Suggestions on hiking knives you opinion

I got by for years with just using a 3 inch bucklite and nothing more. Lately been using a fullsize griptilian, and my son using a mini grip.
I'm not doing any hardcore 6 month appalachian trail stuff........ My hiking is basically in the Ozark Mountains, overnight type of stuff and my knife is mostly getting used for opening food and food prep and cleaning fish. Full size grip has been great but I could get by with the mini, for my needs.
 
Fallkniven F1 & H1 for 4" blade, S1 for 5" blade, or KOLT for 3.5" blade. Any of these would be my first choice. DPX GEAR KNIVES Hest models in 3 or 4" in niolox steel is my second choice.
 
I am hard pressed to find a need for anything fancier than a Mora for hiking and backpacking. But, being a knife guy, I generally carry more knife than I need! Even while packing a high end custom, I always have a Mora in my pack as well. The 510 and the Companion are my most favorite, but you really can't go wrong with any of them.
 
Personally, I would go with a Mora Companion or Bushcraft Black if you want to keep the budget down. Both would be great but just about any Mora would work

If you want to spend a bit on a better knife, I would 2nd,3rd, 4th, whatever the Falkniven F1 or S1. They are outstanding knives that would be great for multi day hiking trips. Light weight and built like tanks.

Any of the above knives would be good "pretty much handle anything" knives. Not perfect at any one thing but would be decent or good at most.
 
Good advice here. I'm proud of the forum as a whole as I often see these type threads denigrate into big knife love fests and arguments over "survival skills" that ultimately are really only good for "surviving" on YouTube. :rolleyes:

I FULLY ADMIT to buying a Gerber BMF :eek: when I first started overnight wilderness hiking/backpacking in the 1980s. This was right on the heels of the "Rambo" craze you have to understand...but I learned in about one year that it was TOO MUCH knife. I never ended up having to build a shelter with it (we carried tents) or chop out an LZ...blah, blah, blah. I replaced this quickly with an Al Mar SERE which worked better. Over the years various fixed blades replaced the SERE. Off the cuff, I recall a SOG Trident, Buck Nighthawk, and a Gerber LMF.

Later, my awesome wife gave me a CS Recon Scout so I did begin carrying that with an Eagle Industries sheath and "survival" goodies in the sheath pockets. As this was a GIFT, I carried it longer than I should have, but learned again (RE-learning something is often more painful than learning it initially :D ) that a 7 1/2 bladed knife (5/16" thick!) is WAAAAAY "overkill" and too much weight for recreational hiking in the mountains of western NC!

Although I do not hike as much as I used to and have done only dayhikes for the last few years, now my fixed blade is usually a Mora Companion (the HD most recently), my folder is usually a Delica PE, and I have a Swiss Champ in my pack. I have a tiny Cold Steel fixed blade on my daypack strap (only about 3" long TOTAL...can't recall the name though...

I am have slowly worked toward being an "ultralight" packer (I'm CERTAINLY not an "ultralight" hiker!) but I still carry the Swiss Champ (which is way heavier than most dedicated "ultralighters" would consider but I think it's utility overrides that mindset, for me...at least.) Then again, most ultralighters wouldn't carry the Glock G26 and spare mag either... ;)

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I often clear trail as I hike gives me something to do and I carry a mora or a serrated Spyderco for hikes.
 
Knifecenter currently has a great deal on KaBar bk5 (Magnum camp) for a larger can-do everything knife.

Couple that with a lightweight Mora Companion/Clipper style and a do-all Swiss Army Huntsman (or whichever model you prefer that suits your wants and needs) and you have a damn near perfect hiking trifecta for right around $125

Leave the bk5 at home for day trips, take it with for overnighters, or when clearing trails and brush may be a regular need.
 
The F1 is an absolute beast for hiking as it doesn't weigh much and is very tough. I also have an Esee 3 which is probably my go to hiking knife for a few reasons.

1. The warranty. No matter what I do to it, I will have it for life!

2. Slim blade. The blade is a fair bit slimmer than the F1 so it's better for cutting and slicing. This is important as I use it for food

3. Sheath. The sheath is better than the zytel one from Fallkniven as it it doesn't rattle and it doesn't need to be unclipped and then removed. I find the Esee sheath is much better for use as a neck knife for this reason. I should also point out that I have fixed the rattle on the F1 but for the price I was a bit disappointed in it.

A couple of problems with the esee compared to the F1:

1. The blade geometry is not as good for processing wood such as feather sticks etc.

2. It rusts easily as its high carbon steel
 
For day hiking I've never needed anything heavier than a Benchmade Griptillian. The mora is a great light knife. I've packed the Esse 4 as well when doing over nighters. Honestly, a SAK and a folding saw is usually more than enough.
 
There is one knife that comes on every hike with me, even if I bring more. It is the Manix2 LW S110v. Big enough to do everything, strong enough to tackle anything, weightless carry. Many over prepare, but I'm comfortable saying its all the knife you'll ever need short of some serious survival bushcraft.
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The Manix 2 is all you need. Same would apply to my favorite Native 5. Great knife.

Back to an earlier mention, I think that you would probably be pretty content with the BK-14 or BK-24 as a hiking companion. I feel sure you can split small wood with one and they aren't big knives. Jut get scales/handles. You'll thank me.

The Fallkniven F1 keeps coming up. It really is a very good general purpose knife and feels good in the hand.

Something along these lines are all you need even for the occasional wood cutting for stakes or whatever. Take along a SAK and the Leatherman Squirt.
 
I am a backpacker, and would recommend going as light as possible. Make a list of everything you intend to take, as pinnah suggested, and carefully consider how much each item weighs, and if you will really use it.

The most important piece of gear to me in the backcountry is a good pair of SCISSORS, not a knife. I always take my Leatherman Micra with me, because I have never once needed a pair of pliers, and the scissors on the Squirt suck IMO. I use the scissors to cut Leukotape, which I highly recommend over moleskin or duct tape, because it breathes. I lay strips of Leukotape on waxy paper that used to have labels, and then I can cut it up into patches of any size, just like moleskin.

If you intend to process a lot of firewood, I would recommend a Silky saw (130 or 170mm) and a fixed blade good for batoning (ESSE 4 / Fallkniven S1 / Becker). If you don't intend to baton wood, but still want a fixed blade, I would go with a Mora or Fallkniven F1 (if you have the money).

Unless you are batoning wood, however, you really don't need a fixed blade for hiking or backpacking. Most backpackers I know don't carry one. The most popular backpacking knife, if you were to take a survey, would probably be the Vic Classic. It has the requisite scissors for foot care, a knife to cut open packages, and it weighs an ounce. If you want a folder, I would recommend a Spyderco Ladybug, Dragonfly,or Delica depending on size preference.
 
4.5 inches of 3V steel for under $100!! Light sheath too.

He does a decent job with this vid. I guess i could use that thing to gig flounder in the shallows under the boat lights at night.

[video=youtube;eK7TafoqxKQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK7TafoqxKQ[/video]
 
Mora 510
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Malanika (Danijel Haramina) puukko
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Opinel N°10
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All very lightweight and plenty robust for average hikes.

Need more chopping and you could pick up a light tomahawk or Fiskars hatchet. FWIW, I did an overnight fishing trip in the Rockies with only a Fiskars mini hatchet (AKA Gerber BackPaxe), no knife. Did all I needed it to and more.
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Zieg
 
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I carried the Benchmade 710 along the Appalachian Trail. You can get the newer 710-1401 with nicer G10 and an M390 blade. Wow... what a combo that would be for long distance hikes.

I'm excited to give the new 15080 Crooked River a trial run. With S30V steel, its got a fraction more blade, handle length, and thickness all for less than an ounce more than the 710.
 
pinnah said:
Naw,

My best recommendation is to go the major online bookstore and order "The Backpacker's Handbook" by Chris Townsend. It is far and away the best overview of backpacking equipment and technique. It is even better than Colin Fletcher's "The Complete Walker", IMO. It is shorter, more concise and Townsend moves more towards lightweight choices without going overboard.

The second bit of advice I can offer is keep packing lists for both your day hikes and your overnight trips. If you're like the rest of us who've been through the just getting started phase, we tend to compensate for our lack of experience with a "just in case" mindset for packing, which leads to too much. Too much food. Too much clothing. Too much knife.

The third bit of advice since you leave in the northeast (roughly) is to order a Batchstovez 2.0 alcohol stove for about $15. Get a simple foil windscreen with it. Then, boil water once a day for 2 weeks or so in your back yard. If you do this, you will gain confidence and experience with one of the most important pieces of kit - your stove. This will allow you to walk all afternoon in the cold rain with utter confidence that you will have a warm meal once you're in camp.

My preferred backpacking knife selection is the Leatherman PS4 Squirt and Opinel Inox #10 (or #9).

Outdoor Carry by Pinnah, on Flickr


For ultralight trips, the Squirt is enough. The blade is sufficient, the scissors help with bandage prep and the pliers can drive a needle and thread through packstraps and can fix zippers. Note, on UL trips I rely on prepackaged or precut foods and use my spoon to spread things like peanut butter. When weight is not paramount (most times) I carry the Opinel. It is light enough to always be in my pocket and does great with food and wood.

If you want to stick with what is usually on the shelves at Walmart, I would recommend the Gerber Dime to replace the Squirt and the Buck 721 Slimline to replace the Opinel. The Buck's steel is really excellent, it is very lightweight and the blade shape will deal with food well and the Dime is a reasonable replacement for the Squirt.

Hope this helps
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Much wisdom here!

Smarticles, clothing, and being comfortable with the equipment are way more important than a particular blade and will go much farther in terms of helping you be comfortable and enjoy the trip.
After years of doing multi day hikes, I settled on a combo of a leatherman (pst) and light weight blade. The leatherman has been responsible for so many equipment repairs over the years, I'd never go on a trip without one.
The rat1 went on my last couple of trips but a mora is a rocking suggestion. Light and easy to lash to a pack and super easy to deploy.
Truth be told, the Leathermans knife is sufficient but..... But I'm a knife guy so feel like I need to have a dedicated blade on me.
 
Steve6387 said:
Truth be told, the Leathermans knife is sufficient but..... But I'm a knife guy so feel like I need to have a dedicated blade on me.
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Bingo! Being that we're all knife guys, what we might recommend might be a fair bit more than typical backpackers, unless they happen to be knife guys as well! It also depends on how someone looks at backpacking. If the goal is to knock off a certain trail or climb, what might be carried could be different than someone hiking in to a pre-determined spot to camp for an over nighter. I've done a fair bit of both and carry different knives depending on the end goal. My outdoor knife has been a Grohmann #3 since 1990, but it's more of a "destination" knife, where backcounty camping is more of the goal. For multi-day hikes/paddles, it's a small multi-tool paired up with the folder I happen to be lovin' at the time.
 
Steve6387 said:
Much wisdom here!

Smarticles, clothing, and being comfortable with the equipment are way more important than a particular blade and will go much farther in terms of helping you be comfortable and enjoy the trip.
After years of doing multi day hikes, I settled on a combo of a leatherman (pst) and light weight blade. The leatherman has been responsible for so many equipment repairs over the years, I'd never go on a trip without one.
The rat1 went on my last couple of trips but a mora is a rocking suggestion. Light and easy to lash to a pack and super easy to deploy.
Truth be told, the Leathermans knife is sufficient but..... But I'm a knife guy so feel like I need to have a dedicated blade on me.
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Yep. And Colin Fletcher in his Complete Walker talks about getting by with a Vic SD Classic and considered breaking off the nail file in a fit of weight consciousness! I always got a kick out of that. Then I found just such a knife in my brother's junk drawer, done by mistake when he was prying something open. The scales had cracked and were falling off, the toothpick and tweezers long since lost. It was a Colin Fletcher special, a skeletonized SAK with only knife and scissors. It's around here somewhere. I'll post a pic sometime.

Zieg
 
The Zieg said:
Yep. And Colin Fletcher in his Complete Walker talks about getting by with a Vic SD Classic and considered breaking off the nail file in a fit of weight consciousness! I always got a kick out of that. Then I found just such a knife in my brother's junk drawer, done by mistake when he was prying something open. The scales had cracked and were falling off, the toothpick and tweezers long since lost. It was a Colin Fletcher special, a skeletonized SAK with only knife and scissors...
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Yes, I also went through my "weight weenie" phase for a long time. Then one day I just had laugh at myself and it kind of dawned on me that maybe instead of drilling holes in my toothbrush to shave a fraction of an ounce, I ought to stay in better shape and lose 10 or 15 pounds ... ;-)
 
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