Interesting thread <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I'm always broke. Being self/unemployed, I'm pretty much the kind of guy who HAS to make the most of every single piece of gear. I think this is what this thread is all about... ?

Of course, if you give me a 10 bucks budget for a knife, I'll choose more wisely and go for a Mora #1 or something similar (they cut well and keep an edge)... I'd switch the paper matches for any el-cheapo butane lighter, too.

As for making those Rambeau knives perform... it's possible. I had one when I was a kid. The bolt in the handle would get slack often, so in the woods I would just pick a piece of wood and hammer it into the handle so it would be used to tighten the bolt a little. Not perfect, but it kept the blade from falling.

The "compass" on the butt of the handle was always sticking to the plastic bubble, and thus was not usable. Once, I really needed it, so I cracked the plastic, took the compass out and put it in an old plastic cup I had found. If floated pretty well and worked well enough to bring me back home.

I used the hollow handle to fit a shaft and make a spear, too...

Anyways. The bottom line is that with some imagination you can make the lousiest gear work better... sometimes even well enough to save your life. Just don't sit there thinking "I don't have the best gear, I'll wait here and die with my mouth open"...

As someone I appreciate a lot often says: "You're never out of options until you quit".

Cheers,

David