ultralight knives?

Another voice of support for the KaBar Dozier - just the regular drop point one. Keep the clip, tie on a short lanyard onto a medium sized carabiner.

Its cheap, AUS8 steel is "OK" and its a compact lightweight construction.

Having said that the same applies to any of the smaller Spyderco models.

In the past, while hiking (i don't do any climbing etc.) I've found one-hand opening functions to be very important. Also leaving on the pocket clip even if you use a lanyard is very useful, it allows you to stow the knife within easy reach while manouevering between cutting chores. Jason.
 
The regular trailmaster has a sliding lock (which seems pretty solid), like the workchamp and others, but it is not one hand.

I think a medium/larger opinel paired with a small SAK (swiss army knife) farmer or hiker (a small one with a wood saw) would take good care of you and be very light. Should be able to get the sak for 20 and the opinel for 10-12 (search online stores). The small SAK will have some other blades and screwdrivers good for prying etc.

Or, look at some of the other 110mm SAKs with saws. Rucksack and others would all be good and are not too heavy. I think most of these can be had for near 30. If saltwater or moisture is a major concern the SAK steel will not rust.

If you had 40.00, I would go with the Spyderco CalypsoJr FRN. There are still some at newgraham.com as of yesterday anyway. Very lightweight, tough and VG10 (stainless) steel really holds a good edge. Has a lanyard hole in the handle and very smooth one-hand locking operation. Blade is 2 7/8".

I do like the two-knife option though. If one fails or you lose one etc...
 
Bowzer said:
If, however, you are going to be around the water a lot, I would suggest one of the other excellent choices mentioned by others that are stainless steel and easier to open than the Opinel when wet.
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ohh man, i was completely sold on the opinel till i saw that. thanks for the heads up. i will be kayaking all summer, and will probably have to clean a fish or two in a bind. but the chance of being in the water is semi good. too bad b/c i was really into the nice wood look. looks like the dosier is the way to go for me.
 
kenai said:
ohh man, i was completely sold on the opinel till i saw that. thanks for the heads up. i will be kayaking all summer, and will probably have to clean a fish or two in a bind. but the chance of being in the water is semi good. too bad b/c i was really into the nice wood look. looks like the dosier is the way to go for me.
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:confused: Wood and water don't mix well (woods swells and makes knife harder to open),regardless of manufacturer. I'm not sure why exactly you thought using a knife with wooden handle along that much moisture/water could be a good diea :rolleyes:
 
faramir said:
:confused: Wood and water don't mix well (woods swells and makes knife harder to open),regardless of manufacturer. I'm not sure why exactly you thought using a knife with wooden handle along that much moisture/water could be a good diea :rolleyes:
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well silly me. im not going to be swimming with the thing in the water, there is just a chance it might get wet. no more than anyone else. i was only concerned about it being my only knife and the fact that it cant be opened when it swells.
so thanks for the sarcastic reply, and ill have you know that since i read some other posts about curing the problem with the opinel using oils etc., i am reconsidering it as it seems to be a good "cutter", which is exactly what im looking for. fish cleaning, cutting veggies, slicing meat and cheeze.
 
kenai said:
well silly me. im not going to be swimming with the thing in the water, there is just a chance it might get wet. no more than anyone else. i was only concerned about it being my only knife and the fact that it cant be opened when it swells.
so thanks for the sarcastic reply, and ill have you know that since i read some other posts about curing the problem with the opinel using oils etc., i am reconsidering it as it seems to be a good "cutter", which is exactly what im looking for. fish cleaning, cutting veggies, slicing meat and cheeze.
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Geez if that was sarcastic reply i'm the queen of the US. This is a sarcastic reply, at least this first paragraph :rolleyes:

Wood swells when moist (when exposed to water). Kayaking does invlove alot of water (obviously), even if one always stays turned up. You were looking for a very light solution so it seemed obvious that you'd go for a single kniferather than carry 3 backups just in case if one swells too much. As much as i like my Opinels (i EDC #9) because of their wooden handle they simply don't fit the bill for watersports and humid environments in my opinion.

It will cut everything you mentioned upthere, it is avaliable in stainless version ("inox") but it won't hold well in water; i don't suppose it would be possible to immerse it in enough oil or wax to prevent any water from coming in and making the wood swell. I live in moderate climate and don't immerse my knife in water so this is not a problem. You're looking for a single lightweight knife and IMHO you should put reliability ahead of style when this is the only knife you plan on packing, given the things youplan to do while carrying this knife. YMMV.

This isn't about pro or con Opinel, it's about picking the right tool for the job. Divers' knives don't look very pretty with those shiny plastic handles but they know why they make them that way - they are impervious to water. Water and wood don't mix well.
 
faramir said:
:confused: Wood and water don't mix well (woods swells and makes knife harder to open),regardless of manufacturer. I'm not sure why exactly you thought using a knife with wooden handle along that much moisture/water could be a good diea :rolleyes:
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and most of us probably don't know why you thought everyone would know that. :) play nice.
 
exactly. i understand the water swells wood thing, i just dont know that much about knives, as u see this is my first thread here. i didnt realize that the wood would make the knife inoperative.
and i wasnt choosing the opinel over the ka-bar for the looks or whatnot, tho i do prefer the look of the wood knife. i do feel the opinel is much lighter, and def. much cheaper.

the ka-bar dosier seems like a sweet knife, but it is also super heavy. well not super heavy, but its over 2oz. thats more than my cooking stove. i guess with how cheap the 2 are, i could get one of each. the ka-bar is easy enough to decide, im just going to get the drop point hunter, but as far as the opinels go, im still deciding which size to get. the stores have them listed quite oddly(closed legnth). im going to try and get one with a 2.75 blade legnth and use this as a lighter option for my normal hiking excursions when i wont be near water.
thanks all
-w
 
kenai said:
exactly. i understand the water swells wood thing, i just dont know that much about knives, as u see this is my first thread here. i didnt realize that the wood would make the knife inoperative.
and i wasnt choosing the opinel over the ka-bar for the looks or whatnot, tho i do prefer the look of the wood knife. i do feel the opinel is much lighter, and def. much cheaper.

the ka-bar dosier seems like a sweet knife, but it is also super heavy. well not super heavy, but its over 2oz. thats more than my cooking stove. i guess with how cheap the 2 are, i could get one of each. the ka-bar is easy enough to decide, im just going to get the drop point hunter, but as far as the opinels go, im still deciding which size to get. the stores have them listed quite oddly(closed legnth). im going to try and get one with a 2.75 blade legnth and use this as a lighter option for my normal hiking excursions when i wont be near water.
thanks all
-w
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they make cooking stoves that weigh less than 2 ounces? :eek:
 
I don't own ka-bar dozier folder so i cannot comment on its usefulness or other characteristics (other tahn nothing that since it has no wooden parts it wouldn't swell and decay). My EDC is Opinel (as stated before), but admittedly i wouldn't take it with me if i went kayaking. A lanyard hole would seem even more important in that case (Opinels dont have one so you'd have to drill one yourself) so the knife doesn't get lost. People suggested a couple of lightweight folders but weight reduction comes at a premium (higher price and lower overall strength of the blade, the lightest knife out there might not hold out for as long as you'd like it to).

That dozier folder sounds like a very good compromise between weight, reliability & quality and price. If compromise on weight cannot be afforded you're pretty much stuck with narrow selection of few ultra-light knives mentioned before :)

*edit* on Opinel length: i own both #8 and #9. #8 feels like "grandpa's" blade, something i would comfortably peel and slice fruit (apples) with while sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch or whittling away at a small shunk of wood. Most people seem to prefer #8. I EDC #9 though which feels considerably larger, despite the fact that the blade is only 0.5 cm (1/5th of an inch) longer. The blade is wider and the handle is both longer and thicker, it just feels bigger in your hand. #9 is what i prefer for whittling and everyday chores. When buying an Opinel make sure you're getting one *with* the locking ring (called "virobloc"), the difference in price is miniscule. At $10 or less apiece you can hardly go wrong.
 
sting7777 said:
they make cooking stoves that weigh less than 2 ounces? :eek:
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LOL yeah titanium triad -cant simmer with that one
and mine: brasslite

there are also hundreds of do it yourself designs that weigh arond a few grams. basically just 2 soda can bottoms faced away from each other and squasshed together. poke holes, fill with denatured alchy. and light.

another crazy thing, is my entire sleepin shelter currently weighs 2lbs. thats tarp, bivy, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad. most peoples tents weigh 4-5lbs.!
 
If you want light, please consider an FRN knife from Spyderco.
The calypso Jr. is very light, has a lanyard hole, removable clip and a very solid stainless VG10 blade. (Can get it for 40.)

Take a look at www.spyderco.com, they have quite a few that meet your length and weight requirements. When you find the model you like, enter the name in google and search, or use Froogle to find a low price, you might find something really good on sale somewhere...FRN makes for light knives.
 
kenai said:
any idea on the weight difference? is it noticable?
thanks on the tips
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Just weighted them:

#8 = 44 grams
#9 = 57 grams

and to put things into perspective:

Kershaw Vapor = 90 grams
Kershaw Vapor II (a heavy folder in my opinion, no ER but heavy anyway) = 127 grams

The difference in weight between #8 and #9 is hard to notice anyway, it's the difference in [handle] size that you will feel.
 
The lightest thing is to carry no knives or tools at all. This sacrifices a lot of utility and you are stuck trying to use sharp rocks when you need to cut something. So it is worth a little extra weight to carry a knife. By the same reasoning you sacrifice a lot if you don't have any other tools along with you. You may cut yourself and damage your knife if you try and use it in place of a screwdriver or can opener. Ultralight knives are real bad if you have to do a little prying. I suggest a Swiss Army Knife with a locking blade. The Adventurer model is only two spring channels thick and is very light for its size. I wouldn't backpack without mine. Heck I don't go out and fetch the mail without mine. An extra couple ounces may save you an awful lot of grief. You can generally find these at discount stores and online they are around $20.00. The blade is 3.25" which is a good utility length. The blade is a bit thicker than your smaller SAKs. Here are the specs:

http://www.october.com/knives/bob/tool/adventurer.html
 
Didn't plan on interjecting my two cents, but then I changed my mind...

As I understand it, you're currently choosing between the Dozier and the Opinel. I like the Opinel myself for its thin carbon blade, large handle, and simplicity, but....since you did mention water, I would still be looking at the Dozier pretty seriously. I've found one handed opening to be very helpful up here and around water, especially when fishing from a canoe or other small boat. It's also alot less overall movement of the body, and alot less chance of losing your favorite rod and reel while monkeying with yer knife. The blade on the Dozier would also be alot less of a maintenance pig, which could be an asset since you don't sound like a dude that's into blade worship.

I know it's a probably a big difference in weight and all, but maybe you could take a really good crap before you hit the trails to make up for it? :D

Anyhoo, best of luck to ya, and happy hiking and all.
 
thanks for the weights faramir, thatll help.

for those of you suggesting the spyderco calypso jr., its a nice looking knife, but its a bit pricey.

no im not the type of dude to worship my blades. just a sharpening here or there when i notice them dulling.

im going to find a place that sells them both and score a kabar drop point hunter, and an opinel #8.. or #9.. still not sure. :cool:

ohh almost forgot. re: the sak's. i do appreciate carrying one around on as a edc, (im getting good at the lingo, no) for convienience, but on a camping trip, i simply have no need. im going to be in the middle of nowhere, with no cans, so no canopener. nothing i have can be screwed or unscrewed. any type of prying i need to do i will do with something else. really the only need i will have for this knife, emergency or routine, is a simple cutting blade.

thanks for all the help everyone. i truely apreciate it.
-w
 
kenai said:
no im not the type of dude to worship my blades. just a sharpening here or there when i notice them dulling.
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Make sure you pick up stainless ("inox") Opinel then, not the high carbon one. It costs ~$0.50-1.00 more or so but it won't rust (under normal circumstances) and won't leave odd metallic flavor in certain types of food (fruit that is high on acids, etc.).
 
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