Knives and Tools

Recent Knife/Tool Reviews

Benchmade Barrage Family

The best pocketknife I've ever owned...drops mic, walks away. My Old and New Barrage knives I received my Benchmade Barrage knife as a Christmas gift from my wife 8 or 9 years ago and loved it. I carried it in my pocket every day and used it at least once on most of those days... seriously. When traveling I'd have to pack it in my checked bags and I always felt naked without it. So why the past tense you ask? Because it managed to find its way across a bank of batteries and was destroyed by the… Full review

Silky BigBoy

The most versatile of the Silky lineup, the Bigboy can do just about any job a backpacker could ask of a saw. After using Silky's Katanaboy on a trail maintenance gig, I knew I needed one of my own. I mean, the hatchet is useful and all, and a solid piece of trail maintenance kit; but those things are heavy, not really backpacking material. So I treated myself to an early birthday present—right before the pandemic hit. D'oh! Fast forward six months, and I finally got to put my saw to use. And… Full review

Banner & Oak Firebiner

Love this product. I love that it clips right to my bag or belt loop. Love this product. I love that is clips right to my bag or belt loop and is good for multiple things as it is a 5-1 multi-tool. It is lightweight and easy to use. I did remove one star because the way to replace the flint stick is difficult. The screw is tiny and the spring will send it flying into the great unknown. Lucky, I checked it out in my kitchen and was able to locate the screw about 5 minutes after it flew through the… Full review

Trail Designs Ultralight Knife

Bought as an emergency backup in case I lost my pocket knife, the Ultralight Knife has turned into my everyday blade for simple chores. Lighter than a feather (2 grams!), easy to keep at hand, and one-hand operation make it worth the low cost ($2.50). It won't do more sophisticated camp chores, probably won't last forever, and certainly no camp chefs or bush-crafters will want to use this on a regular basis. The replacement policy gives me pause as to its intention, but I am using it legally and… Full review

Bahco Laplander Folding Saw

This little saw works when both pushing and pulling, which requires less effort, in my opinion, and was the main reason I chose this saw. It is affordable for most budgets, and has held up well in the two months I've been using it. This folding saw does just what I needed it to do, which is to cut up some downed limbs or very small dead trees for campfire purposes. It won't take down anything that big, but I would be leaving those for cavity-nesting birds anyway. I think it's more efficient than… Full review

Opinel No.12 Stainless Steel Folding Saw

A handy, no-fuss pruning saw ideal for small arboreal tasks at a very reasonable price. The classic and simple design has remained unchanged. Functional, affordable with a lovely feel compared to saws with a plastic handle. I have used a Bahco Laplander and an Opinel folding pruning saw and I was interested to compare the two. For me, the Opinel is the superior saw. Unlike the Laplander which failed after a short amount of time, the Opinel has proven to be dependable and durable in cutting through… Full review

Gransfors Bruk Outdoor Axe

Lightweight, a fantastic chopper and splitter...much better and lighter than a large Bowie-style knife for bushcrafting and camping chores. A joy to use. This is a beautifully designed and balanced lightweight hand axe for the hiker, back country camper, and bushcrafter. You can certainly build an expedient shelter, you can fell, limb, buck, split, and carve trees that are 5-inches in diameter or less fairly readily. You can use it to skin, clean, and butcher small game. Carrying this and a small… Full review

Estwing Camper's Axe

A decent light axe for minor felling, chopping, and splitting...but doesn't compare to a good HB or GB. I bought one of these a few years ago, and have used it mostly around the house. I've found it's best for light limbing and felling, but the design of the blade is such that it really is a chopper, not a splitter. I'm surprised at how much better a smaller, lighter Granfors Bruk axe is at both felling and splitting.  Buy it if you want a fairly inexpensive and durable decent axe for occasional… Full review

Leatherman Squirt PS4

The Leatherman Squirt PS4 is my go-to backpacking knife and multi-tool. It has everything you need and nothing you don't. The Leatherman PS4 Squirt is a key-chain sized multitool that comes in at 55g. It took me a few tries to find a multitool that has the perfect balance of utility and size for backpacking. The big sell was having both scissors and pliers. I have used all the tools on this Leatherman out on the trail, whereas I have only used half the tools on my Victorinox Tinkerer Deluxe after… Full review