EDC without pants

This isn't actually about not wearing pants (sorry! hehe)  but it is about no-pants-needed carry.  I was somewhat aware of how jeans-dependent (or other pants with belt loops and strong pockets) my EDC was and have already moved away from a lot of belt carry items but even more change is going to be needed - my 24/7 system needs to be belt and pants pocket free!

I live in one of the coldest, most isolated areas in North America.  There are severe summer/winter temperature variations, from -40C or colder in winter to 25C or warmer in summer.  Snow is on the ground from the end of September to April/May (sometimes June!) and there are extensive periods of 24-hour darkness and 24-hour light.

I am moving to one of the rainiest areas in North America, on the coast, that has little to no snow and maintains a relatively constant year round temperature of 5-15C.  I am going to start a new series of posts on what effects that has on my EDC, traveling to work, outdoor gear, clothing, the whole deal.

I'm going to start with EDC.

I'm still living north of 68 and trust me, it's winter up here.  We just had a little warm spell but temperatures have generally been in the -25C to -35C (-13 to -31F)  range, not counting any windchill.  This obviously has some effects on what I wear and what I carry.

My current EDC*:

• HAK straight - neck carry
• Inova Microlight (bright/dim/strobe) - neck carry
• No-name microlight (on/off with squeeze or switch) - paracord carry, looped around my belt loop and tucked inside my jeans
• Blackhawk Be-Wharned folding knife (still waiting for the Yojimbo 2) - pocket clip carry
• Casio G-shock watch on a wrap around thick velcro band (covers watch face)

Usual indoor clothing at work:

• 5.11 TDU belt
• Jeans
• T-shirt (prefer under armour or similar shirt) 
• Hoody 
• Sandals - it's too hot in here to wear anything else

Outdoor clothing for travel to/from work via vehicle:

• Parka - I wear a Canada Goose parka, it's a discontinued model and I don't recall the name.  They make top-quality, extreme cold weather parkas.  I see a lot of people wearing the Resolute and similar models but they are really too heavy for practical use, I prefer layers
• Snow pants - I just wear lightweight snowboard pants
• Boots - The Sorel Intrepid Explorer are AWESOME, the best winter boots I have ever owned
• Neck gaiter
• Toque - I like the Parkhurst Merino Wool Cap that MEC sells 
• Gloves 

My current Work EDC (WDC) pack and contents:

• Eberlestock Gunslinger II Pack - I bought it from Linton outdoors, super comfortable, top quality
• Amazon kindle (now THAT is essential)
• Mora knife - either the 511 or the triflex on a neck cord with a survival bundle (light, fire, etc)
• Folding saw
• Bottled water - 500mL
• Metal water bottle, I like the Klean Kanteen 27 oz.  I use a metal water bottle rather than a nalgene so I can melt snow.  Their wider mouth bottle is better for snow (and in my camping pack) but I prefer the other to drink from.
• Cell phone
• All the typical stuff - first aid kit, sunglasses, matches, snack, yada yada yada 

I travel to and from work in a company truck.  At our new location, I will be walking to work, about 4km (about 2.5 miles).  I will get a bicycle and will probably use it for work to save travel time but, with the extreme winds, rain, and all the hills, I'm not sure how much time I will save  :)   I don't like biking all that much either but it's a great way to carry heavier loads.  I don't think I will be using it much in the winter there, it gets very slippery and with the hills and such, I really don't want to take a spill.

So, this new climate coupled with traveling on foot vs. truck made me take another look at what I tote around with me.  The important factors: waterproof and weight. Everything must be evaluated based on keeping me and my gear dry.  And it has to be water proof not "water resistant" which is just another way to say "slow leak."  It rains there almost every day and it's RAIN not a little shower here and there.  As for weight, once you have to carry your pack further than a parking lot, you see just how much an ounce matters.

I have waterproof pants, boots, and a jacket with hood (more on specific clothing on another post).  However, the rain pants don't have pockets or belt loops and I haven't had much luck in finding anything suitable that does.  This immediately eliminates easy waist or knife carry on my outer pants (I'll be wearing another set underneath).  I'm also going to be wearing a backpack with a waist strap, which would eliminate any significant belt carry anyway, it's just not comfortable.  I'd be looking at a sheath hanging off the backpack, not really workable for cruising around town.  A boot knife is possible, but not super easy to access and I've never actually worn one before.  Not sure if I want to try at this point, something to consider.  My HAK again saves the day, carried around the neck, it's just a continuation of what I am already doing.  The one problem is the downside of a HAK - gloves.  You can not use one with gloves on, and I will probably be wearing some at times.  A more regularly handled knife is now needed - something lightweight, small, and practical (multi-use).  The Perrin neck bowie would work well with gloves and it is lightweight and such but I don't think I am going to go back to it.  It's an excellent small utility blade but looking at the area (heavily wooded, rainy as all get out) I want something with a little more "bush" capability.  I think I'm going to go with an Esee Izula or Izula II.  Possibly the Izula II for trail walks and the Izula for walks to work, I'll wear them over my shirt and the HAK will be under.  The Izula can be tucked back if needed and it's quite light.  The blade is very short but it does have some capabilities for wood splitting as well as prying, digging, and general abuse.

(Total aside - I've always been a little curious about the Tops FDX knives, I'd be curious to get my hands on one of the small hunter points.  There's very little info that I can find on most of the tops knives.  Or at least the ones that I would be interested in.)

It's actually a similar situation to when I go hiking/camping in the winter and am wearing snow pants, you just can't belt carry a knife and walking long distances with a knife strapped to your thigh is not always practical - the backpack can rub on the belt and a knife that low can get caked with snow and ice.  A light fixed blade neck-carry knife is your best option with a larger knife attached to my backpack.  I usually carry a Mora 511 but for an urban environment, I want something a little more unobtrusive (thinner, lower profile).

What I love about a neck cord in the urban environment (under a jacket) is the same as the woods environment - the knife is so handy, always accessibly, and the cord is the perfect place to hook on keys, fire tools, whistle, light, etc with a carabiner - easy on, easy off, easy to customize.  Since I'll be wearing a rain jacket pretty much every day, the knife and the other tools I chose can be tucked in and accessibly by zipping the jacket open, pulling the lot out with a tug on the cord, or putting my hand down a more open zipper area.  Keeps from scaring people "OMG, he's got a knife, noooooooooooooooo!"  Bizarre reaction. Once I get to work, the main lot gets tucked into my pack and the HAK/light combo is still there, under my shirt - I won't be wearing gloves while I work  :)

I could still be wearing jeans under my rain pants and could still carry my pocket clip knife, possibly a fixed blade belt knife, etc.  But....walking in long distance with jeans isn't super comfortable.  Walking with them under another pair of pants can get downright uncomfortable.  Plus, the tools would only be accessible in my workplace** and I don't see any real need for them (in that location) when compared to the discomfort of wearing them and the other tools I have - I'll always have my HAK and at least one light and a whole host of gear is in my backpack which can be grabbed on my way out the door.  Wearing jeans under snow pants for my current trips to work isn't a big deal because I'm driving to work.  Some days, when it's -20 or warmer (especially in the day time), I just bring my extra pants and don't even bother wearing them.  Having that extra knife accessible has a lot more value here - there's no security here, we're open to the public, we're well out of town and can't secure the building, etc.  I see the value in the extra knife and I've worn one in my pocket for so long...well, there just hasn't been any reason to change that until now.

Hmmm, this post started to go a little sideways on me, hopefully this made some sense.

More on all this later - much more I'm sure!

*EDC - Every Day Carry.  Some people have slightly different ideas for what this means.  I'm considering this to be items I carry on my person at all times outside the home.  I differentiate this from items I would carry heading to work for example, as I would carry a bag of some kind that I may not carry for a trip to the grocery store.

**I'm not digging through my backpack waist strap and fishing around inside my outer pants to get them

Hideaway Knife (HAK) Review

I talked in the past about my favorite small fixed blade knife, the Boker Fred Perrin Neck Bowie.  It's a fantastic small knife, wickedly sharp, lightweight and very practical EDC (with a few mods).  Overall, I still like it a lot but it has been replaced in my heart - and around my neck.  My new, true EDC is the HAK or Hideaway Knife .

Before I go into detail on the HAK I'm going to talk a little about what I consider an EDC knife and why I said "true EDC."  For those that aren't familiar with "prepper" or "survivalist" terms, EDC means Every Day Carry.  To most people, these are the items that you obviously carry every day - they are your normal kit, you put them on when you get up in the morning and they remain with you throughout the day, wherever you go.  Anything from a cell phone to a Glock.  Generally this only refers to your time outside the home, you wouldn't carry EDC items in your PJs for example.

This means that we are all going to have a different EDC based on a variety of different factors such as:
- weight we are willing to carry
- job we work at
- clothing we wear
- different legal options
- different needs

The problem is that many of us may call our little package of goodies "EDC" but it's pretty tough to carry them every day, in all public settings.  It should be more like MDC, Most Days Carry.  Or BDC,  Business Day Carry, and WEC, Weekend Carry.  For those that carry tools such as knives and firearms, the differences can be dramatic.

I am unable to carry a handgun where I live but I do carry one or more knives every day, everywhere I go except for air travel.  My main knife for the last 20 years, my EDC, has been a folding pocket clip knife.  Prior to that it was either a small scaling or skinning knife on my belt or folding knife loose in my pocket.  The actual knife has probably changed more than 50 times (currently back to the Blackhawk Hornet II) but a pocket knife has been a constant.  Pocket clip knives are a fantastic innovation, they have been a real game changer for knife carry.  They do have a few drawbacks though such as clips losing retention over time (especially the very old plastic-version ones), clips getting caught on things, the knives being more obvious than some people prefer, can be difficult to deploy, etc.  One of the main negatives is that a folding knife is more likely to fail than a fixed blade knife.  New types of locking mechanisms and handle materials have reduced the risk but it can never be eliminated.  This concern and an effort to integrate either an emergency bushcraft-capable knife or a stronger utility blade into my EDC led me to experiment with a lot of small fixed blade knives such as the Fallkniven F1, the Cold Steel Kobun, the CRKT ABC operator knife, Mora 511 and more than a dozen others. In the end, I've pretty much given up.  The knives are just too uncomfortable for me to wear all the time sitting down.

The Perrin Neck Bowie made me interested in neck knives as an alternative.  I had written them off in the past because they are generally crap and also uncomfortable, but the Perrin knife is pretty amazing - very light, very sharp, and very useful.  I'll let you read my review for the rest.  The best thing about the neck knife is that it really is a "true" EDC.  As long as you have a neck (hehe) you can carry it, no matter what clothing you are wearing or what setting you are in.

What I have started to notice is that it was printing on my short more than I liked.  Initially I seemed to be able to adjust it to minimize the print but in the end, it wasn't quite working for me.  This and one other feature (get to that in a minute) caused me to look again at a knife I've owned for a while:  the HAK or Hideaway Knife, the "straight" utility model:

Note: That's a quarter and a loonie (Canadian $1 coin) in the pictures.

I first heard of these knives after reading a Marcus Wynne* novel.  The characters used them extensively so I looked them up.  They were interesting....but expensive.  The website seemed a little odd too, not a traditional ordering method.  I wasn't sure what I though of the knives and they were out of my price range for a "try it out model" - the cheapest was around $150 USD and since they are a custom fit, would be tough to sell if I didn't like it.

Maybe a year or so after that, I checked the site again and saw they had some new, cheaper versions available.  They were made from lesser steels which were more than adequate for me and I really wanted to try one out.  I bought this Tiger Striped version (I'd rather have a plain color) because it was $80 or so.  You need to measure around your index and middle fingers and submit that measurement.

I received the knife in good time - once I figured out how to pay!  :)  

Product seems well made, I like the cord wrap.  Was a good fit (measure very carefully). However, I didn't like it at the time.  The sheath has some rattle to it with the knife in it, it sticks into the capsule area a little which makes it a little more awkward to draw and I just couldn't seem to find a comfortable carry location.  I'd actually purchased it with the idea of belt carry, I had bought the double-j belt attachment.  Unfortunately, with my rather chubby stomach, it was neither comfortable nor unobtrusive and I wasn't thinking neck carry back then. I threw the knife in my crap-to-sell-someday box and mostly forgot about it.

My new love for neck knives and my slight dissatisfaction with my perrin knife made me give it another look.  The other feature (see, I did get to it....eventually) is that blade shape, the reverse tanto or wharncliffe design of the HAK straight.  I did a training seminar with Michael Janich this year (FREAKING AWESOME!) and I got a chance to handle a prototype of the Spyderco Yojimbo II.  After seeing a cutting demo, I was totally sold on the blade shape (just like a box cutter).  That knife is amazing btw, can't wait to get mine, darn things are on backorder still.  Anyway, the Yojimbo blade has a similar shape as my HAK and the HAK capsule/handle design provides for a grip very similar to the "filipino grip" taught by Michael Janich.  Suddenly I had a whole new appreciation for the HAK and it's been a near-permanent carry knife ever since.

Some of the great features of this knife:
- Very lightweight, it is no strain at all to carry (noticeably lighter than the Perrin Neck Bowie and custom sheath I have).
- Amazing retention, it's virtually impossible to be disarmed when this knife is on your fingers.
- This knife is designed to allow for full use of your hands.  The designer talks about its use as an off hand weapon for shooters, you can load magazines, carry a flashlight, etc and still keep the knife on your fingers.  For my purposes, it's the best work tool ever.  I went through pallet after pallet of boxes and was able to carry them, stack them, cut tape and bindings as needed, and keep the knife in my hand the whole time.  Totally comfortable and a nice change from continually hunting for where I put my box cutter!
- Very safe.  Knife won't slip in your hand.  Again, anyone doing utility tasks, working in a warehouse, etc, this is an awesome knife.  Climbers and hikers could get great benefit from this also.  A must for people that work or play on or under the water.
- Low profile.  Slim and has numerous carry options.
- Not too tactical.  Probably not as scary as other options thanks to the small size, at least in some versions.
- Available in a variety of steels (including rust-free titanium) and shapes.
- Trainer knives are available.
- Small blade may be legal in more states.

Some not so great features:
- Sheath fit is not ideal, though the retention is very good, it's not going to fall out.
- The jimping on the back is purely cosmetic.  I'd rather have none.

Yep, that's all I could think of  :)    What can I say, the knife kicks ass.  That version at least, I don't like the other blade shapes.

*If you like knives and action check out With a Vengeance, it's only 99 cents for kindle.

New video review - Large Survival Knife Comparison

I did a relatively brief side by side comparison of four of my favorite large survival knives:

The Cold Steel SRK
The Fallkniven A1 (which I repeatedly called an F1, oops! lol)
The Cold Steel Recon Scout
The Ka Bar Heavy Bowie

Large Survival Knife Comparison youtube video

Too Many Knives

I've made past mention of my efforts to reduce my ridiculous knife collection on ebay - so far, I've managed to do some major whittling down but there are still a lot to sell.

Now it's time for some of the more tough decisions. I want to reduce what I own down to just three useful categories:

1. EDC Knives - folding and fixed blade

My current EDC knives are:

- Benchmade Griptilian 550HG
- Boker Fred Perrin neck bowie
- some crappy throw away keychain folders, one in pocket and one on my keyring

The one change I am going to make is I am going to switch to the Spyderco Yojimbo 2 when it comes available (got my pre-order in), I was able to handle a prototype and it's freaking awesome.

2. Large Survival Knives - some tough decisions here plus these can be the hardest to sell online due to the high shipping cost.

I think I am going with:

- Cold Steel Recon Scout
- Fallkniven A1

The CS is awesome but I still want to get some kydex sheaths - there's some cash out of pocket :(

I was going to sell the A1 but I think it could come in handy if I move to BC with its year-round wet climate. We plan to be on the water a lot more too. I already have a very strong retention kydex sheath for it and I think it will be my "strap to my leg in case I have to build my own civilization after I fall in the river while boating" knife.

I may keep an Ontario Rat 5 knife as well, still undecided.

3. Small Survival Knives - I am keeping my box full of $10 mora knives. I generally favor the 511 for the protruding guard and yes, I know that real bushcraft people everywhere are gasping in horror and that real men don't need guards on their knives. It's just safer and I prefer it that way. So there! :)

I will probably keep a couple of serrated river knives also, I have some quick deploying titanium knives that I attach to life vests.

Everything else must go *sigh* except for some machetes, they are handy and aren't worth selling due to low dollar value/high shipping cost.

I am selling all my "tactical" or fighting knives and all my other folding knives. What a terrible waste of money. I have no need for them and it's better to have a use version and a spare of a knife I am used to rather than constantly rotating my carry knives. Or just leaving them in a box collecting dust.

Cold Steel Recon Scout Knife Modification

In my previous review post of the Recon Scout, I said that the "only real negative about the knife is that I absolutely hate the guard" and that I could see why some people (saw some online) would cut off the back part.

I finally did it too!

It hurt a little to deface this knife but I had to try it. This isn't a pretty display knife, it's a knife I intend to use hard around camp. It's not going to stay "pretty" so why not make it even more functional? More functional for me at least.

My fancy mod involved a hacksaw, a file, and some anti-rust black spray paint for after. At first I just cut off about half of the back guard. Was OK but in the end I took off all of it. The handle got rubbed a little, the file work is amateurish, the spray paint is very bush league - but it's functional, it looks good enough in my eyes and I LOVE IT!!!!

The knife is pretty much perfect now. Losing the guard may not be the best thing for a tactical/fighting knife but that's not what I will ever use the knife for and it's not a great knife for that anyway - too heavy and I don't like the handle for a fighting knife*. It's still more than capable of emergency use along those lines but its use as a camp/woods knife, a super strong, super thick piece of steel, is where it excels. Now I have a usable finger choil (works for my small fingers) for more fine work. I didn't like the idea of bashing the back of that guard when batoning either, makes a nice smooth line along the back (well, smoothish if we ignore the ugly cut marks).

If I ever get a new camera I'll do a video or pics.

This mod isn't for everyone and it certainly will reduce (if not eliminate) the possibility of selling the knife, but it's great for me.

The sheath still works the same, no change to retention. I am planning on getting a new kydex sheath anyway, I can get a smaller sheath now and something that won't rattle. I found a new kydex guy on ebay, he does great work.


*For a pure fighting knife at a cheap price, consider the Cold Steel OSS.

Cold Steel Recon Scout Knife Review

I finally received my Recon Scout (carbon sk-5) in the mail.



My first impressions:

This is a very solid knife, wow, incredibly thick blade. It looks like an excellent wood-splitting and chopping knife which is no surprise, I've seen many videos on it already. I find the handle to be very comfortable - unlike some, I actually prefer the grippy kraton style. It's a good size for my hands but I have small hands, I can see why some people may not like it. The knife feels surprisingly light and well balanced for such an enormous, thick blade.

The only real negative about the knife is that I absolutely hate the guard. Makes sense for a tactical/combat knife I suppose but detracts significantly from its usefulness as a survival blade. There is a small finger choil on the blade (too small for big fingers) that can't be used because of the large guard on the back of the knife. I can see why some people choose to cut off the back of the guard, only the front part needed for safety/combat and it makes the blade more functional. Even though the handle is adequately long, having that guard blocking my thumb makes it feel short and at in some grips, a little awkward in my hands.

I do wish that it had a bigger/more visible tang underneath, the same style as the Fallkniven A1 and others. I'm assuming the way Cold Steel did it is cheaper, I wonder how much tang is actually there. Hopefully that handle covering will be sufficient to keep water out....one of the disadvantages of not having removable handle scales.

The secure-ex sheath I give a mixed review on. I do like having a plastic sheath, it's pretty much a must for a carbon steel blade to reduce rust damage. The sheath has a quick detach belt loop, with a snap and velcro, and the belt loop can be put on either side of the knife which is great. However, it's not as sturdy or solid as a kydex sheath would be. Retention is good, you could propbably wear this upside down with just the sheath retention but I wouldn't trust it too much without added retention. If the guard was reduced in size you could have a sheath that is a lot more low-profile.

Overall I think this is a pretty great knife for the price. I like it so much that I bought two more. For someone that was getting a little down on carbon steel blades, I seem to be acquiring quite a few of them....

A quick comparison vs. the other knife I favorably reviewed, the Ka-Bar Heavy Bowie.

Price:
Ka-Bar $50
CS - $110

Blade length:
Ka-Bar - 9"
CS - 7.5"

Blade thickness:
Ka-Bar - .236"
CS - 5/16"

Sheath:
Ka-Bar - leather cordura, right hand side, dual snap retention, belt loop
CS - secure-ex, ambidextrous, sheath and snap retention, quick detach belt loop


The Ka-Bar Heavy Bowie is a longer blade but not as thick as the Cold Steel Recon Scout. I like the gaurd/handle better on the Ka-Bar for chopping and outdoor survival - the disadvantage is that I suspect that the Ka-Bar handle could be brittle if it takes a lot of impacts (I don't know this, it's just a suspicion) and I'm not sure if it could be easily replaced with something homemade. It's also an incredibly thick, bulky handle. I do like the thinner profile of the CS knife and I think it would be easier to replace the handle. The guard on the CS knife is awkward for my use and I may attempt to cut it smaller - there goes the warranty! :)

The CS knife has a better sheath but I would probably still replace it with a custom Kydex.

The CS knife is a good price but still twice as much as the Ka-Bar. Hard to say if it could be considered twice as much knife....there is also a San Mai version of the Recon Scout available at a higher cost, around $200.



I now own three large survival blades that I quite like (yes, that's too much money, I couldn't help myself): The Ka-Bar Heavy Bowie, the Cold Steel Recon Scout and the Fallkniven A1.



They all have a similar blade shape (bowie style) and similar functions - with vastly different prices. I would consider the A1, the smallest (6.3" blade) and most expensive of the three to be the best survival knife. The Ka-Bar is the best value and gives you an enormous blade. Where the Recon Scout seems to stand out is as an all-around blade. I can see it as an excellent choice for someone in the military, for woods use, for self defense (heavy to carry though) - knife begs to be used and abused. I wouldn't call it an inexpensive knife but it's not so pricey that you would hesitate to use it. If that guard was different I would probably rate it the highest as a survival knife, while keeping in mind that it doesn't have the A1's rust resistance and incredible edge.

Actually a 3-way comparison of those knives would make a good video. Might have to try that. Oh and for anyone that likes Fallkniven knives but wants a bigger blade, more in line with the other two, take a look at the beautiful - and EXPENSIVE - Fallkniven A2, with the 8" blade. If money was no object, that would be my knife of choice.




Note: I did some follow up comments here

Note 2 (added July 28, 2011): Finally made that comparison video - Large Survival Knife Comparison youtube video

Ka-Bar Heavy Bowie Knife Review

I still haven't received my Cold Steel Recon Scout to comment on but I did finally receive another knife I ordered, the Ka Bar Heavy Bowie. I have to say...WOW! I'm loving it. Now that's a big ass knife - the name may be lame but it's descriptive. I know I said I was cooling on the big carbon steel blades due to rust concerns due to where I live, but for this price, I'm willing to reconsider.

Not sure if I will do a video review on the knife, doesn't seem like much point when there are already some good ones out there including cutting demos (check out nutnfancy for those). In my opinion, the positive reviews are accurate. Great blade shape, very sharp out of the box, and CHEAP! Even in Canada I was able to order one up for about $65 USD including shipping. Amazon has some for sale for $49.99 right now (they don't ship here though, which stinks).



Yes, the sheath is kinda lame (cordura and leather) but it's functional, has some decent retention without the snaps (knife doesn't just fall out) and there are two retention snaps - snaps, not garbage hook and loop. There are some rubber? or something liners around the inside edges of the sheath that keep the knife from rubbing on the rivets or cutting the stitching, that was well done. I definitely would prefer kydex, we'll see. I might try making some of my own soon.

Overall, besides the great price and the awesome blade shape, what impressed me was the handle. I've had some crap ka-bar knock off for years with a slippery plasticy handle. I thought that's what most of them were like - not at all. The handle has a very nice feel, good grip, and I love the interesting guard. With it flared on the sides, there is no worry of your hand going up on the blade and there is less risk of smashing (and breaking) a large guard into a log when chopping. It's even possible to choke up right onto the blade for fine cutting though it's not very comfortable - the hoodlum was waaaaaay better for that.

Still, I can buy three of these bad boys for the price of one hoodlum, that's tough to beat. And the knife is so much more comfortable in my hands, it just feels "right." It feels very light and nimble for lack of a better word, I'm very surprised. I suspect the hoodlum would be a better chopper due to the handle shape and it would definitely be better for fine work, but overall I prefer the more traditional handle of the ka-bar. It would also make for an excellent tactical/defensive knife, good back up for military if you could handle the weight.

This knife gets high marks in my books and the sheath is totally acceptable for the price. There is little chance that I would carry this monster on my belt* for hiking but it would be great strapped to a pack. Here's a cheap, useful, and relatively light axe replacement.

Well done Ka-Bar, well done.

* there is also a short version that may be easier to carry on the belt, link and pic below, selling for $54.99 on amazon


April 17 Note: I loved this knife so much I ordered another one! Still waiting to check out that CS Recon Scout but this may become my main backpack knife. Can't get over how good this sucker feels in my hand. The handle is a little thicker than I would prefer but that's my only quibble so far, can't wait to test it out.

It's not going to replace my Fallkniven as a carry knife (too big) but it's far more useful for me than carrying an axe and, with the price, I'm not going to freak out if it does start to rust a little.

Buck Ron Hood Hoodlum Knife Review

I recently purchased a Buck Hoodlum from knife center. It caught my interest when I saw some youtube videos on it (nutnfancy and Ron Hood) and was interested in getting a large chopping knife as a lighter-weight, more useful, axe replacement.

The price isn't terrible depending on where you get it from.

Overall....I didn't like it. I returned it last week.

Not sure what it was in the end that turned me off it. The weight was fine, the blade/handle orientation seemed excellent for chopping (wouldn't recommend it as a fighting knife)....the finish of the handle seemed off, the scales didn't line up well. Something about the overall blade, the longer I held it the less it appealed. Plus, I'm not sure if something that long is something I'd actually carry on me very often.

The notch on the blade was weird. Lots of people have criticized it as a blade failure point. I've seen the rebuttal video from Ron Hood, showing them smashing the blade and stating that it won't cause breakage but I don't see the point of adding it - maybe it won't cause a break but it sure doesn't make the blade stronger and it's value seems dubious at best.

I didn't care for the sheath either. It's functional but I was surprised that there was absolutely no retention without the snap or cord, the knife would just fall out. After reviewing the videos, I suspect that was somewhat intentional for ease of cleaning and for allowing ambidextrous carry - just didn't appeal to me.

I'm sure many people will still enjoy it and I wasn't going to put up a youtube video slagging it without actually using it. Unfortunately I wasn't able to test it with chopping and such because then I wouldn't be able to return it . For $170, I didn't want to hang on to something I wasn't totally happy with, especially since I was going to want a kydex sheath for it, adding a lot of cost.

In the end, I think I would rather stick with my Fallkniven A1. I'm cooling a little on the idea of large, expensive, carbon steel blades due to where I live. I had an Esee6 that I recently took on a winter survival training course, was wearing it strapped to my thigh. I ended up slogging through some very deep snow, some of which ended up all over my knife. I was shocked at how quickly it started to rust. It was easy to clean off, no harm done, but if a well oiled blade can't stand up to a little snow, I don't think it is for me. Sold that one already.

I did order a Cold Steel Recon Scout recently....couldn't help myself, lol. Damn you ebay and nutnfancy for feeding my knife addiction! :)

Still like the carbon steel Mora but it carries around my neck so little risk of it getting wet. Plus, it's $10, so it's not a big deal if it does get rusty.

Survival Knife - Cheap and Light

So what makes a good survival knife? There's a 1,000 different ways to answer that question, most of the answers are wrong or situation specific.

If we start looking for an actual survival knife* we can try and narrow things down a little. A good way to start is to look at the following:

1. Price - you don't want anything that will break the bank. If you have $500 to spend on a custom knife, that's great for you, but most of us don't. Spending beyond your means is also a great way to get a knife you are too scared to use! It's also better to have more than one knife, ideally you'd like to have several stashed in convenient locations, so it's best to look for something affordable.

2. Quality - you want something durable, reliable, and good enough to do the job. The good enough is key, you don't want to run too far afoul of #1.

3. Weight - if it's too heavy, you probably won't carry it or have it when you need it.

4. Carry options - something that you can wear around your neck, on your belt, etc. Something that is a little discrete can be useful, if you're carrying around a 12 inch bowie knife, you might draw more attention than the knife is worth.

Some inexpensive, high quality knives were looking at are the Mora of Sweden knives They are puukko style shaped knives, but they sell updated versions with plastic handles, hand guards, etc. I like the carbon steel blades, easy to field sharpen, very practical, but if you're around a lot of water they also sell stainless steel and other varieties. The scandi grinds are fantastic for sharpening once you get comfortable with them.

You can find them on Amazon for $10-20 each. They are very useful for skinning, batoning wood, etc. Cheap enough to buy a bunch and light enough to carry it on some cord around your neck. The plastic sheaths are....different. Not a huge fan at this point but they are functional. Some aftermarket custom sheaths are available but they cost far more than the knives! There are also other steel options if you don't like the carbon knives or are concerned about moisture. Some people quite like the triflex steel version, the handle on that version doesn't feel that comfortable for my hands.

The Mora 1 is the classic knife. I prefer the Mora 511, I've bought some for the $10-12 range, and the guard adds a measure of safety. Yes, I hear real men don't need that, the guards are for children, but I like my fingers attached thank you very much. When your hands are cold or you are wearing gloves, it's easy to make a mistake. Much safer for skinning as well.








These knives are commonly referred to as bushcraft knives - they are light, very strong for their size, easy to carry, and great for batoning.


This is the kind of knife recommended by Cody Lundin in his book 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive
















Another company I quite like is Cold Steel. They sell some bushcraft-like knives, like the Finn Bear. I have yet to try one of these out, they are a stainless steel (4116 Krupp Stainless) and is a puuko-style blade. *edit, I still haven't bought one of these and won't bother now based on reviews I've read/seen. Stick with the mora.



Normally a cheap stainless steel blade isn't something I would use for batoning but they do have a video of it being used to go through a 2x4 - maybe someone can tell me their experience with it?

Cold steel also has an interesting take on the hollow handle survival knife, the Bushman series - very cheap, carbon steel with a hollow handle. You could actually mount them on a pole effectively to make a good spear though i'm not really sure why you would want to in most situations. Very strong knives, good quality. A little on the large side depending on where/when you are carrying it around, very lightweight though.

It's more like a detachable spear than a knife! And probably better used for that too.


Some positives as mentioned are price, strength, and a serviceable sheath for the price. I prefer kydex and I did buy one on ebay but it cost more than the knife. At that price point, it may be best to get a different knife altogether. The hollow handle is all one piece of steel with the blade so it isn't weak like most hollow handle knives. Using a bicycle hand grip or wine corks, among other options, survival items can be stored in the handle. The spear option is cool as well.

When using to baton with, the all-steel handle is not very comfortable, a lot of vibration. Overall this knife is more of a gimmick than a practical knife but with some customization, it's a useful and sturdy tool.

*too many people confuse this with a tactical or fighting knife. More on that in a later post.