Call 'em what you want, I just love a small knife. Many day hikes find me with nothing more than a SAK and an EDC of some kind.
Well I just got a new Landi PSK in the mail (imagine that) and thought I'd share a pic of some handy little blades.
From the top: Krein TK-4, Gossman PSK, Dozier Personal, and, drum roll please, Landi PSK with rosewood handles.
The Landi came with a nice edge, but I feel a knife isn't mine until I fool with the edge a bit. A few strokes on the strop later and this thing is scary sharp.
Anyone else feel that 'less is more'?
Rotte, I love that Landi!
Small handy knives are so great. It's really about all one really needs in the outdoors. I used to carry a big blade, but over the course of my life, I came 180 degrees about.
In the 60's when I was in the army, I got issued the camillus Mk2, then I bought a Randall 14. I loved that Randall and it became my go-to knife.
About the time I turned 40, something changed. I looked back on all the camping/backpacking, hiking, hunting, and I couldn't recall one time I really needed that Randall. I started to look at the way the scandinavian people got by. A pukko from I. Jarvanpaa bacame my new go-to knife, and it did everything I needed to really do. Even then, with a 3 1/2 inch blade, I noticed that when field dressing a deer, I was still only using the first half of blade. In the 80's I went down to a Rosseli grandmothers knife on the hip and a small hatchet or saw in my pack. Again got by doing everything I needed ot do. On a early morning day hike in the snow, the wife of my best friend slipped and broke her ankle. With me and Danny using a 2 to 2 1/2 inch blade apiece, we made splints for her ankle, and cut down a couple of sapplings to make a litter to carry her back to the car on. Since it was just a short hike, niether of us had taken a hatchet or saw or bowie knife, yet we got by. Used a little forthought in what we did, and carved a notch around each sappling base and snapped it right off.
The small knife can/will be with you sometimes when the big boys can't. Many state and National parks have regulations posted at the trail head prohibiting some things. I've seen knives with over 3 inch blades prohibited at state parks.
I'm an old crock now, and my backpacking days are behind me, but I still get out camping and hiking. I love building a fire out in the woods and cooking a noonday meal. I still manage to get by with a sak or small pukko for most things. If I need more, theres a small hatchet or a 12 inch Ontario in the pack. It's very rare I need them.
Perhaps there is some truth in the big blade being a little bit of a talismen.
