Customer Reviews

Schrade X-Timer Camp Knife 11 3/4" Fixed Blade

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Camp knife" usually refers to a long and heavy knife used for chores like clearing, chopping, and food preparation. It is usually not carried on the trail, where a small knife will do, but only in camp-- thus "camp knife."

Most knives of this kind are monsters like the Kershaw Outcast or the Kabar Cutlass, but this version, with a blade of only 6-3/4 inches, is smaller than most chef's knives. Still, with its khukri-like belly and weight-forward feel, it chops just like a small hatchet and yet is nimble enough for fine tasks.

The edge bevels are hollow-ground, which is to say concave. That's a cause for concern, as it's not the strongest grind around, especially for a chopper. Still, the edge (made of 440-C, a high-carbon, relatively hardenable stainless) holds up well to heavy work, with no sign of either chipping or rolling. And because that belly always presents the edge at an angle, it tends to bite deep into all kinds of wood.

The hollow grind does tend to bind a bit in large, tough vegetables, but the blade's size and profile make it handier than most outdoor knives for kitchen duty. And if you really want to, you can open a coconut with it.

Another concern is the sawteeth on the spine. On most knives, they are just a bad joke, but these actually work. They cut on the pull stroke, and you have to get a kerf started with shallow push strokes, but once you get it going, it really hogs out the wood and refuses to clog. I might rather have a plain spine, but the sawteeth do work.

Initial sharpness was alright but not great. I found that it sharpened up very well using a belt grinder followed by a strop loaded with compound. If you are not set up to do serious sharpening, I would advise having it sharpened by a professional the first time. This metal is pretty hard.

The synthetic rubber handle is extremely ergonomic and comfortable. Some people prefer smoother handle material to prevent hot spots and blisters, but for a rubber handle, this is as nice as I've seen.

The wraparound sheath is heavy nylon and very secure but certainly not suited to the quick draw.

In sum, this is a very handy knife for clearing sightlines or campsites or for slicing up potatoes or onions. It'll do a lot of things a four-inch hunting knife won't do while sparing you the size and weight of just about any other camp knife or small machete. The price quoted here at this time is in the thirties US, but you should not have to pay more than low-twenties for it. Even at the asking price, it is a very capable and useful knife for the money.

I ordered this knife to keep in my back pack for my fishing/camping trips. I appreciate the fact that the knife is surprisingly light and is a real work horse when it comes to cutting items for the camp or as a "kitchen" knife for cutting fruits/vegetables to cutting meat.

I just returned from Canada and the knife was utilized there and it performed as I expected it would, admirably.

The knife arrived quite sharp but I prefer a very sharp knife and as one reviewer indicated, it does take a while to put an extra keen edge on, but once sharpened, it stays that way through a lot of use.

Good knife does what it was designed for.

Ihis knife fills the void between my Mora Knife (4 inch blade)and my Hatchet. It is heavy enough to chop brush yet sharpe and controlable enough to prepare a meal. It is a good answer to your need for a large knife. I think my favorite part,besides the comfortable to grip handle and large blade,is the LOW COST of this knife. Many people pay high prices for knives and then are afraid to really use them. If I have too,I would abuse this knife without a secound thought. I feel that it is up to most rough tasks.It's factory edge would satify most users,though a bit of extra honeing will really bring out the best in this tool.The nylon sheath is adequate for carry , though I would carry this on ,or in ,the pack to avoid risk in rough terrain .

Knife arrived in good condition. It was sharp and ready for use. The knife is very light making it easy to carry. The sheath holds the knife snug and secure but you have to be careful when drawing the blade. A little thicker blade and heft would have been nice but overall, it's a good general purpose camp knife.

It takes a while to get this thing REALLY sharp, but once you do it'll cut through anything. I used this on a recent camping trip to cut everything from kindling to a watermelon and it did so admirably. We abused the daylights out of this thing and it still performed perfectly. This is the ideal knife to take camping, it works as you need it, when you need it.

Finally got to abuse this knife and I must say I was impressed! I hacked and wacked built two lean tooo's and skinned a deer it was dull as heck when I got home but sharpened right up nicely with my Lansky sharpening system.I give this product 7 stars for durability and price and shipped fast.

Very nice solid feeling knife that comes with a decent sheath too. It feels a bit overweight on the blade, I'd prefer a more even distribution, but I'm happy! The blade is a bit dull out of the box, but I'll hit it with the sharpener.

Took this knife on a backpacking trip into the white mountains. I was using it to cut brush and clear a camp site. a 1/8" chunk broke off the cutting edge of the blade. It still works, and seems like a great sharp knife. I guess I went a little too heavy for a knife of this calibur.

I love this knife! The blade did greatly benefit from a few passes over the stone but it's held it's edge just fine. I beaten the hell out of this thing for 2 weeks and it still looks great and kept it's edge. Blade has heft in the right place but overall is pretty light. Rubber grip is nice on the hands. I tied a bit of cord in the handle to carry over my wrist in case it slips but it hasn't slipped from my hand once yet. Sheath is just a bit of nylon and the knife is a bit too snug for now but I imagine it'll stretch out soon. Man you can't beat the price with a stick and if you tried it'd chop it up or saw it apart.

I haven't field-tested it yet, but it has a quality feel. But I mainly want to say that it arriverd 'pretty sharp', though not razor sharp. It's sharp enough for most any task...maybe except shaving.