Back to Basics: Knife Discussion with Dave Canterbury

[@GeneralGiffel]

Thank you Dave! Your videos are very good. I can recommend the PKS knives to everyone! I live in Sweden but i managed to get my hands on a PKS Grizzly. Its expensive to get it shipped here but it was worth it. Dave has really put in tought behind every model. Everything from the steel, to the sharp edges and the grind. If you are just starting your woodsman career then you have two options. Either you get a Mora Garberg Carbon steel or a PKS.

[@garretmarks888]

The amount of insanely useful content you come out with very regularly is the reason why this is my number one bushcraft/survival channel of all time

[@TracieHunter-v5p]

Good channel very helpful and every chance I get I purchase pathfinder gear when I sometimes get a little extra spending cash. Helps the channel and also helps add to my collection! One hand washes the other right?

[@dbbeck90]

Gotta say Dave, I love the cycle of this channel. It really feels like I am being taught. The videos gradually become more and more advanced in what’s being shown, and then boom. Back to the basics. It’s like a little break from the advanced courses, and some time to decompress and revisit the core fundamentals. Then we slowly get more gradually advancing videos, until boom. Another refresher of the basics in survival. Really appreciate everything you do.

[@doubled3983]

Hello from Oklahoma! The old river rat here. Good video! Lots of good info here. The plethera of knives made for the outdoors these days is crazy. These are the golden days for the outdoorsman, Bushcrafter. Thanks for all You Do! God Bless!

[@BobWiley-dn2gf]

Thank you David! I love it when your more calm like this and when you dont talk so fast.... its easier to understand and stay on track, and you seem healthier in this video wich is good to see. youve been an inspiration for me and i wish the best for you Dave ❤ 2.5 years sober and dual survival got me through the hard part 😊

[@HughGard-rc7cc]

Three minutes in and I just learned more about fixed blades than I knew there was to learn ! I'll be watching this a few times just to get all the info ! I've been a knife guy since my grandad used to give me his chesterfield coupons so I could get a case pocket knife..circa 1965 !

[@asmith7876]

You're killing it with these videos lately, LOVING the map stuff, I'm sure this will be as interesting.

[@bobpadrick7718]

A good primer, thank you! Oh, and seeing your square and compass tat for the first time was an unexpected delight. SMIB

[@aball218]

I just noticed that myself and was VERY happy to see it. Safe travels Brother!!

[@johntheo4729]

Canterbury = National Treasure

[@JFearlessJourneys2112]

This is an awesome intro for new folks as well as a good refresher for those of us older folks! Would be great to see some of these back to basics for Axes and Hatchets too! Thanks Dave!

[@darrinmartin8247]

Dave is the King

[@jamescrowe7892]

PKS knives are well made and crazy sharp. Just received my PKS Grizzly and I can’t say enough good things about it. I am glad PKS brought it back. This is my 4th PKS knife to go along with my Mountain Lion, Scorpion XL and Camp and Trail. I really like the contoured handles. Very comfortable. I used the Scorpion in an Introductory Survival class a couple months ago that was close to home and it performed well. I guess you could say I am a knife junkie as I have knives from Gerber, ESEE, Buck, PKS, SAK and Mora. Thanks Dave for an excellent product.

[@greekveteran2715]

Don't get into the teritory of LT Wright, Bark River, TRC Knives, those are better for collection,for use,you can't get better, than with a Mora and a Swiss army knife!!

[@WannabeWoodsman]

Always good to have a refresher!

[@zoltannagy2920]

Excellent video Mr. Canterbury, Thank You !

[@virgilcain8152]

Excellent explanation of various styles of knives. Thanks Dave

[@YankeeWoodcraft]

Crushing it today. Dave's on a mission. Somebody once told me that I should have a Mora as a back-up to my $300 BHK Scout. I told them that the back-up to my $300 BHK Scout was my $300 BHK PLSK1. 😎 Now my back-up is my PKS Bushcraft Basic (which is for all intents and purposes practically a PLSK1 clone). It's literally one of my 3 "never part with" knives. That PKS is a beast with finesse.

[@noahsmith8988]

I have a Buck Pathfinder I have had over 50 years in what I do dressing deer or anything else does good on fish to it looks just about as good as when I bought it it's a great knife

[@chadsharp1303]

You’re on a roll Dave, good job.

[@JamieCrickmore-gs9so]

Great video dave. Thanks for everything you do for us

[@RickTOutdoorAdventure1969]

Another Great short film full of quality information 👌. Cheers Dave

[@jeffrichards5106]

Great and in depth video on knives, Dave. Thank you.👍🏻

[@saritaford3667]

You are so skilled at breaking down the information so it makes sense. As always, while you do showcase SRO's products, the information can be applied for any brand. Thank you, Dave, for all you do for us!!!

[@chrismiller6360]

Very interesting video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@unfi6798]

Great updates mate. Valuable information. Cheers from Australia.

[@earlshaner4441]

Outstanding subject my friend

[@WoodsmanHobo777]

I don't understand why people have trouble sharpening a convex grind, I find it is actually the easiest grind to sharpen. Most of the time the knife only needs honed or stroped but when it needs sharpening I just find the angle and sharpen like any other grind. I know Dave knows this, but I know a lot of people say the same thing Dave just said about sharpening convex grinds which I think discourages people from buying and shying away from convex ground blades. I absolutely love the grind that came on the Jeff White knives. Thanks for another great video Dave. God bless brother.

[@feartheduck6664]

A very useful video Mr C. Thanks.

[@Kangsteri]

Good stuff. The rat tail tang with birch bark or leather stack that is used in Finnish puukko, is designed to be flexible so you can get more accurate feel of the blade when carving. Puukko literally means wood carving tool (puu is the word for tree in Finnish). Traditional puukko is also usually slightly softer steel, so the blade doesn't chip or brake at winter time. The so called blood groove makes narrow blades more strong by adding more surface and tension to the spine.

[@Jaden48108]

I'm afflicted with KAS (Knife Acquisition Syndrome), so I have to be careful here. It's sort of like alcoholism insofar I feel the urge to purchase a knife despite receiving a BPS Adventurer in the mail a few days ago. For the record, I do own a Scorpion. One of the best knives I own. Great discussion Dave.

[@SR-qq8ub]

I think this is going to be a really good series and I'm looking forward to the upcoming topics. I know in your videos over the years you've already covered topics such as knives, knots/cordage, bedding, shelters and so on, but I'm interested in hearing your updated takes on all of these in a more dedicated platform.

[@morganblackheart9468]

For me, I like the Becker BK7 for a camp knife, it's a bit big for food prep but it's good for small chopping and splitting kindling. It's not a heavy chopper but it's a damn good camp knife that can delimb well. I also use a Gerber prodigy for small tasks and it's like the perfect belt knife for me.

[@greekveteran2715]

Chopping is it's best part,because it chops way to deep for it's size and weight,A bit big for a belt knife, but a really good hard use knife overall. Pair it with a Victorinox SAK or a Mora Eldris and you have all your cutting needs covered.

[@morganblackheart9468]

@@greekveteran2715 it's definitely a great knife, it's simple steel and it's really easy to sharpen and you can get it super sharp. My gerber prodigy is my belt knife

[@greekveteran2715]

@@morganblackheart9468 Ka-Bar doesn't use 1095.Their steel is Carbon V, which is a more complicated steel, than the very simple 1095. It takes a bit more to sharpen, than 1095 but still an easy steel to sharpen, as aall Low alloys usually are.Ka-Bar sells their knives under the 1095 CV name.but that's 100% marketing trick and not the real name of any steel.They just use the 1095 name in it, because that's the steel most people are familiar with, in the USA market.Don't get me wrong, everything you said is 100% right, I just added some extra info!

[@heldenkreuz]

Excellent video. Thanks Dave!!

[@unclefreedom213]

Man I've missed your knife talks. I need that HD in my life and on my SRT carrier

[@wolfman2702]

Great information. I like that big compass on the lower right of the chalk board. I would need my bifocals to navigate if I had one of those :)

[@wolfman2702]

Wouldn’t need

[@amateurshooter6054]

Thanks Dave

[@Mortem_Tyrannis_24]

Excellent information!!

[@addisonesslinger3653]

Good stuff. Thanks Dave.

[@jessemccormick7899]

Excellent point about ergos, I don’t care good a blade profile is, if the handle sucks or causes hotspots it will not get used

[@Ruger44Redhawk]

My wife and I loved watching you on Dual Survival. Always excellent info. One thing I would add is non-skeletonized full width handle stock knives. For the life of me, I don't understand why companies like Kabar (Becker), Essee and Archetiect weaken their blades with a skeletonized handle tang! Also, you would think it would be cheaper for them to produce by skipping that step of removing material from the handle. The BK9, for example, would be such a better blade if it had full non-skeletonized handle tang. I would not trust my life on it being that I have seen them break at that weak point. I e-mailed Kabar about that and they have no interest in offering a true full tang option. In addition, I never baton a blade. That is abuse of a tool. Use an axe for that intended purpose or scavenge for wood on the forest floor that is plentiful. Cheers.

[@ROE1300]

👍 Good advice, well done instructional video. Having said that the 2 areas I disagree with are 1) a stick/rat tail knife will accomplish anything one needs to do with a knife. They have served mankind very well for hundreds of years. And, 2) anybody who has trouble maintaining a convex grind in the field just needs proper instruction in that task. Other than those 2 items I found this video very interesting.

[@RobFlesher]

Dave, love your channel! I have watched your channel since the rabbit stick days. In the past I have explained to you heat treat methods and the results [ when you were still green); in which you did reply. Here, is my only advice (long time blade smith, knife tool maker , millwright tradesman." Your scandi edge, promotion, although it is good for bushcraft. For everything else, a good convex edge wins in every way, NO contest. I hope you can explore some quality convex edges. Your mind will be changed!

[@lancef5636]

A good quality knife everyone should have. Agree.👍🏻

[@chasorchard1140]

Good info dave... thanks

[@robyngrogan7647]

Thank you so much for sharing this information about knives. I always had trouble with steel comp. Are you going to go over sharpening knives also?

[@bluetrue6062]

My favorite is an Opinel knife No. 9 Inox for me. Good basic knife, easily sharpened, easily replaceable.

[@KennethEarl-l5w]

Miss your brother glad to see you doing good

[@duybear4023]

You guys should make a Canadian Belt Knife. I'd buy it.

[@jeffmccausland3569]

Thanks Dave.

[@quinntheeskimooutdoors6234]

Good video Dave, thanks.

[@FishTheJim]

Great video! When are the woodmuks going to be back in stock?

[@victormartin6608]

Just say it... your grandmother's paring knife is the best choice.😊

[@ostekuste3646]

My favorite and edc is the PKS Kephart Campmaster edition. I don’t have very large hands, and have some trouble with arthritis. The Kephart does all my daily cutting as well as any chores in the woods or at camp. People are always asking to borrow it, but I usually just do their cutting so they don’t abuse my knife! I started out thinking I needed the big monster survival knife but soon learned what I needed was far from it. I carry a Carbone Opinel pocket knife for very fine work, and if I’m in the woods long enough to need to process firewood I carry a Silky saw. I never see the need to baton or split for kindling, the woods are full of small branches I can snap with my hands. Chopping or splitting is the most dangerous time you will handle any blade, be it a knife or an ax.

[@WayneTheSeine]

Good info....as always.

[@davehumpleby3440]

I was expecting the Mora Garberg to feature as it's a knife you have enthused about in a number of previous videos.

[@paul7754]

Every knife like every tool has limitations. Expected tasks and intentions define what one needs as Dave defines. Environment is also important in steel/handle choice. Knife steel and edge care knowledge in the field determine performance and longevity. Understanding your knife's limits will increase it's usefulness.

[@kingsclownvideos]

Very helpful. Thank you.

[@jamesvickery308]

Dave, I think there is something to be said for a saber grind, as well. I have a BHK Highlander in a saber grind that I wear on occasion in the woods.

[@wb5mgr]

If you have a knife with a convex grind and you want to keep it up in the field the best way that I found to do that is to get an old leather belt and get a honing belt light goes on a belt sander like they used to sharpen knives and a blacksmith shop, take a pair of scissors and cut that built in half and then cut a piece the same length as the leather belt you have. Then glue it to the belt with contact cement. Once it has adhered, now you have both a sharpening service on one side and a leather strop on the other side that I recommend you prelude with green honing compound. Then what I would do is just take the buckle and put it over a piece of a tree limb that sticking out or something that you can catch it on and hold it down where it has a little bit of belly and run the knife back-and-forth in long strokes. If it’s not overly dull, it will sharpen right up on some thing like a 400-600 grit belt. If you want to get real finicky about it, you could even have Half of the belt as may be at 600 grit and half as a 2000 grit belt. These belts will last a long time when you’re just dragging the knife over it by hand. Just think about how long they last when being run by machine.

[@jwarehouse1]

PKS knives are like buying a custom knife. A really great value. I would recomend offering a few versions with blade length under 4 inches for States with stupid laws. Also offering one with a full flat grind with that new satin finish, which is better for food prep.

[@clarencesmith2305]

I have a knife that I like but is a common hollow grind. Can I follow the edge to the thick part of the blade over the years to create a so-called "scandy" grind?

[@spicyguacc]

What are your thoughts on a knife with a rolled tang (ie Cold Steel Bushman and similar) for bushcraft or general use?

[@JAB671]

Good video as always. That little Eastern Phoebe was sure wound up during the first part of the video. I never heard them in my part of East Tennessee - or at least never noticed - until last year. Now I have one that often spends the night in my shed and has gotten used to me enough that it doesn't fly away when I go in there for something as long as I move slowly and don't get too close. There is no nest, it just sleeps in there, I guess. I've been 'playing' with knives for around forty years and I still prefer the simple steels. 1095 is my favorite but other steels in the 10xx family and some, other high carbon steels are good, too. I also like D2 sometimes. I prefer a larger knife because I am one of those people who can do small knife tasks with a big knife better than I can do big knife tasks with a small knife but one of each for appropriate tasks is ideal. I prefer high saber or full flat grinds on 'main' knives but I almost always put a pretty deep (as in I start it pretty high up on the blade) convex secondary/edge bevel. I can get a convex edge bevel shaving sharp while keeping a good amount of material behind the edge and it is usually strong enough that regularly running it across a small sharpening steel and/or leather belt maintains the edge. Thank you for all you do and all the good, free information you provide.

[@MountainAjar]

Good run through

[@gwpattrick]

Yup, I have the camp and trail, and the Scorpion HD and the Kephart. I like the Kephart that's the best.

[@elpd46]

Does anyone ever get tired of knives? Of course not! Good vid.

[@johnduffy6546]

Ahh... The Old Hickory knives. We got a set of these as a wedding gift 46 years ago. I LOVE the high carbon blades. Easy to sharpen to razor sharp and they hold an edge forever...So sad that they went out of business

[@indianprepper2478]

Thanks For revision sir. I will go with HD scorpion

[@xlargetophat]

What does Dave think of the tracker knife?

[@dalelampe5732]

Nice vid thanks dave

[@GypsyBushcraft1]

Hi Dave, have you ever had an experience with bark River knives

[@alglen9208]

Dave, if in Kansas. What would you carry in a medium ALICE out on the prairie, minus winter conditions. Of course the 10's are ingrained in me. Old man with a 110 miles to the farm from urban situ. In a hasty get out of Dodge and the pickup truck gives out. Al

[@UrbanTacticalSurvival]

Question : for all the bushcraft PKS knifes why don't they not have any jimping on the back of the blade ?

[@brunorojas3992]

Dave is one of the people whos knowledge and experience should be saved or uploaded to a computer that way people could just download it directly to there minds. Would be cool.

[@robertdole5391]

Given the return to great powers competition and peer-on-peer conflict, do you have any Soldier knife recommendations? A WWIII Soldier knife? Something tells me that basic bush crafting and basic wilderness and urban survival skills will be handy for any frontline Soldier in the near future.

[@spyhunter6411]

How do you feel about the esee 6? That was my first step up out of a mora.

[@KrisK-i4f]

My personal choices are green river hunting knife , mora kanstable and the small bucklite . If I need a heavier knife the Gerber strong arm . But I seldom carry a strong arm because I’ll pack a small camp axe or tomahawk to process wood , it’s unheard of for me to baton with a knife . Yeah , I’ve got a couple “ high quality pricy knives “ but three of the four I mentioned weigh near nothing , take a razor edge easily , hold an edge pretty good and should I lose one somehow , I’ve still got two darn good blades and I’m out less than fifty bucks .

[@noahsmith8988]

The two best pocket knives for me has been a Case trapper and a Case Sodbuster

[@19Willy67]

No comments yet. Wow. Anyway great info 👍❤️

[@CausticPuffin]

I’m probably in the minority here, but I prefer a 2.5”-3” fixed blade for edc/ basic outdoor and light carving tasks. Great video!

[@imgadgetmanjim]

Thank you. I love my pks.

[@vinnysandoval3114]

Convex knives are supposed to be easy to maintain in the field, thats depends on the tools on hand obviously. The OG Kephart was a full convex, they used to slack belt sharpen knives to give them a convex.

[@proctortoad]

Just purchased your canteen and canteen cup at rivers edge cutlery. Got a call right after that daughter had pink eye and my wife was taking her to urgent care. My wife was thirsty and didn’t have her water bottle. Needless to say your canteen is coming handy already and I’m not even in the field 🤣

[@MrNonStopOrator]

I want to get a few of the knives pathfinders make, what is your warranty like? I own several esee knives and bought them because their warranty is so loyal to the buyer, I take care of all of my stuff anyways so it doesn’t matter but I think it draws a lot of attention with a warranty that doesn’t just focus on manufacturing defects being it shouldn’t leave the company if it’s defective. Anyways thanks in advance I want to get every model Pksmakes!

[@StevanOutdoor]

I would add 'area and climate'. If it's very cold or very hot a full tang might not be the best and if you're in a very wet place carbon steel, wooden handles and leather sheaths might not be the best option. I personally see no difference in sharpening a Mora 511 (carbon steel) and a Mora 546 (stainless steel). When it comes to field maintenance carbon steel needs more care. I agree that a true scandi (scandi to zero) is more likely to roll so I always give them a secondary convex edge before use (aka scandivex).

[@alphaomegasurvivalsupply6548]

Sheath/carry system should be added to that list because thats very important too

[@demo2952]

I usually have 3 knives on me at any given time. A big beater, a self-defense knife, and something for fine work.

[@brucemattes5015]

After many years away from camping in the outdoors, I decided to purchase a *Terava Jääkäripuukko 110mm fixed blade knife from Varusteleka in Finland.* This knife arrived from Finland crazy sharp! It is manufactured utilizing *80CrV2 carbon steel at 59 HRC.* The blade is a full tang style blade that is covered in some sort of rubbery thermoplastic that completely encapsulates the tang. The grip is contoured to fit either hand, making it ambidextrous. The grip is both textured as well as just slightly cushiony. The blade is sharpened with a Scandi grind. The pommel end of the knife blank has an integral O-ring protruding from the upper back end of the cushioned grip that is plenty large enough to accommodate any type of reasonably sized cordage. I *WILL NOT* be using this knife for batoning kindling, although there are scores of KZbin testimonials that attest to the Terava Jääkäripuukko 110's ability to do so. If I desire to chop small trees or baton kindling, then I will utilize my Terava Skrama 240mm seax-style knife to do so. It is far more capable of processing firewood than my Jääkäripuukko 110, although the 110 is perfectly capable of doing so in a pinch. My next two purchases are going to be a Silky folding saw and a carbon steel hatchet with a hammer poll. Thanks for all of the hard work that you put into your videos! It is much appreciated.

[@billythekidd623]

i like a hollow or full flat grind to a micro bevel anything else doesn't cut like i need it to i like dexter russell, gerber gators, and buck 119 i tried the 300$ benchmades didnt impress me much also cold steel machetes and hawks are good

[@gloriarousseau7579]

Do you have any recommendations for a woman’s hand?

[@cherokeesurvival8340]

what about old timer sharp point 4'' blade @dave canterbury

[@stephencarmichael5156]

Buck 119 and 102 my go to combination

[@glenpaul3606]

I agree, full tine knives are by far the strongest.

[@thomasmusso1147]

👍👍👍 .. basic and easy to understand .. as it should be. What does come out of the Presentation is that there is no perfect knife for all purposes .. hence the 'intent'. There will be compromises alone the way. M first ever knife, my Dad bought for me .. then a pre-teener, back in the latter 1950's. A cheap 'fishing knife' (it's initial purpose) .. carbon steel, full tang, with an about 5" blade (guestimate) and a riveted wooden handle. It served me well for many, many years, and not only for fishing-related chores, but for everything! Perhaps I did not know any better then as it seemed to work fine for practically all chores 😏. Through my teens, military service (14 years) and well into the '80's when it got lost during a Company-Initiated transfer, home relocation. That and a SAK (bought in 1968, which I still have and use) were then, my only two blades. I have more now 😊. The 'Hype' over knives can be at times confusing .. 'what was good yesterday, is not today, and that today, will not be tomorrow' .. often leading many on the Search for a 'Holy Grail', leaving a myriad of discarded blades in their wake 😏. Thanks to Mr Canterbury for this post which will perhaps assist some in making better, more informed and less wasteful choices when acquiring a blade.

[@jasonadams6468]

A small Mora knife 3 inch and a Gransfors Burk axe sharp like a razor. The axe 18 inch handle is a great skinner tool. Don’t abuse your knife, it’s for fine details. Just my setup, not anything else…

[@johncalliope197]

Just got me a new Case sod buster

[@homeofinventions]

Convex doesn't need maintained in the field. A light stopping after use is all that you need.

[@larson0014]

ever going to sell knife blanks again?

[@arturohammersley9703]

How many "Cutting" tools do you carry? - Fix blade ( Main knife ) * - Folding knife ( SAK or Multi tool ) [ Food prep and eating, fine carving, ? ] - Backup knife [ Neck, boot or merc carry, maybe hidden, possible self-defence? ] - Scalpel [ Sterile, super sharp, emergency backup ] - Utility knife [ Disposable, cut against cement or scraping ] - Hacksaw blade [ Cutting steel ] - Wood saw [ in/SAK or multi tool or Bahco/Silky saw ] - ? * "Two is one, one is none"

[@R0d_1984]

So, i noticed on your right hand (second finger from thumb) a freemason square and compass, are you a freemason?

[@tomritter493]

Oh hell didn't know about the outfiiters scorpion that's a hell of a blade Chris woods let review his man what a blade