Do you have a pocket knife that does it all?

BMCGear

BMCGear

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I know that it is best to have several blades available at your disposal to cover any and all task but do you have a pocket knife that you can do everything with? For me the knife would have to be light enough to carry in khakis or blue jeans but big enough to comfortably use outdoors to clean fish/game if I needed to. Share your blade and share all the tasks it covers.
 
Sure.

This is my combo.
EDC Pair by Pinnah, on Flickr

Opinel #9 in my RFP and Leatherman Micra in LFP.

There's nothing universally magical about the Opinel#9. It's insanely rugged but doesn't deal with moisture as much as frame locks, liner locks and lock backs do, so if you're constantly cleaning game, maybe something like a Buck 500, (ESEE) Zancudo or Ontario Rat 2 would be better. I find a 3" perfect for food prep, general cutting chores and dealing with cutting wood for fires. Note: the Opinel can be pushed into batonning small wood and I wouldn't try that with any other locking folder. The Opinel can be set to friction only mode in which light batonning won't destroy the knife.

The Micra covers just about everything else. Tools and the small pen blade (whittling).

For backpacking trips, I swap the Micra for a PS4 to get small pliers for equipment repair and sewing help.

I dig fixed blades. I think they're cool. Own several. But they aren't needed for backcountry travel. They just aren't.
 
For me it my Vic Farmer. Dose most of what I need. It dose the following

Large and small screws
Phillips
Open a can
Saw wood or plastic
Drill or poke a hole
Cut a pork chop
And most important open an adult beverage

But Your needs may be different them mine. What tools do you think you would need?
 
Swisschamp. Years ago, I ofter carried a 'Champ with some 4 inch folder. I noticed after about a week, that I hadn't used the larger folder at all. Instead the 'Champ handled everything. Food prep, opening mail, putting together an entertainment center, cutting or filing car parts, hook to carry packages; it did it all. I eventually stopped carrying he larger blade for awhile.
 
My Emerson CQC 10 makes a great all arounder. I've never skinned anything with it so I can't speak towards that, but the blade shape is very utilitarian, in my opinion. Length wise I would put it right in the middle compared to most modern folders. Might be a little heavy for some folks but I commonly carry it in athletic shorts without issue.
 
Victorinox Small Tinker.

I take it backpacking, I take it hiking, I take it when I canoe, I take it with me pretty much wherever I go.
 
Vic Alox Electrician for me.

ElectOpen_zps8abce8c8.jpg~original
 
Spyderco manix 2 xl, if I could only have one knife it would be this. I would probably keep my cf/s90v one over my regular s30v one though, but the s30v gets more use and abuse. Its super tough but is a good slicer, good weight (not that it matters to me), the most perfect ergos I have ever experienced, the broad blade looks really cool and works very well and of course the bbl functions like the axis lock but beefed up a little. Its like this knife was made just for me, the only way it could be better is more steel variants like some sprint runs and a deeper riding clip, the clip is ok but I like my knives to carry more discreetly especially when I have a lanyard sticking out of my pocket I dont need a bunch of the knife sticking out too.
 
For "everything", i'd take my hest fixed blade. It prepared wood for fire starting, it cleaned, sliced and diced a lot of rabbits, it pried wood boards (with the handle prybar), opened beers, cut fruits..well, it did and does plenty.
It fits in a pocket, and have carried it like that in my outings, attached with a cord to my belt, and is my favorite for cleaning animals and my go to blade for the outdoors.



If i want extra strength in a blade, and still being pocket friendly, i will take a fixed one, if not the Hest, then a candiru or izula, but as good and tough as those are, they're not slicers like my traditionals, peanut, medium stockman, opinel, douk douk, alox sak..and so on, which are great for apples and such, but obviously can't take what a fixed blade can endure.



In the city, i always carry a case peanut, and it does all i need it to do in that setting. I heard the peanut is a mean fish cleaner :D, but haven't tried it yet.



A stockman is highly versatile, and a sak offers extra tools.

IMG_6095.jpg


Tough choice here,

Anyway, to choose something for the thread i think maybe I'd take this stockman.

 
For me my one pocket knife that does it all in a vintage imperial ireland carbon steel camper friction folder. I own numerous knives but l only carry 1 with me always. Its easier explaining to cops why you're carrying 1 knife and not 3. So l make it a point to pick a knife which can do it all. My grandfather bought it in Singapore during the 80s. He gifted me the knife 4 years ago. I have EDCed it every day all the time. In my humble opinion nothing can beat a drop point blade in terms of versatililty. And being made with 1095 carbon steel it is super easy to sharpen and holds an edge for a very long time. I temporarily had it replaced with a Serrated Harp. But l soon realized that serrated hawk bills are poor choices for guys looking for 1 All rounder knife. So l went back to carrying the old camper. It has another advantage. It's legal Everywhere; even U.k ; Australia; Denmark ; Netherlands and Sweden. Perfect travellors knife. And I've used it from cleaning a hunted pheasant to wood carving. I love that knife.
 
Any decent sharp pocket knife will do it all if the owner knows what he's doing with it. A stockman gives you three blades to choose from, and fits in jeans well. The Northwoods stockman is 3 ounces, and a tiny tad under 4 inches closed. Lots of cutting in a compact package.
14326127061_b1343f8a61_c.jpg
 
If you can't get the job done with a Victorinox Farmer, something is very, very wrong. The job probably isn't best solved by a knife of any size or shape.
 
For me it would either be my manix 2 lightweight or my Becker bk14, both are go to knives for just about anything
 
This is hard. I don't have a single knife that does it all for me, so I'm going to answer a little obliquely and show the knife that's the one I'd keep if I were compelled to keep only one. (Close enough?) So this my must-have, do-it-all, knife-of-last-resort:

tumblr_murvbaGTai1r4zf5xo1_1280.jpg


I suppose the SAK Soldier, Pioneer, or Farmer would also work, but I'd probably discard them before getting rid of this. The reason is that it's US-made and a Scout knife connects with a time in my life when I was first learning woodsmanship. (Not with this exact knife, however. My original was an Imperial Scout that got lost in a mess of leaves one fall day.)
 
A knife that does it all???? Behold the mighty Peanut and tremble.

One Knife to rule them all, One Knife to find them,
One Knife to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

i-qgsLnPD-XL.jpg
 
The knife I find I use for basically all task, is my CTS 204P PM2. It is a great knife and comfortable to carry especially with the deep pocket clip I have on it. And it holds a great edge:)
 
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