When I was a young teenager, we had a military surplus close by and a military base close by. We could buy surplus U.S.M.C knife and sheath for $1.50 . I had several, wish I still had them. (52 years ago.)
I picked up one when I was in high school a little while after I bought the debacle in the video. It was way more than $1.50 though. Inflation is rough.
I had Smith and Edwards close by and a military base somewhat close in Layton, but never found a knife for that cheap. You were living the dream my friend.
I remember sunny surplus. Used to have everything from ww2 and Vietnam. Every boyscout used all our fathers stuff. I was lucky because both my grandfather's were ww2 and my dad was Vietnam so I had machetes and sleeping bags and web gear. Good old days. Life was great before the internet.
The "saw blade" was actually designed as a ripping tool for the sheet metal/aluminum siding on a helicopter fuselage, not to cut wood. It works well for that purpose
Yeah, the only thing that can beat a Corona brand pruning saw, is an actual gas powered chainsaw. I'd rather have a Corona pruning saw, than any of the other "wood cutting tools", including even a hatchet. That being said, hatchet does go through wet wood better than a hand saw.
I learned a long time ago that when it comes to tools and survival gear, ALWAYS get the best quality that you can. If you have to wait and save up to buy a superior quality item, then be patient and save up to make the purchase. Never, never impulsively buy a cheaply made, inferior quality item because this is a waste of money no matter how low the cost. How do you calculate the real cost of an item that breaks when you need it in a real survival situation? A high-quality item, taken care of and used only for the tasks it was designed to do, may just last you a lifetime of frequent use or even be passed to the next generation when you are gone. So, it is not just the sticker price, but how many uses people can get from the item that determines whether the original price was worth what you paid. And once you have acquired that high quality item, use it only for its intended purpose (a knife blade is never a screwdriver), clean it properly after every use and store it properly so you can find it and so it will not rust or rot. That means you do not leave soil or mud on a shovel blade or leave paint to dry on a paint brush or leave a hammer on a partially completed wooden deck to get rained upon or covered with dew or fail to clean that sweaty leather bridle after a horse ride or store electronic gear with the disposable batteries left inside. If you cannot or will not take care of an item properly, you are reducing the value and usefulness of the item and have paid too much for the reduced number of uses you can get from the item before it lets you down. The cheap man pays the most -- he has to keep replacing the junky items that broke during regular use. Say "no" to that cheap gardening trowel from Wal-Mart and buy that $50 hand forged, British, steel gardening trowel, take good care of it and use it for its intended purpose and your grandson can still use it 50 years from now.
OK you use the one that is still in the store I'll use the cheap piece of junk I bought as a stop gap while I save for the better one. But I will look for wauys to mitigate the fact it is junk as I use it because I already know it is junk.
Smart kid. At 70 I have come to all the same conclusions. I hate to admit all the money I've wasted on bad gear. Here's a little saying to help: "Good gear doesn't cost, it pays."
It is funny you brought up the Rambo knife, that was my first "cool" knife too, besides my scouting knife by Mora Knife. My Rambo knife looked mean and durable until I used it. All the flaws with that knife you mentioned are spot on.
I have had a Victorinox Champ since 1991 and it is one of the best tools to have. It came with a very sturdy leather pouch that has a small sharpening stone, and some basic fishing hooks and line, and a passable compass. I have since added keeping some char cloth and cotton balls in the pouch. I have cut up to 2” branches with the saw blade and have used the magnifying glass to start fire without a lighter or matches. As you have said, the scissors are very effective also. I could go on and on but you get my point. Excellent tool for basic survival. I do have other survival gear, but if I had to go out with only one tool, this would be my choice.
There’s a lot of gimmicky stuff out there that’s just an excuse to spend money. I think most of us are guilty of buying something from time to time that we should have spent the money on food instead.
I don't know if they are still in business, but many years ago I got a Doan's bar ( from a proud US company) . The magnesium was really creamy soft, started easy and burnt HOT. I can't say anything bad about that hybrid mag-bar and ferro steel. The thin steel stayed put for years of hard use.
I bought my son a Hollow handle survival knife for his first knife. I epoxied the weak areas, and left enough room in the handle for a small fire kit. It’s good for teaching him knife techniques. To be honest I bought it more for me to try my reinforcement techniques.
Great advice! As owner of several Swiss Army knives (Victorinox) over the years, I fully agree that the "utility" factor is high. However, I now have a strong preference for a Locking" blade EDC, as opposed to a blade/tool that doesn't lock. Some high-quality EDC brands are Kizer, Harnds, Boker, Spyderco, and Hogue. Thanks!
Hi Steve! I carry a Swiss Army Knife for the tools and a ZT 350 as a dedicated blade. There are a lot of good options out there. Thanks for watching and commenting!
The wire saw is actually a brilliant tool used properly 😏 however most of the time nobody would think of making a simple bow to apply tension like a bucksaw or even easier to cut the right stuff with it, plumbers and butchers have been known to use wire saws too. But the rest is pretty much spot on as usual especially the multi-tool lmao about the cheapest reliable multi-tool I own it either a Gerber suspension or Roxon Storm both bought for about $50 and of the two the Roxon actually works better 😯
@@Funkteon if you don’t wrap it around a branch and keep it taught, it works pretty well. I have a super cheap one from AliExpress that went through an old table pretty well
Thank you J.R. your series point out the cheap survival equipment, that you get stuck with from cheaper manufacturers. And what not to look for. Thank you.
Spot on! I think I’ve owned a version of everything listed in this video and came to the same conclusion. I bought what I could back then and learned real quick I should’ve saved up. Buy once, cry once! Thanks for all your great content!
Pretty much all of this video highlighted the importance of not buying cheap stuff, especially when the whole point of the gear mentioned is that you may need to rely on it under bad conditions. I wouldn't want my first thought to be how much I spent on something in that situation tbh. Cheap tools, in my experience, never end up being "cheap" in the long run. Probably the best thing that beginners can do is actually watch and learn what they actually "need" and then go from there. I have to have a bit of a laugh at those tiny fishing kit things as well. I have thousands of dollars of camping/fishing gear and a 4wd to get to places and I still catch very little. Lol Thanks for the video, mucho common sense as usual.
Thanks Old Bloke! The same goes for other types of tools as well. I learned my lesson about cheap power tools shortly after I got my first house. Not worth the trouble.
I am a salesman and I use logic and this old saying to up sale a product ,"A cheap man always pays more " and the meaning being and often the case ,"I wish I would have bought the better one".
When I was a kid I broke my first survival knife in about 2 weeks now I did end up reattaching the blade and the held up way better than factory. Now if you have too have a hollow handle knife Cold Steel makes two varieties that are made out of a single piece of metal. And you can shove a cork in the end and it will hold up a million times better than any other hollow handle. Now some reviewers have had issues but I can also say they where seriously abusing the knife. I have 2 and both have held up great.
I have the Cold Steel Bushman Bowie and it's great. Also have the Cold Steel Survival Edge. It's a bit gimmicky but I've had no issues. Watch the testing videos. They discontinued it but I found one on Ebay.
The only hollow handled knife worth carrying is the bushman line from Cold Steel. They're not great as the profile blows and they don't hold an edge well, but you can beat the heck out of them and only be out 20 bucks. I don't mind risking it beating it through a piece of firewood like I do my ESEE, etc blades. The handle and blade being one piece negates the lack of a tang, and since it's basically designed to be a spear head more than a knife, it's a decent spear in a pinch.
The survivors edge from Cold Steel is solid too. It does suffer from not holding and edge every long., but does hold up as a great all around camp knife.
Good picks, I fully agree, made some of the same mistakes you did. The XXL-"saw Teeth" at your Rambo-knife actually isn't a saw, it's intended to break barbed wire, that's why they are that coarse. Wire-saws come in several different shapes, the better ones I found were made of thin strips with opposing teeth, then twisted and slightly hardened - to get the most out of them, you have to operate it with two or attach it to a bent, sturdy stick, creating a bow-saw. This way it can do a lot of work - if you operate it solo, you bend it and it will snap in short.
I've had them multi-tools throughout the decades and I just end up not using them and giving them away, so now I don't bother getting them in the first place.
Serrations on the back are the bane of my existence. For me it's not knives that suffer the worst from it, but machetes. When they come with serrations on the back, they tend to also come with the sort of cheap nylon or whatever sheath that will basically get torn to pieces by those serrations no matter how carefully and gently you try to draw it. If you're stuck using the original sheath it came with, the best thing I found is to cut the back down about 2/3 the length of the blade and sew an extra velcro strap back at the top. Eh, wire saws have their uses. I keep on in my leg pouch that I use for various everyday things, and it's been good enough for light work, and I found it tends to bind up less than the comparably cheap folding saw I have stashed in my hoard of assorted tools. I am tempted to replace it with a pocket chainsaw though, since it wouldn't be that much added weight and bulk. The biggest drawback you didn't mention in this video, one that'll affect both types of saws, is simply that a good half the things you might think to use flexible saws for practically require three hands. Ways around that problem are either to find some way to help secure the piece you're working on, or else to get a stick you can use to use more like a bow saw. And the best sort of survival kit, pocket or otherwise, is always going to be one you've assembled for yourself.
We have an army shovel. Used to be my boyfriends dad when he was in the army ( Dutch army). That thing is from the late 50's but still working and nothing had to be replaced; the whole thing is still completely as it was back in the 50's. Well except ofcourse it doesn't look new anymore, because it was used alot. Those things are really made to last. My boyfriend uses it now when he goes out with his metaldetector, because it's small and foldable....it is quite heavy though, but still; it fits easily in a backpack.
My knife as a teen was an Korean War era M-4 Bayonette my dad got me at a local flea market. No problems whatsoever. Got a real swiss army knife the same way. For my multi-tool I have a Gerber because you can flick out the plier jaws one-handed, very smart design.
I agree a 100 percent I have a M-4 bayonet I use on my M1 carbine rifle. excellent survival blade as well. have a gerber multi-tool hasn't failed me yet
Another good video with useful information. Unfortunately, My inventory includes an item or two highlighted in your presentation, but I’ll definitely upgrade. Thanks for posting.
I'v pocket carried my Victorinox Swiss Champ since I bought it new in 1985. It has saved my bacon many times and is one of my most cherished possessions. I have also owned a Bahco Laplander and it is a great saw for not much money. If the Swiss Champ saw and the Laplander were the same size I would give the edge to the Swiss Champ saw. If you want the most efficient and effective saw, Silky saws are the way to go and IMO worth the price.
The Victorinox saws remind me a lot (appearance-wise) of pro-grade jigsaw blades. They are great if you need to make notches or stop cuts. The SwissChamp is my EDC as well.
Many people starting out trying Bushcraft / Survival have a limited income, and admittedly there is some utter garbage out there to get people to part with their hard earned cash (we've all been there), it might be good to do another video highlighting decent budget brands such as Mora, as well as advice on blade length, many newbies think a 15" bladed Bowie knife is perfect whereas a knife with a 4" / 6" blade is vastly more versatile
I got me a Victorinox way beck when i was like 15. I got it as a joke, one of those that are about 3-4 tools thicker than the one he showed, cuz i thought it would be a cool nick-nack more than a practical tool. Nope. Im 28, and that guy lives in my car now and has gotten more use out of it than anything Ive ever owned.
Been heavily using a K-mart bought Rambo style knife for 20+ years regularly and the only problem/complaint I have is I lost the 'survival kit' in the handle on my 1st camping trip with it. They aren't all junk...it's how you take care of it.
I would recommend BPS adventurer. Don't know how long you can get them. Since they are Ukraine company. I only carry lockback nowadays only coldsteel voyager or sr1 nothing beats tri-ad lock. My last and favorite is green river fish knife or ontario old hickory also ontario sp models. As a old boy scout ex army ranger that is the knives I use you can't go wrong none are expensive but are very tough.
I agree with him on a lot of this stuff. However I still use cheaper knives. I do believe highly in full tang knives and I love my Mora about the best. Also I got a Gerber mini multi tool as a Christmas gift about 8 years ago. I love this little tool. I carry it on my key ring and use it all the time. When I lost my keys I went out an made sure to get me another one.
I often use cheaper knives for work, don't want to be seen crying when I loose or break it. Sometimes I carry a value multi tool the same reason. I keep one of the knock off swiss army in my camp cooking kit. Can opener works fine and the knife works fine for kitchen tasks.
Hey DIY absolutely loved your channel I love the fact that I don't oh see your videos in immediately think oh c*** what's happening now just good wholesome information for the season prepper and the newbie thanks guy keep up a good work
Greatest knife I own is one made by my father Handle leaves a little to be desired, but this thing will myself, my kids, their kids and so on. Full steel construction, 350 sbc connecting rod handle, d2 tool steel blade (as far as I've been told, I'm no Smith) Could be sharper as d2 ain't easy to work with, but will hold that edge through damn near anything I've seen it go through
I think really the only reasons people get the commando wire saw instead of the pocket chainsaw is A) because they don't know pocket chainsaws even exists, and B) the pocket chainsaw doesn't fit their needs as far as weight and size. In the case of the latter, I think we can assume they're not looking for something to process wood by the size and volume. They just want it as an option. I plan to get one to use on the mod of the sheath for my Morakniv Companion HD. A pocket chainsaw just won't fit the bill in that case, regardless of how awesome that would be.
Same thing happened to my Rambo knife and like yourself it was one of my first big knives that I owned. The screw in section came loose and the compass/survival storage tube that held matches and things inside got lost too. The saw section was terrible and it was never an easy task to sharpen it 😅 I also tried to cut/snap barbed wire with it like in the film and failed dramatically. I'm nearly 11 years older now so I'm pretty clued up on my gear/equipment.
Leatherman, Victorinox, Gerber and SOG are the big four in multitools. The first two are miles appart from the rest quality-wise - but they are not that much more expensive. I learned first hand that Gerbers and SOGs are notoriously unreliable and alot of the implement just barely work. Files are a good example of that. Buy once, cry once :)
I bought the same Victorinox knife in the 80ies and I still use it 😀 I once bought a no-brand multitool from china. When I used its pliers for the first time it just broke into pieces 🤨
I once bought this orange plastic match container. It was water resistant. It was only $5. But when I actually used it. I had to turn it upside down and shake all the matchs out, to get a match. I could fit both fingers in it. So I put in one finger, and pressed a match to the inside of the container, and slid it up. But they had put a small inside lip on it. The match would hit it and fall back into the container. Useless!
The only hollow handled knife that is worth anything from production is the one from Schrade. I don't know the exact number but I'm pretty sure they said it's made out of 1 piece of metal. A buddy of mine got because it was around 40 dollars or so and it held up well. The blade does have a lot of carbon in it so you have to take care of it in wet conditions.
I'm all about the _full tang_ fixed blade, except for my EDC folding pocket knife for use at home or going out in public (used in privacy of car or whatever to cut paper, paracord, etc). My knives are fully full tang except my small knife for the woods, which is my awesome _Morakniv Companion._ It is full tang in reaching the end of the handle, but is not the full width of the handle, however it is made well and has held up for me real good so far.
Nice job, JR! I never knew how to tell the diff between the old victoronox and the knock offs, lol. Wish I hadn't passed on a number of those back in the day.
I do have a knife I use mostly for my chopping/splitting wood. It is great! There quite a few people who have a problem with knives of this company, but for me personally, my 2 knives from them are really good for my use. For my chopping I have the Schrade SCHF45 Bowie Knife. Been using it alot for long time and no problems with it. It works great for me. My smaller one is the Schrade SCHF37. I have used it for batoning wood, that includes splitting wood that's not too wide. I sometimes use it to cut dead branches of tree, to shave the bark off branch/trunk, make notches in wood, etc. But mostly for the little jobs and removing bark, I use an even smaller knife that I am also happy with. That is the _Morakniv Companion._ Great for the little things like notches, carving, removing bark, batoning small wood into smaller sticks, etc. I even used it to make a toothpick a few times.
The only place I'd slightly disagree is the wire-saw. If you use it by wrapping around something (so that the ends are parallel as you're pulling it) it will cut slowly and fail quickly. But if you keep it straight (my favorite method is to make it into a bow saw) and under tension, it does more for it's weight and space than anything else. That said, I fully agree on the pocket chainsaw and a small round file if your monetary, weight and space budget allow it.
I mostly agree on the hollow handle Knives. I do really like the Cold Steel Survivors Edge. It has done all i have asked of it. It's more similar to a Mora in construction.
Classic high value bushcraft kit: - Mora knife - Fiskars axe - Bacho/Silky folding saw - Swiss Army knife High value "survival" kit - Mora Buschcraft Survival (Knife) - Eka Viking (21" folding saw w. 3 blades) - Eka Hatchblade (Full tang, indestructible stainless steel hatchet) - A leatherman or Victorinox plier based multitool. (EKA stuff might be hard to get in some parts of the world.)
For entry level i would say, that meectool knife is great value. For 1 dolar you get basically mora, that needs sharpening more often. I also reccomend putting electric tape on handle. Folding saws from "Lidl" also propose quite a good value, not as good as the knife tho.
I have one of my knives which did come with the sheath that has a pocket on the front for a ferrocerium rod and a diamond sharpener. Ferro rod is easy enough to take out, but it is is a tad difficult to take out the sharpener. It is a fairly good sharpener though.
Cool video. When I started learning survival and bushcraft years ago I was blessed to already have the advantage of TH-cam and the multitude of TH-camrs like yourself sharing precious information which would help a novice along. The only junk I have as mentioned in your video will be the Rambo knife which I purchased 30+ years ago when I was still a teenager. It really is a piece of junk which I am glad got lost. Keep up the good work!
My Swiss army nice is 12 years old and I always find my self grabbing out of my pocket instead of my folder to cut small things like twine, limes, pealing oranges, etc and it never fails me hasn’t gotten loose or broken
When I was a little kid everyone had the Rambo knife or they were in your uncles garage living in the city with a knife that had a compass and a rope saw inside
I'm happy with my überleben Ferrocerium Rod. I think it's 7" length and 1/2" diameter. It is a good one and came with a striker attacked, that I first thought would be no good, because it looked like other ones I had with other ferro rods, but it actually does an awesome job on the ferro rod that came with it.
Not all hollow handle knives are created equal, there are actually some fairly decent ones out there. Boker makes one that I think is based on the Martin customs (which are also pretty sick), the old Buck 184 Buckmaster was a beast, the Ramster Buckmaster clone is also pretty decent for the price. Shrade also used to make good (maybe they still do) hollow handle knives as does the Russian company Kyzler (probably spelled that wrong). Overall, you are correct and most people should just avoid them but they are fun to use sometimes.
Schrade makes solid steel billet hollow handle knives’ a whole set of lengths and blade profiles’ they are the only hollow handle knives I’d trust beside the above mentioned’ they are really nice’ I have two that are relegated to vehicle kits due to the handles both having a small driver and some extra bits in them’ price was around 45$ each
The Schrade knives are Similar to the Chris Reeve hollow handle knives. Schrade bought the rights to the Chris Reeve knives or something like that. Also, Randall makes a hollow handle knife. I think it's the Model 18 Astronaut knife.
If you are ever in a knife fight with someone and you are armed with one of those hollow-handle knives, you can throw the pommel at them and end them rightly.
Yeah I never buy those folding knives anymore cuz one time I had a folding Leatherman knife and it almost cut my whole pinky off because it never locked it was a great learning lesson and now all my knives are fixed blades in the smallest one I have is like an inch and it's all fixed blade no fold lot less of a chance of cutting my whole pinky off and I got a scar to remind myself every time thank God that there's bones inside of our here skin cuz if I didn't have any bones in my pinky knife would have gone right through
Whenever somebody talks to me about prepping and survival gear I always tell them to start cheap find what works for you and and what doesn't work and then my personal opinion on good quality
Being in a wedding at 22yrs old, I was given a Swiss clone, thinking it was real. Yeah, real alright... real crap! 2 yrs ago I got a real SAK and oh my! Wish I didn't wait 35 yrs!
FYI...genuine Victorinox Swiss Army knives can be found dirt cheap on Fleabay..often deep discounted because they have some company's name on the scales as a promo...replace those & boom, you have a brand new looking SAK for a fraction of the price...
About time someone makes a video like this. I have the Swiss Champ, and the Leatherman Wave as my multitools. My saw is the Silky Pocketboy, and as a backup the pocket chainsaw. I have a magnesium bar, big ferro rod, a fresnel lens, a portable permanent match, a metal pencil sharpener, and a bic lighter with various fuel sources. I am building my own survival kit because it is either cheap/useless stuff or it's not what I need. The best ones besides Esee, and Vigilant Trails survival kits is the Compact 66 survival kit (which is no longer made). If I had any of those multitools you showed that should be avoided would be used for things that I would not mind having broken or worn.
You can get wire saws that work well. The only problem is they are about £200. That's about £260USD. You can get a folding saw of good quality for less than half that. As for knifes then "Tod's workshop" makes extremely high quality custom ones. They are pricey but damn near indestructible.
Survival knifes- buy a good knife and build a kit to attach to the sheath. I lash fire starter and sharpening stones or what have you to my sheaths. Wax string specifically.... also attach your knife to your machete
Yep, 100% agree. I hate crappy nonsense items, especially ones of the ridiculous variety. Might as well use your $ as tinder. Good rule of thumb... no gimmicky stuff, or Chinesium allowed.
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Would add to this list those cheap survival hatchets you can buy...the made from one piece of metal types....buy a fiskars x5 or a bahco, hultafors 500g hatchet...
I too had my Swiss Army knives in my young years. I do not like them now. But I do still have one folding pocket knife from more than 20 years ago. I have used it a fair amount, even recently. That knife is awesome for a simple pocket knife. With all the use and having plastic as the handle covering, it has lasted a long time without breaking or cracking, etc. And I only sharpened it a few times in those couple of decades and it still cuts good. I've even used it to cut holes in metal cans (soup cans, pop cans, etc). I have finally decided to stop using it for heavy work and only to cut paper, paracord, cardboard, etc. I don't want to push it to the point of it actually breaking with it's age and use. The company was done so long ago and taken over by another company that was partners for a bit.
I won't bother with them chain hand saws. I just use folding saws. And the folding saws I use are Silky. I have the F180 Pro which fits in my pocket. I tied a paracord lanyard on the end to hang out of the pocket to grab the saw easily. The other Silky folder I use is for the wide trees. It's the BigBoy Pro. For years I been having a problem trying to saw with regular hand saws, like them bow saws, etc, even though they are made for cutting trees. I can cut lumber boards with a carpenter saw, but trees are a pain with them. I've even started out with a couple of cheap folding knives from Canadian Tire. Not so great! But these Silky folding saws make it so much easier for me to cut the trees/branches and even the lumber (2x4, etc).
Why I don't bother with the Swiss Army style knives..... First most don't have the knife/tools lock in place and it is too easy to have it close on your fingers while using them. Although there are some out there that have been made with the locking mechanism on them. I would go with those ones. Also, I don't even use all those tools, so not much point in having the Swiss knives. I like having my goods as separate tools. My knife is only a knife. My saw is only a saw, etc. Not big on combining them into one thing. I like to keep things simple and my tools separate.
Exactly correct and i wanna point out that there is one exception to hollow handle survival knives that is of good quality and thats the Cold Steel bushman survival knife as its made of high quality steel thats a full tang knife and the blade and handle is all one piece of steel all the way through the knife.
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When I was a young teenager, we had a military surplus close by and a military base close by. We could buy surplus U.S.M.C knife and sheath for $1.50 . I had several, wish I still had them. (52 years ago.)
I picked up one when I was in high school a little while after I bought the debacle in the video. It was way more than $1.50 though. Inflation is rough.
Ah, the good ole days
I had Smith and Edwards close by and a military base somewhat close in Layton, but never found a knife for that cheap. You were living the dream my friend.
I remember sunny surplus. Used to have everything from ww2 and Vietnam. Every boyscout used all our fathers stuff. I was lucky because both my grandfather's were ww2 and my dad was Vietnam so I had machetes and sleeping bags and web gear. Good old days. Life was great before the internet.
I bought an extra of most of my gear from Cash Sales while I was in. Still have all of it and the e-tool has a permanent station in my trunk.
The "saw blade" was actually designed as a ripping tool for the sheet metal/aluminum siding on a helicopter fuselage, not to cut wood. It works well for that purpose
It’s a knockoff. I doubt it would work well for that purpose.
Yeah, the only thing that can beat a Corona brand pruning saw, is an actual gas powered chainsaw. I'd rather have a Corona pruning saw, than any of the other "wood cutting tools", including even a hatchet.
That being said, hatchet does go through wet wood better than a hand saw.
I learned a long time ago that when it comes to tools and survival gear, ALWAYS get the best quality that you can. If you have to wait and save up to buy a superior quality item, then be patient and save up to make the purchase. Never, never impulsively buy a cheaply made, inferior quality item because this is a waste of money no matter how low the cost. How do you calculate the real cost of an item that breaks when you need it in a real survival situation? A high-quality item, taken care of and used only for the tasks it was designed to do, may just last you a lifetime of frequent use or even be passed to the next generation when you are gone. So, it is not just the sticker price, but how many uses people can get from the item that determines whether the original price was worth what you paid.
And once you have acquired that high quality item, use it only for its intended purpose (a knife blade is never a screwdriver), clean it properly after every use and store it properly so you can find it and so it will not rust or rot. That means you do not leave soil or mud on a shovel blade or leave paint to dry on a paint brush or leave a hammer on a partially completed wooden deck to get rained upon or covered with dew or fail to clean that sweaty leather bridle after a horse ride or store electronic gear with the disposable batteries left inside. If you cannot or will not take care of an item properly, you are reducing the value and usefulness of the item and have paid too much for the reduced number of uses you can get from the item before it lets you down.
The cheap man pays the most -- he has to keep replacing the junky items that broke during regular use. Say "no" to that cheap gardening trowel from Wal-Mart and buy that $50 hand forged, British, steel gardening trowel, take good care of it and use it for its intended purpose and your grandson can still use it 50 years from now.
OK you use the one that is still in the store I'll use the cheap piece of junk I bought as a stop gap while I save for the better one. But I will look for wauys to mitigate the fact it is junk as I use it because I already know it is junk.
Smart kid. At 70 I have come to all the same conclusions. I hate to admit all the money I've wasted on bad gear. Here's a little saying to help: "Good gear doesn't cost, it pays."
Thanks for watching and commenting!
It is funny you brought up the Rambo knife, that was my first "cool" knife too, besides my scouting knife by Mora Knife. My Rambo knife looked mean and durable until I used it. All the flaws with that knife you mentioned are spot on.
Thanks Paul!
Cold Steel makes a hollow handle knife that is one piece steel. No survival kit anymore but can put a staff on it and have a cool spear.
I have had a Victorinox Champ since 1991 and it is one of the best tools to have. It came with a very sturdy leather pouch that has a small sharpening stone, and some basic fishing hooks and line, and a passable compass. I have since added keeping some char cloth and cotton balls in the pouch. I have cut up to 2” branches with the saw blade and have used the magnifying glass to start fire without a lighter or matches. As you have said, the scissors are very effective also. I could go on and on but you get my point. Excellent tool for basic survival. I do have other survival gear, but if I had to go out with only one tool, this would be my choice.
I see so many "gear reviews" that claim "If you want to be prepared... YOU NEED THIS." That are total bull crap.
There’s a lot of gimmicky stuff out there that’s just an excuse to spend money. I think most of us are guilty of buying something from time to time that we should have spent the money on food instead.
I don't know if they are still in business, but many years ago I got a Doan's bar ( from a proud US company) . The magnesium was really creamy soft, started easy and burnt HOT. I can't say anything bad about that hybrid mag-bar and ferro steel. The thin steel stayed put for years of hard use.
I bought my son a Hollow handle survival knife for his first knife. I epoxied the weak areas, and left enough room in the handle for a small fire kit. It’s good for teaching him knife techniques. To be honest I bought it more for me to try my reinforcement techniques.
Great advice! As owner of several Swiss Army knives (Victorinox) over the years, I fully agree that the "utility" factor is high. However, I now have a strong preference for a Locking" blade EDC, as opposed to a blade/tool that doesn't lock. Some high-quality EDC brands are Kizer, Harnds, Boker, Spyderco, and Hogue. Thanks!
Hi Steve! I carry a Swiss Army Knife for the tools and a ZT 350 as a dedicated blade. There are a lot of good options out there. Thanks for watching and commenting!
For Pocket Knives It's always been The Henry Buck knife,Old Timer,Schrade The Leatherman tool ,Gerber and Swiss army.
The wire saw is actually a brilliant tool used properly 😏 however most of the time nobody would think of making a simple bow to apply tension like a bucksaw or even easier to cut the right stuff with it, plumbers and butchers have been known to use wire saws too. But the rest is pretty much spot on as usual especially the multi-tool lmao about the cheapest reliable multi-tool I own it either a Gerber suspension or Roxon Storm both bought for about $50 and of the two the Roxon actually works better 😯
I may need to hold onto it until deer season then. Thanks Dave!
A bow saw is literally the only way a person should be using a wire saw...
@@Funkteon if you don’t wrap it around a branch and keep it taught, it works pretty well. I have a super cheap one from AliExpress that went through an old table pretty well
Thank you J.R. your series point out the cheap survival equipment, that you get stuck with from cheaper manufacturers. And what not to look for. Thank you.
Spot on! I think I’ve owned a version of everything listed in this video and came to the same conclusion. I bought what I could back then and learned real quick I should’ve saved up.
Buy once, cry once!
Thanks for all your great content!
Thanks Mark!
Pretty much all of this video highlighted the importance of not buying cheap stuff, especially when the whole point of the gear mentioned is that you may need to rely on it under bad conditions.
I wouldn't want my first thought to be how much I spent on something in that situation tbh.
Cheap tools, in my experience, never end up being "cheap" in the long run.
Probably the best thing that beginners can do is actually watch and learn what they actually "need" and then go from there.
I have to have a bit of a laugh at those tiny fishing kit things as well. I have thousands of dollars of camping/fishing gear and a 4wd to get to places and I still catch very little. Lol
Thanks for the video, mucho common sense as usual.
Thanks Old Bloke! The same goes for other types of tools as well. I learned my lesson about cheap power tools shortly after I got my first house. Not worth the trouble.
@@diypreppertv Yep.
The old saying about how many tools a rich man/poor man buys is very true.
I am a salesman and I use logic and this old saying to up sale a product ,"A cheap man always pays more " and the meaning being and often the case ,"I wish I would have bought the better one".
When I was a kid I broke my first survival knife in about 2 weeks now I did end up reattaching the blade and the held up way better than factory. Now if you have too have a hollow handle knife Cold Steel makes two varieties that are made out of a single piece of metal. And you can shove a cork in the end and it will hold up a million times better than any other hollow handle. Now some reviewers have had issues but I can also say they where seriously abusing the knife. I have 2 and both have held up great.
I have the Cold Steel Bushman Bowie and it's great. Also have the Cold Steel Survival Edge. It's a bit gimmicky but I've had no issues. Watch the testing videos. They discontinued it but I found one on Ebay.
The only hollow handled knife worth carrying is the bushman line from Cold Steel. They're not great as the profile blows and they don't hold an edge well, but you can beat the heck out of them and only be out 20 bucks. I don't mind risking it beating it through a piece of firewood like I do my ESEE, etc blades.
The handle and blade being one piece negates the lack of a tang, and since it's basically designed to be a spear head more than a knife, it's a decent spear in a pinch.
The survivors edge from Cold Steel is solid too. It does suffer from not holding and edge every long., but does hold up as a great all around camp knife.
Good picks, I fully agree, made some of the same mistakes you did.
The XXL-"saw Teeth" at your Rambo-knife actually isn't a saw, it's intended to break barbed wire, that's why they are that coarse.
Wire-saws come in several different shapes, the better ones I found were made of thin strips with opposing teeth, then twisted and slightly hardened - to get the most out of them, you have to operate it with two or attach it to a bent, sturdy stick, creating a bow-saw. This way it can do a lot of work - if you operate it solo, you bend it and it will snap in short.
Thanks, JR! Glad I'm not alone in making some purchasing errors early in my "prepping" years! 😄
You’re definitely not alone, lol. One still sneaks up on me from time to time. 🤣
@@diypreppertv Yup, if it seems too good to be true, it most certainly *IS!!*
Very true!
I've had them multi-tools throughout the decades and I just end up not using them and giving them away, so now I don't bother getting them in the first place.
Serrations on the back are the bane of my existence. For me it's not knives that suffer the worst from it, but machetes. When they come with serrations on the back, they tend to also come with the sort of cheap nylon or whatever sheath that will basically get torn to pieces by those serrations no matter how carefully and gently you try to draw it. If you're stuck using the original sheath it came with, the best thing I found is to cut the back down about 2/3 the length of the blade and sew an extra velcro strap back at the top.
Eh, wire saws have their uses. I keep on in my leg pouch that I use for various everyday things, and it's been good enough for light work, and I found it tends to bind up less than the comparably cheap folding saw I have stashed in my hoard of assorted tools. I am tempted to replace it with a pocket chainsaw though, since it wouldn't be that much added weight and bulk.
The biggest drawback you didn't mention in this video, one that'll affect both types of saws, is simply that a good half the things you might think to use flexible saws for practically require three hands. Ways around that problem are either to find some way to help secure the piece you're working on, or else to get a stick you can use to use more like a bow saw.
And the best sort of survival kit, pocket or otherwise, is always going to be one you've assembled for yourself.
We have an army shovel. Used to be my boyfriends dad when he was in the army ( Dutch army). That thing is from the late 50's but still working and nothing had to be replaced; the whole thing is still completely as it was back in the 50's. Well except ofcourse it doesn't look new anymore, because it was used alot. Those things are really made to last. My boyfriend uses it now when he goes out with his metaldetector, because it's small and foldable....it is quite heavy though, but still; it fits easily in a backpack.
My knife as a teen was an Korean War era M-4 Bayonette my dad got me at a local flea market. No problems whatsoever. Got a real swiss army knife the same way. For my multi-tool I have a Gerber because you can flick out the plier jaws one-handed, very smart design.
I agree a 100 percent I have a M-4 bayonet I use on my M1 carbine rifle. excellent survival blade as well. have a gerber multi-tool hasn't failed me yet
Another good video with useful information. Unfortunately, My inventory includes an item or two highlighted in your presentation, but I’ll definitely upgrade. Thanks for posting.
Thank you Steven!
You reminded me of my old First Sergeant who killed someone in Vietnam with an E-tool. It was mounted on a plaque in his office.
I'v pocket carried my Victorinox Swiss Champ since I bought it new in 1985. It has saved my bacon many times and is one of my most cherished possessions. I have also owned a Bahco Laplander and it is a great saw for not much money. If the Swiss Champ saw and the Laplander were the same size I would give the edge to the Swiss Champ saw. If you want the most efficient and effective saw, Silky saws are the way to go and IMO worth the price.
The Victorinox saws remind me a lot (appearance-wise) of pro-grade jigsaw blades. They are great if you need to make notches or stop cuts. The SwissChamp is my EDC as well.
Many people starting out trying Bushcraft / Survival have a limited income, and admittedly there is some utter garbage out there to get people to part with their hard earned cash (we've all been there), it might be good to do another video highlighting decent budget brands such as Mora, as well as advice on blade length, many newbies think a 15" bladed Bowie knife is perfect whereas a knife with a 4" / 6" blade is vastly more versatile
Those saw type blades are mainly used for notches. The Becker bk7 is a great blade too. I have the Becker 2, and 9. The 7 is on my next purchase list.
The Schrade hollow handled knife might be a good option over bargain basement versions, but the hollow handle still doesn't hold much stuff.
Good stuff! Appreciate you taking the time to put it together.
Thanks Jim!
Being really new to prepping I haven't really gotten into the survival gear. Now though when I start purchasing I know what to look for.
I got me a Victorinox way beck when i was like 15. I got it as a joke, one of those that are about 3-4 tools thicker than the one he showed, cuz i thought it would be a cool nick-nack more than a practical tool. Nope. Im 28, and that guy lives in my car now and has gotten more use out of it than anything Ive ever owned.
It takes time & money to select the correct items your life may depend on, but very well worth it.
Very true!
Took a cheep Walmart first aid kit and added quick clot, a decent tourniquet, scalpels with folding handle, and Leatherman ps style.
Been heavily using a K-mart bought Rambo style knife for 20+ years regularly and the only problem/complaint I have is I lost the 'survival kit' in the handle on my 1st camping trip with it. They aren't all junk...it's how you take care of it.
It’s junk!
My expensive leatherman plyer fell apart, so no more of that.
I would recommend BPS adventurer. Don't know how long you can get them. Since they are Ukraine company.
I only carry lockback nowadays only coldsteel voyager or sr1 nothing beats tri-ad lock.
My last and favorite is green river fish knife or ontario old hickory also ontario sp models.
As a old boy scout ex army ranger that is the knives I use you can't go wrong none are expensive but are very tough.
Thanks for addressing the better alternatives to the crappy products.
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Excellent info- thank you! Reading the comments also helpful for me!
Thank you Kimberly!
I agree with him on a lot of this stuff. However I still use cheaper knives. I do believe highly in full tang knives and I love my Mora about the best. Also I got a Gerber mini multi tool as a Christmas gift about 8 years ago. I love this little tool. I carry it on my key ring and use it all the time. When I lost my keys I went out an made sure to get me another one.
I often use cheaper knives for work, don't want to be seen crying when I loose or break it. Sometimes I carry a value multi tool the same reason. I keep one of the knock off swiss army in my camp cooking kit. Can opener works fine and the knife works fine for kitchen tasks.
Remember, the video is about survival gear, not EDC tools. Would you trust your life to one of those tools? That’s the question.
Hey DIY absolutely loved your channel I love the fact that I don't oh see your videos in immediately think oh c*** what's happening now just good wholesome information for the season prepper and the newbie thanks guy keep up a good work
Thank you!
I have 300 of those knives since inwas a kid. And green lights! Thank you rambo!
Greatest knife I own is one made by my father
Handle leaves a little to be desired, but this thing will myself, my kids, their kids and so on.
Full steel construction, 350 sbc connecting rod handle, d2 tool steel blade (as far as I've been told, I'm no Smith)
Could be sharper as d2 ain't easy to work with, but will hold that edge through damn near anything I've seen it go through
I think really the only reasons people get the commando wire saw instead of the pocket chainsaw is A) because they don't know pocket chainsaws even exists, and B) the pocket chainsaw doesn't fit their needs as far as weight and size. In the case of the latter, I think we can assume they're not looking for something to process wood by the size and volume. They just want it as an option. I plan to get one to use on the mod of the sheath for my Morakniv Companion HD. A pocket chainsaw just won't fit the bill in that case, regardless of how awesome that would be.
Same thing happened to my Rambo knife and like yourself it was one of my first big knives that I owned. The screw in section came loose and the compass/survival storage tube that held matches and things inside got lost too. The saw section was terrible and it was never an easy task to sharpen it 😅 I also tried to cut/snap barbed wire with it like in the film and failed dramatically. I'm nearly 11 years older now so I'm pretty clued up on my gear/equipment.
Well put! The only hollow handle knife i have that works is the cold steel one.
Anybody in the Tampa area looking for a army surplus store there's a huge one in Brooksville FL.
Great info, JR! Thank you!👍
Thanks RM!
Thanks. You make practical SENSE. Too bad I MADE ALL THOSE MISTAKES ALREADY!
Thanks Joe!
I think Gerber makes some good knives and multi tools for the money, definitely good for a beginner.
Leatherman, Victorinox, Gerber and SOG are the big four in multitools. The first two are miles appart from the rest quality-wise - but they are not that much more expensive. I learned first hand that Gerbers and SOGs
are notoriously unreliable and alot of the implement just barely work. Files are a good example of that.
Buy once, cry once :)
I bought the same Victorinox knife in the 80ies and I still use it 😀
I once bought a no-brand multitool from china. When I used its pliers for the first time it just broke into pieces 🤨
I once bought this orange plastic match container. It was water resistant. It was only $5. But when I actually used it. I had to turn it upside down and shake all the matchs out, to get a match. I could fit both fingers in it. So I put in one finger, and pressed a match to the inside of the container, and slid it up. But they had put a small inside lip on it. The match would hit it and fall back into the container. Useless!
The only hollow handled knife that is worth anything from production is the one from Schrade. I don't know the exact number but I'm pretty sure they said it's made out of 1 piece of metal. A buddy of mine got because it was around 40 dollars or so and it held up well. The blade does have a lot of carbon in it so you have to take care of it in wet conditions.
I'm all about the _full tang_ fixed blade, except for my EDC folding pocket knife for use at home or going out in public (used in privacy of car or whatever to cut paper, paracord, etc). My knives are fully full tang except my small knife for the woods, which is my awesome _Morakniv Companion._ It is full tang in reaching the end of the handle, but is not the full width of the handle, however it is made well and has held up for me real good so far.
Sog is always my go to for multitools, excellent quality blades on them and nothing beats the compound lever on the pliers
Probably the most honest assessment for those who might feel susceptible to survival gimmicks or for those simply ignorant of quality til this point
Thank you Anthony!
Tennis racquet grip tape works great for retention on slippery handles
Nice job, JR! I never knew how to tell the diff between the old victoronox and the knock offs, lol. Wish I hadn't passed on a number of those back in the day.
Thank you!
I do have a knife I use mostly for my chopping/splitting wood. It is great! There quite a few people who have a problem with knives of this company, but for me personally, my 2 knives from them are really good for my use. For my chopping I have the Schrade SCHF45 Bowie Knife. Been using it alot for long time and no problems with it. It works great for me. My smaller one is the Schrade SCHF37. I have used it for batoning wood, that includes splitting wood that's not too wide. I sometimes use it to cut dead branches of tree, to shave the bark off branch/trunk, make notches in wood, etc. But mostly for the little jobs and removing bark, I use an even smaller knife that I am also happy with. That is the _Morakniv Companion._ Great for the little things like notches, carving, removing bark, batoning small wood into smaller sticks, etc. I even used it to make a toothpick a few times.
The only place I'd slightly disagree is the wire-saw. If you use it by wrapping around something (so that the ends are parallel as you're pulling it) it will cut slowly and fail quickly. But if you keep it straight (my favorite method is to make it into a bow saw) and under tension, it does more for it's weight and space than anything else.
That said, I fully agree on the pocket chainsaw and a small round file if your monetary, weight and space budget allow it.
Thanks for this video, you have saved me time, money and stress and may be a dangerous experience! More power to you!
Thank you!
I mostly agree on the hollow handle Knives. I do really like the Cold Steel Survivors Edge. It has done all i have asked of it. It's more similar to a Mora in construction.
Classic high value bushcraft kit:
- Mora knife
- Fiskars axe
- Bacho/Silky folding saw
- Swiss Army knife
High value "survival" kit
- Mora Buschcraft Survival (Knife)
- Eka Viking (21" folding saw w. 3 blades)
- Eka Hatchblade (Full tang, indestructible stainless steel hatchet)
- A leatherman or Victorinox plier based multitool.
(EKA stuff might be hard to get in some parts of the world.)
Thanks for the list!
For entry level i would say, that meectool knife is great value. For 1 dolar you get basically mora, that needs sharpening more often. I also reccomend putting electric tape on handle.
Folding saws from "Lidl" also propose quite a good value, not as good as the knife tho.
I have one of my knives which did come with the sheath that has a pocket on the front for a ferrocerium rod and a diamond sharpener. Ferro rod is easy enough to take out, but it is is a tad difficult to take out the sharpener. It is a fairly good sharpener though.
Cool video. When I started learning survival and bushcraft years ago I was blessed to already have the advantage of TH-cam and the multitude of TH-camrs like yourself sharing precious information which would help a novice along. The only junk I have as mentioned in your video will be the Rambo knife which I purchased 30+ years ago when I was still a teenager. It really is a piece of junk which I am glad got lost. Keep up the good work!
Thank you Andy!
I remember that knife from back in the 90s. $5 at a junk store; I thought it was cool back then.
I’m new to prepping and this was so helpful! Thanks!
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!
My Swiss army nice is 12 years old and I always find my self grabbing out of my pocket instead of my folder to cut small things like twine, limes, pealing oranges, etc and it never fails me hasn’t gotten loose or broken
I’m the same way with mine. It does finer tasks much better than “beefier” folders.
As time and funds allow...My favorite line...And true to all
The 🔨 multitool combo....yes mistakes were made in buying that...🦉
Full tang always when buying a fixed blade.
When I was a little kid everyone had the Rambo knife or they were in your uncles garage living in the city with a knife that had a compass and a rope saw inside
I'm happy with my überleben Ferrocerium Rod. I think it's 7" length and 1/2" diameter. It is a good one and came with a striker attacked, that I first thought would be no good, because it looked like other ones I had with other ferro rods, but it actually does an awesome job on the ferro rod that came with it.
Not all hollow handle knives are created equal, there are actually some fairly decent ones out there. Boker makes one that I think is based on the Martin customs (which are also pretty sick), the old Buck 184 Buckmaster was a beast, the Ramster Buckmaster clone is also pretty decent for the price. Shrade also used to make good (maybe they still do) hollow handle knives as does the Russian company Kyzler (probably spelled that wrong).
Overall, you are correct and most people should just avoid them but they are fun to use sometimes.
Memory fail me at this moment but I believe there are/were at least 2 companies that made billet (1 piece) hollow handle knives. Not cheap!
Schrade makes solid steel billet hollow handle knives’ a whole set of lengths and blade profiles’ they are the only hollow handle knives I’d trust beside the above mentioned’ they are really nice’ I have two that are relegated to vehicle kits due to the handles both having a small driver and some extra bits in them’ price was around 45$ each
@@chrismayo4902 I forgot about Schrade having the bit drivers!
The Schrade knives are Similar to the Chris Reeve hollow handle knives. Schrade bought the rights to the Chris Reeve knives or something like that. Also, Randall makes a hollow handle knife. I think it's the Model 18 Astronaut knife.
Love it no one does the worst products!!! Good on you!!!
Thank you!
" Schrade makes a hollow handle knife made from a single piece of steel that's a beast".
If you are ever in a knife fight with someone and you are armed with one of those hollow-handle knives, you can throw the pommel at them and end them rightly.
Plz do a follow up on tarps tents and shelters.
I've carried two Swiss Army knives for over 40 years and they are still great. Cannot beat them.
i got a pocket chain saw, like it, but must remember to keep it oiled
Yeah I never buy those folding knives anymore cuz one time I had a folding Leatherman knife and it almost cut my whole pinky off because it never locked it was a great learning lesson and now all my knives are fixed blades in the smallest one I have is like an inch and it's all fixed blade no fold lot less of a chance of cutting my whole pinky off and I got a scar to remind myself every time thank God that there's bones inside of our here skin cuz if I didn't have any bones in my pinky knife would have gone right through
Whenever somebody talks to me about prepping and survival gear I always tell them to start cheap find what works for you and and what doesn't work and then my personal opinion on good quality
Thanks for the advice comrade. We almost made big mistakes
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!
Being in a wedding at 22yrs old, I was given a Swiss clone, thinking it was real. Yeah, real alright... real crap! 2 yrs ago I got a real SAK and oh my! Wish I didn't wait 35 yrs!
FYI...genuine Victorinox Swiss Army knives can be found dirt cheap on Fleabay..often deep discounted because they have some company's name on the scales as a promo...replace those & boom, you have a brand new looking SAK for a fraction of the price...
Stipple the grips..........I have a similar Becker and did that to it. I absolutely LOVE IT!
I may try that. I have a spare set of grips since I upgraded the ones on my BK-21 to micarta.
Good video!
I think you were truthful about these products. I’ve seen how awful some of these can be.
About time someone makes a video like this. I have the Swiss Champ, and the Leatherman Wave as my multitools. My saw is the Silky Pocketboy, and as a backup the pocket chainsaw. I have a magnesium bar, big ferro rod, a fresnel lens, a portable permanent match, a metal pencil sharpener, and a bic lighter with various fuel sources. I am building my own survival kit because it is either cheap/useless stuff or it's not what I need. The best ones besides Esee, and Vigilant Trails survival kits is the Compact 66 survival kit (which is no longer made). If I had any of those multitools you showed that should be avoided would be used for things that I would not mind having broken or worn.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
I definitely recommend Victorinox all day!
You can get wire saws that work well. The only problem is they are about £200. That's about £260USD. You can get a folding saw of good quality for less than half that. As for knifes then "Tod's workshop" makes extremely high quality custom ones. They are pricey but damn near indestructible.
You can make a wire saw with snare wire.
Survival knifes- buy a good knife and build a kit to attach to the sheath. I lash fire starter and sharpening stones or what have you to my sheaths. Wax string specifically.... also attach your knife to your machete
Yep, 100% agree. I hate crappy nonsense items, especially ones of the ridiculous variety.
Might as well use your $ as tinder.
Good rule of thumb... no gimmicky stuff, or Chinesium allowed.
Would add to this list those cheap survival hatchets you can buy...the made from one piece of metal types....buy a fiskars x5 or a bahco, hultafors 500g hatchet...
Nearly all survival kits for sale on Amazon or Ebay are toy-like in quality. Not to mention they oftentimes contain useless stuff
I too had my Swiss Army knives in my young years. I do not like them now. But I do still have one folding pocket knife from more than 20 years ago. I have used it a fair amount, even recently. That knife is awesome for a simple pocket knife. With all the use and having plastic as the handle covering, it has lasted a long time without breaking or cracking, etc. And I only sharpened it a few times in those couple of decades and it still cuts good. I've even used it to cut holes in metal cans (soup cans, pop cans, etc). I have finally decided to stop using it for heavy work and only to cut paper, paracord, cardboard, etc. I don't want to push it to the point of it actually breaking with it's age and use. The company was done so long ago and taken over by another company that was partners for a bit.
I won't bother with them chain hand saws. I just use folding saws. And the folding saws I use are Silky. I have the F180 Pro which fits in my pocket. I tied a paracord lanyard on the end to hang out of the pocket to grab the saw easily. The other Silky folder I use is for the wide trees. It's the BigBoy Pro. For years I been having a problem trying to saw with regular hand saws, like them bow saws, etc, even though they are made for cutting trees. I can cut lumber boards with a carpenter saw, but trees are a pain with them. I've even started out with a couple of cheap folding knives from Canadian Tire. Not so great! But these Silky folding saws make it so much easier for me to cut the trees/branches and even the lumber (2x4, etc).
Why I don't bother with the Swiss Army style knives..... First most don't have the knife/tools lock in place and it is too easy to have it close on your fingers while using them. Although there are some out there that have been made with the locking mechanism on them. I would go with those ones. Also, I don't even use all those tools, so not much point in having the Swiss knives. I like having my goods as separate tools. My knife is only a knife. My saw is only a saw, etc. Not big on combining them into one thing. I like to keep things simple and my tools separate.
Cool video great advice for amateur's, all my gear is minimal and military grade.
Exactly correct and i wanna point out that there is one exception to hollow handle survival knives that is of good quality and thats the Cold Steel bushman survival knife as its made of high quality steel thats a full tang knife and the blade and handle is all one piece of steel all the way through the knife.