View Full Version : Knife/ Multitool
ducky189
11-20-2007, 02:28
Does anyone have suggestions for a knife and/or multitool to carry? Thanks!
I carry a Leatherman Micra and a real pocket knife (Gerber Covert Folder), or a Wenger swiss army knife with a blade, scissors, can opener, and cork screw, the metal in Wenger's blades is much better than the "Swiss Army" brand IMHO.
brit4jesus
11-20-2007, 07:44
leatherman wave goes every where with me, plyers great for grabbing hot things/stove repares scisors good for gear repares an sowing - cleaner cut on fabric then a knife, plain blade great for pacgage opeining an trail surgery , serated blade for cutting cordage, has a saw for trimming brush or say a blaze is getting grown over. a file for ........ um well i dont know about that one and i guess the screwdrives arnt much help too but all in all very usefull
Smaller, simplier, and lighter the better. Leatherman Micra is popular.
buckowens
11-20-2007, 08:36
My hands are pretty big, and the smaller tools are a challenge. Leatherman has a new full size out that is only 5oz. and full size. It is called the "Skeletool", and can be looked at here: http://www.leatherman.com/products/tools/skeletool-CX/default.asp
I also carry a leatherman Micra and a Spiderco knife. The Spiderco was a present from my daughter, and a good blade comes in handy.
I use a Gerber Suspension multi tool. I've had lot's of Gerber's over the years and they are great quality. It also has a lock on the cuttnig blades.
http://www.rei.com/product/727699
I carry a Swiss Army Knife classic and a p-38 can opener. Works for me anyway. YMMV.
Gerber LST
light (1.3oz)
usable blade
cheap ($17)
made in the USA
faarside
11-20-2007, 11:43
Gerber Suspension Multi.
Blissful
11-20-2007, 11:54
We used a swiss knife that had the basics plus scissors. Didn't see a need for anything else weighty.
SunnyWalker
12-19-2007, 22:59
Go to Walmart and pick one out. They are all just as good as another (multi-tool). Its not like you are going to a REAL wildeness or far side of the world or something. This is mostly in one's head-notions of the "perfect knife" so survive with and all. I read where one thru hiker did a thru hike with NO Knife! Imagine that! Sin! (smile). -SunnyWalker
http://www.swissarmy.com/MultiTools/Pages/Product.aspx?category=outdoor&product=53601&
It has a blade serious enough to split sizeable branches when everything is wet (so you can get a fire started). The blade locks. The can opener works better than Wenger or a P-38. A little heavy, but heavy on performance, too. (Don't forget to carry toenail clippers, though).
I carry a Buck Ranger that I've had for years. Tough and sharp as a razor;)
I read where one thru hiker did a thru hike with NO Knife! Imagine that! Sin! (smile). -SunnyWalker
I don't think I'd go without, but I've gone on many trips without using my knife. I use a simple Swiss Army knife: 1.5" blade, scissors, and maybe a punch.
LIhikers
12-20-2007, 10:12
I have a full size multi tool made by Gerber that I use for 2 reasons. First reason is that I have it, but more important is the knife blade is very sharp and holds an edge really well.
johnny quest
12-20-2007, 11:05
leatherman squirt s4 has all the same stuff as a micra PLUS the tweezers are detachable. i felt the captive tweezers on the micra were unusable. my other knife i keep to myself.
As much as I like versatility because you never know what you need I don't carry a lot of stuff so I don't need much to repair anything. So I just carry a small fixed bladed knife. I haven't got a good one yet so I use a small paring knife. Don't tell my wife. In winter I carry a small hatchet instead, or both. I don't use it much but its for slashing fuel that doesn't just snap, chopping through ice for water, tapping in nails for pitching my tarp or if I had to make a better shelter or something. I carry 6-8 small nails instead of tent pegs. It is sharp enough to cut cordage, but a lighter works also.
johnny quest
12-20-2007, 11:45
the hatchet is interesting. i would like to get a tomahawk. ive looked at the gerber hatchet. can you post a pic of the hatchet you use? oh, sorry, didnt mean to hijack.
taildragger
12-20-2007, 11:50
I carry some toe nail clippers and my skinning knife (3" gerber). That will get me through most situations that I get into
StubbleJumper
12-20-2007, 14:24
Before deciding to buy at Walmart or elsewhere, take note of the model that is of interest and look on E-bay. People forget to leave them at home before going to the airport and they get confiscated. There are entrepreneurs who buy the confiscated swiss army knives and leatherman tools by the 100 and then re-sell them on E-Bay for a great deal less than retail.
LIhikers
12-21-2007, 08:51
I use a small paring knife. Don't tell my wife.
My bet is she already knows.....lol...:D
"As always I have my multi-tool" (Les Stroud)
He says it every episode
johnny quest
12-21-2007, 09:59
"As always I have my multi-tool" (Les Stroud)
He says it every episode
i noticed that too, but since he doesnt mention a brand i assume its cause he realy believes in them rather than is working in a product endorsement. not that i would care either way.
i dont think you can go wrong with a leatherman or a gerber, both well made. its just a matter of finding the one that best suits your needs..and pocket book i guess. im a cheap mofo but a multi tool is not where i would scrimp. i found this site to be very informative, if somewhat clunky and slow. www.multitool.org
canerunner
12-21-2007, 10:46
the hatchet is interesting. i would like to get a tomahawk. ive looked at the gerber hatchet. can you post a pic of the hatchet you use? oh, sorry, didnt mean to hijack.
The following comment isn't aimed at any particular person, but is simply intended as an observation.
It's interesting that many people who might otherwise be "gram nazis" would consider carrying a small axe or hatchet. It speaks to the real usability of certain tools that we will consider carrying something that weighs as much as a hatchet because of the usability factor. Some of us are willing to bear the little extra weight to obtain the benefit of having a good tool.
As I've mentioned in some other threads here, I enjoy history and studying the lifeways of our ancestors. One of the common things that woodsmen of the past carried was a "belt axe", or tomahawk. These are two different things, for those who aren't familiar.
If you're interested in learning a little more about what tools earlier woodsmen carried, you might visit this site at http://members.tripod.com/tomahawks-r-tatca/id8.htm to learn a little about the subject from a historical perspective.
I carry a small belt axe of modern manufacture on a lot of hikes because of it's usability. Gram wienies need not consider it, but a small axe can provide a very workable solution to how to cut or split dead wood and kindling, or make tent or tarp pegs quickly and easily.
johnny quest
12-21-2007, 12:14
well said, canerunner. i think most of us are multi-dimensional....we can be gram weenie, a car camper or a jeremiah johnson type...depending on the trip. i have also been impressed with the versatility of the hatchet.
its not just about weight. its usability for the weight.
My hatchet is pretty basic but thin and light with a wooden handle of functional length.
There are some Finish ones that are real nice and light.
Here they are. Fiskars. I would take the 14" handle over the 8".
The handle is some sort of hard composite, and hollow.
Not too expensive either, and generally available.
http://www.fiskars.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10101&categoryId=10277
My hatchet is not that much heavier. Off my 1 pound scales though. :)
hopefulhiker
12-21-2007, 13:43
I carried the little swiss army knife with scissors, pen, light, file and so forth.. the really small one... Sometimes I would carry a Fast Food plastic knife to spread stuff and cut bread..
Another vote for the Leatherman Micra!
this is what i have http://www.kodiakoutback.com/detail.aspx?ID=1366&utm_source=frgl&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=cmp1
I packed a 1 dollar Wal-mart folding knife for 5 months on the A.T. I still have it and it is still sharpe.
atraildreamer
12-22-2007, 15:44
I carry a Leatherman Micra and a real pocket knife (Gerber Covert Folder), or a Wenger swiss army knife with a blade, scissors, can opener, and cork screw, the metal in Wenger's blades is much better than the "Swiss Army" brand IMHO.
Both Wenger and Victorinix can manufacture knives under the Swiss Army brand name. I have tried both and prefer the Victorinix knives. The Wengers with their serrated blades and blade lock are more of an annoyance than useful.
OhioNative
12-25-2007, 10:50
I have a Spyderco Finch knife - it is good quality, has a 1 3/4 inch blade and weighs only .6 of an oz. A small blade is really all I need.
88BlueGT
12-29-2007, 16:40
I usually carry some off brand multi tool that has everything in it but weighs a ton. Now, I'm up in the air about a 2.0oz Husky multitool or a 2.0oz Appalachian Trail mini multi tool... not sure on the quality of either of these products. I have owned many Husky products and have had good experiences so Im sure their multi tool is Ok but I have no clue about the "Appalachian Trail" tool. Someone bougt it for me for Christmas. Anyway, I will be using one of those two for now (prob going to get a Micra in the future) and a small Benchmade pocket knife.
dessertrat
12-29-2007, 16:42
I carry a Leatherman Micra and a real pocket knife (Gerber Covert Folder), or a Wenger swiss army knife with a blade, scissors, can opener, and cork screw, the metal in Wenger's blades is much better than the "Swiss Army" brand IMHO.
I have always been told that only Victorinox and Wenger are official Swiss Army knife makers, and that anything else is probably a low quality knock off. I suspect that's what you got in the "Swiss Army" brand knife you had. (I've also had a couple of them, which were not worth the five bucks or so that I paid for them).