If you love fishing, you are probably an outdoorsy kinda person. If your an outdoorsy kinda person, you are probably the owner of at least a few pieces of outdoorsy cutlery. They may be unexceptional utilitarian pieces of sharp steel that cut what you put them to and that is about as exciting as it gets. Or, you might be in a little deeper than you would like to admit.
When you have to get tactical and go medieval on nature's ass, you are most likely going to need a good blade.
Pokers, priers, slicers, skinners, gutters and stabbers:
Whether you are chopping down saplings to fashion a raft, taking on a grizzly in hand to hand combat, or carving a hole to shotgun your beer, there is a knife for you.
I remember when I was a kid and my dad carried around an Uncle Henry 3 blade folder which he used for everything. I could never understand how he managed to keep that thing as sharp as it was.
Having a sharp blade is obviously very important. A dull knife is not only super annoying, but also dangerous as it takes more effort to cut, which can lead to accidents. And if you take the time to pack a blade with you into the wilderness, you might as well bring something that can take some abuse. There are a lot of $30-$50 knives made by the likes of Gerber, Buck, Cold Steel, and SOG that are worth every penny. Take that Taiwanese-Turd out of your pack and throw it away before you hurt yourself with it.
The other side of the spectrum.
Some knives are not meant to cut. The one below was a gift from my father on my last birthday. It was made by Don Norris, a Tucson local who passed away recently. Damascus steel, with Mastodon tusk handle plates. You read right folks, Mastodon tusk. Not a lot of that lying around.
I always carry a knife with me, wherever I go. Recently I put down my Severtech Auto (which really needs a sharpening), for a digital camo Spyderco Military. The Spyderco is new, and it easily removed hair from my arm. I have always said that you don't really 'own' a knife until you cut yourself with it.... I am not looking forward to owning this one, as much as I like cutting the crap out of myself.
Thank Christ they left the black blade coating off this one, a little silver glare is your only hope finding it after your drunk ass (or most likely my drunk ass) loses it in the woods. It may be good to make use of the lanyard hole on this one.
So folks, what are your favorite blades? What do you like to carry into to great yonder?
-Alex who 'owns' many knives, some that aren't even his.
n college, i managed a knife shop n the evenings. and i owned some pretty sweet knives that ranged from hand-made balisongs to original folding and fixed blade offerings from what is now SOG. back n those days, some of the best traditional folding knives for the dollar were brownings. and i had 2 of those also. and a couple of nice swiss army knives. i eventually got 2 where i carried the 5" hand-made damascus balisong butterfly knife more than anything else. and the 8" SOG fixed blade fighter became my tac knife (i was also a national guard infantry officer).
ReplyDeletenowadays, i hav no need 4 so much cutlery firepower. and i hav become far more pragmatic. i typically carry nothing more impressive than the 2nd best tool 4 every job: an upper-end leatherman multi-tool.
I carry a SOG Seal Team Elite on the dog walks. You never know when my vicious attack collie is going to go for a squirrel on 6th Ave Parkway and I'm forced to cut the leash quick.
ReplyDeleteOn a more serious note, I have a Spyderco Endura in my pocket always. Lightweight, and can slice through a jammed seatbelt in a jiffy.
Hmm, no Benchmades? ;-)
ReplyDeleteI am more of traditional pocket knife guy. I like multi-blade slipjoints with jigged bone or stag handles. I have a couple of Schatt & Morgan slipjoints, some Queen slipjoints, Great Eastern Cutlery slipjoints and of course some vintage Case (the oldest one I carry is a reverse gunstock stockman from between 1940 and 1964). I also have a few Victorinox swiss army knives. The only tactical type knife I have but it is really more of an outdoor knife is a RAT Cutlery RC-3 fixed blade knife.
Good topic. I might have to post some photos of my current set of knives on my blog sometime. Later.
MG- that Seal Team Elite is practically a sword, and a very dirty girl.
ReplyDeleteLuciano, no unfortunately, I don't have any benchmades at the moment. I owned a Benchmade Auto Presidio, the Mel Pardue design... It was one of my favorite blades, and had a great combo edge for heavy cutting.
I had a party at my house a couple years ago and it found its way into someones pocket and was never seen again. I had just sharpened it, and I hope the asshole who stole it cut the crap out of himself. Anyways, is that RAT a combo edge?
I have always liked a good combo edge on carry blades, but some people don't. I think that in a pinch some good serrations can assist greatly, especially if it has been a while since your last sharpening.
What do you guys think?
I have bought dozens and leave them in float tube pockets and wader pockets and vest pockets and pocket water and such. I wish I were better about it, 'cuz I loves me some knives, but I just can't keep track of them.
ReplyDeleteThat Spyderco is sweet! I usually carry a Benchmade Emerson CQC7 and/or one of my many Leatherman multi-tools.
ReplyDeleteI have a large collection of knives, Several Spyderco, Buck, Gerber, SOG an early 80's Balisong butterfly as well as newer stuff, Old Timer, Boker, an AL Mar SERT and even a couple of CRKT's lying around in a tool box or two.
I may carry one or two of the other knives once in a while but always find myself going back to the CQC7 and Leatherman combo.
JT, I have lost some great blades... I guess it just comes with the territory.
ReplyDeleteCS- I too have a CRKT or two lying around in tool boxes, glove boxes, etc. They seem to like it in places such as these.
Hey Alex, I used to have a BM Mini Presidio once (not auto) and it was a tank of a knife but just a bit heavy for every day carry so I sold it. I am sure you miss yours. The RAT is a plain edge and super sharp. The 1095 steel holds a great edge but just don't get it wet so not the best around water. I carry a Victorinox Alox Farmer when fishing though I am seriously considering a Benchmade Mini Griptilian (the one with Spydie hole not the thumbstud).
ReplyDeleteThat Mini Griptilian is a Pardue design, and a good looking piece.
ReplyDeleteI have a buck proline fixed blade that I like to carry in a big sheath on my belt--- mostly because it makes me feel like a bamf. I also have a leatherman skeletool cx which I actually use and a couple of smith and wesson tacticals which were on sale at big 5 for 10.99-- great knives to beat the hell out of.
ReplyDelete