What are you looking for in an outdoor knife?

[psy-ops]

Fiddleback touched on most of it. Plain and simple to keep the price down. I like them fairly thin but strong. Filework or grooves in front of the slabs on the spine for my thumb to grip on (easy to create, big draw for me on design). Solid, comfortable, yet grippy when wet handles (probably micarta). No coating. Two pins and a tubed hole for a lanyard. No choil. Full tang. Good quality steel, properly heat treated, that holds an edge but is reasonably easy to bring back in the field after use. Leather has always been my preference in a sheath but for extended use in the field, well crafted kydex with a teklok may be a better choice.

The description above fits reflect my ideal as well. :thumbup: esepecially his sheath choice!

 

[Big Mike]

I generally prefer tool steel, but your choice of the Bos heat treated stainless takes a lot of the worry out of the equation for me.

I prefer a full convex grind for its ease of maintaining and its support of the edge.

I like a nicely contoured handle, slab sided scales don’t cut it for me.

Your clip point designs look pretty good to me, especially #4 (clean and simple), the guards and notches on the others seem a bit gimmicky to me.

I like a leaf shaped blade ending in a strong central point for bushcraft type tasks. I think that modifying your “Companion” design to a drop point instead of a clip and extending the blade length slightly would make a nice knife. A blade just shy of 4” with a full size handle, say 8.5” overall, would make a useful addition to your line-up.

By the way, Bob Dozier’s been using The Companion name on one of his models for years.

JRE makes a nice sheath, I think a pouch style sheath would best suit these knives (and help keep the prices down). Though #2 would probably need more elaborate flat back sheath with a retention strap unless you eliminate the top guard.

Come to think of it. #2 without the top guard and the choil cut-out would make a good looking knife in my eyes. Keep the spine flat and make it available as both a clip point and a drop point, add a simple pouch sheath; I think you could keep the price down and make a very affordable and attractive package.

Just one knife user’s opinion, you did ask after all.

Good luck, I look forward to seeing some knives.

 

[LongRifle]

Thanks Mike!

The dropped edges come from years of forging blades (and using them ). The drop might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I want the performance of a broad blade.

FYI, the handles are all contoured .

Thanks again guys!

Matt

 

[Bob W]

A bit about my outdoor practices, to place the following knife needs in context. Most of my time outdoors is spent hiking and backpacking. I follow a strict no-trace / low-impact outdoor ethic. Most trips my knife is never used, and when it is it's generally for mundane chores such as opening coffee packs, cutting nylon cord, food prep, picking splinters, that sort of stuff. I don't hunt and generally don't fish. I've never needed to saw, chop, or dig anything.

So here's what I look for in an outdoors knife:

Light weight. I spend most of my outdoors time hiking and backpacking, so unnecessary weight is not welcome.

Small size. Must fit comfortably in pocket, or not take up much pack space.

Reasonable price. I won't carry anything that can't easily be replaced.

Difficult to lose. A lanyard hole, locking sheath, and bright colors would be favorable.

Cuts and slices well. A thin blade with fine edge.

Folding or fixed. I have carried locking folders, but prefer a fixed blade for simplicity and hygiene.

Best Wishes,
-Bob

 

[texastonydobbs]

A bit about my outdoor practices, to place the following knife needs in context. Most of my time outdoors is spent hiking and backpacking. I follow a strict no-trace / low-impact outdoor ethic. Most trips my knife is never used, and when it is it's generally for mundane chores such as opening coffee packs, cutting nylon cord, food prep, picking splinters, that sort of stuff. I don't hunt and generally don't fish. I've never needed to saw, chop, or dig anything.

So here's what I look for in an outdoors knife:

Light weight. I spend most of my outdoors time hiking and backpacking, so unnecessary weight is not welcome.

Small size. Must fit comfortably in pocket, or not take up much pack space.

Reasonable price. I won't carry anything that can't easily be replaced.

Difficult to lose. A lanyard hole, locking sheath, and bright colors would be favorable.

Cuts and slices well. A thin blade with fine edge.

Folding or fixed. I have carried locking folders, but prefer a fixed blade for simplicity and hygiene.

Best Wishes,
-Bob

:thumbup:Sounds like you described the green blade Orange G10 scale RAT Cutlery RC3 .like my avatar...IMO

 

[tarmix101]

I want to spend less than 200. I want to have a comfortable handle. I want NO CHOIL. I want the edge to come right up to the handle, ie NO RICASSO. I want full tang preferably.

FB and I see eye to eye on this one, except I would like to see more mortinised tangs. Lighter, and warmer in the hand.

Something a long the lines of a Skookum bush tool with:

• mortinised tang
• wood or micarta scales (hand filling scales, not for a Smurf)
• no butt cap
• no choil or ricassco
• option for full flat, or scandi would be nice as well
• under $200.00
• nice pouch style leather sheath
• carbon steel, O1,52100,1095,A2
• thin blade .125
• 3-3/4" to 4" blade
• no blade coating (gets in the way when carving)
• edge right into the handle, or very very close

 

[Bob W]

Sounds like you described the green blade Orange G10 scale RAT Cutlery RC3 .like my avatar...IMO

You know, I do like their designs and would certainly like to own one.

But probably wouldn't carry a RAT unless they released a new model that was smaller and lighter. Say 4"-5" overall length and keeping the weight under 3oz.

The RAT price is good, but an >8" knife is not going to fit in my pocket and my current hiking knife weighs only 0.8oz. I could go for a bit more weight in exchange for a full tang, but the overall size of the Rat 3 eliminates it from consideration.

One example of what would work:
Take the RAT 3, shrink it down to 4-1/2" total length. Keep the full tang, but use a thinner steel. Round off the sharp point at the butt. Replace the expensive and heavy G10 with orange zytel, FRN, or similar. Work out a locking sheath system (I'm not familiar with the RAT sheaths - maybe they are locking). And absolutely lose the blade coating.

Something else that would really hit the spot, a fixed-blade Victorinox Solo!

 

[DFW_Dave]

Sorry to jump right into this thread, but the Salish really caught my eye. Could I perhaps persuade you to elaborate slightly on why you enjoy the knife so much, DFW_Dave?

I like it because:
the blade is S30V
good heat treatment
thick but still able to use it in the kitchen
the handle is very comfortable and the texture on the scales make it very slip resistant
the design gives full use of the blade (no choil) with a slight guard
the sheath that came with it was more than adequate

In summary the blade is all utility, nothing wasted.

 

[koyote]

I designed a fixed blade sak style knife a decade and a half ago for a contest. I still think it's an interesting idea, but I think i'd rather have a customizable sak utility tool that kangaroo'd next to a fixed blade. If I was more into machinist type knifemaking I would probably produce some. Or maybe someone will design a corby bolt system mod for victorinox knives.

I love this thread- I've been seriously looking at and even trial grinding some bush/woodcraft knives. I tend to like a spear point a little better overall.

And while I accept the arguments for the grind, I like a little bit of a dropped edge for some fine work and it makes maintaining the edge a lot easier for me. Mind, I'm talking about something around a quarter inch of a drop.

I need to finish a jig I'm working on to make scandi grinds easier, then set on a pattern and start trying to offer it up.

Something no one has mentioned that I have started really liking in carving - the "convex chisel" grind. I have some 100+ year old draw knives that have this type of edge that are really wonderful to work with.