# General > General Knives & Blades >  Best fieldcraft/survival knife? cold steel bushman

## Mace

BUSHMAN SERIES_m.jpg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq1EFWVV3C0

What do you think? 

           The sheath is crap. But you can always find custom sheaths on ebay anyway.

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## madmax

...if that's your price range.
...and make your own.
http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/a...3/IMG_0787.jpg

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## Zack

> Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.
> 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq1EFWVV3C0
> 
> What do you think? 
> 
>            The sheath is crap. But you can always find custom sheaths on ebay anyway.


Have heard good things about it, but the video was a little strange.  As far as being the "best," that depends on you.  If I was really in a "survival situation," then why would I throw one of my most valuable tools?  You may be able to gig fish and frogs with it, but you would destroy a lot of the meat with the blade any way.  And unless you are in some of the most extreme environments on the planet where there are animals that you may have to fight with a spear, then I doubt that it would come into any use as a "defensive tool".  Just my $0.02... 

As far as knives go for bushcraft, I will keep my Mora and Swiss Army.  More practical for me, anyway.

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## Mace

Im accustomed to the esee series among other brands. but despite the price range of this knife. it has incredible edge retention and durability. and mainly i like the fact the blade is so easy to sterilize by fire or otherwise boiling water.

the bk9 is defiantly my preferred knife despite the price range though

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## hunter63

Each to his own.....I guess.
Nice knives, but not for me for what I do.

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## crashdive123

> Im accustomed to the esee series among other brands. but despite the price range of this knife. *it has incredible edge retention and durability. and mainly i like the fact the blade is so easy to sterilize by fire or otherwise boiling water.*
> 
> the bk9 is defiantly my preferred knife despite the price range though


How long have you had one and what have you put it through to determine the quality of its edge retention and durability?  Second question - why are you concerned with sterilizing the blade?  What happened where you had to do that?

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## Mace

> How long have you had one and what have you put it through to determine the quality of its edge retention and durability?  Second question - why are you concerned with sterilizing the blade?  What happened where you had to do that?


batoned hundreds of logs with a single knife. and processed huge amounts of would without any need for sharpening. carved notches etc. and removing the coating from the spine. you can even throw sparks from this blade using quarts. ive put this knife through every bushcraft and survival task. it is virtually indestructible. as far as "real" woodland survival goes this knife is unbeatable for the price

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## Mace

> Have heard good things about it, but the video was a little strange.  As far as being the "best," that depends on you.  If I was really in a "survival situation," then why would I throw one of my most valuable tools?  You may be able to gig fish and frogs with it, but you would destroy a lot of the meat with the blade any way.  And unless you are in some of the most extreme environments on the planet where there are animals that you may have to fight with a spear, then I doubt that it would come into any use as a "defensive tool".  Just my $0.02... 
> 
> As far as knives go for bushcraft, I will keep my Mora and Swiss Army.  More practical for me, anyway.


the ability to sterilize a blade if you are field dressing game,fish etc among other things. having only one or two  knives is pretty important in my opinion at least when you are_ in an actual survival situation._
 the video is simple a demonstration of the versatility. this knife is certainly suitable for virtually any survival situation. in my experience. and i have quite a bit of experience surviving in the Appellation wilderness

in an actually survival situation you may easily find yourself in a position where a spear, or extending the range of your blade(for fishing;even for hunting). is very practical. as you can easily end up having no other viable options. and at close range,for small game. the ability to throw a knife(if you know what youre doing). lol, despite i wouldnt really recommend it if you dont. can easily score you some food. and is far mor effective than a throwing stick. but i really wouldnt recommend throwing your knife either. the video is simply an all around demonstration. but there are many others you can find online in reviews

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## Mace

> Each to his own.....I guess.
> Nice knives, but not for me for what I do.


depends on what you do. my interests are really based upon real survival situations. more than bushcraft and hunting skills. but both skill sets play a pretty big roll of course. this makes a good all purpose knife. but i could list many other knives as well

in a situation where there is a chance of finding yourself having to survive in the woods with minimal gear for potentially a long period of time. there are simple some tools that are more practical to have than others

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## Rick

What on earth do you do that you find yourself in these survival situations? My goal is to avoid them.

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## nighthawk7.ni

i would say everyone has a thought on best bushcraft knife i carry lon humphrey custom but my schrade model 42 is one that could b abused i woldnt abuse my custom but it could take it easily. i had bk two original hated it. it like using a crowbar mixed with sledge hammer. cold steel srk would b better than the bushman, but everyone has opinions that why we love our forums. we can learn from others out there who been there done that so others can save time and money and grief.

Sent from my LGL34C using Tapatalk

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## Mace

Also, with a rubber cork. you can actually store quite a bit in the handle;fishing gear etc. all kinds of practical uses for this blade really in my opinion. when processing large amounts of wood. having only one or two knives for all tasks. you are likely to accumulate quite a lot of pine resin on the blade. and if you have no solvent on hand youll play hell removing it. but this is quite easy if you are able to heat the blade to a moderate temperature. in which you can easily wipe the residue away. having no form of plastic parts or parts that may be damaged by heat is in my opinion a nice advantage of this kind of knife

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## Mace

> What on earth do you do that you find yourself in these survival situations? My goal is to avoid them.


Nobody ever expects to find themselves in a situation where they have to survive. I simply study these situations. As well as the best,lightest and most practical tools one can have to be prepared for them in case they do happen. I also study primitive survival techniques, such as primitive methods of making fire, tools and shelters,wild edible plants,medicines, trap construction. etc. simple skills,techniques and knowledge. Involving minimal amount of gear

these are the wilderness survival forums after all  :Smile: 

there are all kinds of great knives for survival. and this is simply one of them in my opinion. i say "best" only in the sense of all around functionality, price durability. knives like the morra are great for camping and bushcraft. but simply not as realistic as other knives under certain circumstances where. you absolutely want a full tang,indestructible high carbon steel. with a balance of hardness/toughness. probably the most important features of a survival knife. is the ability to split and process wood and the ability to strip away the damp outer exterior of wood etc. the ability to feather wood for tinder. make shelters,field dress, and cook all with the same knife. in which case sterilization and cleaning;removal of such things as pine resin becomes a moderate issue of concern. and these are tasks you want to be able to perform without having it be a lengthy process. or resulting in the use of too many calories

as far as sterilization goes. when you are using traps for small game,field dressing etc etc. without anything on hand to kill bacteria. wiping the blade down isnt enough. this bacteria will build up in your sheath etc. and can easily cause illness. absent of any other means heat is the best way to do this. and plastic parts make this
difficult.

but there are many other knifes on the market that are good to this end too

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## Zack

> the ability to sterilize a blade if you are field dressing game,fish etc among other things. having only one or two  knives is pretty important in my opinion at least when you are_ in an actual survival situation._
>  the video is simple a demonstration of the versatility. this knife is certainly suitable for virtually any survival situation. in my experience. and i have quite a bit of experience surviving in the Appellation wilderness
> 
> in an actually survival situation you may easily find yourself in a position where a spear, or extending the range of your blade(for fishing;even for hunting). is very practical. as you can easily end up having no other viable options. and at close range,for small game. the ability to throw a knife(if you know what youre doing). lol, despite i wouldnt really recommend it if you dont. can easily score you some food. and is far mor effective than a throwing stick. but i really wouldnt recommend throwing your knife either. the video is simply an all around demonstration. but there are many others you can find online in reviews


Good points.  But I have a Mora Clipper that works better for *me* than the Bushman would.  If the Bushman is better for *you,* then stick with it.  Good luck, bud.

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## Mace

My primary knife is the esee 6 and a few others. but i really do like the style of this knife

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## Phaedrus

My dad had a CS Bushman.  Once you get over the gimmicky spear-socket deal it's a pretty decent knife.  It seemed pretty sturdy, took a fair edge and didn't cost much.  It wouldn't be my first choice but it's not a bad choice either.  I chime in to agree that I probably wouldn't be throwing my only knife at anything.

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## Lamewolf

I would put them in the "gimmick" category myself.  Had one, didn't like it, gave it away.  Cold Steel's Master Hunter is a much better knife with a warm grippy handle, the Bushmans handles are cold and slick unless you cover them with something.  But I'll trust my ESEE Laserstrike over any Cold Steel product made !

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## MrFixIt

I had one as well. Bought it on a whim. I had planned on doing a couple of modifications (wrap the handle, add a finger guard, etc.) but never got around to it.
I eventually gave it away.

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## Lamewolf

in an actually survival situation you may easily find yourself in a position where a spear, or extending the range of your blade(for fishing;even for hunting). is very practical. as you can easily end up having no other viable options. and at close range,for small game. the ability to throw a knife(if you know what youre doing). lol, despite i wouldnt really recommend it if you dont. can easily score you some food. and is far mor effective than a throwing stick. but i really wouldnt recommend throwing your knife either. the video is simply an all around demonstration. but there are many others you can find online in reviews  <snip>

NEVER NEVER NEVER attach your knife to a stick and throw it at game in a survival situation.  If it doesn't kill the game instantly which is normal, the animal may run off with your knife.  Using it on a stick to extend your each is ok if it is anchored to the stick so that it doesn't pull off, but never throw it at the game.  If you want to throw a spear, use the knife to carve a point, then fire harden the point and throw that.  Or you can use scrap metal or stone or bone to make points with and attach them to your spear.  No, don't throw your knife away, you might need it !

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## Rick

Why not just sharpen the stick?

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## hunter63

You know It was really hard to read all the survival tips touted by Blade II......I mean beside a crappy spell checker.

Maybe his next learning experience should be navigation?.....
FTR works well for me (Follow The Road)

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## Rick

I suppose, to be fair, if you are lost in Kentucky, walk in a small circle for a long time it might seem like you are 50 miles from civilization. But, yeah, that navigation training might be a good start for him.

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## kyratshooter

> I suppose, to be fair, if you are lost in Kentucky, walk in a small circle for a long time it might seem like you are 50 miles from civilization. But, yeah, that navigation training might be a good start for him.


Navigation in KY??

1. Sit down on a rock or log.  

2. Shut your mouth for 30 seconds.

3. Walk toward the sound of traffic in the distance.

Alternative method;

1. Take out compass and shoot an azimuth.

2. Walk in a straight line until hit a road, seldom more that two or three miles. 

3.  Wait for a car to come by and jump up and down.  People, in KY will still stop to see what the problem is and call the cops for you. (of course they have a gun in their hand down by the car door where you can't see it)

The other alternative is to wait for dark and climb a tall tree, then look for the "golden arches" or Walmart Supercenter lit up in the distance.  If you mark the direction and leave at daylight you can probably get to the Micky D while they are still serving breakfast.

Now there are lots of places where you can go and just sit alone in the woods without being bothered for as long as you like.  But that is not lost, and it is not survival.

We call that camping!

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## Coppercup

> The other alternative is to wait for dark and climb a tall tree, then look for the "golden arches" or Walmart Supercenter lit up in the distance.  If you mark the direction and leave at daylight you can probably get to the Micky D while they are still serving breakfast.
> !



That was funny!  

But sadly that is the case just about anywhere East of Denver. Thanks for the laugh!

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## Rick

Hey, I'm trying to give Mace a break. Maybe he's deaf and can't hear cars. Maybe he lost a boot and was walking in circles. Maybe he had no compass. Maybe he was singing the Green Anaconda song. Green anaconda...green anaconda. Now that will be in your head all day.

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## canid

Oh, he's missing a compass, alright. I hope he finds it, and realizes he doesn't have to impress to get along.

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## Lamewolf

> Why not just sharpen the stick?


That's what I said - "If you want to throw a spear, use the knife to carve a point, then fire harden the point and throw that."

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## canid

That's a bit of an unfair comparison though. An actual bladed broad pointed spear of the sort obtainable using such a knife as a point is an entirely different implement than an un-bladed wooden point, hardened or not. They have wholly different capabilities.

The argument against risking loss or damage to an important tool and the suitability of that tool compared to another for a given purpose should not be conflated.

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## crashdive123

If you throw the whole stick instead of just the point it will fly better, further, have a better chance of taking down your target.   :Whistling:

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## canid

Oh, good grief. You win this round.

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## hunter63

Wow, this surviving stuff is ....Hard.....

Even harder if you aren't all that bright.....Not that there is anything wrong with that.....
Takes all kinds.

Guess you have to "Ax" yourself....are you better prepared that a 7 years old girl?

http://nypost.com/2015/01/02/little-...h-in-kentucky/

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## kyratshooter

It seems that 7 years old is the mark for successful survival in the KY wilderness.

http://www.wlwt.com/news/crews-searc...gorge/35743612

I guess this means that if one is over that age surviving for any length of time is not a real big bragging point as long as the weather is not bad and the temperatures remain tolerable.

And these kids did not even have the benefit of a BK-anything or their own "Battle Mistress".   

I'll take a 7 year old with good sense as a camping partner over a loud mouth "know it all" any day. 

BTW, do you know what the first thing most kids do when they hit the woods?  They pick up a stick, and that stick becomes a very important part of their experience from that point on.  It is almost instinctively bred into us over the last 2 million years.

The next thing they do is try to find an adult who will sharpen the end of it for them!

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## hunter63

> BTW, do you know what the first thing most kids do when they hit the woods?  They pick up a stick, and that stick becomes a very important part of their experience from that point on.  It is almost instinctively bred into us over the last 2 million years.
> 
> The next thing they do is try to find an adult who will sharpen the end of it for them!


I still do....

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## kyratshooter

Are the adults willing to sharpen that thing and turn you lose with it?

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## crashdive123

As long as he doesn't run with it......that whole "you could put an eye out" thing.

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## hunter63

Naw, that was the Red Ryder BB gun.....LOL

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## Rick

Either way it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye.

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## crashdive123

Then its time for look like a pirate day.......just don't scratch with the hook.

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## hunter63

> As long as he doesn't run with it......that whole "you could put an eye out" thing.


Run, Huh?.....Not much running......these days.

So will I put my eye out..... "shuffling?".......Or just have a "Oh Ship" moment.

Usually put a rubber tip on the sticks these days....makesa good quite walking stick...

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## Wildthang

Just read this thread...........OMG :Smartass:

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## finallyME

Dang it all..... I missed the troll toss.  :Frown:   Sometimes it sucks being late to the party.  We need an app that sends a message to your phone... "troll toss in progress on WSF in the knife forum".  I would much rather get that notification.

As for the subject of the post...
I never really understood the whole "tie a knife onto a stick" thing.  I mean, sure, Rambo made it look awesome. When I was a kid, I wanted to do it.  But then I used my knife to make a pointy end on the stick.  If you harden the pointy end, it will stab an animal just as well.  Plus, you won't lose your knife if it breaks off.  And, you don't waste precious cordage.

Also, I don't know how any knife is more able to be sterilized than any other knife.

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## Wildthang

The only thing I could think that would make sense of tying a knife onto the end of a stick would be harvesting food from a tree that you cant reach, since old farts can't climb trees...........LOL
Watch me cut out those persimmons maaaaa!!!

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## Wildthang

I just carry a Buck light or a Woodsman. Neither are an expensive knife and neither has ever let me down! I honestly have no use for a super expensive knife!

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## Wildthang

in an actually survival situation you may easily find yourself in a position where a spear, or extending the range of your blade(for fishing;even for hunting). is very practical. as you can easily end up having no other viable options. and at close range,for small game. the ability to throw a knife(if you know what youre doing). lol, despite i wouldnt really recommend it if you dont. can easily score you some food. and is far mor effective than a throwing stick. but i really wouldnt recommend throwing your knife either. the video is simply an all around demonstration. but there are many others you can find online in reviews.

*My interpretation*: In an actual survival situation you may easily find yourself in a position where a spear, or extending the range of your blade(for fishing; even for hunting). is very practical especially if you hate your knife and don't mind bending the blade or losing it entirely, and render yourself totally defenseless.
Throwing your knife into a lake to skewer fish is a great idea if you know what your doing. Or throwing it at a squirrel at a full run works great if you are as talented and cool as Blade and I.
Blade, my brother will take a flying leap into the bowels of a giant green anaconda and cut his way out before he suffocates!Only he uses a Battle Busa Mistress! But remember there is poop in those snakes so disinfect your knife as soon as possible! He doesn't clean the poop from his clothes, but he sterilizes that knife!!!
 lol, despite i wouldnt really recommend it if you dont. can easily score you some food. and is far mor effective than a throwing stick. but i really wouldnt recommend throwing your knife either. the video is simply an all around demonstration. but there are many others you can find online in reviews.
So don't throw your knife if you don't know what your doing, but it could easily put some food in your stomach if you get lucky, but I don't recommend throwing your knife until you have watched at least ten Youtube videos and have mastered the art of finding your knife at the bottom of a mucky stream, or stuck in a tree 20 feet off the ground from throwing it at speeding squirrels that you couldn't possibly hit in the first place! So don't be dumb and throw your knife like my dumbass does. I don't recommend it!!!!
Now, when throwing a knife at small game at close range, most of the time the arm motion will scare them away before the knife leaves your hand. So the secret is to sing the green anaconda song very softly and it will hypnotize the small game. So when you throw that knife they will just sit there and let it impale them. 
if you run into Hunter in the woods, again, sing the green anaconda song and he will leave you alone. If you run into Blade in the woods, sing that song and watch him jump up the bowels of a giant green anaconda, and watch the surprised look on the anacondas face as it happens. It will remind you of somebody getting a prostate exam........... :Scared:

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