No, right on target Tobias!  And thank you for the info.

Does everybody know where the term, "The whole nine yards" came from?  The ammo belts on those WWII fighters were 27 feet long.  So if you emptied your guns at an enemy plane, you gave him the whole nine yards!

Extremely on target!  What great and interesting information

Carrying today: a really nice Camp Knife by RR with Red Bone Handles, it has the old time punch type can opener. An excellent made knife. Looks and feels like the highest quality. 

Ken. I really wish Rough Rider would offer this knife in other handle styles.It really is a solid built knife and that old timey can opener makes an excellent box cutter!

This is the most under used pattern in the Rough Rider line.  I think it is a natural for the Outdoorsman Series and the Coal Miner series but apparently Kevin Pipes hates camp knives.  I don't understand why else they don't offer this knife in other styles.  It should also be in the Moonshiner series  and that series  honor military vets.  This Military issued camp knives and electrician knives NOT Trappers!

Should be used for the Paws & Stripes and their Man Knives  fund raisers too!

It is one heck of a knife!

I didn't even know they made one. I guess I missed out. What about a Hobo? Do they make one of those?

No Hobo, Robert.  But speaking of Hobos, why hasn't anyone added a key ring to the center blade on those trapper style Hobos?  This would allow you to attach the knife to a lanyard so you could immerse the knife in boiling water between uses while camping.

That would be a good idea.

  There may be hope for that RR Scout coming in different handle materials and maybe a Hobo to. I remember at one time they didn't offer a Moose pattern. Now they offer many different options. They also offer a Moose pattern in their Colt line, that they own also. I think the more it's talked about on here, the bigger the chance of it happening. Because I think they are listening.

There are two sizes, the original P-38 and the modern P-51, which is larger and easier to use.  I have P-51s all over the place.  In my BOB, brief case, Altoids tin, cars, and on my computer desk.  I have one (P38) that is over 50 years old.  A little hint here; they are slooow to use.  Another hint; the hook type opener will punch holes in the side of the can if you try to make the cuts to long.

Never used a P-51 but have used a P-38 quite a bit.  What I like most about the P-38 is it doesn't discriminate.  I'm left handed and there is no problem using a  P-38 left handed.  Can't say the same about the can openers on Knives. 

Also for the those who don't know, the olde style can openers are attached on the back end of the knife.  The new style can opener was moved to the top bolster because of the way it cuts the can.  The safety can opener cut by pushing down.  Older can openers cut when pulling up.  This made a much more jagged cut and and also led to more people slicing their hands open with can opener!

I used the knife can opener when I was a kid, and the P38 when I went in the Military.I had no problem with either. I loved those old C Rations in the cans, the P38 worked great and if you used some seasoning and heated them properly you could eat like a King.

The pound cake  topped with the peanut butter and a dusting of Hot Cocoa Powder made and especially good dessert.  When it came to eating a cold C-Ration for some reason my favorite was the Spaghetti.  

I was  leary of  the can labeled Chicken or Turkey or Tuna, Chunked.  I think my main concern was that little Purina Checkerboard displayed near the bottom!    As for the Date Pudding -- was it suppose to rattle around in the can? It sounded like a maraca!

LOL - lots of good stories of C Rations, trading them around, buying special ones, etc.

I've been reluctant to comment on this topic since I almost always had A-Rations available, and sometimes B-Rations.  While we were given C-Rations as a lark, and to have some empathy for the other half who were actually issued those rations, we were never issued them for real meals.  I got my P-38 legally, but you could say I didn't actually earn it.  Even for OIF we had civilian (foreign national) contract cooks - for a few months, but their contract ran out so we got pallets of MREs.  But, just as we thought we would have to eat the same stuff as the riff raff, the commander figured out a way to get a mobile canteen for us, stocked with foreign national cooks.  That isn't the half of it, but I am afraid to tell you the rest.

Howard in my day you would have been known as a REMF I think today the term is POG.  Either way, your service was valuable to the nation!

Hahahahaha (REMF).  I must have retired (2005) before POG gained widespread use. 

A look at the Italian made Mercury Ranger Camp Knife.

Nice looking knife Tobias

I like it.

Thanks for another good review, Tobias.

Ontario's Air Force Survival Knife

Thanks, Tobias.  My AF Survival knife stays under the driver's seat of my truck, but it doesn't get much use since I always have a fixed blade on my belt.

Mine is a Camillus Air Force Survival Knife.

While I like the knife I also find the saw back the least desirable trait.  That said, when batoning with a saw back, the easy thing to do is to place a stick in line with the saw and then hit the stick with your batoning rod. Obviously not as good as whacking the back of the knife.  a 3/16 inch saw blade is kind of hard ot use on wood.  A captain I knew (while I was in ROTC) told me story of how he cut his way out of Helicopter with a one of these knives. (He had crash landed on top of VC Machinegun nest.) After he told me that story I went out and promptly bought one!

Just a reminder that the "Win This Knife contest ends real soon.  If you haven't entered, now is the time.  You must replay to this thread:

http://www.iknifecollector.com/group/knives-of-the-great-outdoors-f...

Tobias, I won a second place in one contest and won another just the other day. So I would like to be left out of this contest. Thank you for all you have done for OUR club.

Some day, I'll need to write a little history of the USAF Survival Knife.  But for now, here is another video or another Air Force Knife.  In this case the USAF E-1 Survival Knife.

Thanks for the Curtis LeMay survival knife video, Tobias.

Thanks Howard,

Not sure if you noticed it or not  but the name plate in the background is my fathers.  It was presented to him after his tour during the Korean War. S/Sgt Gibson, Floyd, - Korea 1951-2.  He served with the 5th Air Force. In WWII he served with the US Army in the 3rd Infantry Division and was wounded twice, the second time at Anzio.

I figured the name plate a suitable backdrop for knife in use during the Korean War.

Yes, I did notice the plaque, and wondered who it was.  Thanks for the follow-up.  Military tradition must be strong in your family.

I'm glad this group and the Outdoor group didn't get combine. I think there is enough material for both groups to survive, just fine. We may have a little cross over but that doesn't hurt anything. Thanks to everyone that visits both these fine groups.

Robert, there have been times when I thought the two groups should be  merged but I think you are correct,  While the topic is similar the direction taken is different.

I think there is plenty of interest and activity in both groups. I also believe that a merger may water down the different topics and actually have less activity in the long run. They work very well the way they are and are some of the top Groups on IKC. If it ain't broke don't fix it....lol

A look at my gaff knife made in Solingen, Germany:

You're teasing us Steve!  From Amazon:

Ontario Knife Company - Bushcraft Field Knife.

Overall length 10.125",

Blade length 5",

5160 Blade Steel,

Walnut Handle,

Includes nylon sheath.

Goes for $80 or there abouts

They announced it on FB:

https://www.facebook.com/ontarioknife

The F&S article is at:

http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/gear/2014/08/best-of-the-bes...

OKC actually tied with another knife.; the Morakniv Bushcraft Black Tactical

Bladeforums.com has a discussion on the Ontario Bushcraft knife.  Says Rockwell hardness is at 53-55 for the 5160 blade steel.  Thickness is at .12 (about 1/8").

I've been looking for a light weight machete for light to medium duty bush whacking.  I've been seriously thinking about grabbing the Condor Pack Golock but it has the blade length I want and looks like it it would do what I want.  But at close to $50 it seems like quite a bit of money.

This led me to take a second look at the Old Hickory 410 Agriculture knife I bought for about $10-15  about 5-8 months ago.

They call it a field or agriculture knife  It is used for harvesting cane sugar, I bought it because it too looked pretty efficient, however the 1095 carbon steel blade is only about an 1/8 thick and has a some flex to it.

I decided to give a few whacks into a 2X4 before having an epic fail in the forest.

I could easily bury the blade about a 1/3 of the way into treated 2X4s.  I suspect I should be able to hack through a one inch sapling with a single swipe.

Of Course the problem with the 410 is it lacks a sheath.  I decided to solve the problem favorite handy products, duct tape!

The bottom of the sheath is also open so that in the event of rain, it will pass through instead of pool in the bottom.  The belt loop is made from six layers of silver duct tape covered by two layers of camo. The scabbard is has one layer of silver and one camo.  I figure it'll last several outings.  (and if it starts to fail I can always tape it back up!  LOL)

Can't wait to get it in the woods and see how well it does. Despite the thin blade it seems to be great hacker. Only time and woods will tell!

Looks like a nice tool, Tobias.  I was gonna suggest the two-handed (Long Reach) Woodman's Pal [Model 145] - 1075 carbon steel  11" long blade, but is only 1/16" thick.  It is fairly pricey, given your target price.  Whole thing is 22" long with an 11" handle.  Rockwell hardness is C47.

Great suggestion, Howard. I already have the LC-14-B Woodman's Pal which is handy for medium to heavy jobs.    I'm really pleased with it but it tends to be overkill for a lot of what I need to cut.

If you want a machete go to the pros

Machete Specialists (http://machetespecialist.com/)

The Golok is a great blade and blows the South African Cold Steel models out of the water....Due to blade thickness and geometry it will cut much thicker vines and branches then the plain machete will.

The Mora (http://www.moraofsweden.com/) is the most overrated knife in production today...It is super cheap (about $18), of excellent steel but has an epoxied half hilt handle...Those that favour it claim that you can carry a lot of them (light and inexpensive) and if you break one it doesn't hurt as much as a more expensive knife like a Randall...The thing is the Randall won't break doing the stuff that will break the Mora...The Swedish Army issues them to all their recruits for a GP/EDC blade but their combat troops get the Japanese built Fallkniven (http://www.fallkniven.se/).

Tobias, I should have expected that you would have the original mil version of the Woodman's Pal

Shlomo, Thanks for the advice on machetes.  I would be hard pressed brabbign a modern day Mora now that Jim Frost owns the company.     I may still yet buy the Condor Pack Golock if the Ontario should prove unsatisfactory.

Howard, The one I have is a modern military version.  I'm on the lookout for an older one with the round hand guard.  I've used this one on several occasions and has proven to be exceptional for what it does.  The problem with the WP is it is heavy.  If I was going through a bamboo jungle or had to cut my way through a hedge row I'd grab it and have at it.  However most of what I need to cut is small brush and over grown grass. A full size machete is actually too long. 

I was tempted to pick up the Camillus Carnivore but 8 inches was too short and 18 was too long.  (plus it was partially serrated) Then the more read about the Carnovire, the less I was inclined to buy it.   Another option is the Gerber Gator Jr. but it also has mixed reviews.  The Ontario Camp machete is also a possibility but first I'll see how the field knife does!

Okay Tobias, here's one for your Christmas list:  Bark River Grasso Bolo III.

Total Length: 17.2"

Blade Length: 12"

Steel:  5160 at 57-58 RC

Blade Thickness:  .217" ( a short 7/32") - nice

Weight:  27.4 oz. - not so nice

Price:  $$$ - really not nice.

http://www.knivesshipfree.com/grasso-bolo-iii/?sort=alphaasc

Really nice leather sheath, though.

Howard, when I saw the price I almost fell out of my chair and it wasn't because i was laughing!   I can't imagine paying that much to hack at twigs and brush!

Jim Frost has absolutely nothing to do with Mora.

Mora (manufactured by the cutleries of the town of Mora in Dalarna, Sweden,) knives were mostly produced by the "KJ Eriksson" and "Frosts Knivfabrik" companies; they merged their brands in 2005 under the "Mora of Sweden" brand.

Frost was the cutlery division, Erisson the outdoor version.