The best tool(s) for cutting your way through brush

Introducing a very useful tool for the outdoorsman

[@FeralPedals]

Another cracking video. As a sniper in the Royal Marines we used the anvil type silent (compared to chopping) and discrete and you could cut stuff with virtually no movement which was always a giveaway. The big thing with secateurs is they are legal so ideal for camping in countries with tuff knife laws or letting kids use them

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Thanks Gary, and much respect to you as a sniper too! I just always found them quieter and safer

[@Traderjoe]

They would be quite effective. I would also seek out a branch with a V split in the end to have on hand to push other vegetation out of the way

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Good idea too. Actually that's a very good idea. 👍

[@benscottwoodchopper]

But... but... The bowie is better for felling giant oaks, defending from kodiak bear attack, and night time raids on ammunition depots... Once again making too much sense. Those anvil secateurs are meant for dead wood and can cut much tougher stuff, bypass leaves a cleaner cut which is more important when pruning plants in the garden but can struggle a bit so I would agree with anvil being the better option for this job. I bet the combined weight of that saw and secateurs with a small folding knife is less than a big bowie or khukri, more efficient, safer, easier to carry comfortably in pockets and overall better at their respective jobs. Great video as always!

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Thanks very much indeed Ben! Thanks for the lesson on secateurs too, I didn't know that. I just found the anvil type stronger

[@timatchley3862]

Good afternoon Vinnie, I'm glad to see you have a new video. Great video on bush knives and clippers. I have an old kukri knife I use to clear brush and its been very reliable. The cutters your using has many uses in the woods. I could see using the cutters for kindling , making stakes, arrows, etc. I've seen several outdoor videos but very few people consider using the cutters in the woods. Vinnie I think you have a great idea. Keep the videos coming, I enjoy watching. Thank You! my friend and take care.

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Thanks Tim. It is kind comments like that from good people like you that keep me going on KZbin 👍

[@ejames6431]

I always enjoy your videos Vinnie! 🇮🇪🇺🇸

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

I always enjoy your comments E 👍

[@LarsRibe]

I agree on your choice of tool. I did how ever get myself a Felco, when it was on sale and find it much easier to use than my ceaper ones. It holds the edge forever and feels sturdy even when taking down small trees by running the blade arround the base of the tree (with force) a few times.

[@LarsRibe]

Nice bowie by the way

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Thanks Lars. I had to google Felco secateurs. Pricey! but now you have me thinking..damn you! 😀

[@LarsRibe]

@@vinniesdayoff3968 😁 sorry. They are up there, but worth it in my opinion. Now is the wrong time to buy. Everybody is runni.g out buying garden tools. I got mine as a Christmas gift (years ago) for myself. There was a 20% discount on the older models.

[@seff2318]

I’m glad you made this video rather than me lol. I wasn’t sure how to make my “hateful fiskars” loppers look like an attractive option. I have loads of rhododendron to cut through this spring and sawing or hacking my way through with a boys axe in close quarters felt too clunky and dangerous. I’m always pleasently surprised by your practicality. Happy to have ya back mate :)

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Well as you know Seth, you have to be aware of the direction of every single cut and where the blade is going to end up, throw in the danger of deflections as well. I have had a machete spin out of my hand as well and that is a bit scary! Thanks for dropping by 👍

[@T37912]

Well Vinnie, after reading all the comments there is no need to add an aditional one; everything has been said... 😁 Nice and instructional upload. Thanks, Alain

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Well it's good to hear from you Alain, thanks for watching.

[@T37912]

@@vinniesdayoff3968 yours and Felix Immler are always the 1st 2 channels I check. I find them the most instructional and (in a way) the most entertaining. 👍

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

I can't figure out why Felix doesn't have a million subscribers I think he is one of only a few real bushcrafters on KZbin. There are complete fools who can't figure out how to wipe their asses or which end of their knife to hold who have ten times more followers than Felix. KZbin is strange!

[@T37912]

@@vinniesdayoff3968 totaly agree.

[@T37912]

Hi Vinnie. A couple of weeks ago Lidl had a sale on these in Belgium so, following your advice and train of thought, I got myself one. Will need to take it witg me on the next trip. They also had a foldable saw on sale for less then 5 euros, so I got me one of those as well. My boy (11 years old) has tested that on a log (diameter a bit less then 25 cm) and claims it works well. He cut the log in 6 pieces. We'll have to take that one out for a tey as well. Thanks for the great idea with the cutters. Kind regards, Alain

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Thanks Alain. The saws are not too bad. They will certainly cut some firewood. I got a Silky Accel with the curved blade lately. I am very happy with it. I think the only thing that would be better would be Luke Skywalkers light saber!

[@T37912]

@@vinniesdayoff3968 my 11 year old did cut the log in 6 pieces (5 cuts) and did not say it was difficult. This is my first foldable saw (except for Victorinox 😁) so I'm looking forward to teying it out. Silkyls are suposed to je real good ?

[@hauki9286]

Good idea, safe and sound. Also easy to make tent stakes with those.

[@Case16710]

A few years back, I used to do a bit of trail maintenance with the Sierra Club out here in California. We used long handled loppers and bow saws to clear branches and small trees. Not as manly as blazing a trail by hacking and slashing, but like you said, they’re the best tools for the job. Safer, and frankly, much less work. Although we also did “manly” stuff like swinging McLeods (rakehoes) and pulling stumps with mattocks and cable winches, so we had fun too. So glad to see you back, Vinnie. I really enjoy your work, or rather, your days off!

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

An obvious case of great minds thinking alike 😀

[@garygag739]

That's a great idea vinnie I would have never thought of using them but they look like they work well and it looks a lot easier than swinging a heavy blade around and safer to. 👍👍👍.

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

I've been using them for years and they are a great thing to have in thick cover Gary. Thanks for watching bud?

[@HuplesCat]

Now this makes total sense and I've never thought of it Demo is very convincing. Seems way less energy than hacking with a machete which is my usual method Bending tip is a great bonus hack Two things- eye glasses and gloves but it is a demo vid

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

A machete is great but there is a lot more to using one than one might imagine, with some risk involve. You need to be very careful about blade deflection etc There is almost no danger at all with a pruner and it works well. Thanks for watching

[@Pillar2post]

great idea vin . i usually carry a 16-18" machette . but thats more for opening le wild coconuts . the shears would be handy for processing wood for a small wood stove as well i figure

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Thanks Ali. Wouldn't I love to be somewhere where wild coconuts grow!

[@MrOtterdude]

Great video! I found a pair of garden "snippers" at the river and used them to cut shoots for my arrows. Last fall, I used them, along with a SAK saw, to cut shooting lanes for bowhunting. Unlike my 12" machete, I could easily throw them in a hunting bag, as they're so compact. Your using them to cut trails is pretty wise!

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Clearly great minds think alike Joe :-)

[@MrOtterdude]

LOL! @@vinniesdayoff3968

[@StrikeMirror-oh3cn]

I’ve been carrying a pair of anvil shears with my fishing gear for about 25 years. Really helps when trying to access streams and brushy areas around lakes

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

I do the same :-) I trim back some of those annoying overhanging branches to make it easier to cast the next day.

[@StrikeMirror-oh3cn]

vinniesdayoff On a different subject, have you had the opportunity to use knives made by MAM? They are Portugal’s answer to Opinel. They make a version with a single sheepsfoot blade about 3.25 inches (82.5 mm) long in both a slip joint and a liner lock. The prices are under $10. U.S.. I would be happy to send you a couple

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Sorry it took a while to get back to you. No, it's my first time hearing about MAM. I've been having a look at some of their knives. Some of them look exactly like Opinels. Very intriguing. Thanks very much for the offer but as you say they are not very expensive. I'm going to order me a couple! Thanks for the heads up.

[@StrikeMirror-oh3cn]

vinniesdayoff yeah, the handles are flattened on the sides rather than round like the Opinels, but they’re still pretty comfortable. Let me know if there are any knives you need- I have hundreds of pocket knives and what I don’t have I can usually barter for. I would be happy to send you anything you can’t find over there ( I’m in California). And thank you for all the great videos, by the way!

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

@@StrikeMirror-oh3cn Thanks very much. I have been sent knives before but It makes me feel like I'm taking advantage of people. I have a knife at the moment that has been loaned to me to review and I'm going to send it back when I'm finished

[@OKBushcraft]

Secatuer is an unusual name here in the states. Thanks for educating me. We call them hand pruners generally. I do have a pair used to harvest arrow shafts and atlatl darts. Hunters will use them to clear shooting lanes. Great idea my friend.

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Thanks John, we are educating each other methinks 👍

[@matthewrix2164]

Another excellent video - my compliments

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Thank you Matthew 🙂

[@BushCraftBums]

Awesome video! Thanks for sharing! Have a blessed one my friend!

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

The same to yourself, thanks for dropping by 👍

[@PatrickSwayzeOnDbol]

Just the video I’ve been looking for. Path to my fishing lake has overgrown with gorse and nettles. I have those pruning snips and a folding saw.

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Thanks Patrick. I must say you are a hell of a dancer.

[@lvhdmya4807]

Might I suggest a billhook? Does knife jobs and hatchet work and quite a bit of stuff you'd do with an axe.

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

True indeed

[@FishinNStuff]

That's a very helpful tip Vinnie, I always use a machete for the job but I think your idea is way better , you my friend ,,,,, well your a true outdoorsman

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Well you are a true gentleman... and an all round good guy Keith 👍

[@davedonkey5663]

Nice idea ,my method was always to be second and let the other guy do the work .Have you stopped downloading daughters music .always enjoyed listening .ATB Dave

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Damn! There's always someone with a better idea 😐. No Dave, i will have more of her music in future videos. Thank you

[@OKBushcraft]

Brilliant!

[@minktrappingpaddy]

Great video Vinnie. The bowie was very effective. Mind, a good pair of gloves would be essential. I have a pair of cheap secateurs I keep in my trapping bag. Used them to get through cover and to cut little guide sticks when making sets.

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Great minds think alike Eddie! The Bowie works but you need to be very careful about the direction of the blade and where it is going to end up. Hopefully not in ones leg!

[@minktrappingpaddy]

@@vinniesdayoff3968 yes I can see how that can happen lol. When your using force, you often neglect direction.

[@nowilikethatyoubet9319]

Another great video, Vinnie. Thanks for your kind reply to my comment about your Opinel video. Have you tried any of the Fiskars rotating handle secateurs? I have a pair of the bypass and you're right about the blades slipping. On the Fiskars rotating model, if you try to cut too thick or too hard a limb, the gear in the handle can actually jump to a different tooth. I do know Fiskars makes a rotating handle with an anvil blade. You might try a pair and see if the rotating handle is easier on the fingers.

[@archer125]

I have been using these since I first seen this video and found secateurs one of the most underrated pieces of kit around. It's a genius idea Vinnie. They are very useful for so many tasks like gathering shelter building materials, kindling and foraging wild edibles too 👍

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

The best way to get through the dreaded brambles too

[@JH_1095]

Long time no see...Great idea! Not as romantic as the Bowie or the slipjoint though lol ... Great video friend.

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

I know, I know, Bowies are ultra cool!

[@blueeyeswhitedragon9839]

Thanks for the video.

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Thanks for watching it Richard, much appreciated.

[@chrisosh9574]

I can definitely recommend the Lidl secateurs, I was using them to cut through thick roots today. I have never thought to use them to get through brush but we always used to have a pair in the Landy for hide building, along with a folding saw. I have got a big old bowie that will cut through brush but most bowies are too chunky to be good at it, a thinnish blade with weight towards the end of the blade is better, that's why machetes are shaped the way they are. Good to see you back Vinnie.

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Thanks Chris, good to hear from you too.

[@casecutlerykid2095]

Last time I did this I got 4 stitches but I was cutting a small tree down to make a frog gig

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

That happens in the best regulated of families ☺

[@Seancmccormick]

Leaving Bravado for practicality.... I like it! That works pretty dang good for bushwhacking! I've taken one out a couple of times for cutting branches into small pieces for a little wood stove I had, had being the key word. It worked great, the wood stove not so much. Great little item never the less. Great video Vinny! Atb Sean

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Thanks Sean, I use them to clear up all my little trails and runs before hunting season. They are just convenient and safe. Gloves are a good idea if doing a lot of cutting as you get a blister on the web between thumb and forefinger. Thanks for watching! 👍

[@Hoonozit]

Hi Vinnie. I've been doing the same thing for many years now, I have a leather holster for them. I call them pruning shears and consider them part of my camping gear. I was a little shocked to hear that someone else appreciates how handy they are for running around the bush. Thanks for the the video. Nice to hear from you again.

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Nice to hear from you too my friend! They really are a great tool. The holster is something I should get off my behind and buy. The pruners can be hard on the pockets

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

I was thinking of the two sayings Mick. "Great minds think alike" and also "fools seldom differ". I think we will go with great minds here 😀

[@ahmelmahay]

I have a Felco no4 secateurs. have it for years and the blades come off for sharpening. have a few florabests too but in my line of work they dont hold up so well so i opted for the more expensive Felco brand. oh and i have a 12 inch bowie just like yours....razor sharp edge but heavy so you would need a lanyard .....great video Vinnie nothing like getting out and about. but no with the lockdown living in Dublin is becoming a real pain. i suppose its the same everywhere in fairness

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Lidl would do the likes of me Joe but not a professional like you. I'm lucky because I'm in the country and it does not make much difference to me/ I can go where I like and no one about, The fact that I am not free to travel farther is very annoying though. I was looking at the death rate per thousand for the last years. 2020 is a little higher than 2019 but 2008, 2009 and a good few other years had a higher death rate and we didn't have to shut down the country 🤔

[@SoldierDrew]

Where I live, bowhunters carry pruning shears in their cargo pocket to clear limbs out of one's shooting lane.

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

I have found them to be very handy especially at the start of hunting season to cut back brambles that have grown across my little trails

[@nowilikethatyoubet9319]

Another great video, Vinnie. Thanks for your kind reply to my comment on your Opinel video. Have you tried any of the Fiskars rotating handle secateurs? I've tried the bypass bladed ones--you have to be careful on thickness otherwise the plastic gear teeth might shift off a tooth. Fiskars do make an anvil type. You might try out the rotating lower handle and see if it is easier on the hand.

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

No I've not tried them. Lars Buskkraft got me thinking when he told me about his Felco pruners, but they are pricey. I ordered a pair of faithfull samurai secateurs. They have a 25 mm capacity which is decent and they get good reviews so I am looking forward to trying them out.

[@popeye27528]

Not sure Rambo would agree with you lol, all the best Jon

[@irishwanderer4206]

good video vinnie would ya beleive thats what i started with a pruner as id call it hahah .

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Thanks Darren, they can do a lot of work safely. How are ye all in the sunny South East?

[@thehairymanwalsh8729]

Nice one Vinnie 👍 been looking forward to a new one ATB

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Thank you o hairy one 😀

[@irishwanderer4206]

your right about the weather ,where i usually go ya cant even walk tis like a bog.

[@edg3718]

I defenitely agree with Fishin N Stuff 🍻👍

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Thanks Ed, you too are a gentleman! 🥇🥇🥇

[@fadingmargins]

First complaint Vinnie: I was trapped in a patch of thorny brush (no mention of how) so I took out my cheapo Lidl secateurs and folding saw - hardly a MANLY story now is it - more like a gardener's question time special. Let's face it if we all took your advice what BS would we have to spin to the like minded fellows? Second complaint: what a missed opportunity "Vinnie battles high winds and rain with nothing but a 12" bowie knife - best stay dry survival tool revealed" Now that is a MANLY story!

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

☹️☹️☹️☹️DAMMIT!!😭😭😭😭😭

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

I hereby award the vinniesdayoff award for the best comment (begrudgingly mind you begrudgingly)to Fading Margins 🏆