I see a lot of folding knives used for outdoor activities like camping, fishing, and even hunting. The modern one hand folder seems to have made a v ery large inroad in the knife field.
Okay, I admit I'm an old fart, but in my younger day, I never saw a folding knife used for much outdoors stuff. Sure all men back in the 1940's and 50's had a pocket knife if they had pants on, but they just used a pocket knife for things like opening mail, cutting a piece of twine, or a package opener. In those days all packages were held together with twine. Most common knife was some little two blade pen knife.
When it came to camping, hunting, or just about anything outdoors, the most common knife seen on a person was a sheath knife. They were called sheath knives in those days, the term fixed blade wasn't around. But then all handguns were called pistols, as in 'old Joe was a sharp shootin pistolaro'.
Where I grew up down on the eastern shore of Maryland, just about every man who didn't work in an office in town, was a waterman or farmer, and they all hunted and fished. And they all had a well seasoned little leather handle Case or other brand little Finn style of knife on their belt all the time as they went about their everyday life. Nobody looked twice as it was so normal.
The most common knife I remember seeing around hunting or fishing camps were the stacked leather handles, like on Case little Finn's, also made by Ka-bar, Western, and a few others. Blades ran about 3 inches to about 4 inches. In the late 50's one started to see those German imports from Edge-brand with one piece stag handles. I guess the sheath knife was easy to keep clean, just swished around in a creek or lake and then wiped on pants leg or bandana.
I wonder if for the purpose of possible survival, does the folding knife have anything going for it at all? I mean exept for being able to fit in a pocket. It's a weak design by the nature of the best, it's prone to being messed up by dirt in the action, and it's a PITA to keep clean.
I wonder if the Scandinavians have the right idea, and use a sheath knife like their puuko's for everything. Need a pocket knife, use a small puuko that fits in a pocket.
Last winter I had to have my left thumb operated on for a tendon problem, and for a few months I couldn't use my sak's too well, not to mention any of my other regular pocket knives. I took to using a Buck Hartsook for just about everything, or a Mike Miller custom pocket fixed blade. When my hand healed up, I tried to go back to a regular pocket knife, but soon went back to a pocket fixed blade. Easier to use, and no hinge to worry about. Just pull out and use. Wipe it off to clean it. Got real used to the no fuss pocket fixed blade. Now I've got to the point where the only use I have for a folding knife is for a small pen knife size sak on my keychain to open mail, and other light duty jobs. With a small puuko or other fixed blade in my pocket, I feel if there is an emergency, I have a better knife right from the start.
For the subject of survival, does a folding knife have any place at all in the scheme of things?
Expounding on that question, does any folding knife, aside from the most modest pen knife for 'polite company', have any real use at all when compared with the sheer utility of something like a Brusleto Rognald or Baldor?
I guess thanks to the aging thing and some hand problems, I've got to the point where I question why bother with any knife that folds?
Okay, I admit I'm an old fart, but in my younger day, I never saw a folding knife used for much outdoors stuff. Sure all men back in the 1940's and 50's had a pocket knife if they had pants on, but they just used a pocket knife for things like opening mail, cutting a piece of twine, or a package opener. In those days all packages were held together with twine. Most common knife was some little two blade pen knife.
When it came to camping, hunting, or just about anything outdoors, the most common knife seen on a person was a sheath knife. They were called sheath knives in those days, the term fixed blade wasn't around. But then all handguns were called pistols, as in 'old Joe was a sharp shootin pistolaro'.
Where I grew up down on the eastern shore of Maryland, just about every man who didn't work in an office in town, was a waterman or farmer, and they all hunted and fished. And they all had a well seasoned little leather handle Case or other brand little Finn style of knife on their belt all the time as they went about their everyday life. Nobody looked twice as it was so normal.
The most common knife I remember seeing around hunting or fishing camps were the stacked leather handles, like on Case little Finn's, also made by Ka-bar, Western, and a few others. Blades ran about 3 inches to about 4 inches. In the late 50's one started to see those German imports from Edge-brand with one piece stag handles. I guess the sheath knife was easy to keep clean, just swished around in a creek or lake and then wiped on pants leg or bandana.
I wonder if for the purpose of possible survival, does the folding knife have anything going for it at all? I mean exept for being able to fit in a pocket. It's a weak design by the nature of the best, it's prone to being messed up by dirt in the action, and it's a PITA to keep clean.
I wonder if the Scandinavians have the right idea, and use a sheath knife like their puuko's for everything. Need a pocket knife, use a small puuko that fits in a pocket.
Last winter I had to have my left thumb operated on for a tendon problem, and for a few months I couldn't use my sak's too well, not to mention any of my other regular pocket knives. I took to using a Buck Hartsook for just about everything, or a Mike Miller custom pocket fixed blade. When my hand healed up, I tried to go back to a regular pocket knife, but soon went back to a pocket fixed blade. Easier to use, and no hinge to worry about. Just pull out and use. Wipe it off to clean it. Got real used to the no fuss pocket fixed blade. Now I've got to the point where the only use I have for a folding knife is for a small pen knife size sak on my keychain to open mail, and other light duty jobs. With a small puuko or other fixed blade in my pocket, I feel if there is an emergency, I have a better knife right from the start.
For the subject of survival, does a folding knife have any place at all in the scheme of things?
Expounding on that question, does any folding knife, aside from the most modest pen knife for 'polite company', have any real use at all when compared with the sheer utility of something like a Brusleto Rognald or Baldor?
I guess thanks to the aging thing and some hand problems, I've got to the point where I question why bother with any knife that folds?
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