Gear Junkie: Ultimate Tool more at home in garden than woods

It comes in a sheath and at a glance appears to be a survival knife. But the Ultimate Tool is more at home in the garden than the woods.

Its sheath and general aesthetic borrow from military or tactical looks. Grab the bamboo handle and pull it out – the Ultimate Tool is 13 inches and solid in the hand.

Serrated teeth dominate one edge; a straight blade is on the other side. Its stainless steel is scooped slightly, creating a trowel shape for moving earth.

Don’t confuse the $50 Ultimate Tool with a common hardware store trowel. Beyond just its looks, the tool indeed borrows from features found in survival knives.

It has a pommel base that can pound in tent stakes. The blade comes out of the box medium-sharp; it could cut an apple or steak. With a little work, you can hone it fine.

The serrated edge saws through small branches. A bottle opener doubles as an edged hook able to cut twine.

Though it looks tactical in nature, the company actually designed the product based on the Japanese hori-hori knife. These heavy, serrated multi-purpose blades were built for gardening, digging, and cutting.

Barebones includes one-inch marks on the back of the blade for planting seeds at the right depth. Its scooped shape serves for popping out weeds or digging small holes in a plot.

Overall, the Ultimate Tool will serve you well in the backyard and the garden. It has all the needed features to cut, dig, trowel, pound, slice, and saw.

In the woods, you’ll want a more standard survival or folding knife depending on your tasks. But take the Barebones Living tool camping, or use it for backyard gardening, and you’ll have a fine rugged tool around the fire pit.

On the net: gearjunkie.com.