andy said:
The point IS, John, that certain ignorant snobs CLAIM that I can't do the job just FINE with "just" a Skatchet and an SOG multi-tool. The Multitool's got a GOOD steel utility-blade. Just cause I don't NORMALLY carry a $50 pocketknife doesn't mean that a $5 one is what's in the BOB.
You're NOT going to make a decent stone 'hand axe' in 60 seconds. Those that actually do it for real and put some real work into it put some effort into it, AND you have to have the proper type of rock.
I can get the job done also with just my Norlund hatchet and my Leatherman Wave multi-tool if I had to.
BUT, having a decent knife for skinning and dressing out game makes the job a LOT easier, faster, and nicer. Efficiency in the wilds means an increased chance at survival. A person should at the minimum at least have a decent hatchet, a quality multi-tool, and a quality folder, like a Buck 110.
Why handicap yourself? It's not a game.
Think about this: Since you're ultimate concern is 'SHTF', don't you want to be able to get tasks done FAST and with maximum efficiency?
Want to know the best way to dress out and skin game during a crisis? Look at how a poacher would do it. A seasoned poacher won't be dressing out his kill with a multi-tool, guaranteed.
Do you really want to have your muti-tool with all sorts of blood and gunk in it's little crevasses?
I'm not being a snob about it, like you're accusing, but I do know what the difference is between a shit knife and a quality knife. Ask anyone else who's done a fair amount of hunting. they'll tell you the same thing.
Knives that are routinely cheap when new are usually just that, cheap. Their metal and temper is such that they just don't hold an edge well, amongst other things. For example, imitation folding Buck knife copies made in China simply don't last, let alone keep an edge for piss.
Take multi-tools for instance. As good as even the quality ones are, like your SOG and my Leatherman, the knife blades are still usually 420 stainless. They don't hold an edge like other steels and their blades tend to be a bit on the small side and their shape along with the shape of the multi-tool as a handle makes then not the best game knife, especially when there's far better tools for the task.
One of the reasons a lot of experienced woodsmen will routinely wear on their belts both a multi-tool AND a quality folding knife, like a Buck 110, is that knives like the Buck 110 are WAY better for actual field dressing game and similar tasks.
You can't beat the toughness and utility for the task of a good, fixed blade sheath knife, but a folding hunting knife is very handy for packing around on a regular, constant basis. For 'SHTF', I'd be a smart idea to have both handy.
You can get a decent folding hunting knife, like the aforementioned Buck 110, for not too much, usually for well under $30 brand new. Check out Walmart, they usually have a very nice selection of folding knives at great prices.
Gerber has a cool line of woodman's knives called the Freeman series. I'm thinking of trying one of these out. The blades are 440A stainless steel tempered to a hardness of Rc57.
I've also told you repeatedly that you don't need to spend a fortune on knives to have a good one.
One of my favorite knives, a carbon steel hunting & skinning knife with an extremely well tempered 4-3/8" blade, I bought used for $7 on Ebay, but a new replacement would be many, many times more than that. You should check out the Ebay knife market, it's pretty vast and some smoking good deals can be had.
A hatchet is fine, but I've expressed my doubts in the past concerning the 'Skatchet' for several reasons, especially the weak handle scheme. Hatchet and axe handles take a tremendous amount of stress and abuse. You need something that is tough.
I've seen old Norlund heads on Ebay for $20 and you can get a Gransfors that will last and last. You can also get a reasonably priced Eastwing at Home Depot. Hard to get tougher than an Eastwing since the handle and the head are all one forged piece.