Track notes: Thoughts on the knives that I carry into the wilds.

TRACK NOTES FROM THE PAST AND PRESENT
BushCampingTools

When it was brand new LOL!

Extrema Ratio Fulcrum S with the "custom BCT" upper guard modification LOL! in an attempt (a poor one at that) make it look like the discontinued Extrema Ratio K9! seen here:

Discontinued Extrema Ratio K9 Fulcrum, note absence of upper guard.

The Fulcrum S isn't a hunting knife, nor a fish knife, nor a machete; or Bushcraft knife; however, like many a good knife; in skilled hands, it can be all (ok maybe a machete is a bit of a stretch!). I'd like to clarify this last statement, regarding  "a good knife". By this I mean a comfortable knife that can be used with multiple grip positions and no funky protrusions (anywhere) to make it's use difficult. For example: any knives with big scalloped out grips are pretty much useless for long term comfortable use. They may be great for a deadly secure grip however, one needs more than just a deadly secure grip in an outdoor knife's role/s. 

Certainly, my Extrema Ratio Fulcrum S has served me well and I've never been afraid of using it to the max. It won't cut a watermelon with ease, simply because of the thick blade but it can be used to do this if I have to. It won't fillet fish so well but I can, without too much distress (and without making a mess!). I can keep it deadly sharp with little effort; the scabbard is very safe; very field maintainable; chop vegies, bash it about yes, (but not purposely abuse). Drilling divots in wood with the tip isn't going to worry it. These are just some of the qualities of this blade and since the Fulcrum Bayonet NFG 

Extrema Ratio Fulcrum Bayonet NFG.

is even beefier I do not have any issue with it. (I should say a quick note on overall carry weight. I have on numerous occasions taken my other  wire cutting capable knife out on serious day hikes off the beaten track where there was always a very high probability of an unplanned overnight stay- I wanted the assurance of tool dependability and no, it wasn't a big deal to carry, plus I was also carrying a young child on my back in one of those hiker papoose things, 10m of climbing rope, food for 2 days and all the necessary wet and cold weather gear. We met a woman who came out of no where and obviously, quite a serious  hiker as I never expected to see anyone where we were but when we compared "notes", her ONLY knife was a very unreliable looking 2 inch folder of no name brand! I showed her what we were carrying she was surprised until I explained that in this wilderness (long since overgrown tracks) maybe something slightly bigger than a small folder should be considered. She couldn't have thought us crazy as we ended up hiking together for the rest of the day with good conversation! (no it wasn't that, she was old enough to be my mother LOL!). As a note here some years later I mentioned to my now grown son when we saw an "elderly" woman in the wilds sporting a kind of coloured umbrella hat, that she must be mad and may have the strength of ten commandos and we should keep a safe distance from her LOL!