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Cold Steel Recon Scout or Buck Hoodlum???

14K views 49 replies 23 participants last post by  SharpDog 
#1 ·
Leaning towards the Scout as I have liked Cold Steel for a long time. Even owned a Trailmaster a while back. What do you guys think?

Maverick
 
#6 ·
Heck why do you need your field knife to be so big? Ya ill prob grab my big knife (parang) if its the only blade I can take but my walking around field knife is going to be much smaller. in reality if I really had to Id grab my field knife, hatchet, and pocket chain saw if I was truly limited in what i could have. I dont see a realistic situation where you can grab only one knife and nothing else let alone the convenience of having the big one with you. The smaller it is the most likely you will have it with you and ease of keeping it with you.
 
#35 ·
Because experienced knifer carry larger blades like most hand gunners carry guns, in specially constructed rigs, (small of the back, shoulder rigs etc.) . and make weight considerations for blades of this size; By all means it's not for everyone, and I'd rather have more knife than necessary than less knife when I need it. I have been involved in only a couple altercations and in both we were both able to walk away without the knife coming into play...and yes it goes with me where I go.:thumb:
 
#10 ·
thats a tough one!

The hoodlum has more reach and is lighter so it will excell at machete type jobs like clearing limbs. Its lighter so it wont be quit as good of a chopper but I dont dock a knife for that because I carry a saw. Its important to remember that you cannot have the best of everything in one tool. You say its going to be a "trail knife" so that tells me that yo uwill be carrying it, clearing limbs and all other camp tasks...?

I would pick the Hoodlum
 
#12 ·
As far as weight, 22oz carry weight for the Hoodlum, and 15oz+ sheath for Scout. They are VERY close.

Tasks.....small limb cutting, wood splitting will be in a SHTF situation. Rope cutting, basic tasks. Anything I can think of actually.

I do have pocket knives(cold steel, Kershaw, Spiderco, etc), hunting knives, plus saws and such. Just need a meaty survival/trail knife.

Mav
 
#15 ·
I guess i should have looked...did not realize they were that close!

I will stick to my bones though; the only real advantage the CS has is its thickness, which helps in splitting but Nutn proved the Hoodlum to be plenty capable in all aspects of a wood knife. I may have to pick one up now...$100 is a lot for me to pork up on one knife though...especially when it’s a step back in both cost and weight from my current system.

My favorite combo, mainly due to cost, is the CS Kukri machete, Sven saw(21") and a Frost Mora as a neck knife. This combo costs less than $50 and will handle just about any field task. I wouldn't want to build a cabin with just those tools but they get the job done. I also carry a multi tool and a folding knife but the former is my woods kit.
 
#13 ·
There's application for a large blade like that. When it comes to clearing/stripping tree limbs, like 2" diameter and under, I personally prefer large blades opposed to anything else. Also has application as light chopper, wood splitter, etc. Not heavy duty but light.

And for the price of the Hoodlum, haven't looked at price for the scout recon, you have tons of options. Ontario RTAK II, ESEE Junglas, etc.
 
#25 ·
I have owned a Coldsteel Recon Scout in San Mai 3 for quite awhile now and it is by far one of the best blades i have ever used; many will say it is not good because the guard gets in the way...LOL It never got in my way. I made a special trip into town to check out a Buck Hoodlum, and at 10 " it is a good blade with a good grind, really you cant really lose on either; My Scout has over 100 miles on it and still going strong and being a smaller size, it tucks away neatly. remember to always care for your edge and keep a small hatchet for the chopping and splitting; Batoning a blade dosn't make you a better woodsman but it can sacrifice your knife.
 
#26 ·
I would have to go with the hoodlum because I like the feel and function. Ron Hood really left us with a great knife. Now having said that, it won't do everything on the planet. It is a good combination knife however. People expect to take one knife in the woods and become rambo. Truth is a tool is only as good as the person using it and Ron knew how to use his knife. Great thing about the hoodlum is its light for a blade of its lenght and thats a big plus on long trips.
 
#28 ·
It took me awhile to like smaller knives like the ESSEE; but thanks to the members of this forum I sat down with one and realized its not all that bad, The grip is comfortable and the grind does well, I'm not a Fussy guy when it comes to steel; I figure if used correctly, any steel is a blessing compared to not having one when you need it. My opinion is that if you do choose a knife, use it use it and use it more, some people may not like guards on their blades, but thats okay ; i like guards because I can get careless if I get tired or rushed.
The most important thing is the ability to do small work, getting into tight areas and keeping your blade sharp helps to keep your blade on the work and not sliding on to your hand or worse.
 
#29 ·
This is why I have never agreed with the whole "one knife concept" You need a big blade and a smaller blade. I want a big knife 7-10" 1/4" thick blade and a 3-4" 3/16" blade for skinning and prepping as well as a good camp axe bow saw and a machete.. Butchers and chefs dont use one knife.. Why should survivalist be stuck with one blade? Have mutliple blades available with each for a mission/task specific purpose.. You dont own just one gun.. Why own just one knife?
 
#36 ·
That is a fine blade; Tops does make some good knives, and unlike what most say; I consider them as "custom", as each blade is specifically finished and ground by hand while the actual blade itself is blanked. This doesn't change my opinion that each is different in their own way; kudos on the blade choice.:thumb:
 
#33 ·
I own several of the knives mentioned hear. There will always be the debate between the large and small knife crowds; to each his own as I’m comfortable with either choice. With good techniques a small blade can do a lot of larger knife chores, but there’s no denying that knowing how to properly use a large blade makes most tasks much faster and more efficient. The disadvantages are of course size and weight. My only issue with large knives is the comfort for all-day carry doing several different tasks. Even if I do pack a large knife, they often are carried in my pack and not always on my person.

With that said, I’ve found the Recon Scout a better chopper than the Hoodlum (I have the first batch of TOPS production before Buck picked up the main contract). The Hoodlum is excellent at smaller, green vegetation, but really sucks on anything seasoned or large. Chopping big stuff is not what it’s designed for. For a large knife though, the Hoodlum is very handy and can do small-knife chores very well, even cleaning hand-sized bream.

I don’t care for Cold Steel’s rubber handles, but that’s just me. It’s really not much of a concern even with my distaste as I often use gloves when doing heavy-duty chores. You really can’t go wrong between the two, but my preference would be the Hoodlum as it just seems to be a better slicer, great at chopping smaller limbs/branches (for shelter building) and can be used on small knife jobs more effectively; plus I always carry a Bahco or Silky saw, so chopping is less needed. Both blades will baton just fine and not a concern. In the spring when there’s a lot more leafy vegetation, I like the reach of the Hoodlum and it just seems lighter or at least more nimble in the hand when needing to clear a camping site or bushwhacking a trail through briars. It’s a close margin as they are both great blades and I would admit the Recon Scout would be much more comfortable on the belt if carried (shorter in length would be my reasoning)…weight between the two is almost identical; after-market sheaths would be the only difference.

Already mentioned are several other great blades, ESEE, Ranger Knives, TOPS, Ka Bar/Becker (and a few dozen moderately priced customs). As I already alluded to I like big blades, but there’s a point where they just add more weight and not necessarily provide better chopping ability. I’m not in the camp of a single “do-all” knife, but if you’re not planning on chopping anything larger than an inch or two in diameter or you don’t need to process a lot of firewood, a decent sized blade can be a very versatile tool.

My system continues to evolve and change. I’m more apt to pack my Blind Horse Knives machete, my Skookum Bush Tool or simple Mora, SAK (or Multitool), folding saw (Bahco/Kershaw or Silky) and my EDC folder. Depending on my activities, I might pack a tomahawk or small axe, but that usually when I have planned activities that will really need the weight and efficiency of a decent axe.

Even with a big blade, don’t forego the quick access of a smaller fixed blade knife. Even a neck knife is easy to always have on your person and often easier to handle and use than a pocket folder. One of my favorites is Fallkniven’s little WM-1. People often refer to efficiency when discussing large knives and while I agree, efficiency shouldn’t exclude carry-comfort, weight, deftness or access. A smaller belt knife will also be more often carried if the sheath/system isn’t cumbersome or restrictive.

Let us know what you decide on!

ROCK6
 
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