Knife necessity and use

[Spot In The Sky]

Trying to finish off my gear list for this years thru hike and am unsure about what I should be getting/using in regards to a knife.
Will one of the swiss army multi function ones be enough? Should I also get a regular blade in case something more heavy duty needs to be cut? Do 99% of the 20+ uses of a swiss army knife go unused and its not worth the weight?
What is a good weight for a knife anyway? What have you used/needed? Any recommendations? I searched and couldnt find a solid thread on knives so here is mine.

Thanks team!

[Grinder]

when I first started to hike, I was convinced I needed a "real Knife". I finally got a Frost Mora. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mora_knife.

the problem was what to do with it. It's a belt knife and because of the pack, I had no belt space. I tried to hang it from my pack shoulder strap, but it was always in the way. It ended up inside the pack.I only used it once in a week.

Then I discovered "Hacksaw knives"
http://www.m4040.com/Survival/10_Cen...ival_Knife.htm

That's what I've carried for three years. Mine is sized to fit in my cookpot. It gets the job done.

[bigcranky]

Last March at Deep Gap Shelter, in north Georgia, there was a discussion about what knife everyone was carrying. The general feeling among the mostly new hikers was that you needed to be able to defend yourself against a bear. Then I pulled out my little tiny Swiss Army Knife, with the scissors and nail file and 1-inch blade, and one of the hikers said, "When the bear attacks you, you can give him a pedicure!"

So my choice is this knife. Manly. Keeps my nails looking nice. Cuts anything I need on the trail.

[Deadeye]

Yep, simple Swiss Army Knife will do the job. I use the blade, scissors, and can opener often, other tools rarely.

[Maddog]

when I first started to hike, I was convinced I needed a "real Knife". I finally got a Frost Mora. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mora_knife.

the problem was what to do with it. It's a belt knife and because of the pack, I had no belt space. I tried to hang it from my pack shoulder strap, but it was always in the way. It ended up inside the pack.I only used it once in a week.

Then I discovered "Hacksaw knives"
http://www.m4040.com/Survival/10_Cen...ival_Knife.htm

That's what I've carried for three years. Mine is sized to fit in my cookpot. It gets the job done.

the hacksaw knives are awesome...thanks for the link! maddog

[leaftye]

A multitool is all you need. It may even be too much.

What do you think you're going to cut that's tougher than your swiss army nice can handle, wood? If that's the case, you should be able to break any branch that your little knife can handle, and anything too big for that would be better served by a saw.

[Rocket Jones]

Then I discovered "Hacksaw knives"
http://www.m4040.com/Survival/10_Cen...ival_Knife.htm

That's what I've carried for three years. Mine is sized to fit in my cookpot. It gets the job done.

On another forum a guy makes these from heavy sawblade stock (heavier than hacksaw, maybe recip saw?). The handle on mine is wrapped with parachute cord and the knife blade itself holds a decent edge. Occasionally having an actual saw blade comes in handy. I keep one with my gardening tools, one in my pack and have given a couple away.

[Doctari]

Admittedly I have been carrying a pocket knife since I was about 7 (Seven), so am very used to having one at all times (I have 3 on me right now). And I have seen posts saying they are not needed. Obviously, I think this is silly.
What if you need to cut: a rope / guy line? Block of cheese? Salami? Make shavings to start a fire? Sharpen a stick as an emergency tent / tarp stake? At a minimum, I would carry a 2" blade, which should be able to handle most of the above tasks. I carry a Gerber with a 3.75" blade, but it is a bit of overkill, I just really like this knife.
Get one that fits your hand, with a blade that does what you want, there are quite a few different styles of blades, & you need to decide what is right for you.

I own about 30 knives, I think I have 3 that are the same. They are all good tools, with different uses. There are quite a few I wouldn't carry on a hike, most of my daggers fit that description. I als can not see the need for a multi tool or "Swiss army knife" with more than a blade & maybe a file. Although I do carry a multi-tool in winter so I can make repairs on my Pulk if need be.

[Mountain Wildman]

I have been considering this knife.

6 ounces total weight and it comes with the Fire Starter and Whistle.
Although, It is a sheath knife and typically worn on a belt.
I have been thinking about a tactical type mount that puts it on your leg instead of waist. $32.89 at:http://www.gofastandlight.com/DAJO-U...fo/TO-DJ-SURV/

[Blissful]

Simple is the key. I took a swiss with two blades and scissors.

[BrianLe]

Another topic that seems to come up again and again; one recent thread that covers this pretty well is here.

I personally use a 22 gram (0.8 oz) Wenger swiss army "Esquire" knife, which offers small scissors, a small blade, nail file/cleaner, toothpick, and tweezers. I used pretty much all of that stuff on the PCT in 2008, the scissors above the other things, and didn't ever lack for anything that a heavier knife might offer.

[garlic08]

Your cutting tool can be as simple as a single-edged razor blade, which costs about four cents if you buy a hundred, and can be easily ditched for airline flights. This is all I carry, and it's been fine for a few long hikes, for first aid, cutting cord, some gear repair, opening food packages, etc. Or you can get a $80, 10 oz multitool with 19 functions.

A lot depends on what else you carry. Do you have a complicated pack frame that might need work? Tent poles? A finicky stove or water filter with a repair kit? Do you break things a lot? Do you open cans for dinner, or clean wild game or fish? The more complicated your pack and hiking style, the more complicated a tool you'll want.

[JAK]

I would start with a list of everything you would use it for.

Something critical on a thru-hike is toenail care.
Your list might be best served by more than one tool.

[Slo-go'en]

For some reason I tend to loose knifes on the trail, so I only buy cheap ones now.

2" locking blade pocket knife, small pair of scissers, toe nail clippers - all the tools you need. These three items will often weigh less than a multi-tool thingie, of which I have a pretty good collection of and won't take on the trail, as I'm likely to loose it!

[Bags4266]

Everytime I went for a long hike I never used my 2 oz swiss army knife. Now I carry a mini razor knife at a few grams. If I need a knife it was just to cut line/rope.

[JAK]

I carry just an Opinel#7 on short hikes.
For a thru-hike I would need something else for toenail care.
In winter up here I carry a 1 pound hatchet also, but not on a thru-hike.

[GGS2]

A few years back I was going through the body check to board an airplane in Toronto. I emptied my pockets, and there was my constant companion, my little Swiss army knife. I can't remember which manufacturer or which model, but I always carried that thing. I was so disgusted with not remembering to stow it away that I just let them confiscate it. Didn't even bother to try to send it to someone for safekeeping.

A year or so later, I began to think about replacing it. Couldn't find the same model. The replacement was heavier and had a different shape. It still doesn't feel right. But I have a couple of others to go along with it. My Swiss family of knives. I also have a Russel knife, just for the beauty of it; an old laminated Swedish sheath knife, works well as a neck knife; a bunch of little kitchen style knives, including three plastic coated blades with nice plastic sheathes, very sharp blades; a few others.

What do I take on the trail? Mostly one of the smallest Swiss knives. Sometimes the one with an LED light, for a backup. For the AT I might take one of the little plastic sheath knives, for cutting food and such. If I were going into the bush, I'd probably take something more serious, just for making fire and emergency use.

[BrianLe]

"Something critical on a thru-hike is toenail care."

"2" locking blade pocket knife, small pair of scissers, toe nail clippers - all the tools you need."

If I soak my nails (shower, tub, creek, whatever) for a while to soften them, I can cut even toenails (and certainly fingernails) with the little scissors on my 0.8 oz knife.

And a couple of times along the way on a thru-hike it seems like there's a gear switch of some sort (depending on the particular trail) --- cold weather gear to warmer or vice versa. When thus mailing things both directions from the same trail town I can have real toenail clippers sent (along with beard trimmer, other such stuff).

Between those two approaches I don't see the need to carry something designed to cut nails.

[Rick500]

I have a Buck Nano Bantam... inexpensive, 0.6 ounce, works just fine.

Really would be nice to have something that could clip nails though.

[Trailbender]

http://www.knivesplus.com/CAMILLUS-K...TARY-BOOT.HTML

I carry the pocketknife, best one I have found yet. Got it for 15 bucks off ebay, has everything I use, a good blade, can/bottle opener, reamer, screwdriver.