Defining a Camp Knife

Redmeadow Knives

Redmeadow Knives

John Conner
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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When I design something, I usually start with the purpose. To me, a Camp knife should handle fine work like food prep up to medium work like cutting kindling. Anything above that is for a hatchet in my opinion. Backcountry or Car camping, it would stay somewhere central in camp and rarely be worn.

What kind of tasks do you use a camp knife for? What kind of features would you look for? What makes a Camp knife a Camp knife?
 
Interesting,
To me a camp knife is defined by size and shape.
It's got a drop point profile or a straight spine so you can baton a little kindling. It's not bowie-like with a needle tip.
Size is a blade between 4 and 8 inches, I'd say.
It'll cut onions, or do a little butchering.
And with a beefy, no slip handle.
 
Let me think...
  • Making tent pegs...I'm in a camper, so no not that.
  • If by kindling, you mean cutting up a 24 pack of beer cardboard box to start the fire? Check!
  • Food prep with my pocket/belt knife? Gross. Do you know where that thing has been?! Yuck.
  • Only other thing is making spears outta long branches.
...oh & cutting some string/rope every now & then.
 
No set definition for me. I usually like a chopper and smaller knives for food,whittling, etc

A3iQb9P.jpg
 
a camp knife to me is a 5"ish to 7"ish blade with a very comfortable handle that allows a lot of different grips ... a flat spine or drop point a spear point if it's a longer blade can work ... a mutlipurpose knife ...

to me it's a knife that fits between a hunting knife and a chopper ... it can be carried on my hip to use for anything from whittling tent pegs ... shaving wood for kindling or other woodcraft ... and be used to prepare food or simply cut cordage ...

it can be used dressing game in a pinch or to baton smaller wood for a fire in a pinch ...

has to be functional in many roles ... it kind of falls in that catagory of ... "jack of all trades master of none" ... meaning for most uses if that was your singular use ... you could find a better knife ... but it can do most everything well ...

example ... I love my CPK HDFK ... not because it's the absolute best knife to field dress game (I prefer a 4" or less drop point) ... or to baton wood (I use my CPK chopper & BK9) ... but it CAN do both well = camp knife

and if I were to be dropped in a unknown rugged terrain ... the CPK HDFK would easily be the knife I reach for ... I can use a BK9 also but it's pushing the upper limits for me in a "camp" knife.
 
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I agree. I like a small knife for a camp knife. My favorite camp knife is pretty much a "bird and trout" type. Its the only knife I really like having with a 90° spine and that's to use as a scrapper to make really fine shavings and for a striker. I also prefer a thinner (1/8 or 3/32) thickness. For me hatchets and axes are for splitting wood. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
 
The problem with trying to make a knife good at too many things is that it often does none of them truly well. Case in point, a design I came up with a few years ago.

2011_GI.jpg

The handle material chosen was a pimp joke, as was the accompanying C note...
 
For a general purpose camp knife, I seem to tend towards a ~7" - 8" drop point blade, usually about .2" - .25" thick. Yeah, likely a little thicker than really necessary, but I keep 'em sharp enough that they'll still do whatever kitchen stuff necessary without too much trouble.

My favorites include the Swamp Rat Chopweiler (7.5"), Busse Basic 8 LE (8"), and Carothers HDFK (6.5").

IMG_2097.JPG

IMG_4822.jpg

IMG_3364.jpg
 
Some nice blades on that link John :thumbsup:
I've been meaning to post my Browning Crowell Barker competition knife.
It has the distal tapered tang like you did. It's a damn fine workhorse. Maybe a little big for a camp knife (10 inch blade), but I think "competition knives" are a good template for a camp-style piece. Like Jared said, .25" is nice.
This also has a convex grind. An awesome piece.

Next to a full-sized Case Trapper
Big Fixed by D P, on Flickr
Distal taper by D P, on Flickr
 
SpyderPhreak said:
For a general purpose camp knife, I seem to tend towards a ~7" - 8" drop point blade, usually about .2" - .25" thick. Yeah, likely a little thicker than really necessary, but I keep 'em sharp enough that they'll still do whatever kitchen stuff necessary without too much trouble.

My favorites include the Swamp Rat Chopweiler (7.5"), Busse Basic 8 LE (8"), and Carothers HDFK (6.5").

View attachment 1232988

View attachment 1232989

View attachment 1232987
Click to expand...
Beautiful pieces :thumbsup:
 
Pinemoon said:
Some nice blades on that link John :thumbsup:
I've been meaning to post my Browning Crowell Barker competition knife.
It has the distal tapered tang like you did. It's a damn fine workhorse. Maybe a little big for a camp knife (10 inch blade), but I think "competition knives" are a good template for a camp-style piece. Like Jared said, .25" is nice.
This also has a convex grind. An awesome piece.

Next to a full-sized Case Trapper
Big Fixed by D P, on Flickr
Distal taper by D P, on Flickr
Click to expand...
I like everything about that knife, I'm planning on thongholes front and rear, never considered one on the middle, interesting. I've got a 7 inch blade worked out in .19" right now. I'm trying to work the handle details out.
 
Yeah, the middle thonghole is different.
I think that's how this knife came-- with a thong attached in that position, it being designed for competition and all.
If the :poop: hits the fan, I'm grabbing this one ;)

Looking forward to seeing what you're cookin' up.
 
Pinemoon said:
Beautiful pieces :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Thank you! :)

lessismore said:
I like everything about that knife, I'm planning on thongholes front and rear, never considered one on the middle, interesting. I've got a 7 inch blade worked out in .19" right now. I'm trying to work the handle details out.
Click to expand...

I will be watching this closely! :cool:

As previously mentioned, a generous handle is nice for a multi-purpose blade like a camp knife. I'd vote for some kind of nicely shaped micarta as the scale material. That Carothers HDFK I posted might just have the perfect handle. I could send you the knife or a set of scales I have if you want to have a look (loan, I'm not made of money lol ;)).
 
SpyderPhreak said:
Thank you! :)



I will be watching this closely! :cool:

As previously mentioned, a generous handle is nice for a multi-purpose blade like a camp knife. I'd vote for some kind of nicely shaped micarta as the scale material. That Carothers HDFK I posted might just have the perfect handle. I could send you the knife or a set of scales I have if you want to have a look (loan, I'm not made of money lol ;)).
Click to expand...
Thanks Jared but I'll pass, I'm gonna try to work up my own animal. I'd love to handle one of those one day, I haven't had the pleasure..

I've got a template cut out I just need to work out some details and mock up some clay handles.
 
lessismore said:
....What makes a Camp knife a Camp knife?
Click to expand...

Not to over simplify thing, to me a camp knife is the kind of knife best left behind in camp. It is a nice heavy use tool, but just a little heavy and awkward to carry with you on that short walk to hunt, fish, photograph, or whatever else you are in the woods to do. It is the thing best left at the hub as you travel the spokes to do whatever you set out to do.

Generally, they are heavy use and durable tools and may often share their utilitarian roll with things like camp axes, cleavers and shovels. They are used to perform tasks that are best done at camp; like processing fire wood, building shelters, repairing your kit or breaking down game for the cook fire.

When they are carried, it is with the sense that we are relocating them to a new camp, even when such camp may be occupied for just a few hours.

They should not be confused with machetes, bushcraft, hunters or pocket knives which will aid us on our primary mission.

n2s
 
A lot of good ideas in this thread so far, I think a camp knife should take over where your hunter leaves off. A camp knife should be able to handle the tasks that are to big hunting knife to effectively handle, such as breaking down large game animals, cutting vegetables, and yes even up things like splitting kindling wood for the fire, if need be. I like my personal hunting knife right around 4 to 4 1/2 inch blade for field dressing and smaller tasks, for a camp knife I would like to see a 6 to 8 inch blade, closer to the 8" inch range.

Something along the lines of this.

IMG_7202_opt.jpg
 
My favorite camp knife is the standard Ka Bar. It's big enough to handle kindling duty, light enough to carry all day and slicy as well as poky.
A 7 to 9 inch clip point is my preference.
 
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