The KNIVES I use for BUSHCRAFT, SURVIVAL, & HUNTING | Knife Sharpening TIPS

A good knife is indispensable in the woods. In this video I'll go over some of the best knives I use for bushcraft, survival, and hunting. Some of these knives - like the Morakniv Companion, Leatherman P4, and Condor Parang - you might have seen in previous videos, but I'll show a few that you may not have seen. I talk about the differences between fixed blade knives and folding pocket knives, as well as multitools like the Leatherman. While there is no "best bushcraft knife" or "best knife for survival" for every situation, some are more versatile than others. Some are good at chopping and others carving or geared more towards hunting and skinning. What you choose will depend on what you need from your knife on a day-to-day basis. My Every Day Carry (EDC) is the Leatherman for its versatility. But, when I'm hunting I always have a couple skinning knives in my hunting pack. Here are a few of my favorites:

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[bennyb.]

When I lived in rural Indonesia, the parang life was an adjustment. Everyone chilling with a full on short sword that they use for EVERYTHING was pretty cool.

[malt]

I tried the mud and stick sharpening method a while back, and it worked like a charm! I have constantly been worried about how to sharpen in the field if I lose any of my tools, or end up stuck without them, and I feel safe using the mud. For anyone else out there, it's a great technique to add to your arsenal, and make sure there's no big sand grains, I accidentally tried that once.

[gregoryTredwell]

Hello Clay, I think I have a good idea for a video. When I was a child back in the 1960's, Great grandma in her 70's, 80's then didn't have an ice box or a kerosene fridge. She had a rock and then charcoal ice box built, box covered in large thick sugar bags (hes hen bags) she would buy a block of ice twice a week which would be in hes hen bag on the floor of home made cool box . When we were staying there in summer we would have to wet the sugar bags twice a day and once in winter. This cooler was strategically built under her high house for the shade and wind passing over and through the wet bags. This cooler box was made out of fencing wire like you made your crab pots out of, first lining was approx 6" thick and loaded with rocks, about 3 ft high, 2nd lining was chicken wire loaded with charcoal about 4" thick but a couple inches shorter at the top so the hinged lid could seal. There was raw meat, cooked meat, cold water, milk, butter and cooking fat in this cooler. food would last up to 10-14 days as long as the ice and water bags was maintained. Great Grandma had her first fridge in 1966 and she thought it was a wonder, I can remember the first fridge was kerosene, green and had the named of Charles Hope fridge on it. I also remember in the early 1960's she had a cooler box on legs which was charcoal lined, that also required ice. Were I grew up in Western Queensland, Australia and it is hot, the design of how to build a cooler box if there is no electricity or you are living off grid or industry in country has failed. As half of the USA and the world has a warm to very hot climate. This subject would be of interest to everyone and another tool they would have to survive and make life easier if the need arose.
Greg

[timkaldahl]

When I saw that ankle knife my first thought was that there is absolutely no way you would be that tacti-cool. Deep sigh of relief.

I also have to agree on the multi-tool or edc. In my handman business it is indispensable, and evev in my classroom during the school year i use it daily.

[mmiller]

Clay you are absolute proof that skill trumps gear. You demonstrate that simple tools are all that you need if you have the necessary patience and skill.

[josephseguin-le]

P4 and COLD STEEL SR1 Tanto are the best EDC combo For the outdoors. Please give that SR1 a try. Out of dozens! and dozens of knives I have extensively! tested for different characteristics for what a knife should be just in general, the same as you, fixed blades to folders and multitools, hacking battoning, fine carving, animal processing, long-term endurance 20 min to an hour in hand nonstop heavy carving and more niche things like chiseling out a flat section to join the leg to what will be my "bush crafted shave horse" It is the ultimate knife. Good pommel you can push or beat with your hand. just one thing smooth out the inner edges of the handle and the spine of the blade, they come sharp. God bless you Clay! you are the Man, Love all your Videos! Get that Knife!

[XanderBudnick]

I bought my P4 because you used it on Alone. I love it!

[lucasbarton]

After you did your review video on the leatherman p4 I bought one because of that video and let me tell you I love that thing! I carry it every single day and it's an amazingly useful tool!

[ChavsADV]

Wow, as someone who daily carrys a leatherman signal and when in the woods the morakniv 10791 I'm impressed that you are also a fan. Great video.

[Jakoshdw]

I'm pretty much a city boy... keep meaning to get out in the woods but something always seems to happen to change my plans. (Injury, last minute schedule snafu, etc.)

That being said... I also always have a multi-tool on me when I leave the house. Definitely something to be said for a tool-set that fits your most common tasks and saves you an extra trip to find a tool box. Own a original Leatherman Wave that tends to stay in my van because I generally don't need pliers in my day to day 99% of the time. I ended up treating myself to a nice Titanium scaled Victorinox Yeoman covers what I need for a EDC tool-set.

While I haven't been able to get into the woods... I do try and practice my fire craft and some wood carving around the fire pit in the back yard. Love Morakniv and Condor... happen to own that Village Parang as well as a Woodlore as well as several Moras. Have many enjoyable hours just processing windfall or scavanged tinder materials from the yard and practicing making fire a variety of ways so I'll at least know my tools.

Good on you for making videos like these to inspire others. Thanks!

[terrymattson]

I was a full time knife maker for over ten years. Will be getting back again soon. Anyway, I’m so happy that you are not a disposable blade guy! And I always have said; the best knife is the one that works best for you. (Except disposable blades) 😊

[youtrades]

Invaluable!! Especially the sharpening. THANK YOU.

[johnsanders]

I do Profesional knife sharpening.
Countless stones and other tools in my shop.
But.... this work sharp sharpener he s using is the BEST production all purpose sharpening tool.
For general use it covers it ALL and great quality.
I carry one daily..
The actual course and fine PLATES come off easily by magnet.
They make the BEST pocket sharpener.
Good video sir

[redfishsurvival]

Hey Clay, those are diamond metal plates on that sharpener and are replaceable (but i woukd just buy another, had this one 10 years). The diamond plates have a nail notch and are held in by magnets that I have used for sweeping under a chair for finding a lost screw and you can do the same in the woods sometimes. You can also use them to make a compass needle or maybe get metal out of an eye. There is also space inside the sharpener where there is either instructions or where I put mine just to have them and some paper. There are also broadhead wrenches inside there. I also pop the plates out from time to time and turn them the other direction. You might also want to tell viewers if you are using a carbon or stainless Mora and if its an HD heavy duty (HD) or not. Just thinking if you are selling them, those details of toughness, rustproof and thickness are very important. In other words, a stainless basic Companion and a Carbon HD are two different animals. Stainless in standard thickness is lighter, slicier, and takes little care, stays sharp longer but takes longer to sharpen. The HD in carbon is thicker, tougher, easier to sharpen but will rust quick if put away wet etc. Stainless will scrape a ferro rod just fine (as will many things like flint, glass, broken coffee mug etc. But a good carbon blade can be used as the steel in a flint and steel fire starting using char or tree fungus to catch sparks. Some people get striking the ferro for sparks and getting sparks from carbon steel mixed up. In the old days, a man knew to take care of a knife and wipe it off before putting in the sheath so most serious guys only do carbon since habits are a choice. Then again, if you live where it rains a lot or stay near the water a lot then stainless is a blessing. Im sure you know most of this stuff but once I get typing I figure it will help your readers anyway. All the best to the family as always brother. Mike.

[davidevans]

And I just saw there is a video because everyone else asked the same questions!! Thanks!

[farstrider]

I love my Leatherman! I carried a Wave for over ten years, then a Charge ALX for a few years, now i carry a Skeletool everyday.
About the only fixed blade i play with these days is an Ontario Blackbird. I've spent an embarrassing amount of money on "bushcraft" knives, only to find out that a $30 Fiskars hatchet does about all the tasks better.

[stevencunningham]

Hello Clay Hayes from Conway Arkansas. Yes Mora knives are great, I own two and a third is in the works. I recommend the Mora Kansbol or the Garberg. The Garberg is a full tang knife. By the way that Mora you have is the Companion, a great knife.

[HuntingPoker]

I pass on the Mora and went for the COLD STEEL LIGHTWEIGHT HUNTER KNIVES. Budget and great gutters!!

[austin]

Felix Immler works with Swiss Army Knives well worth the watch. He batons with ease using small folders.

[caseysmith]

Yes, For the same reason this is why my dad uses a Leatherman for all his needs too as since 2016 he has owned a Greenhouse, before this he did not really carry or if he did it was a small folding Buck toothpick he found and had to spend an hour getting to a level it would be used again as it was that dull. The style of multitool/Leatherman he likes is the type where you have the stuff on the inside so when closed that closing becomes the way the blade locks so you do not have to worry about the locks failing. This is how my dad ruined his entire blade the connecting rivets over time doing what you did with the knife on the multi tool was he was hammering with the blade. Then also using the smaller unsharp knife like tool to pry and use a hammer on in the process of prying.