Wilderness Blades

[Kelly Alwood]

I would like to see pics of what people are carrying out in the wild places. What are your favorite blades for hunting, camping, and survival? And, how many blades do you carry in the woods? Where and how do you carry your favorite?

The first pic, from left to right is the Rubley side knife. This is the best blade I have ever used. My Favorite. The next three pics are the "Boone" knife. These are a Rubley copy of the knife found on Daniel Boones body when he died. It is the best large blade knife I have ever used in the field. The next pic is Jim Rubley making them.
The second row is a practical use of the side knife, making cordage. The next one is "the Rubley". It is his own design and favorite after more than 50 years of knife making.
I carry all of these in Kydex sheaths that I made for them. The side knife I carry on my neck at all times, and the Boone I carry on my back, in the waistline, almost horizontal.
The next two pics are the knife, with sheath (with attached mag lite and flint rod).
The last blade is my favorite tomahawk. Hand forged by Steve Keeslar. The best I have ever used and thrown.
I am a huge fan of custom blades. They are many times not much more expensive than the factory blades out, and a world of difference in quality and function. But I do have a couple factory blades that I like too.
Next post.

[Kelly Alwood]

As I said, I have a few factory blades that I really like. So here they are.
The first is the Cold Steel Tanto. It has been with me on every deployment around the world. It has been used extensively and hard. To the point of gross abuse in some cases due to no other option. It has been the most loyal knife. Like every other CS blade, it is completely indestructable. The leather sheath supplied with it had to go, as the retention was not enough for my use. So I made a Kydex one. I bought this knife in 1992. It has never failed me. And they come excellent from the factory. I keep this knife attached to my drop leg thigh holster. I have many CS knives and love them all.
The next blade is a Styder Model DB-L (NSN). Made for the military, and now open for public sale. G10 handle, and S30V steel. I love this blade. The handle is the best shaped I have ever used. Perfect contour. Sheath had to go, so I made one. This one I keep attached to my EDC bag. The Stryder knives need grinding before they cut well. The blade is too thick. If not reground, they are a somewhat sharp screwdriver. But after recontouring the blade, they cut very well for a long time.
The third favorite is the Chris Reeves "Skinner". The blade dropped out of the leather sheath it came with the first week, so I made a Kydex one for it. This cuts very nice, and is tough. I keep this in my BOB, with my Rubley.

[BackBlast]

Cold Steel has a GI Tanto that's made from 1055 steel, pretty cheap. I've found it as low as $18. Not a premium fixed, but it's fairly durable from what I've read, an excellent value.

[Kelly Alwood]

That whole line of CS blades is very inexpensive. Very affordable, and tough. One of my students had that knife a couple weeks ago at the winter survival course. It worked well, even at -37F. They make great stuff.
Any others you like or carry?

[BackBlast]

That whole line of CS blades is very inexpensive. Very affordable, and tough. One of my students had that knife a couple weeks ago at the winter survival course. It worked well, even at -37F. They make great stuff.
Any others you like or carry?

I've got a GI Tanto coming, I'll use and abuse it for a while and see what I think.

My EDC is a Benchmade Mini-Griptillian, it's been a good knife for by all accounts. But I've just used it for various odds and ends, like opening accursed plastic packaging that's all but invincible but for a knife.

[cynicist]

I really like the Rat Cutlery RC-3. It is a good, fairly compact knife that I can keep on me at all times. It has nice micarta grips, which function well in cold and wet. Plus I am always a sucker for no questions asked lifetime guarantees.

[Kelly Alwood]

I have to agree with you on the RAT 3. My bud has a few of them and I have used them many times. Great knives. I love the blade design for many different tasks. Good knife, and I like the shieth too.
Thanks.

[Kelly Alwood]

My review of the Steve Keeslar custom blades.
Great outdoor tools..

[Kelly Alwood]

Pics of the custom Keeslar blades..

[Kelly Alwood]

My favorite camp tool. The Keeslar Tomahawk.

[AZ Prepper]

Where can you get these and are there sheaths available?

[Kelly Alwood]

The knives and the tomahawks and shieths will be for sale on preparednessdeals.com
New batch products coming online just for us..

[chris97]

I couldn't let this thread wither away, here's some of my favorites, they are all production knives, but they get the job done:
Becker BK-2, it's a little heavy, but will handle any task thrown it's way


My next most used outdoor general purpose knives: Gerber LMF and a well used SAK Tinker


My all time favorite camp knife, a Condor Hudson Bay, love the classic designs!