Ray Mears: "I have seen too many folders give way"

Can you spot the sharp object?
is
 
Knives&More said:
While I agree you don't need a fixed blade, most people prefer them. Most older knives I have seen use a liner lock or lockback, which are not as strong as the Axis lock, TriAd lock, frame lock, etc. So I think its just an older way of thought that has stuck around.
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More important than a lock's pure strength is reliability. A properly-made lockback knife will serve just fine for most tasks that fit a folding knife. As long as it's used within the obvious limits of a folding knife, and one makes sure that the notch of the lock is free of lint/dirt and other debris.

As already mentioned, a non-locking pocketknife like the Victorinox Farmer is an excellent knife for many outdoor environments as well. Just know your tool's strengths and limitations.

Jim
 
One thing to remember is that a folder doesn’t have to have a lock fail to close on you.

A long day of hiking so you’re tired. Your hands are cold and a bit wet from the weather. You’re not fully paying attention to what you’re doing and all of a sudden you’re bleeding. It happens.

I carry a folder a lot in the summer months for short trips but if it’s a long trip, bad weather or I plan on using a knife then I’ll bring a fixed blade. Mora companions are lighter then a lot of folders out there.
 
I see absolutely nothing wrong with packing a pair of fixed blades into 5 star restaurants. I do it all the time. :D I have never needed to USE one in said restaurants, but I had them.

I may not be packing 1219C2s, Kabar shorties, or Bowie knives when doing so though. More likely it would be a pair of Kabar 1230s and/or Muela stag or wood handled Colibris.
 
I'm going to chime in with a personal opinion

A lot of folding knife injuries happen when opening and closing due to...and or stress, fatigue, panic, nonchalant usage and just not thinking
Fixed blade eliminates the lack of attention guillotine when closing( seen so many cuts from this!)
 
I've watched a bunch of Ray's stuff, and he has changed some of his opinions over time. It could very well be that 30 years ago he had run into a few bad folders, and formed an opinion of them. Since he's the kind of guy who doesn't spend a lot of time with new gear, just new skills, it would make sense if he hadn't really re-evaluated folders apart from SAKs for a long time. As far as the rest of the debate, well, its a summation of half the outdoor skills sub.
 
I could see where drilling divots or holes in bushcraft work could cause a liner lock to fail.
 
Whether the Mears statement is accurate or not, why try to fit a square peg into a round hole? A fixed blade is much more convenient for most woods processing tasks. There are purpose built blades that have the right steel, correct grind, are much easier to maintain and care for, can still accomplish what a folded would be used for on backpacking trips, and are just as lightweight. Why not just get one of the lighter Mora options and be done with it?
 
John Jobson, old time outdoor writer and author of "The Complete Book of Practical Camping" talks about his friend and guide, Johnnie Johns, "who lived and hunted, fished and trapped in the Yukon bush for nearly 60 years." Johns carried a single blade, 3 1/2 inch lock back (a Remington Bullet) from around 1925 to 1960 when he gave the knife to Jobson. Reportedly Johns had used the knife and "skinned out well over 100 grizzlies, plus scores of other animals like Dall sheep, caribou, moose and beaver." Jobson also wrote "I have seen Johnnie fashion a very effective cold-weather woodburning tent stove with this knife, and used two 5-gallon oil cans. As anyone knows who has tried to cut them, the metal is pretty tough. With this same knife, Johnnie cut an end out of each can and fitted them together with force. Next he cut a door, draft, and a stovepipe hole. Without sharpening the knife he cut fine wood shavings and built a roaring fire." I do prefer a fixed blade myself, but I think the example above demonstrates the skill of the user has a lot to do with what performance a person can get out of a particular knife. I have nothing against Ray Mears and have enjoyed a bunch of his videos, but when you put his "Bushcrafting" experience against a man who spent 60 years in the Yukon, I think he comes out a distant second place finisher. John
 
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In my very early teen years, I had a few extremely cheap lock-back knives fold backwards.
It was actually rather funny; "How the hell did that happen? Hey guys, come look at this crappy knife!" :D

I solved the problem though...I no longer buy extremely cheap, amazingly crappy knives. ;)
 
John A. Larsen said:
John Jobson, old time outdoor writer and author of "The Complete Book of Practical Camping" talks about his friend and guide, Johnnie Johns, "who lived and hunted, fished and trapped in the Yukon bush for nearly 60 years." Johns carried a single blade, 3 1/2 inch lock back (a Remington Bullet) from around 1925 to 1960 when he gave the knife to Jobson. Reportedly Johns had used the knife and "skinned out well over 100 grizzlies, plus scores of other animals like Dall sheep, caribou, moose and beaver." Jobson also wrote "I have seen Johnnie fashion a very effective cold-weather woodburning tent stove with this knife, and used two 5-gallon oil cans. As anyone knows who has tried to cut them, the metal is pretty tough. With this same knife, Johnnie cut an end out of each can and fitted them together with force. Next he cut a door, draft, and a stovepipe hole. Without sharpening the knife he cut fine wood shavings and built a roaring fire." I do prefer a fixed blade myself, but I think the example above demonstrates the skill of the user has a lot to do with what performance a person can get out of a particular knife. I have nothing against Ray Mears and have enjoyed a bunch of his videos, but when you put his "Bushcrafting" experience against a man who spent 60 years in the Yukon, I think he comes out a distant second place finisher. John
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I think anyone with even an ounce of humility would agree that they were not near the equal of someone like Johnnie Johns, and I'd like to think that Ray would agree with your assessment.
 
rswanson said:
There are purpose built blades that have the right steel, correct grind, are much easier to maintain and care for, can still accomplish what a folded would be used for on backpacking trips, and are just as lightweight. Why not just get one of the lighter Mora options and be done with it?
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No mora can compete with my opinel on weight and I find it more convenient to pocket carry than have a knife dangling off my belt. On top of that if I'm hiking and pass through a town a knife on the belt will raise alarm bells whereas the knife in my pocket will not.

As for sharpening, i appreciate the mora scandi grind for its word working ability but the convex ground opinel or my Vic farmer is just easier to maintain with a small pocket stone. I sometimes carry the tiny Victorinox field sharpener or a fine diamond rod and its a breeze to touch up a non-scandi edge with one of those, not so easy with a scandi edge knife.

I appreciate there are lightweight fixed blades but taking into consideration my requirements for being non-offensive, lightweight and easy to sharpen in the field a good quality folder seems better suited to me...especially as I am not going to be drilling or batoning with it.
 
John A. Larsen said:
Johnnie cut an end out of each can and fitted them together with force. Next he cut a door, draft, and a stovepipe hole. Without sharpening the knife he cut fine wood shavings and built a roaring fire." I do prefer a fixed blade myself, but I think the example above demonstrates the skill of the user has a lot to do with what performance a person can get out of a particular knife. I have nothing against Ray Mears and have enjoyed a bunch of his videos, but when you put his "Bushcrafting" experience against a man who spent 60 years in the Yukon, I think he comes out a distant second place finisher. John
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35 years of hard whittling and cutting through an oil can seems to demonstrate that a good quality locker will not fold backwards
 
Nottingham Forest said:
35 years of hard whittling and cutting through an oil can seems to demonstrate that a good quality locker will not fold backwards
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Or it proves that with enough skill, even a mid-grade knife can be made to over-preform. I mean the Ginsu knives are all in user. It could be both, but a skilled user can get performance out of any tool that others cannot. I'm guessing Johnnie was a very patient man.
 
Nottingham Forest said:
No mora can compete with my opinel on weight and I find it more convenient to pocket carry than have a knife dangling off my belt. On top of that if I'm hiking and pass through a town a knife on the belt will raise alarm bells whereas the knife in my pocket will not.

As for sharpening, i appreciate the mora scandi grind for its word working ability but the convex ground opinel or my Vic farmer is just easier to maintain with a small pocket stone. I sometimes carry the tiny Victorinox field sharpener or a fine diamond rod and its a breeze to touch up a non-scandi edge with one of those, not so easy with a scandi edge knife.

I appreciate there are lightweight fixed blades but taking into consideration my requirements for being non-offensive, lightweight and easy to sharpen in the field a good quality folder seems better suited to me...especially as I am not going to be drilling or batoning with it.
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What are you using your knife for?
 
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