Ultralight Knives

[Bear the Dog]

I love backpacking and wilderness survival. I wanted to share some feelings about knives and their place in backpacking and hiking. I am a gear tester of sorts and write reviews on outdoor gear and post them on many outdoors sites. I usually am contacted by companies to do photos and tests of knives in the outdoors.
When I am backpacking I usually just carry a Swiss Army Knife. When I am day hiking I have less gear as far as shelter and sleeping gear but always carry the survival basics. I also tend to carry a small stout knife for emergency shelter construction, fire and food prep. I wanted to share a knife that you backpackers, and hikers might find usefull. I just did a huge phot review for a knife maker from Nebraska and wanted to share this with you guys.

Breeden Knives
PSKK II (Personal Survival Kit Knife)
It is only 2.5 oz. and has a full tang. Perfect for backpacking and summit attempts.

[Bear the Dog]

Here are some more pics I took.

[take-a-knee]

That looks like an excellent tool, that blade looks just large enough to be able to baton kindling with.

[fiddlehead]

Well it cut through steel? (like my Ginzu?)

[Strategic]

Bear,

Details, man, we need details! What's the blade composition? The grips? Blade length and width? It looks a good size and the weight is certainly nice, but it helps to know more than what the photos show.

[Bear the Dog]

Ok since you guys are interested.

Breeden Knives Made in America!


Bryan Breeden is a knife maker out of Nebraska. He spends much of his time in the woods cutting trees for a living and making knives when the weather is bad. While growing up Bryan spent his youth hunting, trapping and fishing. After talking with Bryan about knives and the outdoors I realized we shared a lot of the same views on what we use knives for. Being in the Marines Bryan was exposed to all aspects of survival and the importance of a knife. He is currently using 01 tool steel and orange G-10 scales. Welcome Breeden Knives and lets hope the weather stays bad at least in your neck of the woods!


PSKK II

Specs:

Steel-01

Blade Length-4" Drop Point

Thickness 3/32"

Cutting Surface-3 7/8"

Overall-7 3/4"

RC-59-60



The PSKK II (Personal Survival Kit Knife) is very light making it perfect for backpacking and summit attempts. This is the bigger brother to the PSKK which has a 3" blade. If you ever wanted a thin lightweight full tang knife perfect for whittling and making trap notches then this is it. Combined with a chopper you can cover all the bases. Very handy size in between a neck knife and a small sheath knife. Imagine a Mora 510 meets CS Roach Belly and you got the PSKK II. This knife is a joy to use in the kitchen and in the woods.

Bryan Breeden
[email protected] or
402-300-0058.

[Reece]

Do they come with any kind of sheath?

[Bear the Dog]

Leatther right now but you can always get some light kydex.

[Chance09]

what are we looking at here for a price?

[rafe]

Gerber LST. About $10. All you need.

[Chance09]

as impractical as it is, i've never been a fan of folders.

[Bear the Dog]

I am only a fan of Swiss Army Knives for folders. If you like the Breedens, he has many other styles available now for around $60-$100. I am not the maker nor am I selling them so I don't hold me to it.

[fiddlehead]

single edge razor blade is all you really need. Some don't even carry that much. KISS

[Wise Old Owl]

nuts nuts nuts... missing important post buttons.... Nuts


"Now that's a Knife!" says Crocodile Dundee.....

[Wise Old Owl]

Knives are flooding the market to every whim, I too carry a swiss army knife with an attached micro metal whistle. But for real survival a locking blade is necessary. Imagine for a moment you can see fish from a surface advantage taking a locking blade opening it and wrapping it with duct tape to your hiking stick and you now have a spear! the spear is inserted into the tip of the water to address the angle of visible diff action and now you can hit the fish with a deadly blow.

I walked into a antique dealer and found this American Shrade for 3 oz with quick release and open assist.


http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/...iginal=1&c=516

[rpettit]

I differ, a real survival knife is a full tanged, non-serrated, fixed blade. A real survival knife is a tool that you can be used to cut, carve, chop, pry and puncture. It needs to be strong enough for you to beat on the spine of the blade with a heavy stick in order to drive the cutting edge into or through something. You should be able to sharpen it with a smooth rock you find in a streambed or on the ground, therefore no serrations. Folders have a hinge which under heavy use will break, that is why they are not good survival knives, though they are better than nothing. I like the Breeden knives displayed in this thread with the exception of the front bolster. IMHO the front bolster should be wide enough to prevent your hand from slipping down onto the cutting edge. There is a little bolster on the bottom, but none on the top. The bolster should also be grooved in order to provide additional grip to prevent slippage under pressure. A deeply cut hand in a survival situation is a killer. You should always carry a knife similar to this in the wilderness. Even more so if you are going bushwacking, never know when you might need to do more than cut cheese, rope and packaging. Also, every animal out there, domestic or wild is armed with something, except you.

[Chance09]

Also, every animal out there, domestic or wild is armed with something, except you.

well said. Im debating carrying a Gerber Guardian. 1.5oz knife, 1.5oz sheath

[rpettit]

The guardian is a self defense knife, nothing wrong with that, though it's utility is restricted by it's design. I can't count the number of times I have had dogs aggressively approach me on the trail, only to have the owner following behind a few minutes later saying "It's ok, he doesn't bite". I was leaning more towards this type of knife.
http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/st....html?s=GB1795

$20 at Wal-Mart

[Wise Old Owl]

Rpettit,

I read what you typed and I cannot find any fault with it, But when I was shooting for three oz much of that goes out the window, By your discription, you are describing a military survival knife that would be much heavier? I have one - it's gathering dust. The Breeden, pictured are ok, If I was looking for what you discribed and had a six inch blade - what would you choose? find somthing as light as possible - not in China.

Oh the Shrade I pictured, I have banged on the blade with a rock and accidently left it in standing water for two months, No rust, rivets held and all is well. The bolster is the cut out for the release is adaquate, and a small curve at the top is ok I haven't lost grip yet. I prefer some serration when it comes to wood.

please check out these pictures and tell me what you think....


http://www.knifehaggler.com/survival...nivescheap.htm

[rpettit]

Of the 3, I would go with the Meyerco. If I had the money, I would go with this, even though it is overpriced.
http://www.topsknives.com/product_in...products_id=64

Can't help you with the 3oz. requirement. Unless it has holes in it you probably won't find it, but the holes would ruin it.