Folders for use with (winter) gloves

I"m in Canada with a similar temperature range summer to winter. At -35c you're not wearing thin gloves. Also there's not a lot around to cut when it's covered in snow.

The best practice is to wear warm mitts and under those where a thin anti-contact glove so you can manipulate tools as needed. Warm gloves are very clumsy so most of the time a fixed blade is the best choice for winter. A good example of that would be the Puukko.
 
Danke42 said:
I"m in Canada with a similar temperature range summer to winter. At -35c you're not wearing thin gloves. Also there's not a lot around to cut when it's covered in snow.

The best practice is to wear warm mitts and under those where a thin anti-contact glove so you can manipulate tools as needed. Warm gloves are very clumsy so most of the time a fixed blade is the best choice for winter. A good example of that would be the Puukko.
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I will agree. Heavy winter gloves are very clumsy. I always wear a liner for exactly this reason. For the short period of time the outer glove is off, the liner will keep you warm enough to use whatever tool(s) you are using. I used to scoff at mitts thinking them stupid, but now I realize that they keep you a lot warmer than gloves, and its not like you have much dexterity with gloves anyway. If I didn't have enough winter gear for 4 people, that would be on my list.

Anyway, yeah as I said before, if you have to resort to using a knife with big ol gloves on and it has to be a folder, can't beat a big ol spydie hole.
 
Danke42 said:
The best practice is to wear warm mitts and under those where a thin anti-contact glove so you can manipulate tools as needed. Warm gloves are very clumsy so most of the time a fixed blade is the best choice for winter. A good example of that would be the Puukko.
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We do pretty much exactly that when really cold: a standard glove inside an oversized outer mitten. In the original post I wondered if it might be too long winded to explain all the different glove combinations, so settled on “winter” in brackets.
Re fixed blades, I have been using puukot (for over 40 years), but wanted to explore other options, for the reasons I put somewhere in this thread 😁
 
SOG XR flipper
Pretty sure it was built with gloves in mind. Tons of jimping with a large flipper. Never had an issue with the “axis” type lock in cold. I’ve used in a cooler environment down to 0F without issue.
 
Vaytsee said:
We do pretty much exactly that when really cold: a standard glove inside an oversized outer mitten. In the original post I wondered if it might be too long winded to explain all the different glove combinations, so settled on “winter” in brackets.
Re fixed blades, I have been using puukot (for over 40 years), but wanted to explore other options, for the reasons I put somewhere in this thread 😁
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A Spyderco PM2 is usually a pretty good fit. I like to have it tied off with a lanyard too since with all the bulky clothing it's easier to pick your own pocket.
 
This goes against conventional tastes, but Svord Peasant knife in 12C27. Simple, bombproof. I just operated it with oven mitts on. Single handed is possible, but slight awkward.
 
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Hey there. Rancher from frozen posterior South Dakota who works in the temps you're talking about here The Spyderco Military is pretty good as others have mentioned, but the liner lock to close it can be difficult with heavy winter gloves on. I've found large knives with an Axis lock easier to run opening and closing with heavy gloves on. That said, I'm usually carrying my Military instead of my Adamas or Contego for work because the Military is a better overall cutter. Button locks look good but I haven't actually tried one out in the iciness yet.
 
Here in MI, I know a few folks who basically used a short, flat head screw + washer + nut to go thru a spydie hole to transform the spydie hole into a big thumb stud that can be used with gloves. Pretty? Nope. But it works. Btw, they had Enduras.

Any good knife with a hole or cutout in the blade can be used like this if function > looks.
 
I’ve been checking out pricing for options available locally. Some of the price positioning between brands/models seemed quite surprising when compared to the US (eg I think Cold Steel is positioned at the cheaper end of this list in the US). But at the end of the day, you pay or you don’t. This post is meant for interest, not as a complaint. 😁

These are for base models (no fancy scales or steel):

Shaman 250€
Military 230€
Para 2 190€
Recon 1 160€
Presidio 2 CF 150€
Griptilian 120€
Enduro 4 100€

Am tempted by the Presidio 2 and then rig up a drop leg panel for a fixed blade (or other mounting option).
 
The Spyderco Pacific Salt 2.
T5iPUPd.jpg
 
I dont tend to wear heavy winter gloves because I absolutely hate the cold:D

I do at times wear very thick work gloves on the job. My knives of choice for use while gloved up is either an OTF or the criminally underrated and discontinued ZT 909. The flipper tab works well and the liner lock cut out is big enough for my gloved thumb to (carefully) disengage the blade.

I would say that if I were to go out in the cold and need a large work folder while wearing snow gloves, I would consider my Voyager XL. Gigantic blade o can pinch open and a massive handle to get a fully gloved hand around.
 
Shorttime said:
You're not wrong, but I don't think it's fair to assume somebody else has that kind of commitment to The Knife Life. I know I'm not that hardcore!

My personal observation is that cold climates seem to encourage people to be better at being people, but that's way off-topic. Also, the miserable little flying, stinging, biting insects all freeze and die and go back to their special Hell like they're supposed to.

I'm going to echo what Killgar said about Cold Steel, with the addition of listing a couple models.

The AK-47, and
the Storm Cloud

The AK pulls out ahead a bit by having steel liners, and being not huge, with a blade of 3.5". That's 8.89 cm, because I'm guessing Vaytsee uses Science instead of "banana measures".

Why do I think these two in particular, aside of blade length?

Thumb disks.

As for the "JuSt GeT a FiXeD bLaDe", argument (man, I'm never typing like that again)? I work in aggregates processing, which is considered part of the mining industry. You would think that nobody would give a damn what kind of knives we carried, but thanks to a rigger on an outside contract, and an HR person who should not have been anywhere near where "real" work was going on, we have a rule that says we cannot carry fixed blades of any length or size. It ain't always that straightforward, unfortunately.
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I LOVE 🥰🥰🥰 Human Resources !

back to the op. I'd go with any of the aforementioned cold steel xl folders.
 
I have read from a few sources that some boreal forest survival practitioner would wear their fixed blade with a lanyard by their neck, so the knife is easily accessible without fumbling thru layers of clothing in winter. And more importantly it is accessible should they ever fell thru the ice.

I know OP is asking for a folding knife, but would it be an option to wear the fixed blade under the jacket by neck lanyard, so you could easily draw it even wearing a mitten?
 
comis said:
I have read from a few sources that some boreal forest survival practitioner would wear their fixed blade with a lanyard by their neck, so the knife is easily accessible without fumbling thru layers of clothing in winter. And more importantly it is accessible should they ever fell thru the ice.

I know OP is asking for a folding knife, but would it be an option to wear the fixed blade under the jacket by neck lanyard, so you could easily draw it even wearing a mitten?W
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If you're on a lake or river you should have something like these and you should know how to use them.


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Danke42 said:
Yeah that's it. Those are a life or death tool for anyone on the ice but for you it's a jump rope.

Employee of the month ladies and gentlemen.
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You offered no edification , and still haven't ...so "teacher of the year" for you ! :rolleyes:
 
Wow, errybody's feelin gansta, up in this!

And that's something else I'm never going to say again.

Self-rescue ice picks, for those who were curious. Unless youse are having a piss at each other, in which case I'll show myself to the door.....
 
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