Fox Bushman FX-609 OD Outdoormesser

Thought long and hard about this one. Probably bought it just so I wouldn't have to think about it anymore... Nobody needs a knife this size (or I don't, and I've been backpacking for three and a half decades). And yet. Most large knives strike me as oversized toys, but not this one. It's a no nonsense, well thought out tool. The sheath is innovative and functional, the knife's balance point is on the first centimeter of blade, the handle is very, very comfortable. Canvas micarta is the only not entirely natural material I like on a handle. Using D2 steel makes sense, given this thing is likely used for chopping and batoning, too. From this perspective, I would have preferred a convex grind to the scandi-with-microbevel solution here, but that would have raised the price. Between this knife and a light quality hatchet, I'll choose the hatchet any day. And still this feels like a well designed tool, able to carve, slice, cut, chop and split. (And it makes a very nice addition to my collection :-))