Just One

Good to hear this. Guess you can say I'm coming full circle too. As soon as I came in touch with the net I got into all the big blades and less practical stuff.
 
Yes, I have, with just a SAK of some sort and my old, trusty Buck 112 that I "finger-grooved" and rounded off myself.

Ron
 
I almost have to "invent" things to do with a big fixed blade. I like them, want them, but can't find too many uses for them. I use a folder more than anything.
 
On quick hikes (like the one I just got back from) I'll carry whatever folder I happen to have on me.
 
RescueRiley said:
It sounds crazy but alot of times when I'm out hiking I don't really "need" to cut anything.... My new hiking setup is stockman folder (in carbon steel) and an opinel folding saw...
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This is actually quite profound. We ALL get caught up on the internet with keeping up with the Joneses. The internet is full of gear forums of various kinds and the members all spend tons of money buying the latest and greatest.

I'd said earlier that I carried only a Buck 110 for years along with my little SAK Classic. Then, I bought a Buck 119 because it seemed like a better way to go. Along the way I bought one of those AF issue pilot knives because it looked cool but I rarely used either. Then I bought a Buck 501 for daily carry and liked it well enough that I bought another. Those knives got more use than anything I'd used before.

Now, comes the internet and I hear about the Fallkniven F1 so I decide I need one. Wow! Best knife I've ever owned. But I've got two kits so I just ordered another one.

Going back though to what RescueRiley said, if I'm honest about it, I rarely have to use a knife when hiking or overnight camping and when I do, a little pocket knife works just fine 99% of the time. Everything else is, you know, just in case. :D

Won't stop me from buying more though! ;)
 
Morablades said:
Also, the more you carry in your head the less you have to carry on your person.
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No offense intended, but I see this repeated so often that people regard it as self-evidently true. But its not. By this definition the smartest guy in the wilderness would be naked with no gear.

While it is certainly true that knowledge can allow a person to improvise some of the things one might need, the stupidest people I ever meet/see in the wilderness are underequipped, not overequipped. The experienced people are the ones who bring good quality gear along (including a knife).

I think the Boy Scout motto: "Be Prepared" is much more indicative of the wise wilderness traveler, than the dictum 'the more you know, the less you need to carry'.

Morablades, I know you don't mean this to the extreme, but I think it is important that we qualify it at times.
 
XMP said:
No offense intended, but I see this repeated so often that people regard it as self-evidently true. But its not. By this definition the smartest guy in the wilderness would be naked with no gear.

While it is certainly true that knowledge can allow a person to improvise some of the things one might need, the stupidest people I ever meet/see in the wilderness are underequipped, not overequipped. The experienced people are the ones who bring good quality gear along (including a knife).

I think the Boy Scout motto: "Be Prepared" is much more indicative of the wise wilderness traveler, than the dictum 'the more you know, the less you need to carry'.

Morablades, I know you don't mean this to the extreme, but I think it is important that we qualify it at times.
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No offense taken, friend. I agree with you on this. That's all I simply meant was improvising in the bush. Thanks. I think you clarified this better than I could.
 
I've gone hiking (one day) with only a Victorinox Fieldmaster.
I've also been out for about 4 days with just a Buck 110 and the same Fieldmaster.
 
The only time that I don't like to use a folder is field dress big game and cutting meat. Its no real problem but it can be a real pain to try to clean the gunk out of the knife. If you have time to let it soak it not really a problem but this is one place that a small fixed blade is preferred my me.
 
A pocket knife was my usual companion, but I always had another edged tool, whether it be a fixed blade or a hatchet, when I was out for over night stuff. Lately though, my knife of choice for everything is a Vic SAK w/saw and OH locking blade. It's my EDC and is the only knife I take while in the bush anymore. One exception is hunting, when I replace the trekker with a Vic Hunter, but I also carry a fixed blade (Mora 2000) with me. When I head out for a weeks backpacking, I'll also be carrying the 2000 in the pack, along with a Fiskars saw.
 
When I'm being really honest with myself, my SAK Outrider is really all I need for camping and woodsloafing; decent size locking blade, saw, scissors, can opener, awl, etc.

But what fun is that?;)
 
I came to the conclusion more than 20 years ago that all I need is a folder for 99% of what I cut in or out of the woods. I dont even own a sheath knife over 4 inches anymore. My standard cutlery for the woods is my edc pocket knife with a mora added on my hip because its alot easier to keep clean after food prep.

HOWEVER!

While I do not need anything more than a pocket knife on a hike or camping trip, I don't like tempting Mr. Murphy. I'll have a sak or other pocket knife to open the packs of dehydrated turkey ala king, or albacore tuna, but in my pack will be my old boy scout Plumb hatchet or a folding saw, depending on where I am going. Maybe even my 12 inch Ontario machete. Emergencys are unexpeted problems that can have bad results.

No, I won't go camping with just a folder.
 
my woodsknives are my EDC combo and a 3.75 inch mora. the two folders are an opinel #10 and a little shrade penknife. sometimes i am so anxious to get outside i forget to put the mora on my belt. the only effective difference this makes is that my tinder pile of shavings is not as pretty as when i carve them with the mora.

most of my time hiking is spent walking. i do very little cutting on the trail.
 
I went on two long backpacking trips with just a "standard issue" camilus boy scout deluxe knife and a leatherman one of the times. That is all I ever needed and not even that most of the time. The trips were about three weeks long each and we backpacked ~80 miles the first time (over mountains and with 70lb packs) and ~100 miles the second time (with about the same size packs). During all of that I only used my little scout knife for everything that I did. Had I known about knives like I do now I would have tossed that little knife for an emerson or a real buck, but it worked out nonetheless. For more info of where I went, just google my avatar :).
 
I always have my folder on me. Seems to work for me. I never knew I needed more until I started hanging out here. That being the case whenever I go hiking now I take my Rat 3 along for the ride. :D
 
Upon rereading my earlier post I think i give the impression that I only carry a folder or recomend only carrying one. I don't, normaly there are two or three folding knives on my person.i've gotten by with just a pocket knife many times but i like fixed blade knives alot also,so if i'am going hunting or staying out over night i'll bring a 4"to6" knife and a hand axe with the pocket knives for utility and fixed blade for game and back up for my firearm:)
 
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