Which knife???

[roopass]

Hi all, I plan to do my first solo overnight hike in the near future, thought a knife might come in handy,.. To my surprise there's heaps to choose from, I wouldn't have a clue which one to get, recommendations please

[roopass]

Sorry, wrong category

[Gadgetgeek]

I would suggest a swiss army knife, probably the Victorinox huntsman, as it gives you also the scissors and saw. If you only want scissors, then go for the Climber (or super tinker which has the screwdriver instead of corkscrew) and for just the saw, the Hiker, or Camper. be a bit careful as there are some fakes and they are not good at all, but if you are looking from a reputable store, or one of the good used bay dealers, they are pretty inexpensive.

If you want a small single blade fixed knife, for mostly food prep, then go for a victorinox paring knife and one of the clip on plastic sleeves (they can be cut to length) Or if you prefer a small folder for food prep, I would recommend a stainless opinel #6. light, sharp, simple, cheap. one of the best knives for its price.

It kinda depends on what you are looking for. I really should do a roundup of all my lightweight camping knives to give others an idea of what I've found over time. Just have not gotten around to it yet.

There are as many theories as there are knives, and knife users, so its hard to give advice without knowing much about what kind of person you are, how you camp, budget (cost and weight) that sort of thing. I'm guessing you are looking for something that will be a nice-to-have backup in case things don't go quite to plan.

[DanShell]

gadget geek has pretty much summed it up, but my journey with knives has spiralled right down to the simplest lightest knife I could find, as it does what I need.

I started with a swiss style set up and found I never needed it or its knife was not up to par with what I really needed a knife for. (slicing salami and cheese) So I started carrying one of those small plastic covered cheap knives, which worked fine.

But then I thought this is overkill in regards to weight vs its intended use. (yes I am a gram counter for some items).

So I eventually went to a very basic 'credit card' type of folding thing that is very light and does the job. However, even though I have never needed all the tools in a swiss style knife I am sure there will come a day when one or some of the tools in it save me from something.......so I now have a mini version.

So as gadget geek suggested, it all comes down to what your intended purpose for a knife is?

[Gadgetgeek]

Whats your folder weigh? Opinel 6 in Stainless comes in at 28 grams.
My lightest fixed blade that is tough enough to call a survival knife is the kabar-becker BK13, 47 grams with sheath. its little, but can handle some severe punishment.

There are a few kinds of folding card knife that are good, some that are crap, and they do qualify as a concealed weapon in australia for some unknown reason. so yeah, there is that.

[Scottyk]

I have one of these
http://au.gerbergear.com/Essentials/Kni ... ife_460502
Been very good so far and very light.
I'm with Dan on the swiss army knives, all weight for no real gain

[Strider]

I keep a Victorinox Classic in the first aid kit for its scissors and tweezers. Main blade is a Victorinox Pioneer but I have a Ontario Rat 2 on the way so this may well be replaced.

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[keithy]

Speaking of Gerber knives, I was given a Bear Grylls branded Gerber Compact Scout Folding Knife a while back, and I have that in my pack. It's so lightweight and compact, I usually forget I have it.

It is a bit expensive for what it is in Australia, but it should be around USD$10.



I see that Gerber have dropped the serration in their updated version http://au.gerbergear.com/Survival/Knive ... _31-002518, which I reckon is the better anyway. I've used the serrations on mine a few times to cut rope and cord, but I could live with a full straight edge.

[Gadgetgeek]

To my mind, in a troublesome situation, a saw is indispensable. Of course I operate a little differently as I've mentioned, also to me my knife is my last-ditch, final piece of safety survival gear, so I take it a bit seriously. Possibly overly so. I'll admit there is middle ground, in fact quite a lot of it.

Those Gerbers are alright, Some of the old Bucklite models are pretty good too. with a lot of these little knives, the chinese knockoffs are everywhere, and while they might be functional as such, they don't hold any sort of edge. Something I'd like a knife to do. Also gerber is a weird company, they get some things so right that they are truly legendary, then turn around and do something so useless, it boggles. no middle ground with them.

[roopass]

Thanks guys, some good products around, thanks for the ideas!

[whitefang]

Victorinox classic for me. Well, 2. I have one in my first aid kit and one for cutting salami. Unlikely I'll ever need anything more than that. I did think about the Spyderco Lady Bug 3 as my salami slicer, but $100 is a bit too much for me to warrant spending.

[PedroArvy]

I just bought one of these at 17 grams (including sheath)

I made this knife with ultralight backpackers in mind, but other fisherman might also appreciate a trout knife that weighs a mere 1/4 oz. This American-made knife is water-jetted from .063” 6Al-4V titanium sheet. It has a Scotchbrite finish and the blade is beveled on one side only. The other side of the blade is surfaced with a thin layer of tungsten carbide. As the titanium edge wears away, the tungsten carbide is exposed, providing a micro-serrated edge. The beveled side features a flat grind and a secondary bevel. Comes with ultralight sheath.
This knife is intended for cleaning trout, but could be used for other small jobs such as cutting parachute cord. If you want to save weight, need a knife that will never rust, even in salt water, want a necker that is so light you'll forget it's there, or you are just a titanium junkie like me, and love anything made from that magic metal, this knife can be yours.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/231659455497?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I like it!
I don't like folding knives as cheese and salami end up in the joint.
The sheath protects the blade.

[Strider]

Victorinox classic for me. Well, 2. I have one in my first aid kit and one for cutting salami. Unlikely I'll ever need anything more than that. I did think about the Spyderco Lady Bug 3 as my salami slicer, but $100 is a bit too much for me to warrant spending.

What are you slicing? Striker sticks?

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[whitefang]

Victorinox classic for me. Well, 2. I have one in my first aid kit and one for cutting salami. Unlikely I'll ever need anything more than that. I did think about the Spyderco Lady Bug 3 as my salami slicer, but $100 is a bit too much for me to warrant spending.

What are you slicing? Striker sticks?

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The pepperoni I like has a diameter the length of the classic's blade. And if I want to slice something a bit bigger I just cut twice. It's not pretty slicing, but it works.