I just received a copy of the Japanese Woodworker Catalog , & saw the 1st tool posted. I think that it would be a good tool to have in a pack.It can saw, dig, pry & slice. It is made from high carbon tool steel and tempered for heavy duty use. One side has saw teeth , the other is beveled for future sharpening & the front is shovel shaped for digging.It has a red beech handle & is made in Japan.The second picture is of a similar Swiss-made tool made of stainless steel. The Japanese one sells for about twenty bucks with a sheath included and the Swiss one goes for about seventeen without a sheath. What do you guys think?

Judging from the photos, this knife looks like it could be a very handy survival tool. I might just have to order 1, and try it out in the field to test it's suitability for a BoB.

The Swiss made knife looks like it would be better suited for a BoB than the Japanese made knife.

I wonder if the "knife fairey" would get me one????

I mentioned these waaaay back. Buy the japanese version. The carbon steel sharpens up nicely and the sheath is serviceable, but tie off some paracord if you use a belt carry. The wooden handles are readilly sanded and oiled for a more ergonomic( thats science talk for comfortable) grip. The only shortcoming is it's terrible for batonning wood. The SS version is a PITA to sharpen. For the 'down and dirty' work this tool was designed for you want ease of sharpening.

Hey Themalemutekid...... I've got one of the stainless Swiss digging tools that I use when metal detecting. I've had it for several years and I have to say it's one tough tool! Works pretty well for digging up goodies! Mine came with a nice leather sheath.

Check these digging tools out. Predator Tools , they are a little expensive but the quality is topnotch.

smitty

This is just my opinion but it's like the 3 in 1 kind of matchsafe, with a compass and a whistle, etc. When you ask one item to do everything it ends up doing nothing correctly. If you're going to carry this in your bag why not use a dedicated trowel like U-Dig-It, and a folding pruning saw. This kind of item is just not my cup of tea.

i'm with Frankie on this..fine for around the house but
if you use it as a survival tool remember it will only do
a small part of what each real tool it replaces will do..
dig a small hole..cut a small branch..so on..the saw backs on
those are made to cut roots when your planting flowers..

The soil knife is a far better digging tool than the U-dig-it. I own both, and the chief virtues of the U-dig-it are its weight and size. If you are *planning* on doing some digging, the Japanese soil knife is a much better tool for the job.

And roots can be... impressive.

Chris, since it sounds like you've sharpened one, could it work as a field knife? And how is the saw?

I'd forgotten about these- I guess I should go to another forum and eat some crow after having said that there weren't any really good knives for digging.

At $14 they are a cheap experiment. However, be warned. I am promoting -SAMURAI SURVIVALIST starring my old service buddy Bruce Shimazu. The japanese garden knife with his name etched in ink calligraphy will retail for $300.

All multi-use tools are not made equally. A matchcase/mirror/compass/whistle is not the same as a leatherman or gerber multi-tool. That being said, I don't consider the soil knife a replacement for any one-use tool. I consider it an affordable multi-tasker/back-up. Most of us carry a leatherman tool with a blade & saw and an EDC knife. So why not carry a soil knife in a pack as well as a folding saw & shovel?