First Look: Outdoor Life’s New Line of Camping Knives and Tools

For 123 years we’ve been trying to give our readers an edge with stories on the hottest hunting and fishing tactics and the latest gear. Well, now we’re bringing you an actual cutting edge—a couple of them. Outdoor Life has partnered with Master Cutlery to introduce a new line of camping knives and tools with a set that includes a folder, fixed-blade, chef’s knife, machete, and camp axe. These knives are thoughtfully designed and moderately priced making them a solid option for car campers and weekend adventurers. They can also pull double duty at your hunting camp, ride around in your truck, and even hold their own in the kitchen. Here’s a quick rundown of each blade.

Camping Folding Knife

This hefty folding knife has a 3.75-inch 7Cr17MoV stainless steel blade. The nylon-fiber handle is wide enough for even the huskiest bushcrafter to comfortably hold in his hand. The handle also has a carabiner built into it, so you can easily attach it to a pack. It comes with a carrying pouch that you can attach to your belt. The knife is a little big for carrying in a pant pocket—unless you’re still rocking cargo shorts.

Camping Fixed Blade Knife

This full-tang knife has a 4.75-inch 7Cr17MoV stainless steel blade. Just like the folder, it has a nylon-fiber handle. The knife has a nicely shaped drop-point blade that offers a ton of utility. It comes with solid sheath sporting a multi-position clip. The blade locks into the sheath nicely, and won’t shake loose even when jostled around or flipped upside down.

Camping Chef’s Knife

Every camp needs a chef, and every camp chef needs a good knife. This is a no-frills, no-nonsense blade that will carve up a hindquarter at deer camp or dice up onions at home. It has a 6-inch 7Cr17MoV stainless steel blade. Like the fixed blade knife, the Chef’s Knife comes with a nice nylon-fiber sheath that secures the knife.

Camping Machete

This is definitely the most fun tool of the kit. It’s a little on the small side for a machete (11-inch blade, 5-inch handle) but that makes it easily packable and maneuverable. This blade has endless uses: Slash limbs to clear a spot for your tent, hack down branches to clear a shooting lane, or slice through weeds to brush in your duck blind. It’s made of 64Mn black stainless steel. The machete comes with a reinforced nylon-sheath that you can strap to a backpack or lash to your belt.

Camping Axe

This fun-sized hatchet won’t split a winter’s worth of firewood for you, but it will hack up kindling, clear limbs, pound in tent stakes, tenderize deer steaks, shave a beard (this thing is sharp), and handle any other light-duty tasks around camp. It’s got a 3-inch 7Cr17MoV stainless steel blade and a 5-inch handle. It comes with a nylon sheath that snaps securely around the blade.