Cutting Tools - What and Why

For those who have spent any serious time in the bush, a cutting tool is an essential part of gear and most people carry more than one. Whilst there are several different kinds of cutting tools, and some can serve many purposes that others do, I will speak generally about folding knives, fixed blade knives, machetes as well axes and hatchets.

Folding knives I see as more of an unnecessary redundancy item. I usually carry one in my pocket while hiking simply because they're lightweight, they don't take up much room and can be very handy if there is no other option available. They can range in both quality and price range from a seven dollar no-name brand folding knife available at places like K-Mart, to my personal favourite, the Opinel Number Eight which is available for around twenty-five dollars. There are even very high-end folders available from brands such as Kershaw, CR-KT or Spyderco that can cost up to around three hundred and fifty dollars or more.
  I tend to favour cheaper folders, as I see them as a back-up knife for use when I don't have a fixed blade or for finer carving tasks when I'm only carrying a large blade on my hip. It is worth mentioning that before deciding to carry a folding knife for EDC(Everyday Carry), check the legalities of carrying a folding knife with your local law enforcement.

Fixed blade knives should be a staple of any hiker's kit. Whether they are carried on the hip, in the pack, on the side of the pack or around the neck; they are a must for anybody travelling out for an overnight hike, a multi-day trip or even just a simple day hike. A good quality knife can aid in anything from shelter building, fire making and food preparation to building traps and skinning game.
  They are my go-to tool for every trip I make, regardless of duration, location or style of outing that I take.
  They are as varied in size as they are in price and quality. I have owned knives worth hundreds of dollars that were utterly useless and own knives for which I have only paid a handful of dollars.

  My go-to fixed blade that I currently have in my collection is my Muela Kangaroo. A blade of Spanish origin that encompasses a set of twin Bowie knives. One of which is a large chopper that serves most camp related tasks and has even served the purpose of a small machete on several occasions, the other a much smaller blade that is mainly used for finer carving tasks and menial camp chores such as cutting rope.

The Muela Kangaroo and it's leather sheathe. An affordable, tough, all-round camp blade.

Machetes are a lighter and more versatile alternative to a camp axe or hatchet. Whilst most aren't very good at chopping many of the hardwoods we have here in Australia, they are instrumental in cutting brush, small twigs and even chopping kindling. Some machetes, depending on durability, can even be used for splitting wood, though it is not recommended.

  I have many machetes in my collection and rotate them in and out of my pack depending on the trip, but I always have at least one small machete in my pack on any given trip, especially if I'm not carrying an axe. As a rule, I try not to spend too much on a machete, as I do not see them as a necessity to a kit. The purposes for which I tend to use them can be filled by either a large belt knife or a small axe.

My parang. A large chopper, light for a machete and fits snugly on the side of any pack.

Small axes and hatchets are a staple of any bushcraft kit that I carry. They are used for one main purpose, cutting wood. Whilst hatchets are not appropriate for felling large trees, they work incredibly well for cutting and splitting small logs, cutting and splitting kindling and if necessary, finer tasks such as feather sticking. Though it is worth noting that many finer tasks are best done with a much smaller blade than a hatchet.

  The price point of most hatchets is relatively cheap compared with many of the other cutting tools previously mentioned. Whilst a cheap, good quality hatchet is able to be purchased for as little as twenty dollars from somewhere like Aldi, a top quality hatchet such as a Fiskars is likely to only cost around seventy-five dollars. Whilst you can spend much more by purchasing a high-end brand such as a Gransfors bruks hatchet, this is still likely to cost less than two hundred dollars.

The hatchet I got from Aldi. My daughter picked it up and put it in the trolley, I couldn't say no.

Large felling axes are by far the largest, heaviest and in my opinion, most useless cutting tool one can carry. They are almost impossible to carry on the side of the pack as they are simply too bulky and heavy, they do not serve a use as far as camp chores go purely because it is illegal to fell trees in most National Parks in Victoria, so is therefore better used when carried in a vehicle for car camping.
 
  Even if it is used from a vehicle, it is still quite cumbersome, takes up a comparatively large amount of space for a single use tool and I feel it is somewhat redundant, especially if one decides to use a chainsaw instead. It lacks the ability to be packed away in a compact and discreet manner that the machete or hatchet has, yet also lacks the efficiency of the chainsaw. Whilst I acknowledge their usefulness within the home, especially if one does not wish to use a power tool, their inefficiency is based on the felling axe as a camp tool.

  The price point is also another point of inefficiency as they tend to be priced far above their smaller counterparts, especially when looking at more high end axes. Whilst I do have one in my house for general backyard use, I do not spend advise spending a great deal of money on a felling axe.



  I do advise that these opinions are my own and based on my own experiences. Some people may prefer not to carry a folding knife at all, others may only carry a fixed blade, some may favour a machete over an axe, some may feel that the chopping efficiency of the large felling axe makes it worth carrying the extra weight. In the end, the only person that can make that choice is the individual, which is the biggest reason why everybody's kit differs so widely.

A series of different blades in my collection. I've carried each of these at some point.