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I have been intrigued with knives since I was a toddler. For some reason I have always feared them in the hands of another.

I grew up literally in the deep woods, using axes, hatchets, and machetes pretty much daily. When I was about 5 I found an old meat cleaver and used it as a hatchet for some time. It actually made a pretty good one.

There is no edged tool as useful in the woods as a machete. The old U.S. Ontario are the best I have found although the tramontina (sp?) from Brazil are ok. I also have a Cold Steel khukri which is useful.

Any tool used for chopping or hacking, cuts better when sharpened with a file rather than honed. A buck saw is much easier to cut with than an axe, although an axe is still indispensible.

I have never done any formal training with knives or spears and don't really know much about it but a friend and I used to practice with a mop handle with a foam blade taped to it. I keep a Cold Steel spear near the door. I also keep several different swords around. I also think a machete would make a decent weapon.

"There is no edged tool as useful in the woods as a machete.

Here you go, the weed wacker. Cuts hay, trims trees, hedges, driveway overhangs, go through brambles as fast as you can walk. Goes through 3" boxwood in one swipe. Anything bigger just needs a few more wacks. Need to shave some bark off those logs, or do some shaping? Weed the sweetcorn, pumpkin patch, or around the tomatoes? Some swipes, or a simple slip, tuck and lift is all it takes.

Worried about banging into those nasty ole rocks and wreckin' the blade? With the Q&T 4340, R_c63+ edge backed by it's R_c32 bulk and it's genuine shock absorbing pine handle, no problem. The razor sharp edge needs touching up maybe once a season, a little more if you're wackin' mostly rocks.

It's quiet too and comes with it's own pine wrapping. Quiet's a drawback though if you're tryin' to disuade a carjackin', or something similar, because it don't go buzz, or make any loud noises. If he's already inside though, you can impress him if you take the door off with it.