Orange handle slabs a life saver?

[onebagnomad]

I know folks here in W&SS tend to be fans of fixed blades (I do too), but I like to carry a folder as well. I've been looking at purchasing a new folder and am noticing that blaze orange G10 seems to be catching on (or at least often offered), particularly in Spyderco's products. I'm assuming the reasoning behind the color is being able to find your knife if dropped in brush/ground cover/low light/water conditions. Has anyone here been in said situation and believe that they owe finding their blade to the brightly colored slabs? Leaning towards the orange (partial colorblindness makes this a real scenario for me) and would love to hear other's thoughts on this trend's advantages/disadvantages.

 

[Bushman5]

yes, couldn't agree more.

I would like to see blaze orange and neon green slabs offered.

 

[SouthernCross]

.... I'm assuming the reasoning behind the color is being able to find your knife if dropped in brush/ground cover/low light/water conditions. Has anyone here been in said situation and believe that they owe finding their blade to the brightly colored slabs? .....

No, never :thumbup:

If I put my knife down, I have always known exactly where I put it down and I have never moved off without collecting it first.

IMO, absentmindeness has no place in the wild




Kind regards
Mick

 

[lk3331]

i find bright colored handles more sheople friendly

 

[Gadgetaholic]

i find bright colored handles more sheople friendly

Could be.
Sheeple reasoning: if you were a serial killer you wouldn't have chosen a bright orange knife. Or bright orange is the colour for safety, not murder.

 

[myright]

No, never :thumbup:

If I put my knife down, I have always known exactly where I put it down and I have never moved off without collecting it first.

IMO, absentmindeness has no place in the wild




Kind regards
Mick

You're right, but cold hands mean less dexterity and an increased chance of dropping your knife. I can think of other factors that would lead to dropping a knife.

I agree that one should always know where they put things when out and about. Losing something could prove fatal in the right/wrong scenario.

I own two orange handled knives - an SDS Camp knife and a BM Griptilian. I didn't get them so I could see the handle, I just liked the way they looked.

 

[Scott Free]

IMO, absentmindeness has no place in the wild

I can't remember the details, and don't recall who was specifically responsible, but either Lewis or Clark walked off without the expeditions navigation equipment and lost a few days in retrieving it.

As for me, I left a knife at a camping spot. I returned the next day relieved to find it again. Most of my gear has at least of touch of orange on it. That one didn't at the time.

 

[C_Kyle]

...bright orange is the colour for safety, not murder.

That's funny, right there.

 

[facablade]

I know folks here in W&SS tend to be fans of fixed blades (I do too), but I like to carry a folder as well. I've been looking at purchasing a new folder and am noticing that blaze orange G10 seems to be catching on (or at least often offered), particularly in Spyderco's products. I'm assuming the reasoning behind the color is being able to find your knife if dropped in brush/ground cover/low light/water conditions. Has anyone here been in said situation and believe that they owe finding their blade to the brightly colored slabs? Leaning towards the orange (partial colorblindness makes this a real scenario for me) and would love to hear other's thoughts on this trend's advantages/disadvantages.

I agre I thinh BLAZE BLUE color is the best for bush becouse is so uncommon in nature
Always you can but bright lanyard cords to your knives

 

[tltt]

Once read a OSHA report that yellow was best for for safety applications. Your eye tends to pick it up the best.

I like a dash of color on knives, it's much easier to find a bright knife amoung fallen leaves or even in a gear bag.

 

[Calebklyne]

Once read a OSHA report that yellow was best for for safety applications. Your eye tends to pick it up the best.

I like a dash of color on knives, it's much easier to find a bright knife amoung fallen leaves or even in a gear bag.

yellow is picked up better by your eye yes, however yellow slabs would likely blend in a bit better if they were dirty

 

[Sardukar]

I have Bark River Gameskeeper II, Blaze Orange G-10!!! Last week me and my wife went up to the mountains and the orange handle only helped me to find him after the knife dropped from a bridge! So do not think and took a orange!

 

[6shooter]

I agre I thinh BLAZE BLUE color is the best for bush becouse is so uncommon in nature
Always you can but bright lanyard cords to your knives

I agree, in fall orange is quite common in the woods, if I was to opt for brightly coloured slabs it'd be blue, though orange looks pretty nice. Neon green would stand out pretty well too, along with pink if you've got the balls.

 

[Planetcat]

I have not attributed finding my knife because of orange slabs, but nearly lose my hunting knife in the field every time I am gutting and/or skinning something. I've since then gotten an orange BM Griptillian, and have put bright yellow electrical tape on the slabs of my fixed blades that I used for hunting. It's amazing how your eyes will naturally draw to the bright color instead of having the flat black or camo colors blend in on the ground. So far it's working out great. No more lost knives.

 

[John G]

On the other side of the coin, we have camouflage knife handles. I've never understood the need for this.

 

[Raining]

While I would not expect to lose a knife by misplacing it, accidents do happen.

I slid down the side of a mountain once and lost a leatherman multi-tool (the original, too!) that was on my belt - it came out of the sheath and got buried in the snow.

Maybe bright orange would have helped at that time, maybe not...

 

[jw2n]

I do not like the orange handle personally, but I can understand their purpose. I have lost a couple of knives in my lifetime, but it was in an urban, not rural, setting. Like a previous post stated, I have installed neon 550 thongs on some and like it because they can be simply removed if desired. During one of my trips to Alaska, we were constantly in deep snow. The majority of us tethered our knives to our belts or sheathes with about three feet of 550. When sheathed the cord is halved in length. A few quick wraps around the handle cleaned it up. It didnt make for the quickest use, but no knives were lost out of the two months we were there.

 

[TheGame]

They may be able to be found easier, but I really prefer more subdued colors.

 

[Joezilla]

I almost lost my Condor Golok in Peru due to the handle color. I finally attached a reflective cord on it just so I could find it. I'm a believer. Plus, it keeps the easily scared at bay with the festive color.

 

[Gadgetaholic]

On the other side of the coin, we have camouflage knife handles. I've never understood the need for this.

It's for when you knife just has to look tacticool!

I actually have one knife with camo scales - it was only $15 and not a bad knife for the money, there were no other colour options listed.