Need advice on some new kit please

ALLHONE hunting knives designed and made in NZ
Jamie956

Jamie956

Well-Known Member
Hi all

Il TRY to keep this simple

I need a new knife, I've got loads but they're either too big, too small or folding. I really like the more expensive ones and the craftsmanship is amazing, but, I find they all seem to have lovely polished handles but I have dry hands so can't grip them well enough. I'm looking for a stainless full tang with grippy handle suitable for stalking/bushcraft/General duties and around £100 would be nice. Im thinking something like the mora garberg would be ideal but I'm open to suggestions and experiences

Boots... I have some setters that are really warm and comfy and I can wear them all day no probs, and again...but, when beating over rough terrain or yomping around up hill and down dale they feel very heavy and It feels like I'm dragging them around with.
Im thinking it could be time for some of the more modern type boots with rands and glue etc, but the only experiences I have is that chameau were too narrow, and I didn't find the meindl or harkila comfy, mainly when I walked in them, but this was a few years ago. Again I'm open to ideas...lowa keep popping up?
Oh yeah, I struggle with plantar fasciitis so would like to hear if anyone else with it found a good boot for them

And finally...i think I want a Bino harness set up but one that will take a rangefinder at one side and Thermal at the other. I have absolutely no experience with these but I'm sick of things swinging around on my neck, so any advice or do's and don't welcome

Cheers folks

J
 
Jamie956 said:
mora garberg
Click to expand...
...is a great knife although I prefer the carbon blade to the stainless one. Scandi grind makes it very easy to sharpen on a stone then just wipe over with a drop of food oil. A great knife for the price.

I imported a bino harness from the states ... and absolutely hate it! Wearing it made me feel ridiculous (like I was strapping myself into a weird bib) and although it stopped the binos swinging around when I lent forward I still found the whole set up awkward and constantly in the way. I now carry my range finder, knife, binos and thermal in pouches around a thick belt. I find this works infinitely better for me.
 
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Boots, try the altberg gamekeepers. used them for 10 years and like them a lot. think I've had 3 pairs. plus made in uk!

Knife, you've basically described a fallkniven f1, f2, s1, or h1. pick your blade shape and go!
 
You could do a lot worse than have a look at the top end of the sturdier professional walking/climbing boots made by Salomon or Asolo. I’ve found, after trial and error, that Salomon and Asolo (amongst some others) happen to fit my feet. Fit is such an individual thing and one size (or manufacturer) doesn’t fit all. Salomon also do outstanding additional insoles which you will find help enormously. Just my personal experience.

Don’t have any experience with bino harnesses. My wife uses a knife everyday for her work outdoors in all weathers and uses Buck knives. Utilitarian rather than works of art, but they never let her down and get a lot of abuse.
 
Mora Fishing Comfort Scaler 150 Knife I have one of these now. It's long enough to bleed a big fallow and still narrow enough for tunneling out the pelvis and removing the anal tract etc. Plus it's stainless steel, the sheath allows blood to drain out and can be put in the dishwasher, also the handle is grippy when wet and easy to see in the dark or if you drop it.

Shoe wise especially if you do suffer with plantar fascitis then you need something with a wide toe box to allow a more natural foot shape. Most shoes are too narrow and so squash the toes, especially the big toe, distorting the natural straight shape which weakens the arch causing it to collapse. I'd be looking for something as wide and light as possible to allow your foot to actually work a bit and gain strength and let your toes spread. For this reason I prefer minimalist shoes and boots and pair them with waterproof socks if needed and if it's really cold then a pair of Demar Caribou's which although heavy they are the warmest and most comfortable boot I've used.
 
nun_hunter said:
Mora Fishing Comfort Scaler 150 Knife I have one of these now. It's long enough to bleed a big fallow and still narrow enough for tunneling out the pelvis and removing the anal tract etc. Plus it's stainless steel, the sheath allows blood to drain out and can be put in the dishwasher, also the handle is grippy when wet and easy to see in the dark or if you drop it.

Shoe wise especially if you do suffer with plantar fascitis then you need something with a wide toe box to allow a more natural foot shape. Most shoes are too narrow and so squash the toes, especially the big toe, distorting the natural straight shape which weakens the arch causing it to collapse. I'd be looking for something as wide and light as possible to allow your foot to actually work a bit and gain strength and let your toes spread. For this reason I prefer minimalist shoes and boots and pair them with waterproof socks if needed and if it's really cold then a pair of Demar Caribou's which although heavy they are the warmest and most comfortable boot I've used.
Click to expand...

That Mora looks very nice, but perhaps a little thin at 2.0mm for bushcraft purposes? I’d be thinking 4.0mm might be better?
 
All three items are personal preference and what one person will love, another will hate. Personally for what your wanting: Casstrom No. 10, Hanwag or Lowa and have a look at the Badlands range.
 
bds.org.uk

Genzo Outdoor Knife Ormsjo Orange 440CA - The British Deer Society

A great, combination of full-sized, high visibility, non-slip handle with a stainless-steel blade makes this a great general purpose knife. The knife also comes with a black synthetic sheath with a Velcro retainer. Orange rubber handle 440C stainless steel blade Lanyard hole Nylon sheath...
bds.org.uk bds.org.uk

Also the Casstrom NO.10 SWEDISH FOREST KNIFE is pretty good. £96. The Alan Wood Safari from Casstrom is als ov good on small deer.

Tbh, Ive gone to Victrinox now, with sheaths made by Snake on here.

I have a stack of Hultafors. Ok...do the job. Dont keep an edge to my liking, but under a tenner. Lose it dont cry.

Boots - just get something your feet find fit nicely. Theres little to choose between Lowa, Scarpa, Meindl etc.
 
Wow thanks for all that.

With the knives I do want a bit more blade width and strength and I only say stainless as it will be dealing with meat, I have no probs with carbon. I have a 2mm mora that I re-ground and is literally Razor sharp and good for the finer things. I will be on roe unless I manage to get to travel for something else, and the person who I've been going out with splits the sternum with his knife, so a flatish base on the handle would be good to aid knocking it in with my hand.

As for all the things mentioned it's managing to find them to try, I'm hoping some will be at the stalking show and Northern show

Cheers

J
 
Knife: Linder ATS 34 Super Edge 1 or 2. They have a rubberized grip. Awsome knives.

Boots: Hanwag Alaska GTX, possibly in the wide fit version.

Bino harness: No idea😆. Sorry.
 
Jamie956 said:
Wow thanks for all that.

With the knives I do want a bit more blade width and strength and I only say stainless as it will be dealing with meat, I have no probs with carbon. I have a 2mm mora that I re-ground and is literally Razor sharp and good for the finer things. I will be on roe unless I manage to get to travel for something else, and the person who I've been going out with splits the sternum with his knife, so a flatish base on the handle would be good to aid knocking it in with my hand.

As for all the things mentioned it's managing to find them to try, I'm hoping some will be at the stalking show and Northern show

Cheers

J
Click to expand...
With roe you should be fine splitting the sternum with the blade from the inside - no need to “knock it in” ;)

Otherwise just get a breastbone saw - either the Dave Stratton fixed blade version or the Camillus folder.
 
I have an Arthur Wright bushcraft knife with a rosewood handle. It's natural unpolished wood and isn't slippery at all. Came with a beautifully polished edge too. I have used it for gralloching and it was fine. They are £168 though and at the moment they're making them to order and there's a two month waiting list.

EKA knives do have really nice grippy handles, but I don't think they're full tang and the swingblade I have is very poor at keeping its edge. Maybe I just got a bad one because other people seem to love theirs but it's put me off buying another EKA.

I would say, it you want a heavier bushcraft knife, if you can find one, go with textured synthetic scales, rosewood or bone. Don't be put off natural wood handles as long as they are unpolished. Rosewood is quite grainy and grips very well. Micarta handles can be slippy unless they have chequering molded into them. Micarta looks grippy because it's laminated canvas and you can see the grain but it's usually got a layer of lacquer over the top.
 
Boots - Altberg. Especially as you live in Yorkshire. Altberg are made in Richmond and you can have them custom fitted for about the same price as a pair of Meindl.

Bino harness - Butler Creek.
 
Bino Harness. If you have a set of binoculars, range finder and thermal on one harness it is going to be very front heavy. Weights not an issue but imbalance can be a pain.

I have integrated laser so don't need a pouch for it, but I think Kuiu do one (could be wrong) and Alaskan. What I do for the thermal is have it in my hand all the time and if I need the binos or take a shot I stick it in a pocket (in my case a smock front pocket).

Otherwise you are heading for a webbing type solution, which is too much for me
 
Finch said:
I have an Arthur Wright bushcraft knife with a rosewood handle. It's natural unpolished wood and isn't slippery at all. Came with a beautifully polished edge too. I have used it for gralloching and it was fine. They are £168 though and at the moment they're making them to order and there's a two month waiting list.

EKA knives do have really nice grippy handles, but I don't think they're full tang and the swingblade I have is very poor at keeping its edge. Maybe I just got a bad one because other people seem to love theirs but it's put me off buying another EKA.

I would say, it you want a heavier bushcraft knife, if you can find one, go with textured synthetic scales, rosewood or bone. Don't be put off natural wood handles as long as they are unpolished. Rosewood is quite grainy and grips very well. Micarta handles can be slippy unless they have chequering molded into them. Micarta looks grippy because it's laminated canvas and you can see the grain but it's usually got a layer of lacquer over the top.
Click to expand...
The W12 is most definitely full tang ;)

83642FE1-DF4B-41BC-832C-6B6FB904C56B.webp
 
Finch said:
:tiphat:I was going by the swingblade.
Click to expand...

Isn’t the Swingblade basically full tang too, though?

It is a single piece of steel, albeit one could argue that the tang is too narrow for the one blade or too wide for the other, depending on which blade is “out” at the time ;)
 
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