Most Eco-Friendly Knife?

A knife with wooden handles seems odd for a die-hard enviornmentalist. How's your friend going to feel knowing that a tree was killed to make his knife handles?

Unless you actually witness someone going out and digging up the ore themselves to forge the steel, and watch them actually make the knife using "enviornmentally friendly" methods, you really have no way of knowing if a particular knife is "green" or not.

As far as recycled steel, how do you know that said steel wasn't originally mined using horribly destructive strip-mining methods? How do you know that the smelting process, either originally or in the recycling process, wasn't performed by a company notorious for dumping polution and toxins into the enviornment? How do you know that the various companies involved don't donate millions of dollars to politicians in order to keep enviornmentally protective laws from being passed, and therefore allowing unlimited pollution to be dumped into the enviornment?

Maybe you could just not indulge your friends somewhat unrealistic desires. I mean, does he know the origins of EVERYTHING that he owns and uses in his life? Does he carefully research the enviornmental impact of every product and every company?

This kinda reminds me of people who are fanatic about being patriotic Americans and say "I don't want to buy a knife made in China", yet their homes are filled with things made in China. Or people who think that they are more patriotic and American than people who drive Toyotas because they drive an "American" truck, yet they don't realize that parts of their "American" truck were made in Japan, China, Mexico, etc.

Unless you can PROVE that the knife was produced in an enviornmentally friendly way, by companies that operate in an enviornmentally way, then it's just an exercise in self-delusion. And what's the point of that?
 
Great ideas. I'll probably scour the 'Bay to find a used slipjoint in good condition, maybe something old enough that it was made before mass production as we know it. Failing that, I'll probably have a small fixed blade made out of recycled wood and steel.

Lol @ the Kershaw leek composite suggestion.
"Well, its not a hippy knife, but it'll cut the f#ck outta anything you put in front of it." Hmmmm...

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killgar said:
A knife with wooden handles seems odd for a die-hard enviornmentalist. How's your friend going to feel knowing that a tree was killed to make his knife handles?

Unless you actually witness someone going out and digging up the ore themselves to forge the steel, and watch them actually make the knife using "enviornmentally friendly" methods, you really have no way of knowing if a particular knife is "green" or not.

As far as recycled steel, how do you know that said steel wasn't originally mined using horribly destructive strip-mining methods? How do you know that the smelting process, either originally or in the recycling process, wasn't performed by a company notorious for dumping polution and toxins into the enviornment? How do you know that the various companies involved don't donate millions of dollars to politicians in order to keep enviornmentally protective laws from being passed, and therefore allowing unlimited pollution to be dumped into the enviornment?

Maybe you could just not indulge your friends somewhat unrealistic desires. I mean, does he know the origins of EVERYTHING that he owns and uses in his life? Does he carefully research the enviornmental impact of every product and every company?

This kinda reminds me of people who are fanatic about being patriotic Americans and say "I don't want to buy a knife made in China", yet their homes are filled with things made in China. Or people who think that they are more patriotic and American than people who drive Toyotas because they drive an "American" truck, yet they don't realize that parts of their "American" truck were made in Japan, China, Mexico, etc.

Unless you can PROVE that the knife was produced in an enviornmentally friendly way, by companies that operate in an enviornmentally way, then it's just an exercise in self-delusion. And what's the point of that?
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I hear what you're saying. There is no certainty regarding eco friendliness, without a ton of background research. He has never said he needs a "green" knife, i just know his lifestyle and I want to acknowledge that in my gift to him. He does look carefully into the environment impact of almost everything he does. I'm not looking for a perfectly eco-friendly knife, I just want to get him one that may be a bit better than other options.

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mlanghornes said:
I hear what you're saying. There is no certainty regarding eco friendliness, without a ton of background research. He has never said he needs a "green" knife, i just know his lifestyle and I want to acknowledge that in my gift to him. He does look carefully into the environment impact of almost everything he does. I'm not looking for a perfectly eco-friendly knife, I just want to get him one that may be a bit better than other options.

Sent from my Radar 4G using Board Express
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I commend your friend for being true to his convictions and not just being a "poser-enviornmentalist". I think it would be pretty cool to find a good piece of discarded steel, like maybe a broken kitchen knife or an old file, etc, and some discarded wood, basically stuff that would go to waste in a junkyard or landfill, and have a new knife made out of them that would last several lifetimes. Problem is it would probably be a bit expensive. A small fixed-blade would be way less expensive than a custom made folder, but it still might be expensive. There are several custom knife makers on this forum, maybe one could make such a knife at a very reasonable price. I often make things out of recycled junk and I think it would be cool to hold a knife and say "The blade was made from an old file and the handle was made from a piece of an old busted cabinet".

Good luck in your search.
 
stabman said:
Make him one out of knapped flint.
It doesn't get "crunchier" than that.:)
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That's just what I thought but performance and sharpening will be a problem. I think something old school like Rich Marchand makes would be more in line, he will do a hemp cord wrap too, that should keep the hippies happy. :p:thumbup:
 
from opinel's site:

To avoid negative environmental effects from distant supplies (transport-related pollution, forest clearance, etc.), 95% of wooden handles come from French forestry holdings.
 
killgar said:
A knife with wooden handles seems odd for a die-hard enviornmentalist. How's your friend going to feel knowing that a tree was killed to make his knife handles?
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i consider wood a very environmentally friendly material, as long as the company supplying the wood practices sustainable forestry.
 
Another green feature about any knife you get him is, he can save using disposable knives when he has one in his pocket. I thought opinel when you said a "green" knife
 
Not positive on the exact credentials but I know Benchmade won some awards for being a green company. Might be worth checking them out. Might be interested in the Bone collector with the wood scales :)
 
Used knife hands down. Eco impact was already done...buying a new one or having one made from recycled steel.....no matter how eco sensitive the maker is still adds to impact/pollution, etc. There is nothing "greener" than reusing something already in existence. If your friend is the real deal on being super eco sensitive, a used knife is all he would accept. That same thing should apply to almost all his other possessions.
 
I just ordered a buck 110 ecolite, scales are made from recycled plastic. But really any knife should work just explain that the bit of carbon foot print from the manufacturing process will be off set buy using the knife to cut up all garbage going to the landfill so it takes up less space, and he can use it to dice up food scraps so they compost faster.
 
Does he like country music?

Southern grind makes knives from recycled materials I believe. Pricey though
 
Swiss Army folder with Alox scales. The stainless will last a long time and can be recycled at end of life. The aluminum scales are eminently recyclable, and also durable.

Edited to add: If it were me I'd just give him one of my own knives. It would be used, the environmental impact already bought and paid for. It would also be a functional cutting tool.
 
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jimnolimit said:
i consider wood a very environmentally friendly material, as long as the company supplying the wood practices sustainable forestry.
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Yeah, but how would you know. It's easy for a company to say that they are "Eco-friendly" or that they practice re-forestation, but how does one know that it's for real and not just "public relations" bs. What can I say, I'm cynical and not inclined to take the word of major corporations when they say nice things about themselves.
 
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