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Former Admin
10-05-2002, 10:09
?

Hammock Hanger
10-11-2002, 16:15
plastic lexan. Never really used my little buck knife so it went home in 01, never missed it this past summer. HH

highway
10-12-2002, 07:06
Strange how time has changed. And strange how time has changed our point of view. A knife is still but a knife, just our perception of its use has changed! I guess it's no longer just a tool!

I am old enough to remember a time in the rural south when every young male carried a Barlow pocket knife with him everywhere, every day, including to church and school. It was a necessary tool to have, at a time when he had no watch and needed none. It was also a time when the house he lived in either had no lock or was never locked as he cannot ever remember having a key to it, or needing one. More importantly, any youthful, male altercation would be finalized without ever that Barlow being drawn in anger, for he knew that doing so, would result in the real beating taking place the moment he arrived at home. And he knew that one day, when older, he might drive a ragged pickup to school,just like the older boys now, and on the rear window would be mounted the ever-present gun rack with maybe a shotgun or rifle or both, always hanging there, in plain sight.

That shotgun, rifle, and Barlow knife in the pocket were all just tools then. Time has made them something else. And that is sad.

Hikerhead
10-12-2002, 09:26
was common place for my dad and brother. Now you can go to jail if ya carry one to school. Hammock Hanger

Former Admin
10-12-2002, 09:37
I never understood those whom carry those big Buck knives, I myself carry a small Gerber with a 3 inch blade and weighs nothing. I don't see any need for anything bigger. Although I did have fun with a hikers machettee, at Sassafras Gap chopping wood on a wet cold day. A couple walked about halfway up to the shelter and saw me swinging the machette at the log and turned around and walked away. They probably thought I was nuts.

highway
10-12-2002, 10:01
Originally posted by admin
I never understood those whom carry those big Buck knives, I myself carry a small Gerber with a 3 inch blade and weighs nothing.

I have graduated to a nice little Benchmade with a pocket clip that I still carry everywhere, clipped handily just inside my right front pocket. The blade is about 3.5 inches, I guess, and it is a tool for me which I use numerous times daily. Each morning I put it inside that pocket alongside my keys and change and would feel undressed without it. It is a habit started long ago and it is one of my remaining few which my young bride hasn't stripped me of yet. I guess it hasn't occurred to her. A big Buck knife" though, would not be a very useful tool.

Jumpstart
12-02-2002, 15:16
For all the ultralighters out there;

Just had to laugh at the knife "weighs nothing" comment: A hostel owner we stayed with this past year gave us valuable advice: IF you throw it in the air, and it falls to the earth, it weighs SOMETHING. every ounce counts :-)

stranger
12-05-2002, 19:08
I haven't carried a knife in years...just something I have never really needed, find nailclippers and scissors more handy. Although trying to slice a bagel in two with a tiny pair of scissors might make some good trail entertainment for those watching.

novhiker
12-12-2002, 14:52
I carry a tiny swiss army knife that I got from work of all places. Has a small blade (about 1.5" usable blade), sissors, toothpick, tweezers, and file/screwdriver. About 2 oz. and everything I need, plus easier to keep up with. Used to carry a monster, but never used it much. A little saw was much better for cutting wood, but the push in and burn method works just as well.

gravityman
12-12-2002, 15:02
I use the super small swiss army knife. It also has sciccors that I use for nail trimming/nose hair trimming (HA), my pen, and a red LED, which I only use when necissary. I guess if I was a hardcore ultralighter I would use the light as my only sources...

Gravity Man

smokymtnsteve
12-31-2002, 15:33
I don't carry a knife anymore...I carry a pair of scissors.I find them more handy.

slabfoot
01-02-2003, 10:21
...is my choice of blades. it's lite extremly sharp flexible and it gots a purdy birch handle. it gets used every day on the trail and i like it so much i havnot weighed it.

The Hog
01-02-2003, 19:47
A single edge razor blade, which fits in a plastic film canister (along with needle and thread and a few other items). I don't need a buck knife and it's hard to beat a razor blade for weight.

smokymtnsteve
01-02-2003, 20:41
single edge razor blade...Great Idea!

CeeJay
01-06-2003, 12:16
Guess I can forget that big Leatherman tool kit I was planning to carry- CeeJay 2003-Newbie

mac
03-25-2003, 16:08
I have carried a pocket knife with me everyday since I was 12, now at 23 I feel naked without it. Also, whenever I go hiking, or hunting or just about anything in the great outdoors I carry a Glock Field Knife. Its a habit I got from my grandfather and my father of never being in the woods without a "good sized" blade. I've used it for digging firepits, making walking sticks from fallen timber, and cutting marshmellow roasting sticks, and a host of other uses. I can't imagine going on a AT Thru without taking it along.

Redbeard
03-26-2003, 11:15
Easy, I also carry a Gerber 3 1/4, with a serrated inside. I wrench and janitor, so I need an all around chunk of metal for various purposes, I've cut through metal packing strap with the serrated part and it still cuts. It does wiegh Something, but not enough to part with my trusty chunk o' metal. The testosterone poisoned part of me has practiced the one handed blade flick, so James Dean better watch out!

Jumpstart
03-27-2003, 08:50
We carried the Leatherman micra which worked well for most things, but had a pathetically small knife for such things as peanut butter spreading. In June, my husband got a carbon fiber CRKT (Columbia River) M16-11F knife with a 3 inch blade for his birthday, and it did the trick nicely. It's really lightweight, has a good size blade that is half serrated and hald smooth, and a belt clip.

Good luck!

squirrel bait
08-05-2003, 18:17
A Leatherman Wave.

High Pockets
11-30-2003, 09:13
In my first aid kit I carry a small Swiss Army w/ knife, toohpick etc. and that is the only one in my pack. Every other day of my adult life I've have carried a 3" "stockman" knife, for the last ten or so years it's been a Gerber. The ten or so before that a Scherade. Both have three blades, sharp, sharper and sharpest! As my jeans show it is kept in the left frount pocket. It never fails to amuse me of the amount of folks that need a knife on a daily basis, opening boxes etc., yet have none when needed. As I reach for mine to help I always bost "Ahh your Parole Officer dosen't allow you to carry a knife" and as I fold and put it away proclaim " A gentleman always carrys a knife". It always there, ready to pry off a bottle top at moments notice. I'm realy atached to my knife, my friend, I may need help...

Jaybird
01-14-2004, 06:42
i carry a 1 oz. Shrade knife on my hikes....i use it for all-purpose cutting, prepping food, etc.

its worked for 3 years...why change....$50 bucks @ Outdoor World...$11.@Wal-Mart! :)




see ya'll UP the trail in 2004!

Kozmic Zian
02-11-2004, 12:43
?
Smallest Swiss Army Knife or one of those old school, industrial razor blades.

walkon
02-25-2004, 16:52
i love and usually always carry the spyderco rescue jr. not too scary looking, great for scooping/spreading/slicing.
walkon

weary
02-25-2004, 20:06
A single edge razor blade, which fits in a plastic film canister (along with needle and thread and a few other items). I don't need a buck knife and it's hard to beat a razor blade for weight.

This the first backpacking tip I've seen in months that is both new and excellent. However, I may stick with my tiny Gerber. I keep it on my key chain when not hiking and use it several times a week. It's handy for mostly insignificant chores, but useful enuf to warrant the ounce it weighs.

It hasn't happened in 13 years, but I figure I might sometime break my 10 ounce wooden hiking staff. The Gerber would be better than a razor blade for cutting a replacement.

Weary

Kozmic Zian
02-25-2004, 22:57
__________________________________________________ _________________________
:) Yea....'Better Than A Razor Blade'....yea, you got tha' right...don't wanna break your hikin' stick. Glad I don't carry a stick, then I don't have to worry 'bout no stinkin' insignificant chores'. KZ@_______________________________________________ ____________________________'The Item You Want The Most, is Always On The Bottom'.....Frost's Law of Selective Gravitation.

stupe
05-08-2005, 22:41
Gerber Bolt Action, three inch blade, anything over that is illegal in NYC. It's really bigger than I need, but I like phallic things, and the blade is wide enough to spread peanut butter with. I've had it for like fifteen years, and I am not sure if they make them anymore. It has the best locking mechanism of any lock blade I have ever used, I think better than Buck ( blaspheme! ) It still operates like new. The spine of the blade sticks out about a quarter inch when closed, so you can open it one handed with your thumb. 440 stainless, takes a good edge. You can do Rambo things like chop through ice, and the nice sized ergo-dynamic handle lets you do delicate carving and chip cutting.
Once, I killed an elephant in my pajamas with it. How he got in my pajamas, I'll never know.

bogey
05-08-2005, 22:49
was common place for my dad and brother. Now you can go to jail if ya carry one to school. Hammock Hanger
Let's not forget and carry one to the airport, either!

Tha Wookie
05-08-2005, 23:16
I used to carry a small swiss-army, but now I carry a very sharp 5 inch Mora with a homemade juniper/pacific yew handle.

I'm not sure if I'll use it on the CDT, but I carry it now to practice primitive skills like the bow drill, which usually needs a good blade to shape the impliments. I really enjoy it. I whittle also, and find it a very relaxing practice.

But for conventional hiking, a big blade is certainly not necessary. But it can be a lot of fun. Since the rest of my gear weighs less than ten pounds I hardly notice the weight.

fiddlehead
05-08-2005, 23:19
Well, I like the single edge razor blade idea. I'm always searching for a lighter alternative to what i carry. Lately, i haven't been carrying a knife as i don't really see the need (i tear my bagel with my fingers) but i recently found these very small, lightweight, cheap "box cutter" knifes here in Asia that i figured would be the lightest knife i ever found. It's super sharp and thin. But it's not as light as a single edged razor blade. Now i have to decide if carrying a single edge razor blade also means i need to start carrying band aid's i guess. (nah, good ole duct tape should prevail once again) Now if only i can find a lighter guitar than the Martin "Backpacker"! fh

Mags
05-09-2005, 14:49
I carry a Swiss Army classic. $10, holds an edge reasonably well. Cuts rope and my summer susage. Light.

I attahch a P-38 can opener to it (less than .125 oz) and can do what I need it to do.

Works for me, anyway.

Happypappy
05-09-2005, 19:06
Strange how time has changed. And strange how time has changed our point of view. A knife is still but a knife, just our perception of its use has changed! I guess it's no longer just a tool!

I am old enough to remember a time in the rural south when every young male carried a Barlow pocket knife with him everywhere, every day, including to church and school. It was a necessary tool to have, at a time when he had no watch and needed none. It was also a time when the house he lived in either had no lock or was never locked as he cannot ever remember having a key to it, or needing one. More importantly, any youthful, male altercation would be finalized without ever that Barlow being drawn in anger, for he knew that doing so, would result in the real beating taking place the moment he arrived at home. And he knew that one day, when older, he might drive a ragged pickup to school,just like the older boys now, and on the rear window would be mounted the ever-present gun rack with maybe a shotgun or rifle or both, always hanging there, in plain sight.

That shotgun, rifle, and Barlow knife in the pocket were all just tools then. Time has made them something else. And that is sad.

This custom wasn't unique to the southland. I grew up in Pennsylvania, and got my first knife at twelve, also. And it was a Barlow. I have carried some type of knife with me every day since. Currently I carry a small three inch lock blade in my pocket, but in my job as a maintenance man, I also carry a small Gerber multi-tool which I find myself using almost every day at work. For hiking, I usually carry a small folding Gerber brand knife, two or three inch blade, and light-weight composite handle. They seem to take a very good edge, and hold up very well.

Hindsfeet
06-20-2005, 23:37
I met a dude at Max Patch in 01. He had a RAMBO knife hanging round his neck, Must have weight 3 lbs at least!

Buckingham
07-22-2005, 14:26
I grew up wandering the woods in Maryland, and like every other kid I knew, I always had a knife on me. It's now a habit, and I always have one on me, anywhere I go, not just the mountains.

stumpy
07-22-2005, 15:57
I grew up in East Tennessee and it was a family tradition. I can remember the first knife that I was given (it was from my uncle). I have collected knives ever since that day. My mother was somewhat protective of me as a child, no football, no guns, no dangerous skateboards! However, for some reason she would let me keep and carry a knife in the first grade! Go figure.


I am kind of partial to Columbia River knives these days. I carry a K.I.S.S. folding three inch blade every day (except to work, I'm a school teacher).

Heater
07-22-2005, 16:21
Leatherman Juice C2. The blade is 2 1/4". I make use of my leatherman daily, usually several times a day. Almost everything I need in a tiny little package.

Nightwalker
07-22-2005, 20:15
The blade on my cutting utensil is ...
Sharp!

:banana

CynJ
10-16-2005, 11:35
After debating about this with myself - I have decided that I want to find a folding version of my kitchen paring knife. Its a short sturdy blade that I find exceptionally useful. So I am hunting around for one that I like to put on my Christmas List.

My dad has always had a small pocketknife -I can't remember a time when he didn't carry it. And it has saved the day a couple of times.

Edited to ask: why don't y'all use your spoon to spread your peanut butter? :-?

Oracle
10-16-2005, 12:48
I always carry a SAK Tinker, I've had one since I was about 8, and have found it useful for all sorts of things. So, I carry it on the trail as well (and have found it useful for all sorts of things there too).

TooTall
10-16-2005, 14:09
Got this out of a case of C rations back about thirty years ago. It's cutting blade doubles as a short knife when I need to tear into some packaging.

Nightwalker
10-16-2005, 15:43
...laying on the trail somewhere in Georgia. It was a Gerber clip knife, and I lost it sometime this past Thursday.

Water sucks out there right now, y'all. When ya find a good source, get more than usual.

titanium_hiker
10-16-2005, 16:19
got my first knife (a swiss army type) when I was ten. however, I was told not to use it when they (mum and dad) were not there. I cut a decent sized piece of skin off my finger just as they walked in the door (whittling- got too close to finger) - promptly taken away untill my 11th birthday. cut myself again (minorly) and so it was removed for 6 months. Still have the knife and the first scar today!

it's 2 inches (about). nice tools like the scissors, toothpick, tweezers, smaller knife, corkscrew (too bad I don't drink) screw driver, bottleopener, wire stripper, can piercer. Probably too heavy but I don't care.

and I agree with cynj about the spoon for PB - that knife has been used to cut icky sappy things...

titanium

Valmet
10-16-2005, 17:00
I have a small swiss army knife that I carry the majority of the time. There are occasions that I have a K-bar in my pack. It was given to my by my brother. He carried it in his web gear when serving with a Ranger group. He passed away 8 years ago and it brings back some excellant memories of us hiking together.

Seeker
10-16-2005, 17:05
when i was little, camillus, as suburb of syracuse, ny, had a knife factory that sold 'factory seconds' really cheap... churches often bought them for prizes. there was one popular festival game where you bought three rings, and then had to throw them over a knife stuck into a board. several boards were arranged in a staircase style, with the cheaper knives in front and the more expensive ones in back... my dad won me a small knife when i was 5 or 6, and i carried it for years... one blade, simulated mother of pearl handle. don't remember cutting myself too seriously, and then only once... when i was 12, someone gave me a barlow (still made by camillus) that i carried into highschool... i still have them both. dad got me a SAK tinker, i later bought a SAK craftsman, and i've used several others, but i think the one i like best is the SAK Tinker... small and light, with just enough of the other gadgets (can opener, tweezers, toothpick, file, screwdriver) to be handy without being unwieldy (the craftsman, while a beautiful knife, is just too thick).

Oracle
10-16-2005, 20:36
I feel the same way about the SAK Tinker, Seeker. It's just about right, and has everything I need, but not too much that I don't.

Vi+
03-19-2006, 15:45
There is a strong tendency to admire the person who assembles the lightest weight and smallest kit. The practical advantage of carrying less weight is obvious and most of us think we would appreciate being admired. At the same time, hikers who get into real trouble from insufficient preparation, whether poor skills or equipment, are roundly scorned. Hiking “failures,” large and slight, are pecked at ad nauseam on every hiker website I’ve read.

“Ultralightis” becomes apparent during knife discussions. The craze begins when we forget why we carry a knife in the woods. Different people have different purposes in mind, assuring there is no single “right” knife. We should select our equipment mindful that, in hindsight, we would avoid cheap admiration and scorn.

The Soldier Model Swiss Army Knife (2.2 oz) seems adaptable to most outdoor needs I can think of. I fear the soft metal used in its construction, small diameter hinge pins, and the narrow radius of the choil* wouldn’t endure extensive hard work, however, and excluded it as a woods tool. I love the design and its light weight; my decision to exclude it was a difficult one for me to make. I decided I needed to carry more knife.

I’m reminded of a quotation, “Day of the Jackal,” Frederick Forsyth, “All big men have bodyguards and security men, but over a period of years without any serious attempt on the life of the big man, the checks become formal, the (big man becomes vulnerable).”

A knife can be a versatile tool. The fact that you’ve survived and enjoyed yourself thus far doesn’t prove, in and of itself, the tool you’ve selected will always be adequate.

**********

* The CHOIL is that section of the blade, which remains unsharpened and at full thickness, just forward of the handle. The HINGE PIN passes through the choil, and connects the blade to the handle. My use of the term “RADIUS of the choil” refers to the width of the choil, on either side of the hole through which the hinge pin passes.

Vi+
03-19-2006, 17:04
CynJ,

You advise (Post #37), “... I want to find a folding version of my kitchen paring knife. Its a short sturdy blade that I find exceptionally useful.”

Queen Cutlery sells “Mountain Man,” a folding knife with a 3 5/8" slightly clip-point locking blade, with a flat grind from the cutting edge to the spine. This knife is great for cooking, although the blade is wider and the knife is heavier than any of my paring knives.

I considered simply taking a paring knife along for cooking. What grates at me is, any sheath, which would survive dampness and protect the blade, would outweigh the knife. I also expect this knife to do more demanding “woodsy” sorts of things I wouldn’t expect from a paring knife.

The blade is D-2 Steel, a hard tool-steel which WILL rust. The blade is sharper than most if not all stainless steels, holds an edge longer, and is easily re-sharpened. The handle scales are cocobolo*. The liners are brass. It is a durable knife which weighs 4.1 oz, including the lanyard and clip I added to keep from losing it.

You can see this knife at: http://queencutlery.com/cocobolo2.html

The least expensive one I found was on eBay for $53.85 including shipping. You can search on eBay, or contact the seller, Bill Horn, at either: www.cumberlandknifeworks.com (http://www.cumberlandknifeworks.com), or [email protected]

**********

* Cocobolo is a tight grain wood. The natural feel is similar to mineral oil on a chopping block. Other materials have been available for the scales.

neo
03-19-2006, 17:53
the edge,my preferance:cool: neo

http://whee.dk/gill/avatars/EQWolfsig1.jpg

Old Spice
03-19-2006, 20:56
Strange how time has changed. And strange how time has changed our point of view. A knife is still but a knife, just our perception of its use has changed! I guess it's no longer just a tool!

I am old enough to remember a time in the rural south when every young male carried a Barlow pocket knife with him everywhere, every day, including to church and school. It was a necessary tool to have, at a time when he had no watch and needed none. It was also a time when the house he lived in either had no lock or was never locked as he cannot ever remember having a key to it, or needing one. More importantly, any youthful, male altercation would be finalized without ever that Barlow being drawn in anger, for he knew that doing so, would result in the real beating taking place the moment he arrived at home. And he knew that one day, when older, he might drive a ragged pickup to school,just like the older boys now, and on the rear window would be mounted the ever-present gun rack with maybe a shotgun or rifle or both, always hanging there, in plain sight.

That shotgun, rifle, and Barlow knife in the pocket were all just tools then. Time has made them something else. And that is sad.

Man... this post is like the Grapes of Wrath for thru-hikers. Do you write?

Old Spice
03-19-2006, 20:58
I use the backside of my lexan spoon to spread stuff and a razor blade to cut rope or bandages. Extremey lightweight and fits my needs.

Mouse
03-19-2006, 22:42
Unlike clothing or whatever, I have never ever heard any hiker say they had to quit their thruhike because their knife was not large enough.

swede
03-20-2006, 00:03
As kids, we army brats always had knives. I remember playing Tarzan, making spears, bows, arrows, etc. No one took any notice of all the neighborhood boys running around all day, shirtless and shoeless with a fixed blade on our hips looking for a grapevine to swing on. Knife of choice was a leather handled Case sheaf knife. That and any bayonets, which were considered cheap. (Tarzan didn't carry no stinkin' bayonet, them's were for playin army!) We all joined the Boy Scouts, and couldn't believe it when fixed blades were banned. I just carried my Case in my pack. I had all those knives for many years until my son broke or lost every one playing his version of Tarzan. Kids today...
BTW, since I'm a grownup and my cool has long vanished, I sport a Swiss Army Fisherman.
Dang, this thread seems a little Freudian. Jane always preferred a fixed blade to a folded one!:D

SGTdirtman
03-22-2006, 00:55
By law:

1. Any folding knives carried must be automatic opening with a blade no less than 3.5 inches.

2. Fixed blade knives must be no less than 6 inches with a full tang.

3. A minimum of 2 knives of separate catagory fixed and folding must be carried at all times.

4. knife blades must not fail to be sharpened, Any knife blade lacking the ability to effeciently shave human hair shall not be counted.

5. "Pocket Tools" i.e. leathermans and swiss knives are not considered in any way to be a knife.

6. At least one knife must be carried in a manner making it visible to see at all times.

7. All knives must be stored in a manner to allow quick access providing a single motion of removal of the knife and a follow through stab.

8. Knives must never be decorative or carry inscriptions of any kind.

9. Fixed blades must only have a full edge on one side, though the back side may contain up to 25% edge for penetration.

10. The only appropriate colors for a knife and or its handle is silver and black.

KirkMcquest
03-22-2006, 00:59
Is this some kind of wierd code language for something else?

NYGuy
06-05-2006, 10:04
* The CHOIL is that section of the blade, which remains unsharpened and at full thickness, just forward of the handle. The HINGE PIN passes through the choil, and connects the blade to the handle. My use of the term “RADIUS of the choil” refers to the width of the choil, on either side of the hole through which the hinge pin passes.

Sorry to be a jerk on my first post, but that is an incorrect definition of a knife choil. A choil is an area of the knife that's not there, so nothing can be pinned through it.. Your referring to the tang or ricasso. Here is the definition from the AG Russell Knife Encyclopedia Glossary.

"The cut away area betwen the edge and the tang of a pocket knife blade and between the edge and the guard of a fixed blade. The choil may or may not have enough space for a finger, it's true purpose is to allow the edge to be sharpened all the way to the tang in a pocket knife and to the end of the edge in others. Any reference of choil and finger space or choil and handle is improper.

Vi+
06-05-2006, 14:09
NYGuy,

You advise (Post #54), “(T)hat is an incorrect definition of a knife choil. A choil is an area of the knife that's not there, so nothing can be pinned through it.. Your referring to the tang or ricasso.”

You’re right.

I was thinking about fixed blade knives at one point writing my post, and folding blade knives at another point.

But, you’re also wrong, advising, “Sorry to be a jerk on my first post ...”

You’re not a jerk.

Amigi'sLastStand
06-06-2006, 15:52
I have carried a pocket knife with me everyday since I was 12, now at 23 I feel naked without it. Also, whenever I go hiking, or hunting or just about anything in the great outdoors I carry a Glock Field Knife. Its a habit I got from my grandfather and my father of never being in the woods without a "good sized" blade. I've used it for digging firepits, making walking sticks from fallen timber, and cutting marshmellow roasting sticks, and a host of other uses. I can't imagine going on a AT Thru without taking it along.
My sentiments exactly.

NYGuy
06-06-2006, 17:11
Vi+, good stuff.

Knife terminology is a pita.

Shadow Walking
06-16-2006, 12:04
I guess I'm a strange one. I'll carry both a swiss army knife my daughter got for me as well as a nice 3.5-4 inch half serrated knife. The swiss army knife I just use in case something breaks, etc. and I need one of the tools. I never use the actual knife on the swiss army. I use the large knife for any cutting/sawing need.

Jaybird
06-17-2006, 08:21
I guess I'm a strange one. I'll carry both a swiss army knife my daughter got for me as well as a nice 3.5-4 inch half serrated knife. The swiss army knife I just use in case something breaks, etc. and I need one of the tools. I never use the actual knife on the swiss army. I use the large knife for any cutting/sawing need.



well..."Strange" is a relative term when you're talking with hikers....hehehehehe:D but, if you hike long enuff...you'll ship that Swiss army knife home!

i got my Schrade 1 oz knife (half serrated) on sale...been using it for 5 years now on my section-hikes.

i keep my Swiss Army Knife in my tackle box @ home!

atraildreamer
07-30-2006, 07:48
Strange how time has changed. And strange how time has changed our point of view. A knife is still but a knife, just our perception of its use has changed! I guess it's no longer just a tool!...That shotgun, rifle, and Barlow knife in the pocket were all just tools then. Time has made them something else. And that is sad.

A couple of years ago a 4th grader got suspended in Pawtucket, RI for bringing a PLASTIC picnic knife to school. The school administration said it was a weapon. :eek: The kid said he just wanted to be able to spread his butter on his bread at lunch. :(

What is more dangerous...a plastic knife or a sharp #2 pencil? :-?

mrc237
07-30-2006, 08:52
Once watched a few nube's on the PCT comparing knives and discussing on their ability to take down a Mountain Lion if attacked.

K0OPG
07-31-2006, 08:38
Being a retired Marine...it's a Kabar all the way. Never know when you might have to "kill a bar" like dan'l boone.

Just kidding. Small swiss army.

Time To Fly 97
07-31-2006, 14:49
I carry a tiny swiss army knife ... A little saw was much better for cutting wood, but the push in and burn method works just as well.

Alternative to tried and true "Push in and burn" method: I lever wood between two side-by-side trees (two trunks growing in a "V" is ideal). You can snap off perfect firewood logs up to 6 inches thick this way.

I use a Swiss Victorianox too. In fact I still cut my nails with the scissors.

TTF

johnny quest
09-19-2006, 12:59
a knife is a tool. maybe the ulimate tool.
when i was in the corps my kbar opened ammo crates, dug catholes, hammered tripwires into place and a dozen other things. it was a sign of cool to have a pair of blasting cap crimpers secured to the kabar sheath.

when the leatherman came out my e.o.d. unit was asked to field test them. they were ugly black then, with blasting cap crimpers in the plier head. we loved them. (the crimpers were set for civilian rather than military blasting caps so there were some issues there) they were serialized and of course all of us "lost" our pair on the last day of testing. gave mine to my daddy and hurricane ivan took it from him.

i always carry a tiny wenger swiss army knife. the scissors and blade come in handy daily.

at work i wear a leatherman blast. in my car is my old leatherman supertool.

whenever i go to ace hardware i tend to buy several of the 99 cent pocket knifes. give them away or leave them in toolboxes.

hiking the a.t. i will carry a wenger swiss army knife. dont know which one yet. they are designing new ones all the time.

lindy
09-19-2006, 18:46
A couple of years ago a 4th grader got suspended in Pawtucket, RI for bringing a PLASTIC picnic knife to school. The school administration said it was a weapon. :eek: The kid said he just wanted to be able to spread his butter on his bread at lunch. :(

What is more dangerous...a plastic knife or a sharp #2 pencil? :-?<!-- / message --><!-- controls -->
Poor kid!
How about the point on a compass (the kind used in geometry *laughs* not the kind used for navigation)

atraildreamer
09-20-2006, 10:36
Poor kid!
How about the point on a compass (the kind used in geometry *laughs* not the kind used for navigation)

Come to think of it, I had a teacher who was deadly accurate with a piece of chalk if anyone was fooling around in the back of the class. :eek:

Is flying chalk considered a weapon?:-?

Adam B
11-11-2007, 15:16
I understand the call of the knife. I can't imagine being without my gerber. For reference I carry a disposable blade straight razor and a handful of feather blades and a gerber multitool. I guess about 3" long for the gerber and 1" for the straight razor. Depending on the trip my skeletonized ti dive knife joins my ruck.

I had a swiss army on my key chain for a while until I went to court to testify and the guard took it away. I mean come on what am I going to do with a 1" crappy folding blade that would break before it did anyone any damage.

Bob S
12-01-2007, 00:35
I have a Victorinox Swiss-Champ the biggest Swiss army knife they made when I bought it. I’ve had it for going on 15 + years, I carry it everyplace. Heck I feel naked if I go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and don’t have it with me…

Micky
12-01-2007, 01:22
I carry the Leatherman Wave. Don't know how much it weighs and don't care. I've carried this tool with me for so many years I would feel naked without it. and thats not a pretty sight.

johnny quest
12-01-2007, 12:10
ive made a change to my knife carrying plans. ive bought the leatherman squirt, the one with scissors. much bigger and better scissors than the wenger swiss (i feel like a heretic saying that) and this leatheman comes with a detachable tweezer. that was my biggest complaint about the micra

veteran
12-10-2007, 00:12
This is a nice Swiss Army Knife with a few extra tools.

http://www.wengerna.com/browse/product.jsp?prod_id=1260&cat_id=1&sub_cat_id=23

oops56
12-10-2007, 00:22
This is a nice Swiss Army Knife with a few extra tools.

http://www.wengerna.com/browse/product.jsp?prod_id=1260&cat_id=1&sub_cat_id=23
Gee all that needs is a built in alcohol stove:banana

take-a-knee
12-10-2007, 00:35
If you find yourself in a rain soaked forest and desparately needing a fire, one of those overly large knives like a Cold Steel SRK or a Kabar can be used with a wrist-sized chunk of wood to split wet, downed limbs to expose the dry interior. I'm not saying a thru hiker needs such a knife but in a wet winter it might be useful. No folding knife would last long doing such heavy work IMO.

tritonl
12-10-2007, 18:52
Each knife has a purpose, I have been carrying a spyderco for years and never leave home without it, I would rather carry it everyday and never use it than never carry one and really need it one day. A good serrated blade will cut through about anything.

kayak karl
12-10-2007, 19:47
when camping i carry scissors, single edge blades and a wire saw. no knife. the scissors look like these

http://cgi.ebay.com/5-NEW-TRAUMA-Bandage-Scissors-EMT-UTILITY-SHEARS-7-5_W0QQitemZ280182331427QQihZ018QQcategoryZ19327QQs sPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Lisa/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg
they are great. sharp and stainless. have them on boat. tackle box and each life vest.

taildragger
12-10-2007, 19:57
I'll probably carry my ~3" CRKT on my next hike. I'm just in the habit of having a knife with me. Once I get a concealed permit, I'll probably get in the habit of having a gun on me (just not on some long hikes)

gaga
12-10-2007, 20:20
this is my toy, a picture is worth a thousand words
http://www.kanetsune.com/index.php?id=134

tritonl
12-10-2007, 21:27
this is a very useful knife, the simple construction makes it very strong and durable.
http://www.coldsteel.com/fixed-blades-bushman.html

<o:p></o:p>

Nearly Normal
12-10-2007, 22:46
If you have your pants on you should have your pocket knife.

Tinker
12-10-2007, 22:53
I have a Victorinox Swiss Army Adventurer. Blade is a hair over 3". Has an awl, #2 phillips screwdriver, large and small flat blade driver, and a can opener that makes sense, unlike the Wenger design. It also can (and has) opened bottles.

calculating infinity
02-02-2009, 20:13
mora for outdoors fun
gerber mini fast draw as my edc

Tinker
02-02-2009, 21:01
Swiss Army Adventurer - 3-1/4".

hoz
02-03-2009, 09:48
Swiss Army Camper, Cold Steel 6" Bushman, Rapella 4" filet. Usually not all at the same time.

hoz
02-03-2009, 09:50
this is a very useful knife, the simple construction makes it very strong and durable.
http://www.coldsteel.com/fixed-blades-bushman.html

<o:p></o:p>

That link took me to the Cold Steel homepage. Try this one:

http://www.coldsteel.com/bushmanseries.html

cowboy nichols
02-03-2009, 11:53
I got my first jack-knife for my sixth birthday, mainly I think because my Mom got tired of my carrying her paring knives outside, I've carried a knife ever since. I have a horseshoe belt buckle which I've worn for years,It has a knife built in and I've worn it even on air trips, I alway put my pocket knife in my checked bags , I just can't imagine not having a knife on me.

Grinder
02-03-2009, 13:45
when I started hiking I bought the shortest MORA/ Frost knife I could find. It had about a 4 inch blade. I used it once to whittle down to dry wood on a rainy day. The rest of the week it was in the way. I couldn't wear it on my belt becaus of the pack hip belt. If I tied it to the pack strap is dangled in the way.

Then I saw a thread on a hacksaw blade knife and made one. The last two trips it has been perfectly adequate.

Grinder

DC2.2GSR
03-17-2009, 18:41
i know it has been a while since anyone has posted here, but i figured i'd make my contribution anyway...

i have my Gerber 06 Automatic (Link (http://www.tactical-life.com/online/tactical-knives/military-approved-gerber-autos/)) with a 3.7" blade that i carry everywhere. since it's fully automatic (an amazingly useful luxury), it's a military-only model so i had my friend in the marines pick it up for me.

in addition, i've been looking for a larger fixed blade knife to be semi-permanently mounted to the hip belt of my pack. i really love the idea of having a true tool at hand, rather than just a small, sharp blade. i've been using his Gerber LMF II for a while now and i absolutely LOVE the knife. right now i'm trying to decide between the LMF II and a handful of other sub-10.5" fixed blades. i don't want to jump into it too quickly, as i'm looking for a real good quality tool that's going to last a long, long time.

i know a lot of you guys here are obsessed with the ultralight thing (and that's cool), but for me - i'd rather carry a good blade with me and save weight elsewhere.

buckwheat
03-17-2009, 21:08
For all the ultralighters out there;

Just had to laugh at the knife "weighs nothing" comment: A hostel owner we stayed with this past year gave us valuable advice: IF you throw it in the air, and it falls to the earth, it weighs SOMETHING. every ounce counts :-)

Even if you throw it up in the air, and it doesn't fall to earth, that may only mean it is lighter than air. It still weighs something.

Jaybird
03-18-2009, 05:07
Even if you throw it up in the air, and it doesn't fall to earth, that may only mean it is lighter than air. It still weighs something.


I AGREE!

I carry a SCHRADE 3.5 inch serrated folding single blade...:D

See ya'll out there in May for 2 weeks w/ "Jigsaw", "Model-T" & "DAKS"
Harpers Ferry to Swatara Gap NOBO.