4" blade when the SHTF !!!

I think I would use my ontario rat TAK. the 1095 steel is easy to keep sharp in the field. I'ts a strong beefy knife,the drop point blade is very useful for most field tasks. I also really like my bark river north star and my ka-bar D2 spear point. I would feel confadent with any one of these three knives on my belt in a survival situation.
 
jh205 so far I have not had anybody ask me about my knife and so I can not give you any information on how or what people think. I live in a farming area
in south east Ne. We have towns that have just 40 or so people in them to some having several thousand to like Lincoln Ne. that has a couple hundred
thousand. How you conduct yourself, dress and act in and around people I feel makes a difference too. jh205 where do you live at and is it very populated with poeple that do not do much with the outdoors?
Also what do you carry as a sharpened tool?

Take care for now jh205,
Bryan
 
Thanks for that Bryan - makes a lot more sense to me knowing you live in a fairly rural area. I'm guessing that attitudes to that kind of open carry would vary considerably depending on location within the US.

I live in Canberra, Australia's capital city (its about 4 hours drive south of Sydney). Outdoor recreational activities are very popular here, but they mostly take the form of mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing/caving etc. Very little hunting at all in this area. Generally, people doing these activities take the 'Leave no Trace' attitude, meaning they take tents, lightweight stoves etc with them rather than building shelters, campfires etc.

Knife laws are very restrictive here, so I have to be very careful about public carry. If I'm in the wilderness, I take my Spyderco Delica and Fallkniven S1 (the S1 generally stays inside my pack). Because I sail a boat, I have the (legally required) genuine reason to carry my Delica around - but that wouldn't work late at night so there are times when it has to be left behind. Essentially I make the call on a day by day basis. Also have an SAK classic on my keyring, which is a surprisingly useful little tool.

Best,

J.
 
"Knife laws are very restrictive here, so I have to be very careful about public carry. If I'm in the wilderness, I take my Spyderco Delica and Fallkniven S1 (the S1 generally stays inside my pack). Because I sail a boat, I have the (legally required) genuine reason to carry my Delica around - but that wouldn't work late at night so there are times when it has to be left behind. Essentially I make the call on a day by day basis. Also have an SAK classic on my keyring, which is a surprisingly useful little tool."



Bro, that sure is ruff. I don't know what I would do without my folder and 1911 on my side. Especially late at night!
 
It's not that hard, there are some countries around the world where street crime is still quite uncommon.
 
yeh, can't use battons or pepper spray here either. For self-defence that leaves me with situational awareness and some judo/bjj.
 
I have to agree with GibsonFan. My Cold Steel Carbon V Master Hunter has been on more adventures with me than any other knife I have. It's an excellent performer that I can always count on.

My Fallkniven F1 is also a great knife, but it cost twice as much as my CS MH did.

And even though it has more than a 4" blade, I'd say the BK2 Becker Companion warrants a mention for a shorter SHTF blade.
 
jh205 thanks for the information I will look up on the world map and see where you live at. Is it easy to buy knives at a sporting goods store or do have to order from outside your area to get say your s-1? Also do you have
to keep your knife in your pack while hiking or just because you do not want people to see your knife? One more ? the places you hike are they very remote or just say like a city park or something like that?
Well take care jh205 and allllllllllll knife users.
Bryan
 
jh205

Im in AU as well , I carry a folder in a pouch on my belt always , either an opinel #10 or an Okapi .

The only time I was ever even asked about it was when I was stopped on the nulabor plain for a breath test . City cop on the loos in the outback I guess .

The conversation went soemthing like

"Whats that on your belt mate , a knife ?"
" Yeah"
"Whats it there for ?"
"Cos its ilegal to conceal it in my pocket"
"fair enough"

I have never been hassled about it in any city or populated place tho
 
Bryan,

Knife availability is poor by US standards, but we manage. SAKs and multitools are the preferred knives of most outdoor types here, so they're everywhere. Good quality folders such as Spyderco can be found in stores, but often the range is very limited. There are a few Australian websites that supply a decent range of the good quality folders and fixed blades.

I basically keep the S1 in my pack for the sake of discretion. I like to stop and chat with other hikers, riders, park rangers etc. when I'm out, and the sight of a fixed blade can be alarming to these folks. Its a compromise but I find it works well for my circumstances. Of course, if I'm in a remote area and working with the knife, it'll be on my belt.

Gday Myal,

Glad to hear you've never had a problem carrying. The problem is though, that when you're carrying openly you leave yourself at the mercy of the cop who stops you. If the cop takes a dislike to you and decides you dont have a good reason to be carrying it, you can be charged with an indictable offense. That's why I just play it safe and only carry when I can give a good reason for it (eg. working on my boat).
 
jh205 thanks for the information. I looked on the world map and saw where you lived.
Take care,
Bryan
 
I don't have any 4" knives. The only one was a Grohmann #1, which I recently gave away to my sister in law's husband. The only fixed blades I own now are a Becker BK-10 Crewman, a USAF pilot's knife, and a pair of BRK&T Mini Canadians.

If I got to choose one for a survival situation, it would be the 5" BK-10. It could handle shelter making and fire preparation, but is sharp enough for finer tasks.

However, one of the Mini Canadians is what I'd most likely have on me if something bad happened unexpectedly.
 
jh205

There is always the possibility of confiscation if the cop is not in a reasonable mood

I have no real reason to be carrying the Opinel other than I like it , its been with me since waaaaaay back and its useful .

I have an excuse for carrying the Okapi , Im the AU agent , its what I sell when Im not messing around making knives , its as close being part of my trade as it gets .

I think that there are a few things contributing to wether or not you get problems from cops , if you dress as a yobbo , the cops will look , if youre a yobbo with a knife , they will definitely pay atention

if the pouch the knife is in is new , and youre kind of self conscious about it , they will be interested in you too .

My pouch is as battered and worn as my hat and boots , and looks like its as much part of me as they are too .

I dont carry a fixed blade in areas where I expect to meet people . First of all , the folder does what I need for the most part , secondly fixed blades scare people silly here in AU "HES got a KNIFE!!", where a cop will ignore a pouch for a folder , he will NOT ignore a fixed blade .

I do have fixed blades in my pack and my car , in the caravan , in the tuckerbox , in the camping gear , everywhere I think one might be handy .

I scored a bunch of cheap Marttiini knives on ebay recently , skinners and hunters , so Ive nbeen adding them to the emergency gear and the car etc as back up for the back up for the back up ... they make awesome gifts to when I get just too many to justify .
 
yep, good post myal. At the end of the day its all about discretion and being sensible.

Do you move many of the Okapis in Aus? If so, is it mostly in shops or over the web?
 
I had a Browning model 814 that was indestructible. I used it for cutting, prying, battoning, throwing, etc. The blade was about 1/32 shy of 4". The model was discontinued, but I believe you can still get one just like it with a guthook. An 813 or 815? I used and abused it for about 10 years, and it held up well. It was EDC for all but a year or two of that. It had the composite and wood handles and a full tang. I later gave it to a friend that was moving away as a keepsake. If I ever saw one again I would buy it in a heartbeat.
The only way this pertains to your question however, is to say that many knives will work well, and they do not need to be 1/4" thick, or have a particularly wide blade. Mine held up under cutting wood w/ a framing hammer, and unscrewing a plug to a plastic 55 gallon drum once. The only problem it ever had was a tiny hairline crack in the handle material an 1/8" long after some really bad throws where the blade hit sideways. Have fun deciding on what to get.:)
 
jh205 said:
yeh, can't use battons or pepper spray here either. For self-defence that leaves me with situational awareness and some judo/bjj.
Click to expand...

But what about that old sports injury to your ankle you got a few years back?;)

Surely that sturdy walking stick/cane would not be questioned?:D
 
Jh502

It varies , the hard part is getting things in on time into Australia , there is a bit of a time difference between Africa and here , so I order today , tomorrow they read my email and get back , I read their reply the next day ... its usualy a week to just place and pay for an order , then there is the two day transit time and 2-7 weeks customs and quarantine time ....

but thats the down side , there are regular online buyers and regular shop orders too , this makes the habbit self supporting . There are a few online auctions for the hell of it kind of like a retail outlet for the wholesaler :)

The upside realy is being able to get hands on the old catalogue and quizzing the factory about their old lines , do they have any remnant stock left ?

but even that has a down side . I have here a bunch of knives that arrived in the last couple days , I asked after all the old lines that they used to carry , and got a few dozen knives that are no longer being produced or are very low volume knives .

Now I ask you , what red blooded collector could part with these ?

100_2768.jpg


Its a problem I have , the down side to the upside I guess :)

Every silver lining has its cloud ...
 
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