Thoughts on a Knife

[Maurice]

I'm curious after reading your regulations on knives. When going out in the woods, what do you want, like, or require from a knife?
Favorite knife types? Tools used most on the SAK (took me a while to figure out that term). Opinels, fixed blades, folders, and steel type? It would be interesting to compare notes.
Thank you,

Maurice

[David]

My preferred knife for general use is a smallish (~ 6 inch blade I think) sheath knife, with a steel blade (not stainless). I find this very suited to woodland use as you ask. To complement this for a permanent camp I take a machete. A hatchet would be better but unfortunately I do not own one. When walking or or doing activities I take only a swiss army knife, for safety and convenience. It has a roughly inch long blade which is easily sufficient but is unfortunately made entirely of the shiny type of steel that seems to be reserved for swiss army knives (never kitchen knives for some reason), so the edge does not cut as well as it could. It serves well enough for most purposes (eg often cutting string). I do not use the other features though (having a wire saw and so on), so possibly an opinel would be better.

[Maurice]

David, Thank you for your answer. For woods use around here, a 4" to 6" blade sheath knife is all that is needed. My favorite is often a "Green River" knife blade that I have handled and sheathed to my likes. Of course, at times I also like to carry a few custume knives too.
As for a pocket knife, I have always found the SAK too soft and too weak to perform decent work. But the corkscrew does do wonders.
Here if you shake us out, the favorite pocket knives for woods use are usually a stockman's or trapper pattern knife. If a can opener is needed, a P38 is usually carried on the key chain. As for knife steels, cheap stainless is worthless. There are some very good stainless steels out there and some even better semi-stainless steels.
As for the use of a machete, my experiences have shown that a small hatchet, tomohawk (Oh yes carry one ) or laugh, an old german etool.
Edges sharpened, you can chop. Flat edge you can dig. Flat edge and fire, Pancakes anyone?
A very good site. Good job
Maurice

[The Nev]

For tramping/camping I carry an Opinel no.8 High Carbon, and it is perfect. It stays sharp, cuts everything I need it to and doesn't have lots of pointless accessories (e.g corkscrew, can opener) weighing it down.

[Helen M]

Let's hope we never get stopped then because we carry one of these:

http://davesgarden.com/products/market/view/1580/

A machette, a Leatherman and a swiss army knife!

You never know when you may need one - oh yes, and then there's a knife on the Boyancy Aid too!

H - x

ps - We are NOT mad! We just like to be prepared for all contingencies!

[Maurice]

Looks like a handy tool.

[kyle-mcc]

lol looks like something the local neds or chavs as there called in egland would walk around with

[twotongoat]

Opinel, and Mora knives are the best IMO. Try this link, loads here...

http://www.greenmanbushcraft.co.uk/cutting-tools/knives/

[Anand]

http://www.goxplore.net/gallery/files/5/8/2/mes_thumb.jpg (http://www.goxplore.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=403&c=2)

My new knife :)

[David]

nice! looks like a 'proper' one too (by my definition!) which is pleasing.

[Maurice]

Anand,
Looks like a good working knife. What are the handles made of? The sheath looks well made too!