Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Les Stroud Knife - Camillus Knife Review

Les has been busy as of late. In addition to the launch of the the official Camillus Les Stroud Knife Collection,  he has updated the original Les Stroud Temagami knife with some new features to make a great knife even better. Les has also designed the new "Bushman by Survivorman Les Stroud" axe produced by the famous axe maker Watterlings of Sweden. Due out in November of 2012 it is sure to be as huge of a hit as the Temagami knife and the Camillus line. in my opinion Les has chosen well and has teamed up with some great companies to lend his expertise to creating top notch bushman tools. Enough for the rant.. Let's talk about the individual lines.

Les Stroud Knife Series By Camillus 

The new Les Stroud knife collection by Camillus cutlery is a great addition to the Survivorman name. These knives are well thought out, inexpensive and and can take a beating.

Les Stroud vs. Bear Grylls 

I have had many people ask "when it comes to Bear Grylls vs. Les Stroud knives which ones are better? " There are a lot of reasons that I would lean towards the Les Stroud Knife even just based on the recalls and negative press for the Bear Grylls series. However the big thing for me is the type of steel. The Les Stroud knife series are made with a much better steel, enough said. When you are in the field, the sharpness and durability of your knife are king....

Look and Feel of the Camillus Series

The overall look and feel of the Les Stroud Knife series has been described as different, interesting, strange but I see them all as functional. The black an grey are nice touches and the bright green not only makes the knives look cool, it also makes it much easier to find if you set your knife down in the brush or misplace it when you are setting up camp. This is seems like a simple feature, but it is the type of thing that you can tell comes from years of experience in the wild.

Blade Steel

The les stroud knife collection by Camillus is comprised of four distinctively different knives that are designed for specific philosophies of use. each of the knives are comprised teflon coated, titanium bonded 440 stainless steel. This steel is an interesting mix of a strong steel with the extreme durability properties provided by the titanium. What you get is a knife that will keep a fine edge and be strong enough to to handle chopping and heavy cutting chores.

Les Stroud Ultimate Survival Knife

The Ultimate Survival knife is the headliner of the bunch and is loaded with features. The blade itself does have serrations however they are in a small enough section that it does not get in the way when you chopping or whittling. It has a full tang which you would come to expect from any quality outdoor knife. The sheath is glass reinforced nylon with a fire starter, flashlight, signalling mirror, and a ceramic sharpener. It sits at a good height on your hip making it easy to perform different tasks with the knife. This is truly a knife that could win an award.


At A Glance

  • 10 inches overall
  • 4 3/4 inch titanium bonded 440 blade
  • Steel Pummel
  • Fire Starter
  • Signal mirror
  • Ceramic sharpener
  • Map Pocket
  • Mini flashlight
  • A bad ass sheath
  • Link: Les Stroud Ultimate Knife




Les Stroud Arctic Survival Knife

The Les Stroud Arctic survival knife is a smaller non serrated version of the Les Stroud Ultimate Knife. The Sheath has a few less options but still contains the fire starter and map pocket. This is a great knife for those of you that prefer a straight blade to a partially serrated one or if you are looking for a straight forward knife without the frills.

At A Glance




Les Stroud Desert Folder

This folder comes out of the box razor sharp and the Titanium bonded 440 will retain an edge even after hard use. Overall this is a fantastic knife for the price. Backed by the Camillus lifetime warranty you cant go wrong.


At A Glance 
  • 7 3/4 inches overall
  • 3 1/4 inch blade
  • Easy open one handed assist
  • belt clip with fire steel. 
  • Link: Les Stroud Desert Folder

Les Stroud Jungle Machete

The largest of the Camillus line is the Les Stroud Jungle Machete. Measuring in at 18 inches overall this this chopper is designed to clear underbrush chop wood and other large camp side chores.


At A Glance












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