Cold Weather Blade

This past winter, I went on a couple extended winter camping trips with Marty and Aggie of the Wilderness Learning Center, Tom from campingsurvival.com and Jerry (hayseedw45). We all carried BRKT Fox Rivers and had no trouble with them despite using them to batton, carve and slice in sub-zero temperatures. The way some of us carried them was over our clothing so we wouldn't need to dig under jackets and sweatshirts to get to them. We used a Baldric Rig.

Here are a few pics from the weekend. Again, no blade trouble at all in the winter.

Kevbuildingsnowshelter9.jpg

Kevbuildingsnowshelter10.jpg

Kevsfinishedsnowshelter3.jpg
 
In cold weather I carry my Swamp Rat 2nd Generation Howling Rat.

I have medium sized hands, and find the Res-C handle on the HR a little small for gloveless use, but add some gloves and the handle is perfect.
 
thanks for the info Esav.

estela that looks DAMN fun. gotta go do that this winter :D

thanks again for the info guys

cheers
 
jca21 said:
Winter is rolling around so i know i'll be back up on the slopes snowboarding, skiing, snow showing, and hiking. Up till this point i only carried in my multi-tool and a fiskars saw as the main cutlery for my kit during the above activities.
My concern is that i've read on the forums that cold temperatures can make the steel in some knives brittle and prone to failure.
so my suggestion is which blades do you guys suggest for winter use?
the ones i normally carry during spring and summer are:

grohmann R4 survival

ka-bar usmc 7inch

cold steel bushman

i do have other blades but these some how seem to get the most work out.

In terms of folders i am planning to take my spyderco tasman PE in Rescue Yellow. High vis. seemed like a smart ideal.

Any and all experience and suggestions would be great. THanks in advance.
Cheers
Click to expand...

If it is warm enough for you to be interested in going outside for sports, you should not have problems with your blades.

Most of the problems with steel occur at temps in the range of -35F and lower.
 
k_estela said:
This past winter, I went on a couple extended winter camping trips with Marty and Aggie of the Wilderness Learning Center, Tom from campingsurvival.com and Jerry (hayseedw45). We all carried BRKT Fox Rivers and had no trouble with them despite using them to batton, carve and slice in sub-zero temperatures. The way some of us carried them was over our clothing so we wouldn't need to dig under jackets and sweatshirts to get to them. We used a Baldric Rig.

Here are a few pics from the weekend. Again, no blade trouble at all in the winter.

Kevbuildingsnowshelter9.jpg

Kevbuildingsnowshelter10.jpg

Kevsfinishedsnowshelter3.jpg
Click to expand...
These are great pics bro, I'm actually looking forward to winter again now....thanks !!!

You mention carrying the knife over your jacket for easy access, that's something that I also often do in winter. I'll carry my Spyderco Temperance as an inverted necker just incase there are any hungry cougers watchin me !!!
I believe that the scandinavians also carry their knives around their necks when wearing thick layers of clothes !
 
I am surprised that noone has mentioned Fallkniven F1, F2, S1, A1 yet. They are made to work in cold and wet weather and so on. Some people complain about the finger guard on the F1 but it is there for a reason.

The baldrick configuration is popular when you have lots of clothes on. It is easier to get the knife with gloves on and dressed in seven layers of clothing. You could have a small knife around your neck, inside some layers of clothing but you should have your main knife in a baldrick just because the knife is always "somewhere on the rope". Survival expert Lars Fält and Ray Mears use that configuration in the Extreme Survival episode from Northern Sweden. The sami knives are usually hanging low so you will reach it anyway.

Like someone also said, when your knife break from cold, your body has probably broken already.
 
I have never got a clear idea of where to expect an
axe to fail. Yeah, really cold weather but any thing
else.

One article discussed the suggestion of using the blade while
blade still was warm, but the author thought this was not
reasonable, because a blade will cool almost immediately
in severe cold weather, dah. I agreed, at the time.

Under some circumstances, a fire is already going and
possibly one could keep a blade near it; use caution.

I read about an army guy, surveying the wilderness route
of the soon to be Alaska-Canada Highway. After some kind
of accident, he needed a fire real quick, and broke 2 axes
right away. One axe may have broken at the handle.
He became well known in WW II.
I am sorry I cannot remember more detail; I feel old :(
 
It's a carrying strap that goes across the chest, from one shoulder to the opposite hip. This carries the weight on the shoulder, which is strong enogh to take it, and by running diagonally, keeps it from slipping off. It's like a bandolier.
 
baldric
Also, baldrick.

a belt, sometimes richly ornamented, worn diagonally from shoulder to hip, supporting a sword, horn, etc.

[Origin: 1250&#8211;1300; ME bauderik, bawdryk, baudry < AF baudré, baldré, OF baldrei, baudré, perh. < Frankish *baltirad sword belt, equiv. to L balte(us) belt + Gmc *-rad provision, equipment (cf. OHG rat); source of final -ik uncert.]
 
I learned a new word today I had no idea that anyone else carried their knife like this. IMO it is very handy and your knife is readily availble all the time, don't have to reach under a shirt or jacket and can be repositioned in an instant. I do use a small D ring to clip the sheath to a belt loop sometimes.

Kevin, I really like the braid on yours and might try a new one, here is mine.
Chris

Picture900.jpg
 
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