I like the Field Pup too. It has a better handle and sheath than the Moras.

The field pup is an excellent value (I own two of the older aus8 versions); a better knife than many of the moras. But even at cabelas it's $15 plus shipping, which is not quite in the "$10 ish" rangs.

If shipping and tax have to be included against that $10, then there's not much to suggest. I doubt you could even get a Mora to your door for under $10 including shipping, tax, etc.

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If shipping and tax have to be included against that $10, then there's not much to suggest. I doubt you could even get a Mora to your door for under $10 including shipping, tax, etc. [/quote]

See my earlier post - mora 510 is $8.99 at amazon, and free shipping if you're an amazon prime member.

Go to the junkyard, buy a 2 foot piece of scrap spring steel for $5. Spend a couple weeks working it into shape. Get some scrap oak or hickory or maple or alder and whittle up some handles. That should about do it.

Why $10, Phaedrus? Is there an overall budget you're working with? How did you arrive at this number?

Since Phaedrus is looking to put together kits for a number of people, it seems like the Mora knife on Amazon ought to be suitable at $8.95, with free shipping for orders more than $25. He can order three or more of them, wait two weeks, and the Brown Truck of Happiness will appear at his doorsteps. Problem solved!

Also, Hikermor: why do you say batoning is silly?

Thanks for the link. I do have a Field Pup and it's an awesome knife! At $15 it's probably the best knife out there. Shame it's the leather sheath; the nylon one is much better. Truly, there may not be a better knife for under $20 than that little SOG. Perhaps a little too expensive for my application but it bears consideration. I think the main issue I may have would be that it might be a little bit too bulky for my needs, but it might work.




I'm in trouble already! I realize that batonning remains controversial. When camping or hiking when I am building a fire, most of the time I prepare kindling by batonning it. I find I can split wood much more accurately and safely with a knife than with an axe. It's just a more precise method, at least for me. True- you could probably build a hundred fires in good conditions without having to split any wood at all. But in bad conditions, especially when it's wet, any wood you scrounge may need to be split to get at the dry part. In a survival situation you probably wouldn't want to risk your most important tool unless you had to but you may have to.




Well, the number is somewhat arbitrary. True, I could spend more on the knife and less somewhere else. Or simply spend more altogether. The problem is price creep- a little more for the knife, a little more for the mirror, a bit more for a better space blanket, etc. and suddenly your $30 kit is $50. I have to draw the line somewhere.

The Mora and Opinel knives both skate in just under $10 delivered and are both very good knives IMO. Not just good cheap knives but good knives, period. Especially the carbon ones. Not so crazy about the Opinel INOX, though. A Mora SS is a bit better.

Thanks for all the suggestions! There are a few out there that I hadn't heard of (a real shocker, knife geek that I am!) and a couple deals that I hadn't seen (especially the $15 SOG...I paid $35 for mine!).

The paring knife idea does have some merit; a bushcraft knife is really just a knife. Few of them have serviceable sheaths, though, something I need for this kit unless it's a folder. Adding a separate sheath would drive up the cost a bit. I would prefer to get a number of the same knife as opposed to a mish-mash of different blades for consistency.

I have built a fair number of fires in bad conditions, when it was raining and the woods were soaked. Generally the biggest problem has been the accompanying wind, which makes the process rather difficult. I can find dry tinder and small stuff by searching the inner parts of large, thick conifers. Hopefully I can find some standing pine knots in a snag. I have always split my wood by stomping or dropping a rock on a suspended log. A few minutes of that will produce enough kindling for an all night fire. When the rain continues, we just build a wigwam of kindling and logs and let the fire dry them out.

We all do check the weather report when we go out, don't we? I learned long ago that a good stove is well worth the weight in crummy conditions. You get that nice cup of tea a lot faster.

Batoning isn't environmentally bad, and it does demonstrate that you do indeed have a good,tough knife, but I have just never had to do it.

Although I do recall one SAR incident where we were treating a victim with lots of injuries (his injuries had injuries). We had used up all our splinting material and I was eyeing a nearby sapling, thinking "I am going to carve away everything that doesn't look like a splint." The sapling was saved when reinforcements,with fresh splints, arrived.

The Field Pup sounds intriguing - one can always use another good, cheap knife.

Making a sheath is pretty easy. Leather is a poor choice, due to issues with moisture, acid content and blade damage, and ease of manipulation. HDPE sheets salvaged from trash, or tyvek envelopes obtained free from the postal service, fastened with duct or electricians tape provide a sturdy and low profile pouch sheath. Add a piece of emery cloth to the side of the sheath for sharpening, and you have a sheath better than most commercial choices. But Benjammin's suggestion of making the knives is the better option: a big, cheap butcher knife or saw blade can be ground down to make several full tang 3 inch blades, providing complete artistic control over blade profile and grind, demystifying the knife-making process and freeing the knife-maker from bondage to the industrial-marketing complex that dominates the commercial knife world.
Knife enthusiasts of the world unit! Cast off your bonds of serfdom! You have nothing to lose but your chains!

Follow this advice.
Sorry that was a bit abrupt. I own a Hultafores Heavy Duty. For a survival kit it is a better choice than the Mora or Field Pup. Both of whom I own and have experience with. The Hultafores is my preferred choice as a back up knife to my Falkniven F1 or as a primary knife in a "budget" kit.