Digging Knife

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aersixb9

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Does anyone make a knife that's good for digging through tough clay when digging for water in the wilderness?
 
Kabar Warthog is a good blade shape for digging.
A shovel is better still.
But digging for water?
 
If I had to use a knife it might just be a fixed blade warthog by K-bar but there are other ways like spliting a wide piece of wood or a flat thin rock.
 
I can't get through dry clay without metal! Rocks tend to break, and I'd be chipping away all day with a rock! The Ka-Bar Warthog does look pretty good, I could use a stab-and-twist motion to dig pretty easily. And yes, if you dig 3-6ft in most areas (12 feet in the desert) you'll hit water. When I go wildernessing I like to bring as few things as possible, and even my little folding shovel is too heavy for me to want to carry it! But I usually bring a knife.
 
aersixb9 said:
Does anyone make a knife that's good for digging through tough clay when digging for water in the wilderness?
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In my opinion, you will die of thirst long before you can dig through enough tough clay to find drinking water. Depending on where you are, you may find varying amounts of "ground water" on top of a layer of clay, but to reach an aquifer you would have to penetrate several feet of clay usually, and quite possibly many feet of rock below the clay. Having been a well driller once for a time, I think using a knife to dig for water is a losing proposition. That's just my two cents' worth.
 
I have a swamp rat ratweiler that has served quite well for digging. Unfortunately you can only purchase them second-hand as they are no longer offered by the swamp. Fantastic woods knife!!
 
I have an Ontario Spec Plus machete that I've dug with successfully on several occasions. It does not have a point but instead a squared off front. It's the SP8 on this link:

http://www.ontarioknife.com/specplus_pg1.html

It's tough....1095 steel.....and does everything I need it to do......dig......baton......chop. I stripped the blade coating off of mine.
 
Instead of getting a knife that digs, why not get a shovel that cuts?

I think the Cold Steel Special Forces Shovel fits the bill. It's the bastard child of shovel and axe.
 
I'm sorry. But my ??? would be WHY. If you have a good knife.... make a digging stick. I would never dig with a knife. Not even my $12.00 Mora. Get a good stick, carve a good flat spot, and use it to dig. Just my opinion of course:)
 
I would simply use a well designed hydrogen based weapon system to get to the water. :D :D
That other thread is a hoot!!
 
tarmix101 said:
But my ??? would be WHY. If you have a good knife.... make a digging stick.
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+1 on that.

If I have to dig with a knife, I use a machete. But I'd rather drop about 5 dollars and carry a decent trowel. If space is any issue, I think the U-Dig-It is about $25 now (?). If space and weight isn't an issue, an e-tool. But a knife, while it can be used to dig with, is just a bad digging tool. A digging stick and your hands will get you a lot deeper, faster, than a knife will.

Remember, man is a tool MAKING animal. Make a better tool, rather than beat up the wrong tool forcing it to be something it isn't.
 
why would you need to dig a 12 foot hole in the desert? :D
 
i think this stuff get over-analyzed....if i need to dig a small hole....I take out my machete....and dig the friggen hole. Why spend the time making a digging stick? If you know you're going to be digging a lot....take a field shovel. If you don't have one...use what you have.
 
Read this guy's other posts.

Hey dude I'm in California and I'll hire you to dig a 12' deep hole with a knife. BTW I don't pay by the hour, you just bid the job. i'll post the pics here.
 
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