Boy, I gotta tell you that there is not a more crowded gear category than knives.  If you can think of it, somebody makes it and it is for sale.  A good friend of mine is a Phoenix Fire Captain and we vacation together in Coronado, California.  While we were imbibing in the days chosen beach beverage he exclaimed that he had bought “the whole enchilada” last night.  Well, I was with him the night before and I had no idea what he was talking about but I have known this man since high school so I knew I was in for a good story.  For whatever reason he was watching the knife man on one of those late night home shopping network shows.  In good old fashioned carnival barker style the guy on the TV was pitching something like 50 assorted knives for $199 but if you bought within the next few minutes he would throw in “the whole enchilada” which was another bunch of knives for the low, low price of $149 PLUS SHIPPING.  I rolled my eyes and couldn't figure out why in the world this intelligent, college educated, professional firefighter would blow good money on a bunch of junk.

Several weeks later, back in Phoenix, he rolls up to the house with an arm full of small boxes.  I looked at him like the RCA dog and he says “the whole enchilada man.”  “What?”  I said.  So he reminds me of his nocturnal telephonic shopping spree in Coronado and said that UPS showed up the other day with a box that weighed 57 lbs and that it was full of all of these different kinds of knives.  Now he was going all over town handing them out to buddies like it was Halloween candy.  I told him I really couldn’t take all of these, he was being too generous.  He assured me that I had to take them because he simply had too many and that they were cheap and would break easily anyway.  Use them, break them and toss them.  All I could say was…"thank you" and off he went to spread more cutlery around the valley like the Tooth Fairy.  The Knife Fairy.  He still has a big bag of knives in his locker at the station and every time I visit he tries to unload another bunch of them on me.  Classic Sham.  What a piece a work.  He belongs on a wall somewhere.

The point is that there are a lot of different kinds of knives out there and with all due respect to my friend and his enchilada, a lot of it is junk.  It would take me forever to list every good knife that is available to the discerning outdoorsman but I will share with you the ones that I have found and use.  Again, as with all of our recommended gear, cost is not an issue.  We simply use what we like and promote what we use. 

Buck Ranger model 112 - this is a smaller version of the classic Folding Hunter that Buck has made for many years.  It has to be one of the best selling knives in history.  It is solid, simple and durable.  This was my first hunting knife and I am still carrying and using it to clean game 30 years later.

Randall model 5 Camp And Trail Knife – A 5 inch fixed blade from a legendary knife maker.  Many think that Randall Made Knives are the best in the world.  All I know is that they are beautiful, well made and hold an edge like no other knife I own.  This is one of three knives that I carry to clean big game.

Havalon Piranta New Pro Trophy Skinner – This is a new addition to my hunting collection.  I got it at the suggestion of the guys at The Outdoorsmans in Phoenix.  These are the guys that we buy all of our optics and tripods from.  This little folding knife is really nothing more than a very sturdy surgical scalpel holder made out of Zytel plastic.  The blade is an actual surgical grade scalpel.  I have used it a couple of times now and it is the slickest thing since sliced bread for skinning.  Since the blades are thin and somewhat brittle it comes with a stack of extra blades.  This is a nice piece for a specific use.    

Buck Alpha Hunter model 694BK – with a 3 ¾ in fixed blade this simple but elegant design is a very nice knife for skinning and general use.  This handy little knife fits my hand well and has a nice heft to it.  And it is a Buck so it is well made and sturdy.

Buck Vanguard-R model 692BK – I like this knife because it reminds me of my Randall only it is a lot less expensive.  It has a fixed blade that is a little more than 4 inches long and a rubberized handle for grip or gription as I like to say.  It is a nice looking and nice handling knife that is well built and dependable.

Buck Diamondback Outfitter model 479BK – an inexpensive, straightforward fixed blade with a rubber texturized handle that ensures a solid grip when your hands are wet or covered with blood. 

CRKT M60-14NK Tanto – I first saw this knife at the SHOT Show and was very impressed by the heavy duty, overbuilt design.  This is a brute of a knife that doesn't need to be babied.  In fact, it sort of begs to be abused and I have been happy to oblige.  I would have preferred a flat end for hammering and pounding though.

CRKT MAK 1 model 2050 – If I were a firefighter or still flying with the Sheriff’s office this is the survival knife that I would want with me.  This heavy duty, fixed blade, multi tool is more machete than knife.  In fact it was designed by a firefighter.  It has a thick chisel tip, a long pry bar blade that is very sharp on one side and blunt on the other (I had wished that the other side had saw teeth on it but the way it is now allows you to pound on it with a rock or piece of wood).  The Handle end has a battery wrench, glass twist breaker and a carbide glass breaker tip.  I originally purchased this knife to use in an emergency kit that I have been developing but it is too heavy.  If you are a pilot or a fireman or a SAR Tech, you might seriously consider this beefy piece of steel.  It is a lot of tool and I don’t think you can hurt it.

CRKT Hammond A.B.C. E.R. model 2604ER – I picked this up as a knife for my swiftwater rig.  I like the mounting options that the hard plastic sheath offers and the adjustable tension grips the blade exactly the way I like.  The knife itself it a very nice piece.  Blunt tip, sharp straight edge on one side and a serrated edge on the other.  The skeletonized frame exposes a steel butt for window strikes.  We have a lot of “stupid Drivers” in Arizona that think their Hummers double as U-boats and they try to cross washes after big rains.  A good knife with a glass breaker and a good set of wire cutters for barbed wire are a must for an experienced SAR Tech.  I also like this knife because it is a good size.  It is long enough to be effective but not so long as to be unwieldy, also it doesn't’t stick out and get in my way when it is mounted to my PFD.  I have gone through a lot of knives for swiftwater work.  This one is my favorite.

Benchmade AOF Auto model 9050 – When I was an Airborne SAR Tech for the Sheriff’s office I wore a customized OD green 27P Nomex flight suit.  My lower left calf pocket had sewn compartments that held a pickoff strap, 12 feet of 1 inch tubular webbing and a Gerber saw.  Under that pants leg I wore an adjustable C-collar around my ankle and a neoprene knee pad.  The right calf pocket held 33 feet of 8mm static kernmantle rope with a locking carabiner on one end and a heavy over glove for rappelling.  Above the zipper on the outside of the pants leg were my goggles.  Under that pants leg was the other knee pad.  My left thigh pocket held my Nomex flight gloves.  My right breast pocket held a comb (for cactus removal) and a bandanna.  In the left breast pocket was a zip lock bag for blowing chow.  The left arm pocket held my cell phone, ID, credit card and a picture of my wife and kids on the beach.  Under my flight suit I wore cotton bike shorts, a cotton sleeveless T-shirt, Smartwool hiking socks and a Petzl 8003 full body harness.  That is the rig I wore every shift for four years.  The only variation was for swiftwater or cold weather. 

That’s a lot of planning and work to put on and take off.  So, what kind of a knife would a person who goes to this much trouble carry in their right thigh pocket?  The Benchmade AOF Auto.  The idea was to select a knife that was dependable enough to bet my life on and also give me the ability to present the blade with one hand.  It had to be an auto opener and as it turns out, it had to be a Benchmade.  This is the knife that I carried for three years and it served me very well.  It has a clip, a blade release button and a 3 ¾ inch blade that is half serrated.  It is a bad ass knife.  I used it hard and it never once failed me.  I give this knife my highest recommendation.

Microtech QD Scarab – I switched knives my last year of flying for the Sheriff.  This is the knife I went with.  It is not quite as beefy as the Benchmade but it is a better one handed, quick deployment, rope wrench.  The Scarab is an intimidating out-the-front presentation knife with a big actuating button on the side that works just as well with or without gloves.  It also has skateboard grip tape inserts on the sides.  This is a knife that I can hold tightly in one hand with my thumb on the button.  I can present or retract a double edge, half serrated blade with one movement.  That is important to a Rope Rescue Tech or somebody who rappels out of a helicopter or hangs on a long line 100 feet below it because there are situations where you need to cut away from the bird.  It also has a very pronounced “skull crusher” tip for breaking car windows.  This is a very well made, precision knife.  It is expensive and requires routine maintenance but for certain operators, it is perfect.  It also has a very high cool factor.

Gerber LMF II – This is a fairly new entry to the market and it is a good one.  Developed for the military this is a very heavy duty knife with a rubber handle and hammer tip on the butt end.  I just liked this knife because it feels good to use and it seems to be indestructible.

Gerber Longbow – a nice fat handled fixed blade that was designed to clean elk.  It is extremely sharp and stays that way.  It is made well and the rubber handle feels good in your hand.  Apparently, it is only available only from Cabelas.  

Paramedic Shears – For the price you should have a half dozen of these stashed all over the house, truck, Ranger, backpack, saddlebag and bird belt.  It is the duct tape of cutting tools.  They are good for almost anything.  I always carried a pair in my flight suit shroud cutter pocket.  Don’t leave home without a pair.

Leatherman Vista Pruners – A pretty slick little unit that is good for trimming back the limbs from your tree stand or snipping the wings off your downed quail.  You can cut larger branches with the saw.  It also has a nasty sharp short blade, screw drivers, bottle opener and a shotgun choke tube tool.  It is a handy little piece that I have grown to like a lot.

Geber Sportsmans Wood Saw – I love this thing.  I used it to make or tidy up LZs and cut branches for improvised litters or splints or shelters.  It is a great tool and lightweight.  A must have for anybody that heads into the bush.

New BCB Commando Wire Saw – This is an amazing little wire saw that is surprisingly effective.  It is very lightweight and does not have the sharp barbs on it like previous versions.  The twisted strands of wire cut through fist size branches with ease.  There is no reason to be without one of these.  I have including it in my soon to be released Wilderness Emergency Kit. 

Gerber Camp Axe – You have to have a hatchet in the camp box and this is a good one.  You are not going to cut anything big but this is a handy little piece that helps with chores.

So, that is the list of cutting tools that I am using.  Wandering why there is no swiss army knife?  I have always been a fan of the little red knives but the one I want hasn’t been made yet.  I would like to see one with a locking serrated blade, a saw, scissors, tweezers, bottle opener, can opener, regular and Phillips screw drivers and nothing else.  When that is available, I will buy it and use it.  I do like the Classic from Victoirnox for my med kit.  The little scissors work well for trimming the skin away from blisters.  You can get them at REI.

Thanks.

Hardcore Outdoor is dedicated to those who won't or can't turn back.