardness of any timber globally.  Interestingly the number one spot is held by a native… Full review

Opinel No. 6 Folding Knife

Lightweight with a well designed blade shape for camp kitchen preparing food. My first Opinel knife I acquired I think was a number 7 from from REI in 1975. It had a pear wood handle and was a great tool. I lost it some 10 years later...  Last year my wife signed me up with Bespoke and in one of the boxes showed up a number 8. A good knife too for the same uses. Full review

Opinel No. 6 Folding Knife

I was introduced to Opinel knives in 1991, and I have been using them ever since—on three continents. Great addition to the pack—alongside my Swiss Army knife of course. Great addition to a well-equipped backpack. Full review