Knives

Recent Knife Reviews

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

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

Opinel No. 9 Folding Knife

The Opinel No. 9 is a highly utilitarian, customizable knife that is perfect for the camper, hiker, hunter, backwoods cook, and farmer alike. Opinel has been making the same pocket knives with very few changes since 1890. It is a testament to the design that it has not only been around that long, but is one of the most popular knives in the world. The No. 8 is the most popular, but I am a fan of the No. 9 because that extra centimeter in the blade and the handle make it ideal for a man's hands. Full review

Benchmade Bushcrafter Family

Fantastic knife with excellent ergonomics and a simple, stout, and sharp blade. With all the buzz around the word “Bushcraft“ in the past 5-10 years, it has almost become like “tactical“ (aka “tacticool”) with regard to items being marketed towards the Urban Lumberjack crowd that spends more bank on products for their beards per month than most families spend on groceries. I’m not sure which direction things like that are heading. Quite frankly, I don’t care. I needed a knife that… Full review

TOPS Knives Brakimo

Tops quality: great steel, holds an edge, micarta handles, and fits my hand like a glove. Kydex sheath with metal belt loop that rotates. The only thing I did differently was to add a 'D' ring and leather dangler. I recommend this product. This is my go-to knife for hiking and camping. It has great blade, steel that holds an edge no matter what I put it through. It was extremely sharp out of the box. The only thing I have done is run it over a strop after several uses. Scandi grind. Micarta handles… Full review

Buck 110 Folding Hunter

For a knife you depend on in the woods, this is your go-to blade. Solid, sharp, and rugged, this knife will help you notch for a shelter, skin for food, or start a fire. This knife works well in all regards. The lock is solid, blade is sharp, and the entire mechanism works flawlessly. Construction is very good. I have used this knife for over 20 years, and compared to my Case, Gerber, and Schrade, it outdoes them all. Full review

Morakniv Bushcraft Survival

Great quality-to-price ratio. Attached firestriker makes it not only knife but survival kit. Nice design, sturdy construction. Full review

Morakniv Companion Heavy Duty

Great value and surprised how well it has performed. Excellent utility and camp knife. Picked this up as a camp knife and ended up buying two more. Knife fits well in the scabbard and stays put. Perfect sized handle. Very durable, I use one as a utility knife, a second as a kitchen knife (holds an edge well, very sharp) and the third in my emergency kit. Again, I have own cheap knives and this just does not feel or act like a $20 Amazon knife. The Heavy Duty has a slightly thicker blade than the… Full review

Helle GT

An excellent hunting/canoe camp knife. Very high quality and partially hand made in Norway. My wife bought me the HELLE GT sheath knife for my birthday at the Fjallraven Store in Boulder, Colorado, this spring. The stainless steel laminated blade is its most outstanding feature as this creates a hard steel core for long lasting sharpness surrounded by resilient steel to give the core strength. While "heavy" at 7.3 oz. for a backpacking knife for the purposes I've listed above it is very well suited. Full review