Could you use just a folder.

[runningboar]

I like knives that are simple, comfortable, and work in tough conditions. To be sure that isn't necessarily at all the same thing as a tough knife. For me that's one of the reasons why those broom handle reenactment fantasy fixed blade knives fail. I believe them to be a liability. In addition to those lump handle Scandis I'd also add I don't go out pretending to be Nessmuk or a Roy Rogers. I don't live in that kind of world and I don't use my knives that way. If I only walked on a trail, or in fair conditions it might be a bit different. As it is, because I have my own teeth, I don't peel apples, so pretty dinky little knives are useless to me too.

I know I seem to have digressed from the original question with all the talk of fixed blades, but on what I said it should be clear why folding knives would be an even worse case. Below is a fairly crap picture illustrating a muddy riverbank not too far from me. In some places you'll easily go down in mud up to your knees. Try poking about in that with an old fashioned knife with fancy trimmings and see how long it remains in decent order. That's if you don't lose it or throw it away in disgust because it gave you a mishap. I just can't imagine any kind of folder standing up to serious use amongst that. Below the river picture is a knife right out of the semi-amphibious school of thought I'm fond of. It's a nice design, good rubber handle that works even with the big gloves on and will resist that environment well as it is ATS-34 [similar to your 154 CM]. But I think once you started turning it into a folder where sand, mud, lint, blood, hair, you-name-it is concerned you knacker it.

I fall into the "lump handled Scandi" camp, I find that most of those molded and contoured handled knives are not very good for different hand postions and making different types of cuts. Where as the lump handles on my knives are very versatile and comfortable held in a multitude of ways. I am also not a big fan of stainless, although I am currently loving VG10.

However I digress, knives are as individual as women and what works for you works, so that is good enough. The reason I am typing this is I have a couple of questions.

1. Why in the world would someone poke around in that muck at all, much less with your knife?

2. If you did decide to poke in it with your knife, a digging stick was unavailable, and all you had is a folder, when you were through why would you not swish your knife around in all that water to clean it out?

Thanks, Chris

 

[baldtaco-II]

1]. To get a nosebag. That particular river wends its way down through the countryside and exits to the sea. Although it is not one of the prettier water courses around it does offer up the best eating if you're lucky. Around the spot in that picture you'd want to be pulling up ragworms to tackle up after flounders. You may also want to forage around for peeler.crab and so on. True, you could use a dedicated fishing knife if it were a fishing trip but what if it isn't? When you've spent the majority of the time in the woods around it that would likely be a compromise too far. Plus, overland a few miles cross country and there is a completely different type of river – different target species, different requirements, blah blah. Between the two there is fur and feather and just mundane utility tasks.

2] Even with a digging stick the problem is not addressed. Spend any time in that environment and you'll discover that muck and sand migrates everywhere. Ever paused to roll a cigarette whilst digging bait? If you have you'll know that seemingly no matter how much you swill your hands and rag them off you'll still get sand stuck to the fag paper. If you don't the first time you will the second time, unless you have a bundle of fresh rags. That's exactly the kind of crud you don't want in a folder. Further, one doesn't have to actually be at the bank to get that problem. The problem migrates through a good portion of the surrounding vegetation.

Swishing a folder in there may remove some of the debris but that is compensated for by the water having a good amount of salt in it.