Innehållsförteckning för December 2022 från Knives Illustrated

“How did I get here?” Did you ever ask yourself that question? Or maybe, “How am I going to get out of here?” Most of the time when I’m hiking, I stick to marked trails, although mostly less traveled trails or abandoned snowmobile trails—anywhere I’m less likely to encounter easily offended folks who equate wilderness areas with city parks and might suffer nervous breakdowns at the sight of my unleashed dogs. When I’m hunting remote areas, it’s a different story. I’m usually alone and, while I might begin or end my day on a marked trail, most of the time I’m navigating by map and compass and the only trails in sight are game trails. Traveling off of established trails is sometimes called bushwhacking. It’s a very appropriate, and many…

“ON TAKING THE NORD IN HAND, I GOT THE IMMEDIATE IMPRESSION THAT I WAS HOLDING SOMETHING SPECIAL.” It’s as if bushcraft finesse teamed with brute force. The Helle Nord combines Scandinavian design and traditional craftsmanship with heavy-duty wilderness capability. Normally, when I think of knives coming from any of the Scandinavian countries, I think of thin-bladed bushcraft blades with Scandi grinds, razor-sharp edges and traditional wooden handles. Well, Helle of Norway has introduced something a bit different, although in doing so, it really hasn’t strayed too far from the direction it has been heading for decades as a maker of fine blades. That direction is true north. The aptly named Nord (meaning north), according to the company, was “built for the Nordic wilderness.” That’s where having a good, dependable knife…

REVIEW “I’M TELLING YOU RIGHT NOW, THIS IS ONE OF THE SINGLE MOST COMFORTABLE KNIVES I’VE EVER HAD THE PLEASURE OF HOLDING.” Wait, hold up a second. This is obviously a bushcraft sort of knife. But it’s called a South Pole? There can’t be a whole lot of bushcrafting being done at the South Pole, so what gives? The inspiration behind the knife lies not with the location, but with an explorer. Roald Amundsen and his team were the first expedition to reach the South Pole. In discussing this incredible achievement, he said: “I may say that this is the greatest factor: the way in which the expedition is equipped, the way in which every difficulty is foreseen, and precautions taken for meeting or avoiding it. Victory awaits him who…

1. 5.11 Med Pouches In these crazy, sometimes chaotic days of natural disasters and civil unrest, it pays to be prepared. Having access to a good med kit is one of those necessities, and it can come in handy even when things aren’t completely sideways. 5.11 has a couple of newer options available including the Flex Med Pouch and the Flex TacMed Pouch. Both are designed to give you quick access to medical gear and can mount on a belt, pack, or armor with the 5.11’s Flex-HT Mounting System. The pouches come in a variety of colors including Ranger Green, Black, Storm (gray), Kangaroo (tan), and Dark Navy. They’re made of tough 500D nylon, and the primary difference is the size. The Flex Med is fairly compact and can hold…

Small, light, and concealable are great qualities, but when you’re talking about knives, there are times when only a big blade will do the job. A good length of steel can be a comforting companion, whether you must blaze a trail, defend your life, build a bushcraft camp, butcher an elk, or improvise other tools you need to stay alive in a survival situation. In this special section, we take a look at a selection of knives and machetes that provide the ways when you have the will.…

Several years ago, I got this bug in me to start hiking volcanoes around the world, but not the typical volcanoes found in Costa Rica or Hawaii that attract all the tourists. I was looking for some more obscure and exotic locations, the kind that didn’t have a gift shop or cheap T-shirts for sale. I got my chance to do some travel photography in the Mediterranean, where I would be able to visit Santorini, Greece, and Mount Vesuvius in Italy. I heard about another volcano on the other side of the globe. It was called Taal volcano in Tagaytay, Philippines. A few thousand miles and 30 mosquito bites later, I found myself staring into the sulfur crater of this mighty little volcano. BOLO MACHETES On this trip, I was…

“…THIS COLD STEEL ENGAGE SHOULD HANDLE EVERYTHING YOU NEED IT TO DO AROUND THE HOUSE, ON THE JOB SITE, OR IN THE WOODS.” You won’t have to baby this knife. I was anxious to get my hands on the Cold Steel 3.5” Engage for a couple of reasons. For one, I have been a longtime fan of the company’s fixed-blade knives, namely the SRK, AK-47 Field Knife, Recon Scout, and, of course, the legendary Trail Master. But my experience with Cold Steel folders was rather limited. I’ve had the drop-point Ultimate Hunter with Tri-Ad lock for several years and it’s one of my favorite folders for time in the woods. There were a couple of others I liked, too, that unfortunately are no longer in the catalog. Another reason I…

Rustic simplicity meets modern materials is what you get when you handle any products from Tavern Hill Blades. Jason Lowe makes them all, from large choppers to EDC woods knives with his southern flair. TAVERN HILL BLADES Jason Lowe has been following his passion for creating blades that will stand the test of time, making stock removal and hand-forged knives in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Both the Talon (hand-forged) and Badger (stock removal) are made of 80CrV2 steel and equipped with stabilized mango-wood scales. The finish is sandblasted with a gun-blue topcoat. I caught up with Jason to get under his skin and ask him how he started the journey that led him to be a contestant on the History Channel’s “Forged in Fire.” “I WANT MY BLADES TO BE WORKHORSE BLADES…

When a company’s mission statement reads, “To provide you the ONLY knife you need when the world goes to hell,” the hard-use-knife junkie in me sits up and takes notice. A brief look at the Stroup Knives website revealed several interesting blades, all with a distinctive look. Of course, mission statements are just words, and plenty of knife companies talk the talk. Wanting to see if Stroup Knives could bring the heat or if it was just another internet sensation, I contacted the company owner, Chris Stroup, to find out more about his company and his knives. THE MAN BEHIND THE METAL Chris Stroup grew up in California, hiking and camping with his family and developing a great love for the outdoors along the way. While working as a Communications…

I’d be lying if I said I knew much about knife sharpening systems. You may think that should disqualify me from reviewing them, but hear me out. Typically, when you’re selling a product, you want to market to the person who is the “lowest common denominator” among your target demographic. This person isn’t the expert who is so familiar with said product that they could teach a class on how to use it, nor is it the person who has purchased something like this before and will figure it out within a few minutes. Your lowest common denominator is going to be the guy who buys the shrink-wrapped slabs of particle board from Ikea, gets frustrated by the hieroglyphic assembly guide and breaks down to call the 800 number before…