Do you have favorite traditional knives for specific uses (other than EDC)?
I try to deny to myself and my family that I "collect" anything, including knives. You should know that I own 2 bikes, 4 pairs of ski boots, over 10 pairs of skis, 4 camp stoves, 4 backpacks, 3 sleeping bags, 3 tents and I don't know how many knives. So, my family doesn't buy my self-justifications for hording and buying things.
One of my failed methods of limiting my purchases is to demand that everything is used. If everything has a legitimate use, then the purchase is legitimate, right? My wife doesn't buy it either. I don't *need* 4 pairs of ski boots. Well.. no. I obviously need all 4 pairs.
Anyway, I have a growing list of needs and uses for traditional knives. The more specific needs I can gin up and justify, the more individual knives I can justify.
Do you have a list like this? What are the different uses you have and what knives are your favorite for each of those uses?
KITCHEN VEGETABLES & CHOPPING - Schrade 51 OT
This one has really, really surprised me. The 51 OT was sold as a big outdoors knife. The blade is just silly big in terms of the belly. And it's this thickness, spine to edge, combined with the full flat grind, that I find so wonderful when cutting vegetables and potatoes and the like on the cutting board. In a sense, it's somewhat like using a shorter version of a real chef's knife. It's much easier to press down and slice without my hand hitting the board. Obviously, there are cuts that a real chef's knife are better at. But still, it's a lot of fun to use and it's found a way to the kitchen utensil drawer for this reason.
In the kitchen by Pinnah, on Flickr
Schrade 51OT by Pinnah, on Flickr
KITCHEN CARVING MEAT - Case 316-5 (modified)
This knife has been a learning experience for me. When I first got it, I had hoped it would make a reasonably good, lightweight woods knife. I found myself bumping into the clip point when trying to use it as a general purpose knife so I filed it off. In hindsight, that was mistake in terms of function. General purpose, I prefer drop point, strongly. For cutting up and deboning meat though, I find I miss the clip point, which allows, no allowed me (past tense) to reach into joints between bones more easily.
The knife was a fail as a general purpose wood knife for me. The hollow grind hangs up in wood too much and also hangs up when cutting potatoes. I even tried to thin out the grind but for general purpose, I like flat grinds a lot better. And there's the gimping on the spine. It's horrible for high pressure cuts in wood but it works wonderfully when my hands are covered with water or grease in the kitchen. My conclusion is that I should have left well enough alone. This knife is a good meat knife. It's a great meat knife. It would be a better meat knife if I had left the tip alone.
Case 316-5 (drop point) by Pinnah, on Flickr
WHITTLING - Nuthin'
I don't use a traditional knife for whittling. I either use the traditional EDC knife I'm carrying that day (more larger carving and wood craft) but for small whittling, I use something else. There you have it.
BACKPACKING LITE - The Opinel #9
I'm not sure what I can here that I've not said in other places. I find this knife just about perfect. It's light enough to pocket carry in hiking shorts, long enough to manage all of my food prep needs and tough enough and great enough at wood to handle any fire lighting needs.
EDC Pair by Pinnah, on Flickr
BACKCOUNTRY HEAVY - Schrade/Walden H-15 (modified)
This has been a fascinating knife to use next to the Case 316-5. The H-15 is a much, much nicer woods knife. The flat/sabre grind handles wood infinitely better than the hollow grind of the Case 316-5 (or Buck 110). Feather sticks and shavings peel off of sticks with ease. It can be batoned without jamming easily. The lack of gimping on the spine and the larger handle make pressing this knife hard in wood very, very comfortable.
It's not a good kitchen knife, though. The bulge of the sabre grind hangs up when slicing hard materials like potatoes. It's different than a hollow grind and better, but it's nowhere as good as a full flat grind. And, it's too thick spine to edge to debone as easisly as the 316-5.
In any event, I keep this knife in my backcountry gear bag and if I think I want it with me, it's the choice.
Schrade H-15 Modified by Pinnah, on Flickr
HUNTING - Buck 110
I got this knife when I was a kid. Saved up my paper route money and got it from Herters. My life with this knife has been a love/hate thing. My first "real" knife. Lovely to look at and hold. Something about ebony and brass and the sheer weight. The hate side of it though is that it is too heavy and bulky for EDC and backpacking. It doesn't work wood well.
I'm the world's worst hunter. Just awful. But it means something to me and the Buck has been my companion for years. It will go with me up north in a few weeks. Sentimental as much as anything else. Still something about the knife that reason alone can pin down.
Buck 110 by Pinnah, on Flickr
SHOP/TOOLBOX - Ulster Boy Scout/Camper
I got my first Ulster BSA knife when I was 8. Got stitches later that summer. Still have several laying around the house but I'm no longer interested in carrying them. But, they find their way to my work bench and get used there all the time. I just love the spear point for utility work, particularly for scoring cuts.
Modified Ulster Camper by Pinnah, on Flickr
WORRY STONE / DRESS KNIFE- Schrade 5OT
Long ago I developed the habit or nervous tick of flipping my knife over and over in my hand. I find myself doing this when thinking about a hard problem. Some knives are better at this than others and the Schrade 5OT is the best I've had in this regard. The flat profile is a big part of it. Flip. Flip. Flip. I also like the way it will spin on it's back spring if you spin it one way (but not the other). I also do this when I'm thinking. I'm sure I'm the only person who does this.
Unrelated but ends up being the same knife, some knives don't imprint when wearing dress slacks. This is the best I own in this way. The wedding and funeral knife.
Shrade 5OT by Pinnah, on Flickr
So let's hear it. What are your knife uses and what knives do you use?
I try to deny to myself and my family that I "collect" anything, including knives. You should know that I own 2 bikes, 4 pairs of ski boots, over 10 pairs of skis, 4 camp stoves, 4 backpacks, 3 sleeping bags, 3 tents and I don't know how many knives. So, my family doesn't buy my self-justifications for hording and buying things.
One of my failed methods of limiting my purchases is to demand that everything is used. If everything has a legitimate use, then the purchase is legitimate, right? My wife doesn't buy it either. I don't *need* 4 pairs of ski boots. Well.. no. I obviously need all 4 pairs.
Anyway, I have a growing list of needs and uses for traditional knives. The more specific needs I can gin up and justify, the more individual knives I can justify.
Do you have a list like this? What are the different uses you have and what knives are your favorite for each of those uses?
KITCHEN VEGETABLES & CHOPPING - Schrade 51 OT
This one has really, really surprised me. The 51 OT was sold as a big outdoors knife. The blade is just silly big in terms of the belly. And it's this thickness, spine to edge, combined with the full flat grind, that I find so wonderful when cutting vegetables and potatoes and the like on the cutting board. In a sense, it's somewhat like using a shorter version of a real chef's knife. It's much easier to press down and slice without my hand hitting the board. Obviously, there are cuts that a real chef's knife are better at. But still, it's a lot of fun to use and it's found a way to the kitchen utensil drawer for this reason.
In the kitchen by Pinnah, on Flickr
Schrade 51OT by Pinnah, on Flickr
KITCHEN CARVING MEAT - Case 316-5 (modified)
This knife has been a learning experience for me. When I first got it, I had hoped it would make a reasonably good, lightweight woods knife. I found myself bumping into the clip point when trying to use it as a general purpose knife so I filed it off. In hindsight, that was mistake in terms of function. General purpose, I prefer drop point, strongly. For cutting up and deboning meat though, I find I miss the clip point, which allows, no allowed me (past tense) to reach into joints between bones more easily.
The knife was a fail as a general purpose wood knife for me. The hollow grind hangs up in wood too much and also hangs up when cutting potatoes. I even tried to thin out the grind but for general purpose, I like flat grinds a lot better. And there's the gimping on the spine. It's horrible for high pressure cuts in wood but it works wonderfully when my hands are covered with water or grease in the kitchen. My conclusion is that I should have left well enough alone. This knife is a good meat knife. It's a great meat knife. It would be a better meat knife if I had left the tip alone.
Case 316-5 (drop point) by Pinnah, on Flickr
WHITTLING - Nuthin'
I don't use a traditional knife for whittling. I either use the traditional EDC knife I'm carrying that day (more larger carving and wood craft) but for small whittling, I use something else. There you have it.
BACKPACKING LITE - The Opinel #9
I'm not sure what I can here that I've not said in other places. I find this knife just about perfect. It's light enough to pocket carry in hiking shorts, long enough to manage all of my food prep needs and tough enough and great enough at wood to handle any fire lighting needs.
EDC Pair by Pinnah, on Flickr
BACKCOUNTRY HEAVY - Schrade/Walden H-15 (modified)
This has been a fascinating knife to use next to the Case 316-5. The H-15 is a much, much nicer woods knife. The flat/sabre grind handles wood infinitely better than the hollow grind of the Case 316-5 (or Buck 110). Feather sticks and shavings peel off of sticks with ease. It can be batoned without jamming easily. The lack of gimping on the spine and the larger handle make pressing this knife hard in wood very, very comfortable.
It's not a good kitchen knife, though. The bulge of the sabre grind hangs up when slicing hard materials like potatoes. It's different than a hollow grind and better, but it's nowhere as good as a full flat grind. And, it's too thick spine to edge to debone as easisly as the 316-5.
In any event, I keep this knife in my backcountry gear bag and if I think I want it with me, it's the choice.
Schrade H-15 Modified by Pinnah, on Flickr
HUNTING - Buck 110
I got this knife when I was a kid. Saved up my paper route money and got it from Herters. My life with this knife has been a love/hate thing. My first "real" knife. Lovely to look at and hold. Something about ebony and brass and the sheer weight. The hate side of it though is that it is too heavy and bulky for EDC and backpacking. It doesn't work wood well.
I'm the world's worst hunter. Just awful. But it means something to me and the Buck has been my companion for years. It will go with me up north in a few weeks. Sentimental as much as anything else. Still something about the knife that reason alone can pin down.
Buck 110 by Pinnah, on Flickr
SHOP/TOOLBOX - Ulster Boy Scout/Camper
I got my first Ulster BSA knife when I was 8. Got stitches later that summer. Still have several laying around the house but I'm no longer interested in carrying them. But, they find their way to my work bench and get used there all the time. I just love the spear point for utility work, particularly for scoring cuts.
Modified Ulster Camper by Pinnah, on Flickr
WORRY STONE / DRESS KNIFE- Schrade 5OT
Long ago I developed the habit or nervous tick of flipping my knife over and over in my hand. I find myself doing this when thinking about a hard problem. Some knives are better at this than others and the Schrade 5OT is the best I've had in this regard. The flat profile is a big part of it. Flip. Flip. Flip. I also like the way it will spin on it's back spring if you spin it one way (but not the other). I also do this when I'm thinking. I'm sure I'm the only person who does this.
Unrelated but ends up being the same knife, some knives don't imprint when wearing dress slacks. This is the best I own in this way. The wedding and funeral knife.
Shrade 5OT by Pinnah, on Flickr
So let's hear it. What are your knife uses and what knives do you use?
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