I took this photo in 2014 at a campsite in the Allegheny National Forest. I was camping with my nephew and one of our friends. Said friend asked us, after watching one or the other of us produce yet another piece of unlikely cutlery from about our persons somewhere, "Just how many blades do you guys have on you, anyway?"

This was the result of said throw-down.

From left to right is my nephew's Ontario Blackbird, a Ganzo G704, his newer Leatherman Surge, my old bush sword (I still have it, but I have a better one now) which is some ghastly Chinese thing from the BudK catalog, my Kershaw Junkyard dog, my rather older Leatherman Surge, his Ontario machete, my Boker PSK.

And. My. Axe. (It's a SOG FastHawk.)

I have in the past had wide-eyed city slickers ask me what we do if we encounter a bear, mountain lion, or crazed ruffian in the woods.

Roll for initiative, obviously.