Every hiker should have at least one good knife with them while off trekking. A good hiking knife will have a blade length between 3” - 5”. The BRKT Highland Special with its 4” blade is a stout choice for any hiker. It has an overall length of 7.75 inches with a blade length of 4 inches, 0.145 inches thick, and is made of A-2 tool steel @ 58RC. When I first handled the knife, I felt that the handle was a bit on the small side. After extensive use, I have found this not to be the case, and find the handle quite comfortable. The gorgeous Amboynia Burl handles do not leave any irritations when handling for long periods of time. Every hiker is concerned with the weight they are packing. The Highland delivers a lot of knife in a light package, weighing in at only 4.5 ounces. The Highland Special comes with a bushcraft sheath that has a loop for a firesteel or flashlight and has eyelets to be used for attachments. I added a drop loop on to my sheath so it hangs lower off my belt. The knife excels at trail-side food prep whether it be slicing up some fruit or cutting bread for sandwiches. The HS is big enough to baton through small to medium size logs if one should find the need to start a fire when on the trail. In addition to batoning, the Highland, with its excellent geometry, whittles and carves wood with ease. Pictured below is a tent stake I whittled. I suggest pairing the Highland Special with a Swiss Army knife that has a saw or another form of camp saw. In addition to being an outdoors knife, the Highland makes an excellent EDC knife. A lot of knives these days scream tactical / dark ops and often scare people. This knife is the complete opposite of those. I have received many good comments on its elegant looks and great performance from non-knife folks. I highly recommend the Bark River Knife & Tool Highland Special if you are in the market for a great hiking / emergency survival / EDC / general purpose knife.
