Question: If you could only have ONE knife with you...No axe, no hatchet, nothing but ONE cutting tool...What would it be???

In 1970 I was sent to Southeast Asia to fly A1 Sandys over Viet-Nam and Laos. On the way I got to stop in the Philippines for Jungle Survival School training. "Snake School" as they called it, was in an area of dense jungle just outside Clark Air Base. The "Negrito" natives that were our instructors all carried large Bolo type knives which they made from Jeep and truck leaf springs. At the end of the course they were offered to us for sale for a few dollars. Obviously I bought one. These Negrito Bolos are among the most efficient cutting tools I have ever owned. They are not finely finished, in fact they are rather crude. They are also convex ground and impeccably balanced. They are also full tang and handled in crudely carved water buffalo horn with hand carved wooden sheaths. If you ever run across one of these (they are quite hard to find)buy it!!!! If you don't like it I'll surely take it off your hands!
Kix

Do you have any pictures of the blade?

My choice in a one knife kit would be and is my 1945 vintage U.S.Navy Mark 1. This knife was givein to me by my dad who was a frogman. It is still in it's gray plastic and canvas sheth.

Himalayan Imports has a good selection of bolos and khukris in various finish qualities, all fairly decent carbon steel blades semi-hand made.

Spring steel is pretty good stock for making knives, especially heavy utility knives. In "The Hunted" with Tommy Lee Jones and Benecio Del Toro, they are given instruction on making knives precisely that way. Crude, but should work (along with Tommy's stone knife, of course).

Personally, I like my Desert Battle Rat from Swamp Rat for jungle type work. Maybe not quite as heavy as the bolo, but it is high quality and has other good uses. Any of the bigger knives from Busse will suit me fine. If it had to be just one blade only, then likely a Busse Battle Mistress. For general purpose hand-wielded blade instruments, there is nothing better than Busse processed Infi alloy, nothing. Of course, you gotta be willing to spend $400+, but you get what you pay for.

On the other hand, I'd be sorely put upon to have to give up my Leatherman. If it came down to it, I might leave the Busse at home and take my Wave instead. Hey, it works just fine on dressing elk, moose, lodgepoles, 10p nails, etc. Sure it won't lop through heavy jungle all too well, but then again that's not a place I am as likely to find myself. In a combat environment, I'd definitely want the leatherman more than any other knife.

That big Crain knife that Billy had in the movie "Predator" would be cool, but I hear they are way-overpriced, and Crain doesn't have the greatest customer service reputation.

I strongly suggest you handle one and talk to people who own(ed) one.
I have seen several negitive posts on the Tracker. The major objections included weight, balance and cost. Just be careful before plunking down your hard earnrd dollers

to carry? ...easily a SAK Swisschamp...enough tools for anyone

but if it had to be one at home...it would have to be the buck 110 my dad gave me years ago...it ain't pretty...but...well...you know.

Welcome Sandy Driver, and thanks for all you guys did over there. I know that there are a lot of airmen alive today thanks to you guys in those old Spads.

I have never handled one, but from what I have read I might want to take a Busse Battle Mistress along.

I did a mini-version of the jungle survival school in Panama in '69, then were big on a 12" machete. I still have mine, but I am not sure that it would be my first choice if I could have only one knife...

Hello OBG,
Thanks, it souds like you were there too, if so welcome home old friend. The spads were almost like "Survival" aircraft. They were old but well armored and capable of low and slow wich is exactly what we neede over jungle terrain. I tried to post some pics of the Negrito bolos but obviously it didn't work. Any suggestions? I have the Jpeg files in photobucket and I followed the protocol I've used on other forums. Any info would be much appreciated.
Kix

kixonrt66, I saw your post and in 1985, I went to JEST school also in clark and I still have my Bolo, I wish I could get another one like it, it's done a lot of chopping for me. If you ever find one like it can you let me know, the handle still has the bleed me knot wood and every once in awhile if I cut my self on something, I still scrape a little off the handle and it still stops the bleeding even after 20 years. I own a Dog father and a kurkuri and a cold steel kurkuri, but my BOLO is my primary tool. I guess it grows on you.

Hello Benjammin,
I haven't had the pleasure of owning a Busse, but I plan to add one to my collection soon. I have heard nothing but good things about Busse knives and I need to find out for myself. Regarding Leatherman's and other multi-tools, I regard them as just that...multi tools. They are highly adaptive to many situatiuons and I almost always carry one on any trek of significance, but my question was really aimed at one cutting tool that you would have to use for EVERYTHING from building a shelter, to trimming your toenails and everything in between. I always have a Swiss army knife with me too...usually a super tinker but I think these are dangerously close to the multi tool definition also. I guess I should have worded the question: If you could carry a single cutting edge tool with you and NOTHING else, what would you choose?
Kix

Nighthiker,
I agree with Woodsloafer. Maybe check a little deeper before buying. I've handled the Tracker on two seperate occasions at a knife shop. It's nice and I like it but the reviews don;t match what I imagine would be its performance.

You could also look at these : http://www.redscorpionsix.com/gallery.php

Hello Big Al,
Interesting choice. Is it sentimentaltity that helped you arrive at this decision or your actual experience with this knife? I mean, the WWII Mark I saw many a GI though some harrowing situations and was and is a great tool, but it seems that there are so many other knives to choose from today. I guess having a certain amount of experience and confidence in a given knife means a lot. I have an old 1960's era U.S. Jet Pilot's Survival Knife that got me through some long missions and some downright butt clinchers, but I never had to use it for its intended purpose as I was never shot down. Still, it has a certain confidence building spirit to it that is undeniable. Interesting how our minds work in that regard, eh?
Kix

Hello!
I'm still trying to post some pictures.
The URL's on photobucket are here:

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/kixonrt66/NegritoKnives003.jpg

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/kixonrt66/NegritoKnives003-1.jpg

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/kixonrt66/NegritoKnives004-1.jpg

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/kixonrt66/NegritoKnives005-1.jpg

If you can help me post these I sure would appreciate it.
Regards,
Kix

I prefer the Gov't issue Kabar, especially if I'm only allowed to carry one knife!

Right On Falcon,
They turn up on rare occaision on E-bay. I have bought seven over the last seven years on e-bay. Only one has a bleed me not handle and it has the most ornately carved handle and sheath of them all. All the rest are more utilitarian and plain looking and have handles of water buffalo horn. I have tried Kukris,all manner of machetes, all kinds of American and asian made bolos, but I've NEVER mached the chopping efficiency of this negrito blade. These knives are REALLY hard to find. I buy every one that turns up on e-bay.
Kix

PS: check out the photobucket URL's I just posted of two of my Negrito bolos.

A good GENUINE KA-BAR is a really good choice. A nice balance between a big heavy cutting knife and one you could both kill and eat your dinner with. Certainly an all purpose tool, this knife would rate high on my list if I could only take one.
Kix

Hello Nighthiker,
The SOG SEAL is a great choice also. I have one of the original style SOG Bowies with the leather handle and the 5th Special Forces insignia engraved on the back. This knife is hollow ground from 1/4 inch stock. Lots of backbone and a superb design.
I'm VERY much interested in the Tom Brown Tracker. This looks like a well thought out tool capable of doing what the Negrito instructors did with their crude bolos. Chop, split, shave, puncture, carve, notch, etc.
Kix

I think if I could only have one blade and I didn't know where I was going it would probably be a machete or something along the lines of one of those larger swamp rat/Busse knives.

However, I would also like to have a smaller fixed blade (between 3 and 5 inches) and my Leatherman Charge in addition to the large blade. Sometimes a small blade is just a better tool for the job than a monster chopper.


Nessmuk had the right idea. A large chopper (but I prefer a blade over an axe since it can do more), a mid-sized fixed blade, and a small detail knife.

I didn't ever make it "over there," Panama was as close as I could get. But I had some friends over their, they pretty much kept me informed, plus I read a lot.

You are asking the wrong person about posting photos, I have enough trouble just downloading pics to my computer. Sorry...

I'm suprised that the RSK's haven't been mentioned yet. I have the MK1 and think it's the best knife in my inventory. I would grab that if I could only take one knife with me. Maybe my KaBar, but I like the weight, balance, grip, blade material, and sharpness of the MK1 over my other knives.

I can only answer from my own experience and (too large)inventory. While on active duty in the 80s and 90s, I carried the standard Pilot's Survival Knife:

http://www.camillusknives.com/camillus/fixedblademil_5733.shtml

Frankly, its a piece of trash. Not once did I ever see an edge on one that could cut a piece of cheese. The edge chipped if you put it into the sheath too firmly. Used to carry a SAK to suppliment it.

As a civilian, I have put some independant thought into my equipment selection. As such, my choice for an AVIATION survivial knife (I carry a different, lighter, knife when backpacking)is the Chris Reeve Aviator:

http://chrisreeve.com/aviator.htm

The Aviator is sturdy, takes a scary-sharp edge, and is small enough to use without lopping off my own ear. I haven't really used the saw-edge, but I am sure it will work just fine. Also, I stuff a few of pieces of tinder and a cut-down spark-lite into the machined out hollow handle (and remember, this is one of the rare Equipped-to-Survive approved hollow handles). I only have two minor qualifications about the knife:

1. I've never really liked the leather sheath it comes with - jabs me in the kidneys. Instead, I sent the knife off to Bob Dozier (http://www.dozierknives.com/) and he made me an extremely comfortable kydex sheath that holds the knife horizontally along my beltline.

2. The knife is not stainless. The knife is coated, but the edge is obviously exposed. I regularly treat it with Sentry Marine Tuf Cloth and no signs of corrosion so far. If I was flying in a salt-water environment or rain forest, I might choose a knife made of a modern stainless steel.

If I could travel back in time 20 years, I would definitely take this knife with me to carry in my survival vest instead of that glorified knife-shaped paperweight that I still use as -- you guessed it -- a paper weight.

By the way, the Aviator is not cheap. That's OK - neither am I...

Aloha kixonrt66,

That Negrito knife is nice. How much do they usually sell for?

I hope if I see one on ebay, you don't.

Then we would be 7 to 1. I really like the way it looks and you say it performs. I can't wait for my Bark River golok to arrive too.

The Victorinox Classic is the one knife I couldn't do without.

Otherwise, my favorite all-around knife from my collection at the moment is my Benchmade 190 Drop Point Hunter.

I've never been a big fan of the "one knife" discussions. It seems like some folks always come up with a big knife that in the real world they would not normally have on their person. If you want to discuss bolo's and their usefulness in survival situations, that's great, but I'll have a good locking folder on me first and last. Those other blades fall in between.

What is your everyday carry knife? If you are going to have a "one knife" discussion, lets start with your EDC. I have used Doug Ritter's RSK Mk I folder as an EDC. Can't say that about any large blade. Why on Earth would I have a big chopper and not have my EDC folder?

Photobucket does all the work for you. Go to your image, and just click on the yellow field under the "forum" label, with what looks like a mutated URL. Thier script will push that data to your clipboard, and then right click in the message, and paste.

That's the point I've been biting my tounge over. The best knife is the one you have when you need it. And if you have a couple to choose from, you're in better shape.

Now, if asked to pick THREE, rescaledand resheathed kukri, a Ka-Bar MKII (leather handle, either the origional or shorty), and either a Vic Ranger or a Leatherman Supertool.

IMHO a longer sheath knife can be pretty useful in almost any environment. I've had the new Kabar with a synthetic grip and sheath for a while and I wouldn't go on any longer trek without it. It's still compact enough for most tasks but it's also got just enough mass that you can chop small branches for shelter poles and the like. Which is very useful in a situation when you don't carry an axe for some reason, and a lot faster than trying to use a folding saw on a multitool or just whittling away with a small blade. That said, I would personally avoid any blade over 7" and/or serrations.

Another good choice would be a smaller Scandinavian sheath knife, 4" or the like. I bought a laminated blade from Frost and mounted it myself. It's excellent steel, tempered to 61 HRc. Takes and holds a terrific edge. Probably as close to the ultimate survival knife as it gets but obviously too small for heavier work so you really need to complement it with an axe or a dedicated chopping tool on the trail. Anyway, this is a fairly subjective topic because it depends on many factors and above all the local climate and vegetation.

I would take either; My Chris Reeves Project I or my old crutch tip Randall Model #18 Attach/Survival.

If not a fixed blade;then either a swiss tool or leatheman Surge.

But a bolo would still be a great choice.

Hello RAS,
My everyday carry knives are a Benchmade Griptilian and a Swiss Victorinox Executive. If I were unexpectedly forced into a survival situation these are the knives I would have with me. However, I travel with a survival kit in my truck at all times and included in my equipment is a medium bolo for chopping and other purposes. I prefer it to a hatchet, machete or saw for cuttin saplings to build a shelter, cutting fire wood, butchering game etc. I mean, I see yoyur point...who walks around with a Busse Battle Mistress hanging on their belt???
So, with that in mind...let's start a new discussion:
What knife do you carry in your pocket? Every day...All the time? As I mentioned, I carry two...A Bwnchmade Griptilian and a Swiss Victorinox Executive.
How about the rest of you?
Kix

Both excellent choices! I've always wanted a Crutch Tip Randall!
Kix

kixonrt66, Thanks for the reply, I definitely will be checking e-bay, anyway I finally got a account on photo bucket so ma bey I can start adding more pics down the pipe. Anyway, here's the BOLO V/S the INFI dogfather. I guess you have to right click on the images to view full size (view image), a little to big I guess.
I found a link to the old school,I wonder if he will sell me any bolos without going over there to buy?
JEST

Yep, that dogfather isn't too far off in size/form from the battle rat. If you need something a little bigger, the Rat Daddy was an inch or so longer than the battle rat. I think the new Swamp Rat line calls it the Bull Mastiff blade. The steel they use (SR-101) and the heat treatment on it are superior to the SR-77 used for the dogfather,but still not as nice as the Infi alloy. I spent a lot of time looking at the big knife market, and I just kept coming back to the Busse because it only makes sense to have the best.

This should take nothing away from those bolos and khukris that others refer to. They have been and continue to be highly suitable as a jungle/combat/survival tool, and I would not turn one away if it were offered to me.

kixonrt66: I assumed you were asking about just having one blade, so in my previous post I started out with comparing apples to apples with my DBR. I threw in the multi-tool argument only to broaden the line of thought, as I suspected (correctly) that others would tend to do. No worries.

I do add this disclaimer to my endorsement. No one needs a Busse knife in particular. They are as good as I felt I could do in acquisitions, and they are relatively expensive. You can do all you need to do with a $30 big knife as I can with my $400 Busse and be just as successful if you do your part. If you don't do your part, then it doesn't matter how good a knife you pack.

Thanks for the pics Falcon!
The bolo looks exactly like some of my larger ones, Water Buffalo Horn too! Yup I think that's quite close to the bolos I like so much. I looked at the JEST link. Very organized compared to our training group at Clark. It may be the same group of instructors or their descendants teaching the course. I remember thinking I would be very hungry and very uncomfortable during the four days of our training. Our instructors carried nothing but these bolos and a canteen. Our food was adequate and our shelters were quite comfortable and dry even in a rainforest downpour. All the cooking, fire building, shelter building, trap setting, game butchering etc were performed with the bolo and nothing else. One of the instructors would find a small rock and use his bolo as a percussion instrument for signaling over great distances. It made a very distinctive pinging sound that was easy to distinguish from natural jungle sounds.
You are lucky to have the bolo and the BUSSE. I would like to see a side by side comparison of the cutting ability of each knife.
Thanks,
Kix

benjammin, I love the Busse knife collection, I’d like to get a little bigger one than the dogfather but the Bolo design has always been what I’ve been looking for. If Busse were to make a bolo out of that design with there steel and I could order it in the next century, I’d be all over that. Busse definitely makes the best knives in my opinion, they just have a screwed up way about getting one. They make awesome knives, but have poor sales technique. But a $10 bolo will do the job just the same, it just doesn’t hold an edge like Busse.

kixonrt66, I definitely miss those days as well and if I ever had the time and money, I would like to go back for a refresher. That jungle over there is like a supermarket, it’s no wonder why you could disappear for ever. Definitely paradise, but at the rate the PI is becoming more touristy, they’ll probability put condos in the next decade. I want to get out there and put the bolo and dogfather to a true test but I need to figure out how to restore my convex edge on the bolo, it has been through concrete as well as chewed on a couple of nails so the edge is extremely dull and I’m not the best sharpener there is. There is a lot of dogfather destructive testing here. http://www.scrapyardknives.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat=0&Board=Knives&page=0
Dan has a new knife coming out called the Dumpster Mutt. I’m going to try to get one it’s a great knife for the price and you can bat one of these with a sledge hammer and not hurt it.

Dumpster Mutt Specs:

Overall Length = 9 1/2"
Blade length = 5"
Thickness = Approx .285" (Between 1/4" and 5/16")
Handle = Resiprene C
Steel = SR-77
So, we're going to blow these puppies out in the grand fashion of the Yard at $69.95!!!

Look for these to hit our site in within the next 10-14 days!
SYKW

I think I've seen Busse spit out a couple custom bolos in the past. I am sure you can get one made, but the cost? Oi Vey!!

There was a post on Bladeforums wherein a dogfather was put to task against a few other big blades, one being a bolo I believe, and the dogfather chipped out pretty bad. Dan thought it was likely a flaw in the metal, which is indicative of the stock he has to work with.

Nonetheless, he will replace that knife no problem. One thing you can count on; the Busse family warranty is the best you will ever see.

As for the $10 bolo, like I said before, if you do your part, then you can expect to get more than your money's worth out of it.

Reading this forum has me interested in Swamp Rat and Scrapyard knives. So I went to their websites and I had a very hard time finding any info at all. Especially at SWKW. Is there a catalogue or pictures with specs and prices I can get? The websites just dont have too much info that I can find.

Thanks,

Garrett

This is the Swamp Rat store website:

https://www.shop.ratknives.com/splashPage.hg


Right now they only have "Little Mischiefs" for sale. I think they are in the middle of revamping their lineup, website, or something like that. I'm not entirely sure.

I hear ya Falcon,
Sometimes I miss that jungle environment. You really could find anything you need there easily. Food and water was no problem, shelter was easy because there was bamboo everywhere and it's easy to work with. Makes great cooking vessels too eh?

When my Bolos get really dull I will reshape the edge with a medium file then a coarse diamond hone, then a fine diamond hone. Remember though, this is a working/chopping edge and it shouldn't be razor sharp or have too fine an edge. If the edge is too thin it will chip easily. It should be chisel sharp and convex like an axe edge. That way it won't get damaged easily and it will retain it's working edge longer. When your Bolo get's stained and rust spots appear, scrub it down with hot soapy water and a Scotchbrite pad. After scrubbing rinse in HOT water and dry thoroughly then let it sit overnight to completely dry. Apply a thin coat of 3 in 1 oil to the blade and the horn handle and you're good to go.
Kix

Has anyone evr tried one of these? It looks loke a lot of knife for $25.00

http://cgi.ebay.com/Valor-14-5-Bolo-Surv...1QQcmdZViewItem

Kix

Thanks for the heads up about the dogfather benjammin, I’m definitely a believer in a good chopper knife and a $10 bolo or kukri is just as good as a $500 Busie but the Busie knife is one heck of a knife.

garrett here are come links to the knives of Bussie, you have to be real patient with them but when they sell something, it’s a knife that can take anything you throw at it and will last you a lifetime.

Knives

http://www.swampratknifeworks.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=004405

http://www.scrapyardknives.com/ubbthread...;page=0#Post435

http://www.bussecompanystore.com/knives.htm

Stores

https://www.shop.ratknives.com/

https://shop.scrapyardknives.com/

http://bussecombat.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=BCKC&Category_Code=KNF

Hey kixonrt66, I saw that Valor 14.5" Bolo, I don’t know if it’s anygood though.

Here's a site that shows a big list of all the Busse production knives.

http://homepage.mac.com/zombiekiller/badmojo/index.html

Bladeforum has a section deovted to Busse Combat and one also for Swamp Rat, with a big photo spread sticky posted at the top of each sub-forum with lots and lots of knife pics.

Working with the Busse family of knifemakers is not the easiest, but when you are the best, I guess marketing isn't a big priority. It does frustrate some, but I just bought another knife of theirs yesterday. Go figure.

By the way, what is the difference between Busse, Swamp rat, and Scrap Yard? It seems like the pieces Swamp Rat and Scrap Yard put out are one in the same. Is one better than the other?

I was just surfing around, and I found the Cold Steel Barong Machete. Not the same thing as your made out of a truck spring blade, but it might be handy. I have owned several Cold Steel blades, and been more than happy with them...

Hello OBG,
Cold Steel maks a good product. I have't tried their bolo but I'm sure it's must be a good tool. Ka-Bar makes a nice bolo also.
Kix

Their Baron looks a lot like I remember a knife an uncle of mine bringing home from the Philipines after WWII. But I like the looks of your blade better...

Also the one they sell, is NOT AT ALL like the one in the movie... The one in the movie was made by a custom knife maker, who does not make them any more, because of legal difficulties with the 'official' brand...

Paul810, to be honest I'm not sure. They are all excellent knives made pretty much by the Busses and the quality is just about the same across the board. SWKC (Scrap Yard) will be the cheapest followed by SRKC (Swamp Rat)and then Busse will be the most expensive. I would venture to say that Jerry Busse (Busse combat)would be the toughest followed by Swamp Rat and then Scrap Yard, but that's only speculation and I've seen destructive testing of Scrap Yard knives and it's very impressive (One tough knive) You can't go wrong with either of the 3, I see Swamp Rat has a Mini Uncle Mojo w/Logo in stock right now and I decided to pick one of those up to replace an old benchmade. Also the blade forum sometimes has a lot better info on it plus testing pics. I seen a test of my cold steel Kukuri which was the first to fail in a test that snapped the blade.


Mojos
Blade Forum

Yes, Nighthiker, but in this case it wasn't necessarily Hollywood. At that time, the "Tracker" was still in its initial design stages and TOPS wasn't the maker. Since the movie, TOPS became the maker and the design is finished.