Legendary knives

**Jon Mawer** · 16-01-2007, 12:49

Just thought I'd start this little thread, about knives that, in your opinion, have shaped the way we think about knives and the outdoors, in particular, bushcraft and woodcraft. Might also be useful for people looking for something new, or a very brief review as to why I think they are mentionable.
So here we are, these, IMO, are some knives that have really played a part in the outdoor world.

Fixed blade:

The bowie knife (ok, I know this is an over used, and a rather general, term, and that it's not a terribly practical knife for bushcraft, but it sure is recognisable)

Marbles Woodcraft; a true classic, one of the grandfathers of sheath knives
Marbles Ideal; again, a real timeless design. Many, many spinoffs

Fallkniven F1; for many THE knife to own and use for bushcraft

Mora Training Knife; THE best value all purpose knife?

Frost's Clipper; as above!

Woodlore Knife; what more needs to be said? We all know it, some love it, some loathe it.

Ka-bar USMC classic; again, a legendary design

The Nessmuk; quite possibly the original bush knife. It has a lot going for it

Jimmy Lile Rambo Knives; they inspired hundreds of spinoffs (maybe it was a spinoff of some Randalls, but that doesn't matter), including the

Aitor Jungle King; an over copied design that works for many

The Puukko; a true outdor knife, hundeds of variants and really versatile

Folders:

Opinel; the Mora of pocket knives? IMO, underused and real value

The Swiss Army Knife (AKA the SAK!): not the cheap chinese made copies, but the real deal from Victorinox or Wenger. Again, really under-estimated, given its capabilites

Leatherman; the 2 definitive designs have to be the original PST and the Wave, both have helped a lot of people get out of sticky situations

The British Army Pocket/Clasp Knife; was this your first serious clasp knife? Built like a tank and has been inhabiting Britains army surplus shops for nearly a hundred years.

The Demo Knife; essentially the US equivalent of our british army clasp knfe

The Scout Knife; civilian version of the above, designed for scouts, very useful.

The Spyderco; loads of models and very strong, certainly one of the better modern knife makers around.

The Buck 110; a classic clip point hunting lockback, and with out a doubt the most copied locking knife ever.

Thats about it, I can't really think of any more right now, but please add your own and comment on what I've put!

**Hoodoo** · 16-01-2007, 12:55

Well, the Buck 110 has to be in the list on folders.

**Jon Mawer** · 16-01-2007, 13:02

Whoops, yes, quite forgot that one!

**Jon Mawer** · 16-01-2007, 13:05

Edited and added!

**Shinken** · 16-01-2007, 14:21

i would have said the frosts clipper is the bushcraft knife fo many as well as F1,

How about bark river? russel works mountain man knife?

**Squidders** · 16-01-2007, 14:31

Jimmy Lile isn't it? - minor correction I know but as it's for a list

I would like to add the following:

fixed blade - fairbairn sykes dagger

folder - laguiole original folding knife

**Jon Mawer** · 16-01-2007, 14:40

I was very tempted to add both of those two, but I felt as the commando bagger is double edged and more for fighting, it didn't really fit in. I felt that the laguiole wasn't really known by that many outdoors men/women (except in France!), but apparently I'm wrong. I have two at home, I don't know why I don't use them!

**Squidders** · 16-01-2007, 14:45

well, between opinel and laguiole there is the pride of a whole country. I would say its easily as legendary as some we consider infamous as outdoors types

as for the dagger, yes it's for fightin' but so was the bowie and rambo jobbies, that's why they have guards... I would say it's one of the most recognizable knives in the world and if you asked someone to draw a dagger, that's what you'd see.

Of course, there's a 83% chance i'm talking nonsense here, that can't be ruled out

**Doc** · 16-01-2007, 14:53

The Marbles ideal was arguably the first 'hunting knife' and goes back to the turn of the century. But why miss out the Marbles 'Expert' - similar, but thinner, and the choice of Calvin Rutstrum.

And how about the Paul folder by gerber?

**Jon Mawer** · 16-01-2007, 15:51

All of your comments are valid points, I've even added the buck 110 at the suggestion of Hoodoo (can't think why I forgot about it!), but as I said, these are simply my observations. If you wan't to add some more knives, and a brief comment about why you think they are great, feel free, that's why I posted it!

**Doc** · 16-01-2007, 17:19

Great thread, not seen this come up before.

Regarding the Marbles 'Expert', here is a link to a very good article y Schwert.
http://outdoors-magazine.com/s_artic...id_article=280
http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?

i
The Paul knife was made by Gerber and then copied by another company. They seem to go for silly money - like the Woodlore, availability is the issue. Never tried one, but apparantly good for a slim pocket knife.

Maybe a Kukri might go on the list?

**MikeDB** · 16-01-2007, 17:42

Sebenza, one of, if not the best production folder.

And a good few others from Chris too, my personal favourite is the Shadow IV

Mike

**Doc** · 16-01-2007, 18:39

Should also add the Grohmann and keep the Canucks happy.

http://www.grohmannknives.com/pages/outdoor.html

It has won over 25 international awards and is on display at the museum of modern art in New York.

**Hunter_zero** · 16-01-2007, 18:52

When I was a lad, the two knifes to have for "survival" were;

The commando survival life line from BCB ( did anyone ever see these?)

and

The Buck master.

Okay, I know these are more urban commando than countryside whittler but there you go.

John

**sam_acw** · 16-01-2007, 19:52

This could turn into a nice article - if we could find some photos and opinions, histories etc. to bulk out the lists

**mrostov** · 16-01-2007, 20:14

Probably the greatest designs smaller than a sword that influenced much of the knives we have today are:

Buck 110
Leatherman multi-tool
Bowie
Green River skinner
Tanto
Machete/Parang/Bolo style blades

**underground** · 16-01-2007, 20:54

For me as a lad it was the WS Dartmoor, I drooled over it in magazines and in the counter at G. Fultons, the gunsmith at Bisley. It was too expensive then, and it is now! I'd still ike one but only to relive the boyhood wonder of having such an *apparently* 'functional' knife :-)

**addyb** · 17-01-2007, 00:19

I'm going to add my recommendations to the SAK portion of the list.

Yes, they are fantastic little knives, and definately, definately underrated. Soft steel? Psssh....I use my wee SAK probably 75% of the time, only bringing out the fixed blade when the going gets really rough! I have a little formula for my SAK, you see and it goes like this: If the main blade's not standing up to whatever I'm slicing or cutting, that's when the Mora knife comes out of the pack!

Adam

PS: Oh, and the British Army clasp knife as well, thanks to the generosity of Bamboo Doggy. Holy $&$^&%^(*&(*)^ but those things are tough!

**Hoodoo** · 17-01-2007, 03:12

Growing up on a farm, I can't think of any kids or adults I knew that didn't have a slipjoint of one kind or another in their pocket. A stockman was probably the most common. Barlows were pretty common as well.

**Pignut** · 17-01-2007, 09:24

Got to be the "Linder Crocodile Hunter" as featured in "Crocodile Dundee"

A Classic film I still laugh at today! and an inspiration to own a huge impractical knife!

**addyb** · 17-01-2007, 17:16

Originally Posted by Hoodoo

Growing up on a farm, I can't think of any kids or adults I knew that didn't have a slipjoint of one kind or another in their pocket. A stockman was probably the most common. Barlows were pretty common as well.

Funny that you mention that, Hoodoo. When my Grandfather died, I found an old Barlow slipjoint in his toolbox. It's actually not a bad little knife, razor sharp carbon blades and I'm guessing delrin scales. I have no idea how old it is, but the knife holds some nice memories.

Adam

**kb31** · 21-01-2007, 02:00

i would add the WS 1986 survival knife that used to be in the survival aids colog
like the dartmoor but with a eye cut out i used look at it and think "that's the knife"
but my first poper job about 1992 i got one- nice to look at and play with-to use i
hated it even after years of rambo copys it is just too thick to cut well
i kept thinking "you'll get used to it lofty's got one and the sas "
but it ended up back in it's box til last year £400+ on ebay boy was i a happy bunny!

**Simon E** · 21-01-2007, 07:02

When we Brits say 'Penknife' I think the majority of us would say this fits the bill.

image from tout-lemonde.com

I think this is to Brits what a Stockman is to our American cousins.

I don't really know if it would fit into this thread as the OP wanted, but its such a looker and for 14.75, can you live without one?

**tedw** · 22-01-2007, 10:14

How could you forget the classic USAF Survival Knife?

**addyb** · 23-01-2007, 01:35

Originally Posted by tedw

How could you forget the classic USAF Survival Knife?

Do you mean the miniature Ka-Bar that includes a sharpening stone in the sheath, or the US equivelant of the British army jack-knife?

Curious,

Adam

**suburban bushwacker** · 28-08-2007, 00:27

what about the tom brown jnr Tracker 2 - i.e the reasonable sized one not the giant sword!

**FGYT** · 29-08-2007, 08:18

Kukri the legendary knife

**Sickboy** · 30-08-2007, 19:46

Kukri for sure, problem is which model, there are so many

**British Red** · 30-08-2007, 21:05

How about the Sgian Dubh and Scottish Dirk?

**weaver** · 31-08-2007, 00:39

The British Red Field Knife.

A legend in its own time!

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