allrounder cs knife choice???

i need some help here, given the big variety of cs knives available--
 
most seasoned hunters/campers in the harsh conditions of the african bush prefer this following setup for their knife needs. 
 
The continious search for an allrounder African bush knife. As a kid I soon learned that there are two types of knives and both are essential in the bush.
 A Swiss Army knife or one of the new “multitools” like a Leatherman are just about essential for a hundred and one little daily chores from opening a coke through a can of something for lunch to tightening the stock screws on your rifle after a rough dirt road ride.
 This knife is further usually only useful for those small chores like peeling an orange or cutting some plaster to cover a blister etc.                                                                                                                                                                                      
 A skinning knife and sharpening system can always go in the trackers pack,
The rest of the time, when you need a knife, you need a proper one,but you need your own that is never leant out!
 It needs to be big enough to chop splints for starting a fire, or a walking stick with, sharp enough to skin a buff and tough enough to be used as a hammer,a lever and a dozen other innovative uses for which it was never designed but is the only thing available for the job at hand in the remote bush!
 
after reading the following ,i cannot agree more and it leaves me with some interesting thoughts--
 
my question: given the unforgiving terrain and situation,which of the cs knives will fit the bill the best as described in the last sentence above?
[i own both of the following,but the kukri is too big and the srk too small -though each have their place!]

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--Old hands never become lost in the bush, thanks not so much to superior bush craft ,
but to their believe that if you don’t mind being where you are, you aren’t  lost!
--“Paying attention to the expected is probably best for everyday existence.
Noticing the unexpected, though, may save your life.'

Trail Master in Carbon V or SK5

yeah,i quickly again reviewed it on the net, and i think it can be a very good choice for an cs all rounder
nearly what i am currently using for these type of hunting situations of mine,
[can not go into more details on this thread as its not a cs product ]

CS True Flight Thrower is another good choice. 

Oh you can mention what you are using.  We aren't THAT strict.  After all, LT doesn't hide that some of his knives are inspired directly by others. 
If you are looking for something between a kukri and a SRK, I would 2nd the trailmaster.  Or if thats a bit too long, the shorter version--the Recon Scout.

"One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them."  Thomas Jefferson to George Washington. 1796 Psalms 144:1 Blessed be Jehovah my rock, Who teacheth my hands to war, And my fingers to fight:

I could not do without three blades in the bush.
Long knife, for protection, and bigger cutting = Searl's Bowie
Tomahawk for protection, and chopping = Trench Hawk
Folder for skinning, boning, and other small jobs. = Simitar 25ss

Definitely the Trailmaster.  And I would add the Pendleton Hunter for the smaller jobs.   

Sturgeon's Law  "90% of everything is Crap"

Real heroes don't wear capes, they wear dog tags.  

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. -Benjamin Franklin

Imhoff's Law:
 The organization of any bureaucracy is very much like a septic tank ... the really big chunks always rise to the top. 


God grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference

I would pick a trailmaster or recon scout they can chop amazingly and you can skin animals with em if you choke up on the blade.  for smaller chores i would pick a pndleton lite.   

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 too many cool guns and knives to buy and not enough money :P

my current CS: OSI,  18 inch Sax Machete, Panga Machete, Rifleman's Hawk, Western hunter, Laredo Sk-5, Finn Wolf, 12 inch bowie machete  

well ,dlyn 454, if you put it that way..
 
allthough i own and use 5 cs products [srk, mini pal, bushman bowie,boar spear and sword cane] ,and love them all...
 
my preferred hunting knife for many years is still an older razor sharp cudeman bowie ,full tang[5mm thick] ,440 toledo s/s with the 20mm blade
i think they sell in the  us under the name of hen and rooster [?]
 
i've used this knife for many many years extensively in the bush,but sadly,i've read that this particular bowie knife is now no longer being produced
thats why i'ts going to 'retire' now with lots of fond memories ,as i don't want anything to happen with it
 
as can be seen in these photos,i've used it a lot while handgun hunting [mainly warthogs],but also for carving around the campfire, also
 while on survival /camping/hiking excursions, it never failed me
 
while spearhunting or bowhunting,i didn't want any other blade at my side,and used it to dispatch many wounded critters and skin and process other hunted animals
 
now i'm looking for a blade to step into my bowie's shoes
 
 my bushman bowie is a real handy and versitile tool,and is always ready in my backpack as i used it a lot nowadays
well, i probably dont need another knife apart from this bushman bowie, but, i've convinced myself that for this'replacement' purpose,
 its not 'heavy' enough.]
 
 [you see, real knife lovers will allways find a reason to get another one! ]
 

Attached Image(s)

I prefer the recon scout. At 7" it's long and heavy enough to chop and split. Short enough for carving. Cut to top gaurd off to make it more friendly for bushcrafting.
For my AO, I found the trail master to short for a machete, too long for carving, and too unwieldly to strap too my side. 

I have loooots of other knives, but I keep going back to the Master Hunter. Carries well, carves, skins, slices, batons with ease and throws sparks on a ferro rod like Thors hammer. Paired with a light hatchet or a trail hawk and you have unmatched versatility, even in a defensive situation.

Only those are fit to live who do not fear to die. And none are fit to die who have shrunk from the joy and duty of life. Both life and death are parts of the same great adventure."-Theodore Roosevelt.

Recon Scout Carbon V x 2, SRK Carbon V, SRK AUS8,  SRK SMIII, Master Hunter Carbon V, Master Hunter AUS8, Master Hunter SMIII, Trail Hawk x 3, Special Forces Shovel, Clip Mate SM3, Mini Tanto Clip Mate, Scimitar, Bushman, Mini Bushman, Pocket Bushman, Long Hunter, K4 Neck Knife, Finn Bear, Roachbelly, Pendelton Lite,  Mini Pendelton, Kudu, Barong Machete 12" , Sax Machete 12",  

hey survivor i just noticed you kinda look like hank williams jr.

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 too many cool guns and knives to buy and not enough money :P

my current CS: OSI,  18 inch Sax Machete, Panga Machete, Rifleman's Hawk, Western hunter, Laredo Sk-5, Finn Wolf, 12 inch bowie machete  

thanks for the good advice canuckbuck,i will look seriously into your suggestion

trogdor-i dont know about the williams guy in this part of the world,but after googling him i take it as a huge compliment for a quiet guy like me- LOL

well, while taking teenagers on survival camps, [something like your summer camps?]i've sometimes been called other names behind my back when the going start to get tough after day 3 when the limited foodsupply is gone and we have to start eating roasted mopani worms and grasshoppers etc, though.....

thats one of the reasons why  i love the african bush and great outdoors...its a great equalizer and doesnt care how much money you,ve got, your skin color,  the status  of your father or even how cool you are amongst the girls at school... 

living close to nature for a short while is 99% of the time for most of these 'cool' and spoilt city 'braves' a life changing experience for the better,that teaches them some norms and value's and something about themselves that they will cherish forever.....

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--Old hands never become lost in the bush, thanks not so much to superior bush craft ,
but to their believe that if you don’t mind being where you are, you aren’t  lost!
--“Paying attention to the expected is probably best for everyday existence.
Noticing the unexpected, though, may save your life.'

My choice is a Recon Scout. While the Sierra Nevada Mountains, are nowhere near the harsh environment you deal with. I have yet to find a chore it won't do, it isn't too big to do the small stuff nor is it too small to do the big stuff. The Trail Master is a great knife, but the one's I have used didn't do fine work real well, now that may have been me more than the knife's fault.

Do not fear the night.    Fear what hunts by night.

"Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything."                                            Wyatt Earp

thanks RD for the advice and your practical experience with the recon scout-i'll look at this option as well 

yes,its a difficult choice- i don't want a small sword or rambo style knife at my side, 
though there were one or two times that i wished for just such a big strong knife [panga/machette] as most of the dry wood here are as hard as iron!
a knife [big or small] are just no match for it,and even a light/cheap axe will not cope!

although different terrain needs different knives, i think in africa [as in some other parts of the world] you must compromise/adapt on your carry knives,
there just is not such a thing as an all rounder knife for everywhere/everything
certain knives are definitely just better suited than others for a certain habitat/situation
 
the more knives the better! [try and explain that one to a non knife-lover!]
 
may the eternal search for the 'perfect/ideal' knife never be fullfilled!
here in africa the most common  knife carry combination for the indiginious rural people still living a semi primitive/poor life style [survival mode]
 in the mostly harsh and dry bush is the
 
cheap 'Okapi 'single blade pocket  folder
 [the knife that single handedly tamed africa as nearly every male has one and use it-from skinning sheep and cows,poaching,drunken brawls,small household tasks, food preparation and eating to mending bicycle punctures etc,etc.]
 
and the big panga [machette] [only now in the last 30-40 years or so comming to its own]
 
 with a big wood axe at home 

I don't think this "magic" do-it-all knife exist but the nearest to this definition is the Trailmaster

Survivor2 you bring up a good point. My observation has been that most family or groups living semi survival/primitive have an axe or 2, but everyone has a knife of some sort. In some environments it's a machete, in others it's a 4" blade or a folder. The axe is not needed all the time, but a knife is always close at hand.

I guess you're just gonna have to buy all the suggestions here and report back to us to see what works best.... LOL

Only those are fit to live who do not fear to die. And none are fit to die who have shrunk from the joy and duty of life. Both life and death are parts of the same great adventure."-Theodore Roosevelt.

Recon Scout Carbon V x 2, SRK Carbon V, SRK AUS8,  SRK SMIII, Master Hunter Carbon V, Master Hunter AUS8, Master Hunter SMIII, Trail Hawk x 3, Special Forces Shovel, Clip Mate SM3, Mini Tanto Clip Mate, Scimitar, Bushman, Mini Bushman, Pocket Bushman, Long Hunter, K4 Neck Knife, Finn Bear, Roachbelly, Pendelton Lite,  Mini Pendelton, Kudu, Barong Machete 12" , Sax Machete 12",  

O.K. so my go to if I can only have 1 knife with me is the trail master.  Like others have said this is a good all around knife.  The Recon scout is just it's little brother so also a great choice.  A bit nicer in the hand and a better choice if you have an axe as well.
     My actual go to blade is from Ontario knife and tool.  I've been using it for years, relied on it in many circumstances.  About the same length as the trail master but more upward curve at the end which makes it a bit more tool a bit less weapon.  It's made it through 10-15 years in the Eastern woodlands / mountains of the USA and treks through the Grand Tetons and my time living in the Alaskan bush.  IMHO the large bowie is the knife that you can do any job with.  You can't do any job easily or all jobs well but it can get everything done.  I've processed everything from 4inch fish and squirrels up to dear and moose with it.  O.K. so the moose we had multiple tools not just the knife but still.  I believe I could do about the same with the trail master.

     ultimately I would like to choose multiple cutting tools.  I have no experience in Africa but for my environment, eastern woodlands mostly, I would go with an axe / tomohawk (depending on if I'm hiking, horseback, biking, etc would make the difference as to which one of these and the weight).   Add to this a trail master or my Ontario (the recon scout would be a better choice if you have a full axe).  Lastly something small, I've been using my Scimitar spike and like that for the second "edge" on the back which I use with my ferrel rod.  I would like to try out the pendleton light.  Lastly add a multitool (I've been using the same Leatherman supertool since I lived in Alaska).  These 4 I feel give me a good amount of crossover and can get pretty much every job done well.  Add a chainsaw in a can or folding survival saw and you really have the ability to do work.

     So there you go, that's what I'd probably choose / recommend.  Seems similar to other people's suggestions so I'm probably on the right track.  My biggest thing is always looking at what native people's in an area carried.

     If you don't want a "rambo" knife the recon scout may be your best way to go.

"The difference is the woods is the only place I can see a clear path".                                                                   Malcolm Reynalds

Wraith Blade


Trail Master in Carbon V or SK5

if that wont do it u need a bigger somerhing......

IN THE LAND OF KNOWIT ALL KNIVES MUST BE KNOWIT SHARP.   WHEN ITS SHARP ENOUGH YOULL KNOWIT

KNIFE IS A 5 LETTER WORD....SO IS IDIOT!!!! 

GUN IS A 3 LETTER WORD....SO IS GOD....DONT BE STUPID AND USE THEM FOR THE WRONG REASON

Ti-lite or kukri for skinning, katana machete or cs shovel for chopping and delimbing(animals and plants) all have done those jobs as well as I need them to and then some.

“Cruel leaders are replaced only to have new leaders turn cruel!”- Che guevara guerilla leader
 “Generally speaking, the Way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death”- Miyamoto musashi master swordsman A weapon isn't good or bad, depends on the person who uses it.- Jet li
A friend is nothing but a known enemy.- Kurt cobain
I have plans that require additional gribbles.-Dale gribble.

If it had to be one only then it's got to be the Trail Master

IMHO the Trailmaster is the most useful knife in Cs catalog and one of the best in the world, can do almost all with equal ease

The main thing I don't like about the trail master is the guard. I'm one of those people that likes to put their thumb on the spine for extra control. That said, my go-to CS knife is the recon tanto. I treat the edge and the tip as two separate edges- the belly for chopping and slicing while the tip is used for digging, going through roots, and debarking. There's not much I can't do with that knife.

"Mastery is the final form of madness." - Saralach

My choice is the Recon Scout. I am happy with its chopping ability and its not as cumbersome as the TM. I feel the 2" of length is less advantageous to me than its compactness as compared to the TM.

 I apologize for consecutive posts but my mobile phone doesn't let me edit messages.    

Like many others I just do not think one knife can do it all.
Heck I carry 3 pocket knives every time I leave the house, even if I am only going to the post office or Wallmart...
 
But IF I could have only one fixed blade knife for field use, I would consider the following.

For a Fighter I would like at least an 8" blade. Say a Randall No1, or a Cold Steel Laredo Bowie.

For a Utility Knife, I would want a blade a little thicker and wider than a pure Fighter, at least 7.5". Say a Randall Mod 14, or a Cold Steel Trail Master.

For a pure gutting/skinning/butchering game animal knife I want a blade between 4 and 5", with a blade that looks like a Randall Mod5, or a Puma General pocket knife, or a Cold Steel Voyager Clip Point, or the Boker made clip point for Blaser rifle company knife.

So for, IF you can have only one,  for ALL round use, I would pick a Randall No5 with a 6" blade, or a Cold Steel Recon Scout, SRK, or maybe an Outdoorsman.
With any of these knives, you could fight 2 and 4 legged varmints, gut/skin/butcher large or small animals for food, and use for camp cooking and camp chores.

I mention the Randall knives here because I have them [I have used them for many, many years], and am familar with how the size of them function. I am kinda knew to Cold Steel knives [see my info on the new members forum], so I am comparing the size/use of them to similar Cold Steel Products.

Here are some random thoughts regarding actual knife use, ie., actual cutting of meat and other stuff.
IF you have a knife that is really too BIG, or too Small for the job at hand, IF it is really sharp, and has a good blade design, you can still get the job done, with out too much difficulty.

A lot of the knives designed today have what I think to be a too  highly specialized, to worthless design, for other than a "specific" use. Many times I think that the "specific use" of a particular design is just to "look at".

Over the years, I have discovered that the basic Bowie/Clip Point style is very hard to beat for most anything you want a knife for.

You can fight with them, you can butcher game with them, and you can make a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich with them.

Yes I do know that other blade designs are better for some specialized Martial Arts.  

Trail master all the way

Amen brother!

adamfitz


Trail master all the way

Sturgeon's Law  "90% of everything is Crap"

Real heroes don't wear capes, they wear dog tags.  

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. -Benjamin Franklin

Imhoff's Law:
 The organization of any bureaucracy is very much like a septic tank ... the really big chunks always rise to the top. 


God grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference

I think my choice would be the Recon Scout, but any of the Cold Steel Bowies that you like or prefer would be good choices.   The Recon Scout is a lot of knife in a more compact package.  One of Mike Sastre's Southern Comfort kydex sheaths would also be really nice to have as well.

Mike Martin
We are a Brotherhood

thanks guys
all your inputs really helped
i've decided on the Recon Scout
first impresions is that i just love it !
 
[also got the ka-bar BK2 and will compare]
 
"
 borde
 
 
 
 
 
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will inform after a couple of months about its performance out here on this side of the globe!

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--Old hands never become lost in the bush, thanks not so much to superior bush craft ,
but to their believe that if you don’t mind being where you are, you aren’t  lost!
--“Paying attention to the expected is probably best for everyday existence.
Noticing the unexpected, though, may save your life.'

If I could only have one knife, in a harsh environment, it would be the Bushman, hands-down. It can be sharpened on a smooth rock, skins, fillets, chops, dices and slices. It is tough and ultra-dependable. And, it can be made into a passable spear, if necessary. The Bushman is the ultimate outdoor knife, IMO. I never hit the boonies without it.

survivor2: Isn't it time you updated us a let us know how it worked for you? Pics for the advises would be nice :P