I have seen people living in campsites, in tents for very long periods of time.
I know what you mean. Come to Duluth and look underneath any highway underpass near the lake. Fresh water is a huge benefit here
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Really? Is it necessary?
- Thread starter J.Davey
- Start date
I know what you mean. Come to Duluth and look underneath any highway underpass near the lake. Fresh water is a huge benefit here
.Why do I carry a Sebenza? Not because of conspicuous consumption (seriously, I've never met anyone in person who could recognize how nice of a knife I was carrying)
You brag about to anyone with your same interest, right?
Some were made to do more than cut and pierce.
I guess I never "HAD TO" pry with my knife, nor chop a tree with my knife – but it sure was convenient!
Convenience or laziness to supply yourself properly? Really. I hate to keep saying this, but I'm REALLY not trying to be an a$$.
Because I often don't have a full complement of tools handy.
Than, outside of an emergency, you shouldn't be in the situation you've found yourself in.
I spend a lot of time outdoors, with just what I can carry. Often, I have to carry around 20-30 pounds of photo gear (I do outdoor photography for a living), plus a few dozen pounds of backpacking gear, climbing gear, food and water, etc. It would be too much to take a large set of specialized tools, too. So I take a knife that can handle many jobs, if necessary. It may not be as efficient at each task as a more specialized tool would be, but it's designed to be sturdy enough to handle various uses.
I've made this offer before, and I'll make it, again: I welcome any "right tool for the job; knives are meant just for cutting" people to become my unpaid porters, and follow me around in the wilderness, hauling a prybar, a shovel, a pick, an axe...
Many of the tools you've mentioned could be improvised with a good pocket knife.
A pick??? REALLY?
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I'll state right off the bat that I'm not trying to start silly arguments, considering I have fallen into this IDEA (I almost wrote 'marketing scheme") that a person needs a knife to be anything and everything.
(sidebar: I still look for the best of all worlds, so don't hate the playa'
Why do we expect so much from a tool that was made to cut and pierce? In my 37 years, 25 of which I've carried some kind of knife every time I've left my home, I've never HAD TO use a knife to pry, cut bone, or chop through cinder blocks, bricks, etc. Not even a tree! So, why is it so important for a knife to do all of these things that man has created other tools to do? I admit that I posted a similar question a couple of weeks ago, but not so specifically. Anywho...
...is this just the human condition driving us to find the best single tool possible? I'll reserve my overall opinion for a bit. I want to see what your opinions are.
In reference to your earlier post, about staying on to the original post, I think my post was misinterpreted.
Knives that are good at "hard use" tasks are generally those that are more expensive than knives that are focused on cutting/slicing. A $10 Opinel is an excellent slicer, but it's not going to stand up to "hard use" as well as a $200-400 folding prybar monstrosity like a Strider or a ZT (no offense to you Strider and ZT guys and gals). The extra capability of the knife is reflected in the price.
Is a $400 knife necessary to cut open an envelope? Is a $400 knife necessary to cut down a tree?
On the other hand, I have a Leatherman Charge (the titanium version cost me around 100, but I think the other versions are around 60ish) that provides just about every capability I could think I would need on a day to day basis.
But I don't carry it. Too heavy, too bulky, and it's too awkward to use the knife on it.
Does my Sebenza offer more capability than the Leatherman? No, it does not. But it does offer other things, like ease of use and comfortable carry.
I've made this offer before, and I'll make it, again: I welcome any "right tool for the job; knives are meant just for cutting" people to become my unpaid porters, and follow me around in the wilderness, hauling a prybar, a shovel, a pick, an axe, a saw, etc., for me to use. If anyone volunteers to be my unpaid tool porter, keeping all variety of tool convenient for me to use, then I'll gladly use my knives strictly for "proper knife tasks".
I'll make this offer to you, and I mean this completely. You come to Duluth, in mid-November, with nothing but your knife and your warmest clothes, and I'll show you why I posted this. Oh yeah, we may hike together, but I won't help you and 'just your knife' at all...until need be. I'M DEAD SERIOUS!
(I have never pulled off a cocky stance on BF, but...well, I hope ya' get it.)
Nonsense. Of course you are.
Suggesting to me that I'm not supplying myself properly, by taking a tool which can handle it all adequately albeit less efficiently. And suggesting to me that doing so is being lazy. And then telling me I shouldn't be in situations to use a knife for other purposes besides cutting, outside of an emergency.
You're both trying, and succeeding!
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I have to ask, though; would you use your (assumption) $500 Busse to cut down a tree before a $30 hatchet IF YOU DIDN'T NEED TO? This is the point I'm trying to get at. Other than the non-experienced, most people wouldn't wander off the trail without being unprepared. Unless there is some extreme circumstance, I just don't see the issue. Most knives by reputable manufacturers (even Cold Steel...had to throw that in just to ruffle feathers...but I meant it), would suit most people's needs.
I certainly would use my $30 Fiskars axe before using my $400 Busse for cutting a tree, but for any tool's intended purpose it should should have certain amount of "strength" to it. It's this search for "strength" in ourselves and our tools that we continue to improve upon to make our lives easier.
Let me ask you if improving a cutting tool's performance necessary, if not, a $30 Buck should suffice all your cutting needs. It's our technological improvement that enables us to make our lives easier, and it's our "wants" that makes us improve upon current standards, push the envelope.
Do I think purchasing a Busse over a Buck necessary, certainly not, but do I want the "best" that technology can bring us, you bet ya!
Except for Cold Steel's "Marketing" method, I do believe a continuous search for better materials and heat treating method a essential part of humanity (I mean cutlery lovers) to improve upon itself and its tools.
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I've always had a softer spot for my knives than my guns, mind you I love them both but if push comes to shove it's a knife all the way. With that in mind it seems to me the companies that market the best have the most hardcore fans that support their products and allow them to market to more people. I like Cold Steel and think Lynn Thompson is a funny SOB, I also really like Busse's no nonsense approach to the "Family" line of badass knives. I plainly hated both of them when I first started on Bladeforums, now after owning alot of each these are the knives I truly enjoy the most. You can beat the hell out the Cold Steel folders and who cares, they are cheap all under a hundred bucks and I got my Recon 1's 2 for 60 bucks from the Special Projects. The Bussekins you can smack up and the guarantee is the saving grace for putting out more coin. So there is a perfect knife to buy into, you just have to find yours.
If these things you've mentioned are stripped away from you? Think about it; no gas, no medicine, no clothing, NO FOOD? NOT NECESSARY? Can you get these on your own with your ONE do-all blade, especially over time?
Once again, I'm just trying to get real ideas, opinions, etc.
:thumbup:
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With a knife you can make a spear, fire and assorted traps, I would rather have that one tool than any other if there were no comforts.
Agreed. But fire, traps...fire is a tough one without the proper tools. Honestly, I think that, in modern day a knife would be my final option in starting a fire.
Yet, it doesn't really answer my OP:
Is a "do all, be all knife" a necessary tool?
Really? I asked a question, and you challenged me. I accepted. I don't think I've been a douche' at all. I may be wrong. If so, I apologize.
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Marketing, Yep! It Works!
I wanted an upgraded pocket knife, lets say from a Soddie; pocket clip, frame lock and a improved steel, not buy much though. The high price came with this knife though. But I use it like a folding knife was designed to be used, basically to cut.
Great thread. :thumbup:
I wanted an upgraded pocket knife, lets say from a Soddie; pocket clip, frame lock and a improved steel, not buy much though. The high price came with this knife though. But I use it like a folding knife was designed to be used, basically to cut.
Great thread. :thumbup:
Agreed. But fire, traps...fire is a tough one without the proper tools. Honestly, I think that, in modern day a knife would be my final option in starting a fire.
Yet, it doesn't really answer my OP:
Is a "do all, be all knife" a necessary tool?
Oh yeah, I do agree that SOME kind of sharp-edged tool is necessary, but I'm referring to the "be all-end all" knife that is so prevalent in today's market.
i don't need a knife that can cut though a cinder block, i can break those with my head!
:thumbup:
Thanks, Lycosa. I really think others are kinda' missing the point. It happens. Oh well.
Some were made to do more than cut and pierce.
I guess I never "HAD TO" pry with my knife, nor chop a tree with my knife but it sure was convenient!
(Than you weren't prepared; right? Tell us about your situation. Honestly, I would like to know, and that pertains to your following statement.)
Because I often don't have a full complement of tools handy.
I spend a lot of time outdoors, with just what I can carry (bladewise...axe, hatchet, pocket knife, belt knife...what do you carry?).
Often, I have to carry around 20-30 pounds of photo gear (I do outdoor photography for a living), plus a few dozen pounds of backpacking gear, climbing gear, food and water, etc. It would be too much to take a large set of specialized tools, too. So I take a knife that can handle many jobs, if necessary. It may not be as efficient at each task as a more specialized tool would be, but it's designed to be sturdy enough to handle various uses.
I've made this offer before, and I'll make it, again: I welcome any "right tool for the job; knives are meant just for cutting" people to become my unpaid porters, and follow me around in the wilderness, hauling a prybar, a shovel, a pick, an axe, a saw, etc., for me to use. If anyone volunteers to be my unpaid tool porter, keeping all variety of tool convenient for me to use, then I'll gladly use my knives strictly for "proper knife tasks".
I really am just curious. You obviously have experience.