All About Pocket Knives

What is it? What does it look like? How many blades does it have?

We have all kinds of knife lovers on this site. Collectors, users, kitchen knives, self defense knives, just to name a few. You may have seen the JUNEBUG DAY HIKER that I got from AAPK member JUNEBUG.
http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... ebug+hiker
We were talking this week about how could it be made even better!
This thread is for those of you who use your knives on extended camping or hiking trips in the outdoors.
To you, what is the perfect wilderness knife? Is it a single fixed blade you can use to chop down small trees?
Is it a hobo knife, so you can eat your beanie weenies?, is it a swiss army knife?
Doe the PERFECT WILDERNESS KNIFE even exist ????

I'll start with a few of my thoughts. I travel by automobile a lot, and the unexpected could happen at any moment. I need a small knife I can carry in my pocket, yet have the blade styles and tools I need in a "survival" situation. Even when I go hiking or camping, I want something that is lightweight, yet has the tools I need. So here's what I would like:

1) 3 1/2" length closed (or less)
2) Locking main blade of the sheepfoot or wharncliffe style. These are good for carving.
3) secondary spear or pen blade of 1095 carbon steel (for fire starting)
4) Saw blade
5) Ferro rod - maybe make it removeable so I only need to carry one knife to start a fire.
6) removeable handle scale with hidden compartment for fishhooks, fishing line, needles, thread
7) Lanyard made with 20ft. of paracord, and having ranger pacing beads. (I know that sounds like a lot, but maybe the paracord could be "woven" to a shorter length.
8 ) Can opener, YES!
9) Toothpick, YES!
10) Tweezers, YES!
11) For me, no need for any screwdriver tips, since I'm focusing on wilderness use...

I'm thinking these are the closest to what I'm looking for so far... Anyone have any other good ideas for the perfect wilderness knife? What do you use when roughing it?

If I knew I was gonna "ride the rimrock" for a spell. I think all I'd need to wag was a Buck 110 or 112 and good stout sheath knife like this


or this


I can start a fire with flint and steel ( if need be, but lighters and matches are SO much easier) and got a neat little tinder box to wag all that stuff.

Just my preference.

If I were in the sticks and found I only had a 3 1/2" folder on me, I don't know if I wouldn't succumb to sadness. I believe I would at least be packing something on my belt.
There are some mighty hi-tech firestarters around today. The least of them being a bic lighter. If you had a bic and a two piece scratchey, and (bear with me here) Ol' Hugh Glass came crawling along and saw how they worked, he'd bowl you over, with his guts hanging out, for that little red bic. Toothpick?

Nice selection Wullie! I agree, matches & lighter make it so much easier. Maybe a bic lighter embedded in the handles??!!
Here's some of the old stuff I used to lug around. The Russian entrenching tool was a big hit with the Scouts when I taught them to sharpen the edges, so it could be a knife, a tomahawk, a hatchet ...
I'm trying to go single tool, lightweight nowadays.
L to R:
entrenching tool, Fiskar's brush axe (Gerber), Cold Steel Bushman (only carried it once. neat idea, but I don't need a spear), Ontario fixed blade (love it!), Case mini blackthorn with ranger pacing beads. (cheap, lightweight, SHARP!)

While a small knife is very useful, you can do most everything with a large knife that you can do with a small knife, but not vica-versa. If you are to go into the wilderness in the northwest, you damn well better be able to build a shelter and a fire. It gets almighty cold and wet here in the spring and fall, and many people get lost and even die of hypothermia here every year. The mountains here can be very unforgiving, and you never know if you'll be stuck waiting for help if you get injured or lost. My money is on a large fixed blade capable of chopping. Also capable of carving stakes, kindling, toothpicks, clearing and blazing trail, and makes a fair can opener. Alternately, I would also carry a small quality hatchet for the same purpose, but it's a little harder to gut and skin a porquipine with. This Cold Steel Trailmaster has been a good companion piece since the early '80s. I always carry a spare knife as well.

I'm onboard with Jack. In the wild your most pressing needs are shelter and warmth. A knife large enough and sturdy enough for cutting small limbs and splitting firewood to get to the dry inner wood for firebuilding is essential in my opinion. If I'm only going to have one knife it would be this Ontario RAT 5. It has 1095 steel that will hold an edge and resharpen with reasonable ease. (The little Smith's combo sharpener fits in the pouch of the nylon sheath) Its one piece contruction makes it much stronger for battoning wood, and it would still be capable of numerous other tasks such as cutting cord, meat, or cleaning my fingernails. I might, however, have to wait till I get home to remove that splinter.

Phil

Gunstock Jack wrote:While a small knife is very useful, you can do most everything with a large knife that you can do with a small knife, but not vica-versa. If you are to go into the wilderness in the northwest, you damn well better be able to build a shelter and a fire. It gets almighty cold and wet here in the spring and fall, and many people get lost and even die of hypothermia here every year. The mountains here can be very unforgiving, and you never know if you'll be stuck waiting for help if you get injured or lost. My money is on a large fixed blade capable of chopping. Also capable of carving stakes, kindling, toothpicks, clearing and blazing trail, and makes a fair can opener. Alternately, I would also carry a small quality hatchet for the same purpose, but it's a little harder to gut and skin a porquipine with. This Cold Steel Trailmaster has been a good companion piece since the early '80s. I always carry a spare knife as well.

My thinkin as well. That STONE bowie is a 3/16ths at the spine of 440C and that KABAR is almost a hatchet. I would probably toss my old SWISSTOOL in the pouch somewhere as well. Pliers can come in handy some times.

rangerbluedog wrote:[...]This thread is for those of you who use your knives on extended camping or hiking trips in the outdoors.
To you, what is the perfect wilderness knife? Is it a single fixed blade you can use to chop down small trees?
Is it a hobo knife, so you can eat your beanie weenies?, is it a swiss army knife?
Doe the PERFECT WILDERNESS KNIFE even exist ????
...
Anyone have any other good ideas for the perfect wilderness knife? What do you use when roughing it?

Very interesting question and a great thread!
Most of my favorite "knife moments" have taken place in the great outdoors, and the knives I develop...strong feelings for are the knives that have shared some outdoor adventures with me.

I don't really think there will ever exist a perfect wilderness knife for all situations and all hikers, but what an interesting topic for a discussion!
Some hike in the mountains, some in jungles, or they may explore Pacific islands. A machete makes no sense in the high altitude mountains, but very much so in the jungle.

These are some of my thoughts, based on the kind of outdoor experience I have.
(All pics are from actual trips in the woods)

I'm from Norway and I'm born into the Nordic knife traditions, where fixed blades have always been the center of focus when it comes to hiking and wilderness life. Our traditional fixed blades have actually not changed that much for centuries, simply because they work. As a boy and youth I certainly loved mye pocket knives, but the fixed blades were the real knives.
Today I'm generally more interested in folding/pocket knives, but the traditional tollekniv will always have a place in my heart and often on my belt in the woods or mountains. The knife I'm wearing above is Norwegian and made by Brusletto, but I'm also using Swedish fixed blades and Finnish Puukkos when hiking. With the exception of the big Sami knives, the traditional Nordic fixed blades are rather small. They are designed to be functional all round tools, not weapons, for fighting off bears or chopping down big trees.
A small axe/hatchet will be brought for chopping down trees or making firewood. In the age of the Vikings the axe of course would serve as an important weapon too.
When travelling light, especially when it's not too cold, a knife is really all you need.
A functional chopping tool does not have to be very heavy or bulky. This small Fiskars gets used when I need more than a knife. A folding saw does not weigh much or take up too much space, and I often bring one. There are many uses for a multi-tool, but I don't really carry one that often in the woods. Some times I may do so. What about the folding/pocket knives, you may ask.
Relax, I do use them a lot!

Often, at least on shorter trips, the pocket knife is the knife that will see most use. Many tasks can be accomplished perfectly well with a small and sharp blade. On many day trips I will use no other knife at all.
You may find one of several traditional patterns in my pocket when hiking; Stockman, Whittler,Trapper, Barlow, Jack, Muskrat, Canoe, Boy Scout...I like most of them! Or I will use a more modern design, like or If I bring a folding knife only, I may choose one of the larger models, like a Folding Hunter, my trusty old Buck 112 or maybe I really need to stop now, or you will all fall asleep. Probably too late already...
But I just have to mention the SAKs, which I do like a lot. One of the larger models may be just the knife for your next outdoor adventure. Speaking of fixed blades, they don't have to be of Nordic origin of course! I will stop now. I really will!
I just got carried away here...
Sorry..!

Froggy you sure have no need to apologize for your posts. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I enjoy reading your words and seeing those great photos you are known for. Thanks for sharing them with us.

Phil

Great post Froggy!
I used one of those Victorinox Rucksacks for years. The locking blade gives a sense of security, and the saw blade was quite handy! The handle was a bit more ergonomically friendly than the "average" SAK.
With the addition of a secondary wharnie blade made of high carbon steel and a removeable firestarter, it may be the "perfect" wilderness pocketknife.

I would take these 3 and feel pretty good about it. The old Kabar has been reliable for a long time. Top guard was cut off on the advice of my good friend. He had just got back from Iraq (first war) and said cutting the top guard off makes it easier/safer to use the knife in the dark. He being a combat veteran, off came the guard .
The 110 is an older frame with a new blade. We all know what the BUCK 110 can do, and along with the Gerber Multi-tool i would feel pretty secure.
With all the survival skills i learned from that phony, Bear Grylls, i should be able to survive a whole 2hrs out in the wilderness .

useem wrote:I would take these 3 and feel pretty good about it. The old Kabar has been reliable for a long time. Top guard was cut off on the advice of my good friend. He had just got back from Iraq (first war) and said cutting the top guard off makes it easier/safer to use the knife in the dark. He being a combat veteran, off came the guard .
The 110 is an older frame with a new blade. We all know what the BUCK 110 can do, and along with the Gerber Multi-tool i would feel pretty secure.
With all the survival skills i learned from that phony, Bear Grylls, i should be able to survive a whole 2hrs out in the wilderness .

I like this set up, all the basic are covered. I think that is a fine trio.

thanx for startin this thread ranger(RBD)!!!!!!!
thanx for all the input guyz!!!!!!
def. looks like it depends were you are ....and what yer plannin' for........
as far as my design of the "DAY HIKER"... it is perfect in my region, for those small day hikes in the foot hills/ lake area........
i do agree w/ looks like everyone here in the fact that if yer gonna go into the wilds.....a fixed blade on the belt is a good idea!!!!!!!lol.... along w/ a small pocket knife and a plier multi tool......
keep it goin guyz....as i am tryin new designs......and yer input here means alot to me and my son!!!!!!
thanx

I've had one of these for about 15 years now. It is a very nice multi-tool.

Beside being stout, when you decide what gadget you want, that is the ONLY gadget that pulls out of the handle. All the Leatherman tools I ever messed with, all the stuff came out and you had to poke everything back that you didn't want.

Wullie, I bought two of those Victorinox a while back, just to resell. Wish I had kept one for myself. It has a FEEL of quality. And HEAVY compared to any other leatherman style I've ever handled.

rangerbluedog wrote:Wullie, I bought two of those Victorinox a while back, just to resell. Wish I had kept one for myself. It has a FEEL of quality. And HEAVY compared to any other leatherman style I've ever handled.

They are heavy compared to Leatherman stuff.

I bought that thing when I working around cranes and driving a truck hauling super heavy loads. I have both used and ABUSED that poor thing and like a TIMEX it took a licking and kept on ticking. I've cut stuff with the wire cutters that I doubt they were ever designed to cut. I did manage to twist the end of the tiny screwdriver blade, but it still works.

I'll try to get some close ups of the poor thing just to show how rough it has been treated. After years of hard use nothing is loose or rattles. Everything still operates as designed.

I highly recommend one of these over two Leathermans any day. They will go the distance.

The southern Appalachians are not the highest mountains around, but they can be some of the most rugged. Hiking the trail, it seems like you're always going straight up or straight down. Weight is a major concern. Some of my buddies used to joke about paring down the handles on their toothbrushes to save weight. Now if we were out doing maintenance, we carried pulaskis, bow saws, big sheath knives, fire rakes and axes, but if we were busting out 50 miles in a long weekend, things were different. One knife I carried a lot was a little Gerber folder. It was tough, it stayed sharp, it was small and best of all it was light.

Phil and Blue,
Thanks for the kind words!

I think the combination of a fixed blade on your belt and a smaller knife in your pocket will cover most needs for most people under a wide variety of conditions. In younger years I found myself using the fixed blade for most tasks and the pocket knife often went home having seen minimal use. Today it is often the other way around, but the fixed blade does offer some extra security and cutting power if needed.
If you opt for one knife only (on shorter trips I may), a knife like the Victorinox Rucksack or Trekker is a great choice.

I've heard good things about the SwissTools, but I've never used one.
Wullie,
Some pics and a little hard test report would be interesting!

Trail,
I've had one of those LSTs for many years, but I haven't seen it for some time now...
Nice little knife, and it really is light!

tricky one

My answer is the Fallkniven TK1 - because

but ...

... I do like to show these boys

So, in the next three posts there’s some hurried pics made as it was coming on to rain.

I like an axe, a flat ground or convex large blade, plus a smaller scandi and a folder of whatever variety. The idea here is pick an axe, any axe, plus one of the combinations of blades shown. I have taken these bundles out and found them useful and, more, they kind of just felt good together. Somehow, there is an opinion about the outdoors held by each bundle

In this set it is the bigger Roselli and the GB SFA axes that take centre stage. I should add that I ditched my leukus over the past few months, and started to use a billhook. Still not sure what I make of parting with the leukus, but am pleased with the way the billhook works.

First up a group shot, with options :





Fallkniven F1 Micarta, Puma Gamewarden and Vintage Knives Moose



Serrata Pug, Spyderco Stretch II CF, Northwoods #11



Hankala Tommi (handled by JM Saingery), Fallkniven TK5, Northwoods Hawbaker Muskrat



Alan Wood 3mm Woodsman, Roselli UHC Carpenter, Fontenille Pataud Laguiole



Serrata, Roselli Bearclaw, modified Kneissler Farmer.

And here the chopper choice is a billhook or GB hatchet, with a set of lighter options. having bought and sold a few billhooks, I think I'd like t get again a riving iron and a little knighton billhook.





BRKT MiniMontana, Small regular Sebenza, Fight’n Rooster Trapper



Kallioniemi 3mm puukko, Moore Maker 4 ½” stockman (I like this set up a lot ☺)



Hankala Lastu, Neilson BUK, Northwoods Canoe



Roselli Hunter, BRKT Little Creek, Cosco modded FFG Spyderco Delica



Fallkniven TK1, Moore Maker large sodbuster (pretty much perfect in all regards!)



Alan Wood Trout and Bird, Roselli Grandmother - light and to the point but probably more needing of the axe than billhook

And some ultralight options organized around the GB hatchet





Lord Farquhar pink ivory fat belly, Shing sheepsfoot folder



Iisaakki puukko, Gene Ingram sodbuster

I found my beavertail (dressing gown :rolleyes:) – but somehow lost the better photo of it. It is pictured there with a Serge Panachenko chisel ground piece, which is, in some senses an amazingly versatile re-imagining of the scandi

Nice bunch, Noddy! Here's a couple I feel pretty comfortable with, along with a favorite small folder. Fallkniven Idun with a 4 inch blade, and a Norlund small camp hatchet. Sadly, they don't make the Norlund line anymore, as they are a fine, drop forged blade and take a nice edge. Got this one off the bay; liked it so much I bought a spare. The Fallknivens are nearly indestructable and take and incredible edge for a stainless knife! I bought this one used (again off the bay) and it had been used hard. It was so dull, you couldn't cut warm butter with it. Looked like they used it to shave rocks and then left it in a salt water bath for a couple of days. It cleaned up nicely, although the blade is slightly pitted. Picts taken under our typical NW liquid sunshine. It rains so much here that they have about seven different names to describe the type of rain. Today it's drizzle. Tomorrow, sprinkles interrupted by showers.

Bark River Bravo 1

Noddy,
You've got a seriously great collection of capable outdoor users there!
I was about to make some comments on some of them, but I don't even know where to start!
Great knives and neat presentation! I'm drooling...

Gunstock Jack,
Very nice Fallkniven and in IMO a very handy size for a wilderness user. Sturdy and capable of doing some serious tasks, but not too heavy or bulky to be carried on your belt.
I've never tried those Norlund hatchets, but looking good!
I'm sure you can fix an edge and I see years of great performance in the future of that Idun.

Lenny357,
Nice looking Bark River!