Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness
Cons: Sheath/Scabbard
An Easy on the Budget Legendary Camp Knife
Kershaw Camp 10 has gotten pretty good reviews over the years, so I decided to check it out. I’m not gonna call this knife, “Camp Tan.” That’s just too, cutesy. There is a reason most manufacturers put a qualifying adjective before the word “tan” in their product descriptions (e.g., desert, coyote, or khaki). It is because the word tan seems to have milquetoast connotations. Camp Coyote doesn’t have a bad ring to it. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Camp 10 is actually a scaled down Kukri. I never really noticed from the pictures, but it is obvious when you have it in your hands: curved spine and handle, recurved blade. Camp 10 Coyote arrived sharp. The blade has a nice long tapered saber grind, with a 25 degree edge. The blade is only 3/16” thick, keeping the weight down. But, keep that in mind. It is not ¼” thick like a Gerber Gator Golok, Buck 108 Froe, or a Condor Heavy Duty Kukri; nor does it have the steep chopping grind of those blades, so, scale down tasks accordingly. Camp 10 is much handier, and more versatile than the afore mentioned knives, with fine slicing mechanics r/t the long tapered saber grind, and recurve blade. It has a nice feel in the hand, with responsive control from the handle. Balance forward, but agile/fast in the hand. Great handle design. The palm swell allows you to grip firmly with index finger and thumb, ahead of the swell, and open the hand somewhat to allow the handle to rock forward in the hand to deliver a power snap in a chopping stroke. Nice. Handle is grippy, but would be rough with long use, and may require glove. Camp 10 has lanyard holes fore and aft of the grip for secure retention. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Handsome sheath with plenty of options for attaching an accessory pouch (for sharpener, fire starters, etc.), or small fixed blade. Camp 10 rattles in the sheath like a diamondback in an Indiana Jones movie. I took a heat gun on low, a homemade tin foil funnel to pinpoint the heat, and focused it on a small spot beneath the strap on the back of the sheath. When it became slightly plastic/flexible, I push my thumb into sheath (knife removed, rag between thumb—HOT!) with steady pressure until it cooled somewhat. Careful, some of these mystery plastics can quickly overheat and reach a point of no return, deforming/contorting out of shape and ruining the sheath (been there, done that). Mine was successful, and Camp 10 Coyote now rides in her sheath quiet as a garter snake on ice. I’m not crazy about the retention strap on the sheath, but it is, what it is. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I have read a few reviews where customers have experienced blade failure with their Camp 10s (fracturing/chipping, etc.). I have owned and used Kershaw’s, Camp 18 Machete for many years and it has never failed/chipped/rolled, though I have only used it on brush; never chopping on logs (wasn’t really designed for that). Camp 10 is made of the same 65Mn steel, about the equivalent of 1065 carbon steel (tough stuff) with a little Minnesota added to make it more Paul Bunyan-ish (Yah, you betcha, eh?). So, I took Camp 10 Coyote out back and whacked the snail snot out of it on some nearly petrified, black locust logs. I’d rather have it fail right off the bat, here at home, than out in the wilderness somewhere. It passed with flying colors; no chipping or visible rolling noted. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Kershaw, Camp 10 Coyote is a well designed and executed scaled-down kukri/camp knife that won’t break the bank, or your back toting it. Is it the ultimate camp knife? No. But, it will handle a slew of camp chores for many years while you save up for your Gossman Knives, custom camp knife.
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