If a good quality, inexpensive sharpened prybar is what you're looking for I'd recommend a Glock field knife instead. It's surprisingly light but pretty much indestructible and comes with an awesome lightweight sheath (much better than the heavy steel scabbard on the Mauser bayonet).

Or an AK-style bayonet. Cheap and very durable. I keep a Bulgarian AK-74 bayonet in my toolbox, it makes an awesome heavy duty tool but it was a pain to sharpen for the first time. Those things were never really intended to do much cutting but the blade is capable of taking a decent edge and the point can be used to pry or dig with little risk of damage. Also, the scabbard and bayonet can be used as a wire cutter - quite effective in that department.

I think I'll play with the K 98 for awhile...

I take the "sharpened pry bar" advice quite literally and often something like this accompanies me on field trips and excavations: http://www.stanleytools.com/en-US/produc...n-bar/stht55134

When grubbing around in the rocks and gravel, a gadget like this is a very useful tool indeed. Sharpening them helps...

Yup, agreed. I don't have much experience with that particular product but it's a lot like a couple of prybars that I've modified over the years to do pretty much the same thing. Not a tool I would carry regularly on field trips, though. A little heavy and bulky, plus not very effective at cutting.

That's why a sturdy knife might be a more practical option out in the field. I mentioned the Glock M78 because it's cheap and works really well for that purpose. I also like Wildman's suggestion. Granted, bayonets are not often thought of as practical outdoor tools but some types are acutally pretty good for that kind of rough work. Not so sure about the good old Mauser '98, those things are already pretty old and have considerable collector value. Also, the blade on some models tends to be soft and bends easily.

The ubiquitous AK bayonet is easily available on the surplus market, it's compact, lightweight and really well made for what it is. A semi-sharp, almost indestructible chunk of steel with a very strong point. The sawback isn't all that great but works reasonably well as a root saw. And the wire cutter can be useful at times. That's just one example, I could think of many more options that I know would perform OK in the field.

No bayonet that I know of can replace a good sheath knife as a cutting instrument but as a backup tool for rough work, well - I think the idea has some merit. Just make sure to avoid the models prone to breakage. Unfortunately, many modern bayonets fall into that category. The British issue SA80 comes to mind, the US M9 is not much better in that regard.