Four Knives

I own more knives than any sane man should but every time I go to the bush I end up taking the same four. There they are, my four knives.
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[@tedalexander2560]

I really enjoy this video. The four knives theory makes sense. The right tool for the job and knowing how to use it is what makes a craftsman good at his work. You can tell this advice comes from years of experience and someone who spends time in the bush. Also my family is from the Caribbean so using a machete in something I’m comfortable with. I appreciate seeing bushcraft done with one.

[@whynottalklikeapirat]

That’s about what I bring too: Parang, mora style knife, swiss army knife + maybe a folding saw. I don’t do major amounts of wood processing for all night fires or building permanent shelters or stuff like that though.

[@TheWaggaBloke]

Brilliant Job Mate as normal Dave full of Information and entertaining Thanks once again

[@RomeoEdward]

good vid Dave, I'm a multiple carry knife guy as you are. Never understood the one knife thing. It's all about how much weigh you want to carry and 2-4 knives and a folding saw can weigh less that one large blade. I process the cedar bark a little different that you do. I use the spine of my knife to scrape the bark. I end up with a pile of cedar sawdust that takes a spark fairly easy.

[@MTwoodsrunner]

well rounded selection...thanks David

[@MerkWares]

This just reminds me of our conversation regarding batoning Toucans and Flamingos

[@Mustbefate]

I just got Sling TV (behind the times a little haha) and was up to season 2. Got to episode 13 'Into the Abyss' and for whatever reason they didn't have episode 14 listed, just went to 15 'The Reunion'. It was eating at me to find out who was tapping next. I had a feeling it would be Jose after he capsized, but thought the final two would be Jose and Dave. Larry, with all the rage and anger he brought with him, and continued to show through the episodes was next on tap. Honestly, I thought he would've been among the first few and was impressed he made it as far as he did. Obviously Mother Nature took his energy from Day 1 and boomeranged it right back to him over an over. Dave- A belated Congratulations my friend! I was sincerely hoping you would've been the finalist because of your endurance, humor, single dad with kids, and overall will to live and what you truly were grateful for. I'm elated you pulled through and made it after literally just watching the episode and when your daughter creeped up on ya- Man that was awesome. You must've had a huge mix of emotions on top of having to leave the place you called home for over two months. God Bless Brother!

[@Colhane]

Thanks for your comments. That final day was a huge surge of emotion when Erin showed up. It was such a relief to be able to stop and rest from it all. My final m=weeks were very humbling. I truly believe that the Lord was taking care of me. At the end I was even regaining weight I had lost and turning that corner is the true miracle of my experience. Regarding Larry, he's a great guy and not at all like they edited him to be. Sure he did have those moments but keep in mind they were selected out of many others that truly show his character as much more well rounded and uniform. I certainly had two or three meltdown moments as well but somehow managed to shut the camera off as I felt them coming on. Doing a long-term solo in the wilderness reduces you to a point of absolute weakness and is often quite frustrating as real needs are not met. The social filter gets degraded quickly so don't be hard on Larry. If we made a video that only showed our worst reactions to our worst days it wouldn't be pretty.

[@Mustbefate]

Very true indeed! Shows edit footage and portray a character as they would want the audience to see them as. As a viewer, I saw exactly that combined with his lack of food, I said- "This guy is gonna tap any day now." Needless to say he hung in there till the end! I'm sure I would've had many meltdown moments myself!! It was interesting to see you pulling in the crabs when other contestants didn't have that ability to do so depending where they were located. Great to watch you all on the show. Either way, I'm sure this was an awesome experience that all 10 of you will never forget. I finally got up to season 4 just a few days ago. Thank you for your reply Dave. Stay well!

[@supersabra]

This video was awesome! Please do more videos! I’m also a native Michigander and would love to hear more and more all the time...

[@jasonjulian1]

Great video, appreciate it. As a fellow Michigander, and knowing that you lived elsewhere, I am thrilled that you too still love Michigan for all that it offers. I'd love to see more Michigan-bushcrafter type videos and blogs on the internet; something tailored specifically to our local environment.

[@StevanOutdoor]

I always like to carry at least 3 knives. My SAK in my pocket is my last resort knife and multitool. Than I like to bring a sharp stainless fixed blade for all the food prep because they are easier to clean. The size of the food prep knife is what I would consider a small camp knife that's also great for more delicate work. The 3th knife I would call my rough camp knife and depending on where I'm going and the expected tasks at hand this can be another small, medium, large camp knife or machete. I make sure they are sharp but not as sharp as the food prepper. I want a more durable edge on this one for batoning, etc. and they can be carbon steel since I'm not using them for food prep. I love machetes and hardly ever bring an ax or saw. But a folding saw can come in handy at times and they are small and light weight.

[@maiconsander3077]

Saudades de você gravando os videos com o Toniolo....Abração..

[@ricardolott616]

We miss your videos here in Brasil !!!!

[@JohnGreen_US]

Great video on the rationale of a systemized approach to knife tools. Thanks. Excellent demonstration of harvesting local fire resources, too. I'm in Michigan and use a Farmer SAK, a Mora Bushcraft Black, an ESEE-6 for heavier tasks, e.g. splitting, and an ESEE Izula II as a neck knife. I find that most woods people take a similar approach, but still there are those who just carry a nuclear survival knife - not sure why. Maybe they'll view this video and take your wise comments to heart. I rarely carry my Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri heavy chopper due to bulk and weight vs. added utility ... Perhaps a lighter machete, like yours, would work better. A Bahco or Silky to process wood seems to work adequately, in most cases.

[@jamesaigler285]

Thanks for the info

[@woodsman132]

West Virginia here and I carry a mora hd companion ,SAK farmer x, small belt axe, silky saw and were good to go.

[@brianspencer4220]

Hi Dave : Very well spoken & presented. Thanks Brian 77

[@seanantill3366]

Awesome video brother

[@hillbillynick2000]

Again, well done! I always enjoy your videos. So well presented and reasoned in comparison to others. As a northern hillbilly I tend to go with an axe but truth be told a machete would serve better at least in the warmer months. Axe, hatchet or Hudson Bay knife, 5" broken back seax that I made (I'm a knife Smith) and a Case CV Trapper work for me.

[@kinghenry056]

Another very informative video!

[@TheEZGZ]

I like your approach to choosing and using a blade. I like the 3 bears concept. One = none. Two = one and Three is just right. A saw would be a big bonus

[@thetruthhershelcyphers]

I appreciate this video so much. I'm not a fan of the one-tool option. If one knife was all I had then I would have to make do with it. I also carry multiple knives with me and they each have their own purpose or use, at least it works for me. Thanks again.

[@paulie4x1]

Say Heah Colhane, I'm not as handy modifying my Machetes, but I stole your modifications on my Battle Horse Mad Hatter Machete almost duplicated. It's in L6 with matching handles to my Modified Attitude. I had it Slightly Curved and with a High Scandi Grind and the Drop Point Lowered similar to Is Turley Gasconade with White G-10 Handles with Blue Liners. It matches perfectly together. I also have a 3V Skookum Bush Tool as my Scapel. I also love my S. A. K. Farmer, but because I like my cigars and sometimes I use a Cigar Mouthpiece, I like using my Bokor Tec-Tool 2.8 because it has a small plier tgat I pull my shorties out with, and it's in the 12c27 Stainless. But I was going to use my Ka-Bar Johnson Adventure Parangatang that I recently put Black Handles on it, I really like it alot better with the black handles. But because it's raining. I decided to take my Steel Will Druid 240 and the Druid 230. The brambles still need to be cleared so I took my Druid 239 for tge job. Their both made in the 9cr18MoV which is similar to the 440b. both a little better I think. The Druid 240 is similar to my Fox Pro Hunter but a little more robust. and matches perfectly with my Druid 230. Your absolutely right. I love my 17"Hultafors Bruks Agdor Hatchet as one of my Fav's Bush Craft Hatchets. In colder weather my Modified Rodent 6 is my Fav. I also like taking my Agawa Canyon 21 Boreal Saw when processing alot of firewood is needed. I always enjoy your video's. Good job. Thanx You. Oh, I also like my Zippo Fuel Lighter as my last ditch emergency fire starter.,,. p

[@Shooter11B]

I would really like to find out which "expert" came up with the idea of having only one knife for everything. I am going to guess it was an armchair "expert", or as my friend Lars from Survival Russia calls them, an "Internet Professor". Great discussion Dave. I pretty much follow your philosophy of having the right tool for the job. In today's modern American society, there is no need to force yourself to rely on only one tool as we have so much of everything available for CHEAP. It is relatively simple to outfit yourself properly for the outdoors even if you are on a very tight budget.

[@2adamast]

It's a big world out there with plenty of niches. Most people do ok with one maybe two knives even when they cut all day.

[@Shooter11B]

Adamast. Agreed. But I am talking specifically about survival and or bushcraft scenarios where a certain mindset believes in the existence of a "one knife option". IF you are forced to exist in that scenario, then I get it, select the tool that best fits the tasks at hand. BUT, if you are NOT forced into some strange arbitrary situation that seriously does not exist (unless YOU force it by leaving appropriate tools behind), what person in their right mind, at that point, says I just need one tool, which is a compromise for most tasks. That is just dumb.

[@MSLBushcraftSurvival]

Ja ja, that one tool option thing... I believe people just mixing up "survival" and "Bushcraft". A Survival knife as a one tool option would be useful in a survival pack stored under a pilots seat. But if you go out camping at the weekend to do some bushcrafting, then you would probably want to bring more than one tool/knife. Depending on what your planning to do...

[@OregonMike]

you are always well spoken and really think things through. I would like to see more on the not planning to improvise, that makes so much sense !

[@Colhane]

"Never plan to improvise" is something we said to our Basic level class. Pack a Bic, not a 9 v battery and gum wrappers.

[@seanantill3366]

When I lived in idaho that had a great variety of stuff like that for fire

[@MSLBushcraftSurvival]

I totally agree...

[@sloanIrrigation]

So, how do you feel about Michigan

[@patrickgermond2750]

Why didn't you use you SBT on Alone?. That's suppose to be the gold standard. I ordered a copy called the Forest knife. I haven't got it yet. I finally broke down and bought one though. I'm just curious on how good those knives work. Thus the question

[@juskojj]

love to know the name//type/make of your machete and neck knife? after watching your videos on the machete i want to give it try :)

[@Colhane]

That machete is a Tramontina that I highly customized. You won't find that model for sale. My neck knife is a Newt Livesay NRGS, and I believe Newt is no longer making knives. i would suggest the Becker BK-11 as a good one to look at, but there are other good neck knives out there.

[@juskojj]

Colhane - Dave McIntyre thanks!

[@StevanOutdoor]

@@Colhane I'm a machete guy myself and have several from different brands. Tramontina is still my favorite. I actually have a Tramontina that I shaped like yours many years ago. I also painted the blade black with Hammerite, besides the cutting edge of course, to prevent rust. I have it in a small video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXeponWEnc6Sn7M

[@nuckkingfuts]

Love the videos Dave ! How many NEWT LIVESAY neck knives do you own. I purchased one right after I seen your original neck knife video. Always afraid of mine breaking and not being able to purchase another like it.

[@Riverbugger]

Dave, I apologize for leaving this comment, great video and demo of this knife. Being a fan of Newt Livesay knives, this knife is not even close. After watching this video I was excited to purchase one of these knives. I have many Newt Livesay knives and they are amazing blades! Unfortunately this knife is no where near that! I do not recommend this knife made by 51 Bravo! Absolutely disappointed in the purchase of this knife which I received today 6/22/23. I own hundreds of knives and the fit and finish/quality of this knife is not good. For $200 you can get a better knife for the money for sure! Shawn was good in allowing me to return this knife! This comment is reference the McIntyre Knife only, I don’t know about other knives made by 51 Bravo or own any other 51 Bravo knives. I will stick to my Newt Livesay NRGS for sure for my neck knife carry! Very disappointed!!

[@whybother757]

Belated congrats on winning Alone (I quit watching TV a few years ago). You clearly like your Livesay NRGS, but Newt quit. making knives years ago and wasn't reliable to do business with even then. What would you recommend as a currently available substitute for the NRGS? Thanks for your time.

[@Colhane]

I like the Becker BK-11 necker in this role. Newt certainly had his business difficulties but his knives were solid.

[@whybother757]

Colhane - Dave McIntyre Thanks!

[@seanantill3366]

Birch is my goto here as well

[@Colhane]

It isn't always easy to find soft pine pitch but Birch waves a huge white flag in the woods.

[@seanantill3366]

Colhane - Dave McIntyre that's very true especially in the winter's here in Alaska, our spruce bleeds pitch most of the time, but it's like a rock this time of the year.

[@faelr2p115]

Vai Mac!

[@kphifer1]

What's you machete brand of choice?

[@jamesellsworth9673]

Good information for 'real' survival: take the tools you can carry and specialize as is useful! ALONE is a REALITY TV SHOW; not necessarily the best instruction for 'making it' in an adverse world.

[@paulie4x1]

Say Heah Dave, Once I see its your video, even if I seen it before, I watch it again. Thanx You Dave. Yeah, when we go out on our weekend trips, I like to bring set's. Yeah, a breaking tool usually long knife, then a large, medium, and small knife, whether a pocket knife or a neck knife. It all depends on the trip. I always bring a saw. I also depending on the weather I like to bring at least a hatchet.. I don't carry all my tool's at the same time, I pick and choose from the set. Dilly Dilly.,,.p

[@shteacher]

Maybe from our perspective the machete is the Law of God and that other pointy knife of yours is His Grace. Do your 4 knives have names? Let's hear your analogies Mr. M.

[@Colhane]

Sharper than a two edged sword... Actually I say, "Careful, that knife is sharper than a mother-in-law's tongue. It won't ask permission, and it won't ask forgiveness. It just cuts."

[@shteacher]

Ack! May it never be!

[@MSLBushcraftSurvival]

Colhane - Dave McIntyre Good one, mother in laws tongue... :))

[@arctodussimus6198]

My TOPS Armageddon is so sharp “it can cut you just from looking at it “ 😉

[@bushfosterdad]

Mac i don't recognize the neck knife. Is it a livesay?

[@MSLBushcraftSurvival]

Ted Palmer Hi Ted, I would say it looks self made...

[@Colhane]

Yes, Livesay NRGS

[@Lars1540]

Dave doesn't it bother you that your neck knife doesn't have proper handles? I own a few skeletonized neck knives like the ESEE Izula and Becker Necker and absolutely hate them. The handles are so uncomfortable that it prevents them from being useful in most tasks that I would normally use a knife of that size for.

[@r91976]

Can't the sak do what your kneck knife does?

[@DamionJR4923]

r91976 You can. 1095 is more forgiving . It sharpens a little easier and it is tougher. In the woods I personally like having a neck knife it is convenient for me. But in urban areas not so much.

[@Colhane]

It could but that neck knife is uber handy and also part of my PSK.

[@TomsBackwoods]

I don't go anywhere with out my farmer!! lol Is that opinel a good saw? I been eye balling it!

[@Colhane]

I really like it, light weight and compact.

[@peternorthrup6274]

SOG super bowie. Swiss army knife. SOG spednaz combat throwing shovel. Razor sharp. My 3.

[@xbtusd7501]

esee 6 problem solved

[@jamesaritchie1]

Use a lighter or a match, and you don't need to worry about tinder. Ferro rods are ridiculously popular, and ridiculously inferior in every way to lighter and matches. If you're in a cold climate, the best way to build a fire is always the fastest way, and ferro rods are never the fastest. You can build three fires with lighters or matches while someone is preparing the tinder for a ferro rod. If you live in a really cold climate, you're extraordinarily wise if you also carry some Alaskan Napalm, otherwise known as road flares. If you fall through the ice, you want a fire as close to instantly as possible, and the best way to build one fast is with a road flare. Camping size flares are fine, but the bigger, the better. Save the ferro rods, the flint and steel, and the friction fire for warm summer evenings when it doesn't matter how long it takes to build a fire. I even use matches in the summer. I know how to build a fire nine different ways. I know the best of all these ways is using a fire to start a fire. And in the winter, use your lighter or your match to light an Esbit fuel tab. It burns for up to twenty minutes at 1,300 degrees. It's make even wet wood catch on fire. It will also boil water or cook food all by itself. This is one area where I agree with Dave Canterbury completely. Start a fire with a light, not a ferro rod. The fast way is the right way, even in summer, and it's a must in winter. I use matches, and I use an Esbit Cube, but it's the same principle. I grew up around woodsmen, and started going in the woods with them at age seven. By twelve, I was running a long trap line, and by sixteen I was earning more money from trapping than I could from a regular farm job. Many of these trappers were born in the late nineteenth century. My great grandpa was born in 1870, and lived until I was twenty-six. Funny, I always thought he was born later than this, but we dug out family records a wek or so ago, and was I wrong. Anyway, they all knew several ways to start a fire, but almost all of them carried a box of strike anywhere kitchen matches, and a rolled up newspaper in a plastic bag. One match and one sheet of newspaper started a fire, and there was a good chance that box of two hundred matches and one newspaper would last them most of the year. Even after fifty-seven yeas of wilderness living, I still carry matches and a newspaper in warm weather months. There's nothing historic, and nothing traditional about a ferro rod. It's a twentieth century invention, more modern than lighters or matches, so I don't understand why so many use it as their main way to start a fire? If you don't know how to start a fire with a ferro rod, or with friction, or with flint and steel, you should learn, but once you can start a fire in a given way, put it on hold and start using a different method. Once you know how to use the primitive methods, then use a lighter or a match, and anything else that makes a fire fast and easy. As for a Scandi edge, if it dulls and chips easy, it is not because it's a Scandi, it's because the bevel is far too steep. There is never a reason to have a ten through fourteen angle per side on a bevel. Never. Unless you intend to shave with the knife, or perform surgery with the knife. Then you need a razor or a scalpel. You're kidding yourself is you think a convex is any better than a Scandi. When a convex cuts better, it's because the bevel angle is different, not because a convex is inherently a better cutter. If you're chipping the edge on a Scandi when cutting rope, it's because whoever sharpened the Scandi had no clue what they were doing. Mora sharpens a Scandi not because the angle they use is worth spit, but because amateurs with knives think it's dull if you can't shave with it, which is unbelievably ignorant. Sharpness has nothing to do with shaving, it has to do with edge condition. A knife with a twenty degree per side bevel is just as sharp as a knife with a ten degree per side bevel. It won't cut hair because of the extra metal behind the edge, not because it's dull. You switched to a convex when all you had to do was use a sensible bevel angle on the Scandi. Before KZbin, no one ever put a razor edge on any knife with any grind because they knew it was silly. Pocketknives had a fifteen degree per side bevel, food knives had a seventeen degree per side bevel, all around knives had a twenty degree bevel, and skinning knives had a twenty-four to twenty-six degree per side bevel. These angles worked extremely well, they did all the real world cutting anyone wanted to do, and edges lasted several times as long. You should be carrying a pocketknife, anyway, as all woodsmen do. This gives you several blades, and if you make one of the a serrated edge, you can cut rope and canvas all day long. The right tool for the job is what makes someone an expert. The wrong tool for the job is what makes them an amateur. A convex is always, without exception, a horrible choice for a wilderness knife, but so is any blade that has an angle so steel it chips or rolls when doing ordinary cutting tasks. Use the right angle and you'll not only cut better without damaging the edge, the edge will last from two to four times as long. Sometimes longer. But thanks to KZbin, if it doesn't shave you, it's dull, and that's sillier than a screen door on a submarine.

[@Colhane]

James, Thanks for taking the time to write that out. I have no issue with people who disagree or offer an informed opinion. Your comments come from experience and I appreciate that. I totally agree with you about fire. I have said for many years, "The more you know, the more you know to carry a Bic." I always have more than one lighter in my pocket and pack when I'm in the bush and in the winter carry a trioxene bar along with it. They are more compact and pocket friendly than a road flare. I teach primitive skills in all areas as a back-up to modern means when it comes to survival. Nothing teaches you more about making a fire when your only tool is a knife. That said, if you have that skill mastered then using modern means is far more secure, especially in bad weather or when you are injured. The ferro rod is a modern invention, true, but irrelevant unless we are talking about reenacting or something. They are a tool and like any tool have their niche and require training and experience to use effectively. When I was working in rainy season jungle conditions the ferro rod proved to be a fantastic back-up fire starter. I carried it with a supply of prepared vaseline/cotton tinder and bike innertube rubber. In the jungle, that system is impervious to the constant wet conditions and will remain viable in long-term storage. A good rod will also last forever and if you know how to use it with available natural resources, will reliably and easily light fires night after night. On Vancouver Island my only fire tool was a ferro rod and it never failed me using the method in the video. If you look through my kits and gear you'll find all manner of matches, either waterproof or waterproofed, tucked away as a reserve and forgotten. That said, I'm not a big fan of them, they run out, don't work well in wind, and can get damp. Thay are light weight, compact and useful, but my goto has been a yellow Bic so I never have to use them. Talking knife grinds and steel on the internet is like discussing with a man if his wife and daughters are pretty or not. We have our opinions, but man it's a can of worms when you share them. The scandi knife I had with me on ALONE was optimized for working wood and is sheer pleasure to use in that role. The grind is slightly steeper than other scandi blades I have and you are correct that it runs the risk of chipping. That happened when I used it to cut rope impregnated with sand, literally dug out of a beach, not just clean rope. I also used it for daily fire prep shaving grit filled Cedar driftwood, which is hard on any edge. I only had the one knife due to the limits of the show and should have used my axe to cut the rope, but it was back in camp. That said, the edge damage I suffered was minor and in no way prevented me from doing any task nescessary. If I had proper sharpening gear it would have been easily corrected in the field, but taking that with me would have been another item in my list of ten. When you use one knife for all tasks for 66 days straight in those conditions, sharpening becomes an issue no matter what steel, angle, or edge profile. I do carry a Victorinox Farmer pocketknife and if I'm around anything mechanical will have one of various multi-tools. Thanks again for your comments. Always teachable, always learning.

[@StevanOutdoor]

There's some misconception about scandi as how it originally was and how it's now. People seem to prefer the full scandi now (scandi to zero meaning no secondary bevel) but that's not how they used to be. They used to have a small secondary convex edge. This full scandi is fragile and I made a video about it when I was in Colombia and took the Enzo Elver (now Brisa Elver) for testing with the factory edge. The edge rolled on me cutting hardwood. Minutes using a double sided ceramic and diamond pocket stone and a good stropping on the inside of my leather belt gave it that convex secondary bevel it needed. Barber shops used a straight razor and stropping so these for sure had a secondary convex edge. A convex (secondary) bevel is actually the easiest to keep sharp with a minimum of tools in the bush. I carry a lighter or two but they run out of gas/fuel. You'll run out of matches to and If either gets wet, damp or frozen they are of no use. So I switched to the ferro rod as main source and keep the lighter and matches for emergency fire making. I carry a ferro rod and lighter in my pocket. I don't want to carry a road flair in my pocket because I like my genitals. And you can lose your pack but very rarely lose your pants.