Camp Knife Design?

Cajun Kamikaze

Cajun Kamikaze

Joined
Dec 30, 2013
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Curious about what peoples opinions are on the basic design elements of a camp knife. What aspects of the blade do you guys think would make the best camp knife in your own opinions?

Most I see don't have distal taper, believe this is for spine strength when batoning?? But can they or is it counter productive to the design?
Full or nearly full flat grinds on most is prevalent and I feel this is a must.

Just getting ready to hammer out my first 2 camp knives and want to hear some input from others before I start.
 
I'll throw in my two pesos. Haven't done too much camping myself, so my opinion may be bunk! First steel selection would be carbon steel for ease of sharpening. And fine grained for good edge stability. W2 1095 1084 1075 and the like. 52100 yes 5160 yes. It would be either full flat grind or convex. I prefer FFG. Length is a biggie. I don't really know what is considered long enough....I would say 5" or 6" in blade length. Can be 1/8" or 3/16" thick. I prefer 1/8". Nothing wrong with 1/4", tho. Definitely can take more abuse. Handle should be contoured well for comfort and no hot spots during extended use. No finger grooves or anything like that. I prefer a handle that has very little "bumpage" because of different grip positions. Handle material should probably be fairly impervious to the elements ala G10 or Micarta or stabilized wood. I would only taper the tip, from the tip to maybe 1.5" back thereabouts. Drop point tip. Might not be a bad idea to use tubes instead of pins on the handles (make a spear). I'm not a fan of guards but they do serve a good purpose! Maybe a small integral guard on the bottom, between finger and edge (that will be design dependent of course). No rounded spines. Leave at least part of the spine squared for fire starting. You could even incorporate a container area inside the handle scales for small survival necessities like fishing string/hooks/etc.

I don't really know, but maybe that's a start anyway.
 
What does "camp knife" mean to you? To some people, it's a heavy, long chopper that could replace a hatchet. To others its a bushcraft knife. To others its a mid sized survival knife. These all obviously have their own design considerations.

Chris
 
A camp knife to me is used around the camp for general purpose and daily chores. Batoning wood for the fire, slicing and food preparation, some chopping if need be but not to be a hatchet replacement...

Stuart, you really did give em some good insight. We are on the same page and I'm glad you pointed out the detail about hot spots in the handle. That was not something I thought of. I feel that this will be an easy knife to make and it seems pretty basic. Thank you for your detailed response, It def helped.

I'm thinking 7-8" blade .25" think, full flat, 1084. Drill hole for lanyard and tubing for pins like you say...

All example welcome, I've seen the Show your Camp knife thread but I think I'm see a lot of knives that don't belong in there.
 
stuart pointed out very good features.
Imagine reaching for the knife when you will need...what would you grab? Surely a pratical knife, not an odd shaped one.
Usually one will imagine a beefy knife would shine allaround in the woods, but my take is quite in the opposite direction and i would have a quick, distal tapered, max 5"-6" full flat ground blade with me...and a thin machete or an axe (or a folder saw) in the backpack.
I have used big beefy blades in the wood enough to tell that is a pain using them for anything else than wacking through wood...even then a machete or an axe is better.
 
I am calling this my first camp knife. I have gotten it back from HT, but have yet to finish sanding and putting a handle on it. It is Aldos 1095, flat ground, HT by Peters to 58-60 RC.
I figure it is big enough to do small chopping jobs and still use it for slicing veggies or meat.

HPIM0940_zpsbf8a36cf.jpg
 
jtwodogs said:
I am calling this my first camp knife. I have gotten it back from HT, but have yet to finish sanding and putting a handle on it. It is Aldos 1095, flat ground, HT by Peters to 58-60 RC.
I figure it is big enough to do small chopping jobs and still use it for slicing veggies or meat.

HPIM0940_zpsbf8a36cf.jpg
Click to expand...

Very Nice! I like that a lot and it is very much along the lines of what I will be making. I'll be making 2, 1 will have about a 7" blade and the other 8-9" blade. Looks like that one is about 9"? Also, IS that .25"?
 
Cajun Kamikaze said:
Very Nice! I like that a lot and it is very much along the lines of what I will be making. I'll be making 2, 1 will have about a 7" blade and the other 8-9" blade. Looks like that one is about 9"? Also, IS that .25"?
Click to expand...

Thanks. It is a 8.5 inch blade. Yes, it is .25 stock
 
I made a couple of 7.5" leuku's in 1/8 1080. We took them on our annual week log fall bear hunt and everyone loved them. We used them mostly to split kindling, food preparation, and general camp chores. It's nice to have a long 1.5" wide blade as we used it to scoop sliced food. We did not need to re sharpen it during our hunt.The handle will have to be nice and comfy since it will feel uncomfortable under prolonged use. Also note that Leuku are stick tang and we baton it without any I'll effects.
Hope this helps.
 
My go to camp knife is .156 thick 1095 with a 6" drop point blade and a nice comfortable Ghost Jade handle on it. I incorporated a bottle opener into the end because...I'm camping! My chores were basically de-limbing smaller branches, food prep and opening beverages! No splitting or batoning done because I had a hatchet.
 
So, Kajun, do you have a mock-up of your ideal camp knife drawn up for us? Would love to see what you've come up with!
 
PaMtnBkr said:
My go to camp knife is .156 thick 1095 with a 6" drop point blade and a nice comfortable Ghost Jade handle on it. I incorporated a bottle opener into the end because...I'm camping! My chores were basically de-limbing smaller branches, food prep and opening beverages! No splitting or batoning done because I had a hatchet.
Click to expand...

I would love to see a pic! I'm def going to put a bottle opener at the end of the handle!

Stu, here is a quick sketch I drew for the client during our brief 10min discussion. Blade will be a little different, you know how those subtleties in the lines make all the difference... Tapered tang, some distal taper near the tip like referenced above. It will be forge finished and clay tempered. The client is a custom bow maker, Swampfire Custom Long Bows, and he will do the handle.



Please critique in any way, shape or form. Drawing Def not to scale.... would make a decent little hunter/skinner at scale though lol
 
I live in Thailand where the jungle is rainy Forrest.
When we go camping, we need to use a lot of bamboo for various application.
We do not cut wood in vertical direction to the log.
Cutting wood horizontal direction , zero convec edge performing the best.

My freinds from the jungle using 8"-12 " blades for EDC.
I believe in the same principle.

The ideal camp knife for me is the knife that has perfect both postal and vertical taper.
This is the camp knife I made.......
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1258999-My-Workshop-My-Knife-and-My-Trip?
 
Dick said:
I live in Thailand where the jungle is rainy Forrest.
When we go camping, we need to use a lot of bamboo for various application.
We do not cut wood in vertical direction to the log.
Cutting wood horizontal direction , zero convec edge performing the best.

My freinds from the jungle using 8"-12 " blades for EDC.
I believe in the same principle.

The ideal camp knife for me is the knife that has perfect both postal and vertical taper.
This is the camp knife I made.......
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1258999-My-Workshop-My-Knife-and-My-Trip?
Click to expand...

Dick, really like what you have going on there. Love the knives you have displayed. Just so happens the larger one I am making is for a friend who will be traveling to Tavarua accompanied by the knife in September. Hopefully it performs well for him while there.
 
Dick said:
I live in Thailand where the jungle is rainy Forrest.
When we go camping, we need to use a lot of bamboo for various application.
We do not cut wood in vertical direction to the log.
Cutting wood horizontal direction , zero convec edge performing the best.

My freinds from the jungle using 8"-12 " blades for EDC.
I believe in the same principle.

The ideal camp knife for me is the knife that has perfect both postal and vertical taper.
This is the camp knife I made.......
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1258999-My-Workshop-My-Knife-and-My-Trip?
Click to expand...

Watched your video's, really like your bamboo knife, and the fact that you made it out of L6. Many of the old knife makers swear by it. Thanks for sharing.
 
Cajun Kamikaze said:
Dick, really like what you have going on there. Love the knives you have displayed. Just so happens the larger one I am making is for a friend who will be traveling to Tavarua accompanied by the knife in September. Hopefully it performs well for him while there.
Click to expand...

I see, then perhaps his old horse will do.
I made a lot of knives in the pass years and it was very rare to experience broken knife during the trip or knife that fail in the heat treatment process.

However there were frew times that my knife had Micro Crack and break during to time was being use.
Somehow some of my knives had very thin geometry.
These 2 things, I think should not be the kind of knife to be used in FIJI as there may not be enogh covenience stores when your freind needs some thing.

My sugestion to the design of knife would be the knife that is not best in skining but having thick geometry instead.
The less is that your freind may need high stain resisrance blade material.
 
Cajun Kamikaze said:
I would love to see a pic! I'm def going to put a bottle opener at the end of the handle!

Stu, here is a quick sketch I drew for the client during our brief 10min discussion. Blade will be a little different, you know how those subtleties in the lines make all the difference... Tapered tang, some distal taper near the tip like referenced above. It will be forge finished and clay tempered. The client is a custom bow maker, Swampfire Custom Long Bows, and he will do the handle.



Please critique in any way, shape or form. Drawing Def not to scale.... would make a decent little hunter/skinner at scale though lol
Click to expand...

Like your design Cajun! was going to nit pick about the handle being to high on the blade for a dedicated chopper, but thought better especially after looking at my design, lol. I really think it is a great design, and would obviously be great for camp food prep. Since you are trying to make it a double duty I am sure it will be fine. Really want to see it when you get it done.
 
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