Using Knives for Bushcraft

Knives may just be one of the most helpful tools known to man. Knives are taken for granted, from a pocket knife to a kitchen knife. The funny thing is knives can be used for an innumerable amount of tasks. One of my favorite things about knives is that I can use them for bushcraft. Bushcraft is "skills in the woods." Bushcrafters use knives for fire making, wood batoning, carving, trapping, hunting, food preparing, game processing, and the list goes on and on.

Most bushcraft knives are expensive, but their a few that are affordable but that doesn't mean they are good quality. The hilarious video above is a prime example of a cheap ($20) but terrible bushcraft/survival knife. It is best to avoid these knives. Always research a knife before purchasing, see what steel it is constructed from, and see what the reviewers have to say.

After finding an affordable, great bushcraft knife you should field test it and learn more about its quality for yourself. Go into your backyard or another piece of land and find sticks that you can generate wood shavings from.

See how comfortably you use the knife and how smooth it performs. If you are not comfortable with that knife and it does not perform the task right, it is probably in your best interest to return that knife and find a better one.

If it performs the way your desire and does well with the task, it will probably make a great bushcraft knife. Above are a few videos of field testing a knife.