Camp knife - recommendations

[aicolainen]

Hunting season is coming up fast and I've been half heartedly looking for a new camp knife.

I've done some google searches and some searches over on Blade forums, but camp knives mean a lot of different thing to different people, so my searches weren't very productive.

I'm looking for something with a long blade so I can poke into the camp fire to adjust the fire, move pots around etc. without my hands burning up from the heat. It shouldn't be totally useless as a food prep knife, so it can step in to cut larger pieces of meat etc. that my folding knife will struggle with, so I don't want it to be overly thick. A thinner blade stock will also help keep the weight down. This isn't the most important aspect for a knife that'll only be used and carried around a fixed camp, but still appreciated for convenience.
It should withstand some light batoning in order to make kindles and get a fire started, but it wont be used to split big logs.
While not exactly hard use, it's definitively bordering on non-knife knife tasks (repeated poking into fires will probably mess up the heat treat) so I'm primarily looking at budget options.

I'd prefer a non-coated blade over coated, but the steel itself could be anything that prioritizes toughness.
I can't rule out that this knife will be used in conjunction with beer drinking, so some kind of finger guard or finger groove would be preferable to compensate for temporary reduction in active brain cells.

I don't use a lot of knives originating from my part of the world, so for this particular use case I have a subjective bias toward one that should actually be quite suitable, i.e. one of the larger Leuku/Sami knives. These are traditionally made with very simple handles and no fingerguards, but there are a couple of models offered with finger guard and a slightly less dangly sheath that is popular with personell serving in our armed forces.

They come in 5", 8" and 9" inch versions, all with 3mm carbon steel blade stock.
I'd probably be quite happy with one of these, but the sheath is not the best and I suspect that the stick tang and add on finger guard are potential points of failure. If there are more suitable alternatives out there, it can't hurt to know about them and take them into consideration.


Trying out my friends Fällkniven Thor, the knife that planted the seed. Great for fueling inspiration, but price and blade stock for this specific knife is well outside my scope.


A picture from one of last years camp fire meals to set the mood and context for the discussion

[MacLaren]

Check out Busse Combat
Many models now are offered with a leather sheath

[aicolainen]

Check out Busse Combat
Many models now are offered with a leather sheath

Thanks for the suggestion. The knives look great, but prices are well north of my definition of "budget" in this case.

Buying from abroad would in most cases break my budget unless it's something that's normally in stock at most knife stores and can be added to a bulk order so shipping and import fees can be spread across more items. This would probably delay the acquisition, but I wouldn't mind waiting for something I'm confident will serve me better in the long run.

To put prices in perspective, the sami knife in my first post will cost me approx. USD 125 shipped to my house from a domestic retailer. Ordering from the US is typically USD 50-75 in shipping and import processing fees alone, then 25% VAT on top of everything.

It has to be a pretty convincing proposition for me to break the USD 200 barrier. All included.

[Murphy Slaw]

$50 to $75 shipping and import fees.

Ouch.

[Naperville]

I like all of the above knives. Wish that I owned a full sized Fällkniven, but have not picked one up yet.

Camp knives come in all steels and sizes from 3 inch blades all the way up to 24 inch blades.

[aicolainen]

I like all of the above knives. Wish that I owned a full sized Fällkniven, but have not picked one up yet.

Camp knives come in all steels and sizes from 3 inch blades all the way up to 24 inch blades.

This is exactly why I found it necessary to create my own thread. It’s a very generic term and just means different things to different people and their specific needs.
And I decided to make the thread here rather than BF or somewhere else, because I have more confidence in that people who reply here speaks from actual experience, and doesn’t just parrot out statements that has been repeated enough times to become “truth”.
It may result in zero suggestions, but that’s fine. Rather zero than 50 bullshit answers.

[MacLaren]

How about a TOPS Wild Pig Sticker.
I had one for a while and for the money, they are nice..
I mean your gonna have to spend a little. You don't wanna spend your money on a piece of chit. Ya know?
That Wild Pig Hunter ain't got no weak spots & that steel sharpens up very easily and very nicely.
7 & 9/16th" 1095 steel blade - hope this helps

[MacLaren]

My bad, that Spartan has a coated blade.

[jwbnyc]

I have a hard time seeing how having a super-sized knife is going to work out well doing things like food prep or some of the simpler camp chores you might have to address. Do you really want Two pounds of steel strapped to your leg while out in the field?

I understand the OP is looking for a larger blade, but I’m still going to throw out the Moran, or a Mora, as a perfectly serviceable camp knife. I mean, you can use a stick to poke around in the fire, can’t you?

Just needed to say it. Carry on.

[MacLaren]

Now, I would check out Cold Steel.as well
I'm trying to stay below $200
This one is nice.....not sure if you could baton with it or not though. But, VG10 is very nice blade steel
Blade length is 6"

[MacLaren]

I have a hard time seeing how having a super-sized knife is going to work out well doing things like food prep or some of the simpler camp chores you might have to address. Do you really want Two pounds of steel strapped to your leg while out in the field?

I understand the OP is looking for a larger blade, but I’m still going to throw out the Moran, or a Mora, as a perfectly serviceable camp knife. I mean, you can use a stick to poke around in the fire, can’t you?

Just needed to say it. Carry on.

No doubt. Gonna be hard to find anything under $100 that's not coated and that you can baton with. But, it's fun trying to find something

[Murphy Slaw]

I have a hard time seeing how having a super-sized knife is going to work out well doing things like food prep or some of the simpler camp chores you might have to address. Do you really want Two pounds of steel strapped to your leg while out in the field?

I understand the OP is looking for a larger blade, but I’m still going to throw out the Moran, or a Mora, as a perfectly serviceable camp knife. I mean, you can use a stick to poke around in the fire, can’t you?

I hear ya.

I always used a Sharpfinger back in my hunting days. Never stuck it in a fire, though.

[jwbnyc]

Sharpfinger.. a modern classic.

I’m happy to see some custom makers coming out with their own versions.

[Murphy Slaw]

I think the Mule is a good replacement for a Sharpfinger, since Schrade went belly up.

See what I did there....

[jwbnyc]

Okay, if you want a big knife you can get a Buck 120 in Micarta and S35VN for a tad over $200.00 US, and a 420HC and phelonic handle for about $100.00, but that is on this side of the Atlantic.

Actually, I went and looked at Lamnia. They have them for not too bad of a price.

The Pro for a little over $250.00 US and the standard for a little under $125.00.. US.

Those aren’t bad knives.

[aicolainen]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys! This is useful.
I can't believe I looked at the Buck 119, found it too small and somehow overlooked the 120... As much as I overthink and research almost every acquisition, I sometimes I fail to see even the most obvious alternatives :)

I have a hard time seeing how having a super-sized knife is going to work out well doing things like food prep or some of the simpler camp chores you might have to address. Do you really want Two pounds of steel strapped to your leg while out in the field?

I understand the OP is looking for a larger blade, but I’m still going to throw out the Moran, or a Mora, as a perfectly serviceable camp knife. I mean, you can use a stick to poke around in the fire, can’t you?

Just needed to say it. Carry on.

I can totally see where you're coming from, and there's a reason I've lived happily without owning such a knife for over forty years.
I was unable to picture such a need/use case myself, but borrowing that Fällkniven Thor last year was quite inspiring. Admittedly this isn't just about need, there's a fun factor here as well. If you read my first post thoroughly, I hope it comes across that this is a very, very narrow use case, just for use around the campfire at a fixed campsite. It won't be carried much on the belt, if at all, so I wouldn't worry too much about me being weighed down out in the field. I also hinted that a lighter alternative is advantage over something heavier from a convenience perspective, but not a requirement. Anyways, I think that anything remotely useful for food separation won't be overly thick, so there are some innate weight limiting parameters within my requirements.
In short, I have really thought this through - however silly it may come across

[aicolainen]

And just to add, I already have quite a few knives that would fall under most peoples normal perception of what a camp knife should look like, and what I myself have found more broadly useful over the years. These include knives like the Fällkniven F1, TRC/DBK Bushcrafter, Spyderco Waterway, Mora Kansbol and a couple of Leukus in the 5-6" range. I've never been a fan of big knives, but this is different and for once I'm making an exception. Not tempted to go past 10" though, around 7-9" is probably the sweet spot.

[cabfrank]

I'm curious to see what you settle on. The camp fire meal, and Scotch look fantastic, and I'm sure the beer is too. Fun!

[vivi]

My recommendation is find a good 3.5-5" knife you like using for camp chores, and pair it with a cheap machete for chopping / beating on / fun.

https://www.coldsteel.com/machetes/

Order whatever strikes your fancy.

I like the discontinued Kopis machete for the kuhkuri style blade and deep guards.

I also own some slant tip 18" machetes and they're nice and compact and dead easy to sharpen.

I have the cutlass machete / sword and it's fun to bring to bonfires and let people go to town with.

I don't think I've paid more than $30 shipped for a cold steel machete and have nothing but good things to say about them. They're a lot more fun to me than something like a RAT9. They feel more lively in my grip and outchop short, thick, expensive camp knives with ease.

[jwbnyc]

Oh, I get it, having carried quite a few 7.5+” knives. There is something about a big knife.

But.

When you said Camp, my mind automatically went to a Puukko, or a Nessmuk, type of knife. That’s where the Moran comes in. It’s a great little camp knife. But, totally understand why you want something larger. We’re all knife people here and get the big knife pull.

Cold Steel has built an entire business based on outlandish knives.

And you never know when the Zombie Apocalypse will kick off.