Ok need a decent Camp folder?

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soapboxpreacher

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Apr 3, 2010
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I love to camp. And when I do I like to attempt to build a shelter, prep wood for a fire, fish and so on. Curve a spoon by the fire with some whiskey is very relaxing!!! I am not out to hike miles and miles I enjoy one place by a lake to relax and take it in. So for my camping I take a few knives with me. I dont like to bring anything too big for I have learned in the past I just dont use the big choppers for they are heavy and only do one thing well...they became a novelty for me...which I find other things to work better at such as a sven saw or a sawvivor. So I carry either an S1 or A1 with me. I have done a ESEE 4 as well as a 6 and a 5 but I like my falknivens better for a ton of reasons. So when I camp I take a saw, medium fixed and I want to figure out a good folder that clips into my pocket. I have a ton of folders now, Mini-Grips, Mini Lawman and full size lawman, HEST Folder, and a few others. I just dont think any of them fit well for camping. Namely fish prep. So it is really for food prep and fish, but also light utility...things the S1 are not too good at. So this folder is kinda of a combination fit. Cant be too big and cant be too small. 4" might do it. I was thinking of getting another Sypderco because the blade profile might be better for pan fish..something my Mora do quite well. I also thought about an Opel as well. Which ones...more over am I missing something here? Let me know what you guys think.

Oh and some notes, as I have already shared but to give you more detail here is what I do with them now. My A1 or S1 handle batoning, heavier carving, light chopping...heavier-to-medium work overall. Saw works better then a big chopper, cutting small logs is easier and faster with it...not as fan but easier. Oh and is actually lighter to carry. Now, I just need that last piece of the pie...the folder. Most of my folders are for EDC and the other I would consider tactical...HEST and Zero Tolerance. Blade shapes are wrong and a little thick...at leas the HEST is. I was thinking the Military of Para-Mil might be a great fit. Good Grind, Point is ideal for cleaning small fish, food prep and stainless for no rust. Just my thoughts at the moment. Looking for what you guys think. Thanks again
 
I like my ZT0551 but I think for your needs and wants a spyderco military, para-military, or FFG endura would be excellent choices. I've used a FFG endura for fish before and it did well, VG-10 is flexible and that helps.
 
For your proposes, I would say a fixed blade would be better. You can't argue the fact that a fixed blade out just plainly stoner than a folder. Look at a Mora if you want a great all-around camp knife, but don't want to drop much cash (beaming is pretty rough on a knife, so your best bert is something with a warranty that covers it, or something cheap).
 
I like the mora too...have a 2000 and a 2010. I need to get an old school wood handle one like cody carries and Dual Survival.
 
For food prep, I'm growing to like the Kershaw Needs Work (got one recently and have been using it around the kitchen for food prep tasks). The handle angles upwards, so you can cut down on a flat surface (like a cutting board) with more of the blade's edge while keeping your fingers elevated off the board. The flat edge has a similar profile to a santoku blade, which works well for chopping, as well as general food cuts. It should also work pretty well for scaling a fish. It only has a 3" blade though, which is a little smaller than what you mentioned.

The Junkyard Dog has a similar handle profile and a longer blade (3.75"). The edge has a slight curvature, similar to a chef's knife. I'd expect it should work pretty well for most food prep as well. The JYD would probably work better for filleting fish due to its longer blade and the slight curved edge.
 
I would be inclined to recommend a FFG Endura. It will process fish just fine and the grip won't slip with fish guts. Slim profile, well made and light to carry.
 
My Para-Mil 2 fits the bill perfectly. Robust enough for light camp chores and yet would make a great small fish prep knife! I really love mine!
 
Checking out the FFG Endura and the P2. Military cant reverse the clip...if so I would do it for it is a little longer making fish work better. But I do like the Endura for the fact that the grip can be cleaned easier and might be better overall with that in mind. Now what steel to get it in? ZDP I dont thing is very good with water...I dont believe it is a stainless. There is always VG-10. The P2 is S30V which is pretty good, not one of my favorite steels like M390. I will do another post/thread on Endura 4 vs P2. Pros and cons.
 
Why not a neck knife like a Becker BK-14 ? It's small (with a fairly husky blade), tough, inexpensive, and there's no locking mechanism\hinges to break.
 
Is a large-ish slipjoint an option (I know you mentioned a pocket clip).

Their thin, flat ground blades make for great fish cleaners/food slicers. Heck, the right Vic SAK could have a scaler and saw in it to boot.

Then there's Opinels. Nothing outslices those suckers.

As far as one-handed openers, I'm kinda partial to the Kabar Dozier Folding Hunter line. The "almost a full grind" on them makes then pretty nice slicers. And they are insanely inexpensive.
 
I want to pick up some Dozier folding hunters and will second marcinek's suggestion of Opinels. Just ordered a couple more of those today.
 
You might want to consider an Ontario RAT 1. It is a very affordable and sturdy knife, takes and holds a decent edge, and the ffg blade makes it an excellent slicer.

rat101.jpg


Opinel would also be a solid choice, as would the Spyderco Resilience. If you want something a little higher end, you couldn't go too far wrong with a Spyderco Endura 4 ffg, Military or Para-Military. All are top-notch, imo.

Good luck! :)
 
If you're partial to Spydercos and mean to use the knife mostly for food prep, I second the Para 2 recommendation. It has a FFG blade with a nice distal taper and slices like a dream, so I'm sure it would pull its weight in a food prep role. I use mine for a working knife and it stands up to that use just fine, too.

Marcinek is also right on the money with the Opinel knife. You could just keep a razor-sharp no. 8 or no. 9 in your pack and use it exclusively for cleaning fish and prepping food. Light as anything and cheaper than borscht.
 
The Dozier folding hunters are nice. Thin, lightweight, solidly built, and inexpensive. Excellent value for the knife. They've got one of the most grippy textures on a Zytel handle I've felt. Blade is about 2.75" long, so it's a bit shorter than what the OP was looking for. Even so, if you supplement it with a longer fixed blade on camping trips, that pair should take care of your knife needs. The Dozier folder is also inexpensive enough to if you damage, abuse, or lose it while camping, it doesn't hurt the pocketbook quite as much.

The Ontario RAT 1 is also a great and not especially expensive knife. This is actually the one I usually take with me on camping trips. It's just a good all-around knife. It's also a bit shorter than the OP was looking for (3.25" blade), but it's built like a tank.
 
Opinel in a backsewn leather neck sheath. Awesome cutter, safer than a slippie and very versatile handle ergonomics.
 
A folder for mainly fish cleaning and food prep I would say a opinel #8 or a 4 inch or so texas toothpick.
 
My only question with an Opinel in this context is "How well is it going to stand up to fish guts/cleaning?" Is the post-disembowelment dunk in the lake gonna swell that wooden handle?

Something with an open construction, dunkable handle and an "Opinel thickness" blade? Forget about it! That would be a fish cleanin', food preppin' monster.
 
I think it depends on skill and the size of the fish.

An old timer and lake sized fish can do it with only one dirty hand.
 
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