These are some great posts guys! Just what I was hoping for!

I happen to believe that a certain Mastersmith from Alaska will be sharing his thoughts on the subject as well soon.

I can't afford my knives! The knives I get to keep are the ones that didn't make the grade to sell. I've got one of my first bowies with serious design issues, it has seen lots of hard use splitting kindling and such and lives on a stump next to my garage. A couple folders that show I'm a long way off from selling a folder. I carried the liner lock until a poorly set detent failed and the blade opened cutting a hole in my pocket. The slip joint I still carry. A wakizashi that serves as a machete and hatchet. A katana, just fun. And lastly a santuko that was very close to being the first knife I felt I could sell. A misjudgment in tempering and a re-tempering with the handle in place prevented that, but I don't mind because it is now my go to knife and gets hours of daily use. Funny, I started forging knives because I wanted a gyuto and I couldn't afford it. I figured it might be fun to make my own. Four years or so later I still don't have my gyuto and I still can't afford one even if I make it myself.

I made this one from a billet I found laying around the shop. I couldn't remember what it was, but when the blade was finished I liked it and decided to keep it. Of course I'd sell it if someone wanted it bad enough. Since I don't have a place to hunt I don't have a hunter. If I ever get to hunt again I'll make one to use.

I still carry the first fixed blade I ever made to completion (that didn't end up in the trash)whenever I go hiking, camping, hunting, etc. It's a stock removal blade of 52100, 4-5/8 inches long, partial tang with nickel-silver fittings and a cocobolo handle. I made this knife back in 2005(?) and it is not for sale (not that anyone would want it). My everyday carry is the first folder I ever made. It's a slip joint with an O-1 blade, milled/integral brass liners and bolsters. The front bolster is dovetailed with the scales. Originally the scales were a burl wood, but those have since gone away and been replaced with fiddle back maple. (soon to be replaced again) As you can see these two knives have seen a lot of use over the years and both of them still shave hair off my arm. Hopefully I have resized the picture correctly and Dan won't have to come and yell at me that I screwed up again.

Thank for all of your posts on this subject! I'm really enjoying the pictures too.

I forged and heat treated a blade that might end up being my knife. Its 11 inches long .265 inch thick at the riccaso and 1-7/8 inch wide. 1075 steel with a hamon. It cuts good. Still testing the steel and heat treat.

Great thread Lin!

I'm laughing while reading everybody's posts. Aren't we all the same ?

I carry a large bush craft knife nearly every day. I have been carrying one since I was 10 years old. My first was an old Western pattern number 49 Bowie. I realized way back then that a large Bowie knife was faster and more efficient for chopping down trees then even an axe. Since I spent most of my youth making Spears ,bows, arrows, walking sticks and cudgels, the chopping/hacking knife was an essential part of my equipment.

To date I probably have a dozen camp knives. Like most of us, I've been wanting to build myself the perfect one, but it always sells...

My perfect one would likely be a Damascus integral with ivory handle. That knife would probably not be the best choice for strictly Bush use, but as we have mentioned in this thread a bladesmith should have a knife that is representative of their work for showing what we do to curious folk. For me however , that is more of an issue with the small belt knife or hunting knife that I carry.

Over the years I have tried many design elements , and come up with a few preferences. Here are some of what I think makes a great knife for bush use: Hidden tang construction with maple handle is the most comfortable for chopping. The hidden tang design absorbs more hand shock than a full tang design, making it far more comfortable for a long days work. Maple seems to be the ideal combination of light weight toughness and warmth on cold days.

Strictly for chopping, a re-curved edge works best and a flowed- in cross guard makes for a better, more secure grip on the handle.

For the all-around camp knife I prefer a non-recurved edge with some belly for its use in food preparation.

In my opinion, Damascus is easier to maintain aesthetically than straight carbon steel.

. I like my camp knives about 11" long and 2-1/2" wide.

An integral with flowed in plunge lines is much easier to refinish than a flat blade with plate guard. Those are better off as take downs for easy refinishing.

Lately I have been making all of "my" camp knives out of CruforgeV. I'm putting a clean machine finish on the blades and then parkerizing them. I've been very impressed with the durability of the finish. It doesn't rust, and it doesn't leave tarnish on food.

I'm liking your take on a large Camp style knife Adam. That's surely a big blade. The one I mentioned above is really turning out pretty so I may have to dress it up and put it on a show table. Not sure yet.

In the past I have used the cutting competition limits as my guide for my personal knife in the event that I show up at a hammer in with only one knife. That way I would always have a knife to compete with and to be able to participate. Now I can make what I think might be a survival/bush knife which would be more along the lines of your description. Of course that means I have to have a large chunk of steel to forge it from. But I think I can arrange that. <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

I'm enjoying reading the various replies here. Nothing like a "what I carry" thread by a bunch of guys who make and use knives every day.

I will have to admit that the only knife I carry every day is a Victorinox super tinker. I use those little scissors, pliers, screwdrivers, and bottle opener constantly! But when I'm out in the woods and I need something a little more substantial I carry this little camp knife that I made four or five years ago.

Nothing fancy about this one, but it's easy to carry and use, and will slice, carve, whittle and chop all day long if you ask it to. The stag handle feels great in the hand and provides excellent purchase when needed, while the blade, at about 5 inches in length and 1/4" at the spine is just big enough to do some heavier field-work without ever being cumbersome or unwieldy.

That said, I already have plans for a new personal knife. Two, actually. Because, while a 5" camp knife may be a great compromise in most situations, it falls a bit short in others. So I've written my own name down in my order book and now plan on making myself a larger hidden tang camp knife with a small guard and walnut handle alongside a smaller, slimmer drop point utility with about a 3" blade and matching hardware. The little one can stay in my pocket and handle most day to day cutting tasks while the big one will ride on my belt or my backpack to take on the bigger jobs. I will gear the edge geometry, steel composition, and heat treatment to emphasize cutting efficiency and edge retention on the smaller knife, while emphasizing balance and toughness on the big one.

I'm already looking forward to this project. There's something uniquely satisfying about making a knife for yourself, just the way you want it.

I have two of mine that I carry on a regular basis, one is a small w1 bird and trout I did up to test a few ideas.. the other is a O1 lock back folder I made... a long time ago , that I messed up the detent on and couldn't get to walk and talk so wasn't willing to sell.

MP