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Well now thats a fine knife. Thank you for sharing. I think the combo tool with small blade is a much better use of realestate.
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Modern day scout knife, what blades would you choose?
- Thread starter rockgolfer
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Well now thats a fine knife. Thank you for sharing. I think the combo tool with small blade is a much better use of realestate.
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Cattaraugus actually studied what the customers did with knives and designed accordingly.
The question is, should a newly made "Camper" be:
a) An homage/replica of a tool that was useful for camping in the 1930s or
b) A tool that would be useful for camping in the 20-teens?
Just to cut to the chase, I vote "none of the above" everytime I hoist a backpack. I typically carry a locking folder with a 3"-4" blade backed up with a Leatherman PS4 Squirt in the 1st Aid Kit.
I've not needed to deal with leather on a hiking trip ever. I keep an Army style can opener in the cook kit but honestly haven't needed it in very long time except for an occasional car camping trip and then, my wife needs it and expects to find it with the utensils and not in my pocket.
Modern camping means repairing and field service of modern materials. A small set of pliers is useful for driving a heavy darning needle through multiple layers of nylon and webbing. Scissors are useful for doing repair sewing and bandage work. Phillips headed drivers need to be added to the mix along with a smaller flat head driver.
My choice for a modern camper would be as a useful EDC option. I would choose the following blades:
1) Spear point (in the style of the old Ulsters)
2) Folding scissors (in the style of the PS4 or Wegners)
3) cap lifter & flat head driver combo blade
4) nail/metal file & 2-pronged phillips head driver combo blade (in the style of the Leatherman Micra).
Last comment... The Leatherman Micra is in my LFP most days with my EDC knife of choice in my RFP. The Micra is amazing for it's size, particularly the scissors which are much close to shop shears - Very strong. As much as I emotionally love old Campers (and I do), a modernized version would have to really wow me to displace the combination of a traditional locker and a Micra.
a) An homage/replica of a tool that was useful for camping in the 1930s or
b) A tool that would be useful for camping in the 20-teens?
Just to cut to the chase, I vote "none of the above" everytime I hoist a backpack. I typically carry a locking folder with a 3"-4" blade backed up with a Leatherman PS4 Squirt in the 1st Aid Kit.
I've not needed to deal with leather on a hiking trip ever. I keep an Army style can opener in the cook kit but honestly haven't needed it in very long time except for an occasional car camping trip and then, my wife needs it and expects to find it with the utensils and not in my pocket.
Modern camping means repairing and field service of modern materials. A small set of pliers is useful for driving a heavy darning needle through multiple layers of nylon and webbing. Scissors are useful for doing repair sewing and bandage work. Phillips headed drivers need to be added to the mix along with a smaller flat head driver.
My choice for a modern camper would be as a useful EDC option. I would choose the following blades:
1) Spear point (in the style of the old Ulsters)
2) Folding scissors (in the style of the PS4 or Wegners)
3) cap lifter & flat head driver combo blade
4) nail/metal file & 2-pronged phillips head driver combo blade (in the style of the Leatherman Micra).
Last comment... The Leatherman Micra is in my LFP most days with my EDC knife of choice in my RFP. The Micra is amazing for it's size, particularly the scissors which are much close to shop shears - Very strong. As much as I emotionally love old Campers (and I do), a modernized version would have to really wow me to displace the combination of a traditional locker and a Micra.
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"I've not needed to deal with leather on a hiking trip ever."
Some awls are good for boring holes in wood and others are large sewing needles.
Some awls are good for boring holes in wood and others are large sewing needles.
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I'm fine with the original four, and yes I have been known to use the can opener. It's a pain in the arss compared to an electric but like the hand crank still gets the job done!
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So does the "hand crank" count as a fifth "blade"?
They're also excellent for scraping, poking, and doing all the chores which would otherwise chew up your knife edge. They're must-haves.
This is an important use! But, my Leatherman Micra has convinced me that there are better blade choices for this than a leather punch/awl.
The Micra has 2 very useful tools for scraping and poking that could easily be combined into 1. The first is a nail file with a curved nail scraper tip. The second is a 2 pronged phillips head driver, which work really well. See:
My preference would be to a) put the 2 pronged phillips driver on the end of the nail file and b) make the file a bit thicker with a small mill bastard metal file on the reverse side.
Given the choice between a nail/metal file with a 2 pronged phillips driver on the tip and an old fashioned leather punch/awl, I would (and do) find them both equally good at the scraping and poking uses you describe (and with which I agree) but I would find the file/driver combo much more useful for both day to day and modern camping needs.
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My $0.02, a main clip blade, a cap lifter with long screwdriver, a punch (I particularly like the one on the GEC #85 that Charlie had made), and a wharcliffe blade (to deal with modern plastic wrapping).
I think that does it.
I think that does it.
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Only if they can make it unobtrusive!
I like the Case Jr. Scout the way it is. That size is perfect for me. If I were to replace the can opener, I'd put a sheep foot blade in because of my fondness for cattle knives and stockmans. Outside of my junior scout and wharnie trapper, all I have are stocks and cattlemans.
It gets my vote!