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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
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Best Yardwork Folding Knife
- Thread starter davek14
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Exactly. My GB1 has been with me for 10 years and is my #1 hard use knife.
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I have a Bear & Sons sodbuster with CV steel I wouldn't mind abusing, but I'd be loathe to volunteer any of my higher end folders.
JWright214
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I’m quoting myself from yesterday here, but this is what I always carry when doing yard work. The Spyderco UK Penknife is a slip joint and the steel is LC200N, so it’s pretty much water proof.
Grass cutting day for me, here is coastal South Carolina. It’s about 90° right now, plenty of sweat to come. This is my typical yard work carry, an old Izula and a Spyderco UKPK in LC200N.
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This is a horrible pic, but this has been my yardwork/maintaining my property/working on my vehicle and motorcycle/just all around using the hell out of it without worrying too much knife. It's a $27 Petrified Fish something or other. Dude... the fit and finish on this thing is ridiculously good for a 30 buck knife. Like embarrassingly good when compared to some of my other high end knives. It has a cool grind, inset liners, contoured milled g10 scales, and a damn milled g10 backspacer! Usually you don't get a cool milled g10 (or whatever) backspacer unless you spend some dough.
Anyway, the D2 blade has also worked embarrassingly well. I've never had to reprofile it, in fact I've only taken it to the Sharpmaker for a few swipes once or twice and I've been using it a decent amount for most of the year. The D2 has also never gotten any surface rust spots or patina.
Anyway, the D2 blade has also worked embarrassingly well. I've never had to reprofile it, in fact I've only taken it to the Sharpmaker for a few swipes once or twice and I've been using it a decent amount for most of the year. The D2 has also never gotten any surface rust spots or patina.
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Stock photo, but the Brothers Cowfish has been my beater of choice for the last couple of years. Stout VG10 blade, solid lock back, nice utility shape. Very inexpensive for what you get if you can get over it being from China.
Honestly, if one were made of just a tick more "super" steel and made domestic, I'd be all over it.
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Plus one for the Spyderco Tasman Salt, though mine is plain edge. If I'm going to be gloved and don't want to screw around with a folder, I have a David Mary hawkbill with a 4" blade that I'll use.
Any folder with 3.5" or over blade can be used for yard work. My 3" Minis are too small. Most folders today are stainless and they all risk grit/dirt build up due to moving parts. Folders are convenient to carry so they are there when you may unexpectedly need them.
But I find it hard to imagine unexpectedly doing yard work without warning. A known dedicated use not involving a social surrounding is best serviced with a fixed blade. Cleaning is a breeze. Any 4-5 inch not-too-thick blade like a Mora will generally suffice. However some coatings such as Cerakote will come off if the knife is used in dirt. DLC won't.
Whether folder or fixed. plain or serrated blade would be a consideration for preference.
My feelings exactly. Why use a folder with the risk of gunking it up when you can use a fixed blade in the privacy of your own yard? How about a Mora Craftline Rope knife? Stainless and will cut fibrous material like crazy . Hose it off at the end of the day and put it away wet
Thanks for all the answers. I got a lot of people just recommending their favorite hard use knife, but this is Bladeforums.
I am currently using a Case Sodbuster in CV steel and am finding it tiresome to dry assiduously after use.
I used to work as a machinist in an oily environment and had no real issues with rust. I could remove rust easily as well.
Now, I'm retired and working is a sweaty environment. I don't love my carbon steel as much.
I'll likely get a Sodbuster in stainless or get an Opinel #6 or #7.
KenHash, actually, my bad. I am looking for a knife that I EDC which also does yard work and keeps on ticking. I am retired and try to stay active a few hours a day. That often includes unplanned yard work as well as flirting with the girl at the doughnut shop. When yard work was more of a planned weekend thing, I used (use) yard sale kitchen knives which I'm not afraid to dig with, cut roots, etc..
OK, in that case I would suggest whatever folding knife you like and want to EDC. You'll just have to keep it clean. Stainless will certainly help as far as the blade is concerned. The term "Yard Work" can include a wide range of tasks. Cutting small twigs/branches/buds, opening bags of soil/fertilizer, cutting rope/twine all can be done with any medium sized folder. For tasks like digging up roots I'd use my BM Adamas 275 but I wouldn't EDC it due to size and weight.
I'm not familar with any folder specifically designed to be free of dirt and grime getting into the moving parts.
Wouldn't expect one designed for it. Looking for one more tolerant of it. Ones more easily cleaned have been helpfully mentioned.
Opening bags of mulch, etc. is common and get stuff in the pivot unless you are very careful. I want a knife I don't have to be careful with, at least be less careful.
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There is one folder with a sealed pivot that comes to mind. It has bushings around the whole pivot area so that nothing can get in there, the ZT MUDD. It's a hell of a knife. Unfortunately it's discontinued. I'm sure you could still find one if you looked hard enough and really wanted it though.
StoneDog
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For years I've had a first-run ZDP-189 sabre grind Delica that's served as my yardwork knife. It looks pretty beat up but the ZDP just keeps on cutting... Recently I switched over to a Maxamet PM2 seconds just to see how it would do. It is holding up very well. It went through 49 bags of somewhat gritty mulch earlier this year with no signs of slowing down. No issues with the pivots or locks on either knife.
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Since I believe all folders will accumulate dirt & grit eventually if used for yardwork, perhaps a folder that is very easy to take apart (no tools) to clean might be an option.
I have no ideas about this knife other than it has a Magnacut blade.
At the other end, there are many folding gardening knives (basically a billhook pruner) from makers like Puma, Opinel and just about every Gardening Supply store. But not sure if you'd want to EDC such a knife.
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I use a Case full size Sodbuster. Mine are CV blade steel, but you can get them in Tru-Sharp. Shown below are the Sodbuster and Sodbuster Jr.
I prefer the full size. On that one I find I can pinch open the blade even when wearling leather work gloves. Very hand filling handle. Very comfortable to use with or without gloves. I've trimmed vines and bushes with mine. No problems. I've had no issues with grit in the action. If you do get too much grit, then just wash it out with dish soap and water, Dry it, then flush with WD-40.
The full size has a better blade profile. The Jr is a little too blunt.
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Depends on the work I'm doing around the yard. Normally, any folder will do for light stuff like cutting open bags, notching saplings for grafting, pruning, cutting twine, etc.
For heavier and dirtier use, it's usually a fixed blade these days in a sheath with good retention, but not too tight.
I was up a tree many years ago and had one of my "#1 Hard Use Knives in the World" clipped in my pocket. I was harnessed and limbing some trees to raise the canopy, chainsaw in hand. Everything was going great until I had to clear some built-up wood shavings and chips on the chain guard and along the bar. A clump of chips had fallen into the knife, and in some bizarre twist of fate, lodged in between the liner lock and the scale. I couldn't close the knife, and didn't want to have to keep holding it to finish my work. I had to drop it to the ground about 20 feel. Dropped it butt-first. Since then, only small, tough, fixed blades. I've carried "tough" folders with all kinds of locks, and if there's debris involved, there's a chance it'll interfere with how the knife opens or closes when something gets jammed into the lock interface or stop pin. 'Cept maybe the ZT500, but stuff can still get into the handle.
I won't use slipjoints for tough work because they take 2 hands to open, and once you get blade play, they suck. I do have slipjoints that I carry, but they don't see any hard use. Limes, cheese, roses, that sort of stuff.
For heavier and dirtier use, it's usually a fixed blade these days in a sheath with good retention, but not too tight.
I was up a tree many years ago and had one of my "#1 Hard Use Knives in the World" clipped in my pocket. I was harnessed and limbing some trees to raise the canopy, chainsaw in hand. Everything was going great until I had to clear some built-up wood shavings and chips on the chain guard and along the bar. A clump of chips had fallen into the knife, and in some bizarre twist of fate, lodged in between the liner lock and the scale. I couldn't close the knife, and didn't want to have to keep holding it to finish my work. I had to drop it to the ground about 20 feel. Dropped it butt-first. Since then, only small, tough, fixed blades. I've carried "tough" folders with all kinds of locks, and if there's debris involved, there's a chance it'll interfere with how the knife opens or closes when something gets jammed into the lock interface or stop pin. 'Cept maybe the ZT500, but stuff can still get into the handle.
I won't use slipjoints for tough work because they take 2 hands to open, and once you get blade play, they suck. I do have slipjoints that I carry, but they don't see any hard use. Limes, cheese, roses, that sort of stuff.
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My usual is a FFG Delica or Endura plain edge, perfectly fine for my limited pruning uses. If I were a vegetable serious gardener I’d probably have a serrated version of either. I’ve got small Corona bypass shears that are perfect for the little stuff that a knife can’t handle.