Cutting Down a Tree with a Knife (in a pinch)

Hi. Thanks for having me. My deal is that I quit my job 3 years ago to turn my primitive survival/bushcraft hobby into a lifestyle. I'm on a 4-year journey traveling the world in an attempt to become a proper survivalist.

I started making videos my second year and this one tells the story of why I use the knife I got. How to Fell a Tree with a Knife (Peel Bark & Spit It Using the Tom Brown Jr. Tracker T1) | Aspiring Caveman

My go-to bushcraft tool has been a TOPS Tracker T1. I beat the crap out of it, have been for years, and it's none worse for wear. It's heavy as hell - about 2 lbs I believe - but it's great at chopping and one thing I learned living in the woods is that you do a lot more chopping than you do carving so it's perfect.



I made a video of my cutting down a tree which I ended up using in the making of a bushcraft shelter. At this point in my development as a woodsman, I was also using a folding saw which was actually doing most of the cutting for the shelter I was building. However, I wanted to see if I could get away with using just my knife if I had to. And the answer ended up being "yes". It takes a while - about 15 minutes - and it makes a lot of noise, of course, but she will come down to the ground. The tree is an Atlantic white cedar, so it's soft. That helped.

 

from middle florida

 

If you are carrying a knife that large, you might just get a machete, which gives you more flexibility, and extended reach. Also, if you buy a chainsaw blade, you can make a very handy survival saw that you won't wear yourself out using. Attach some old solid key rings to each end. Then you can either use it as a pull saw, or cut a small sapling and make your own bow saw.

I carried a commercially prepared chainsaw manual saw in my survival vest for years. It now resides in my daughter's flight vest. Used to use it on weekends when I tested out new building and survival methods. Beats the heck out of one of those small wire saws.

OBTW, most police won't think twice about a used machete in the trunk of a car or back of a pick up with other outdoor gear. However, a knife like yours might draw some unwanted attention. Quite obviously, every state is different and your mileage may vary. Just something to think about, as many states have limits on blade length for knives. (...and in no case do I advocate having a knife or machete within reach in a vehicle).