What blades are in your backpacking kit??

If its an overnight or longer I bring a decent sized fixed blade (Bark river kephart, Kizlyar supreme savage, Becker bk16) but if its just a day hike I bring either my Northwoods Hiawatha or a comfortable folder like my cold steel ultimate hunter.
 
GREENJACKET said:
Staying on the track then there is a lot to be said for carry not much blade. Leave the track then sure a little more might come in handy.

...Trying to chop a log with a 7" or 8" knife is to me just dumb... thats what a saw is for or even an axe.

Anyhow, its the style, build, and handle that is important not size. Whatever you go for make sure it can cut not bludgeon. Again, I'm leaning towards small fixed more and more with a keen edge and leave the big jobs to more specialised tools.
A multitool and a small fixed or quality folder is plenty
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Great line-up you have there :thumbup:. Thanks for posting those. I have a very similar philosophy in this :), "less is more" still wins in many occasions...
 
ALWAYS a folder. A year ago it would have been a Hinderer 3.5" XM-18. Now it would very likely be a Spyderco Endura 4. If the trip is more than a half day I would likely bring my Survive GSO 3.5. Soon that too will be replaced by a Spyderco Aqua Salt plain edge. I'm a notorious over-packer so light weight gear is very important. If the trip is longer and I am traveling by boat, bike or car I bring my Danial Fairly Knives "Camp Knife" which is a light weight ~9" bladed beast.


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Leatherman Wave
Fodale Knives Hale or Benchmade 162
sometimes an izula or BHK woodsman
 
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I go hiking with my Todd W. True Saber in W2 w/ carbon fiber scales or my Alan Folts Minimalist cpm154. Both are very streamline under the shirt.

Took my GSO 4.1 3v on my last hike - never pulled it out. Didn't need it with the True Saber around the neck. I like my Bark River Necker II in cpm154 w/ attached scales but the rare magnet leather sheath pretty much doubles the weight, and it has a chunky profile.

As far as the ultimate hiking saw goes: Silky Super Accel 210 w/ Large teeth blades. She's a bit long but weighs in at 7 oz. Sorry Bahco boys :D
 
Its surprising how little "knife" is needed for most of the time.
This isn't a bad choice, my son carries something similar when skiing:
https://www.victorinox.com/uk/en/Pr...Knives/Swiss-Soldier's-Knife-08/p/0.8461.MWCH

For dicking around in the woods then mores the better. Canoeing and Kayaking then a few choice tools. Truck mounted then pile it on.

I'm a Silky Saw fan. Tip: The trick is straight pull strokes and straight resetting. Its the pushing to reset that everyone gets wrong as they do it too fast and with force. No force required and straight and loose deliberate set is faster than fast and useless! Its not sawing, but pulling and resetting, pulling and resetting.
The longer Silky blades are more efficient, but being longer they take more time and precision to reset, but then on the pull they cut deeper.
Pulling is no effort, use body weight, and resetting even less effort. If the wood pinches then you cut or set up wrong.. undercut a wedge first.
Again if you get yourself in a sweat then you are doing it wrong. The challenge is: "how effortless you can do it"; cack position is your fault.

If you are sweating like a pig and huffing and puffing you are probably using a Laplander or Bahco saw. (Just love the "experts" :rolleyes: on y tube trying to prove they are better than a Silky).
Saws:
IMGP7594.jpg
 
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There really is something reassuring about carrying a substantial long blade like the Hankos. Its just that they in reality get carried a lot and don't get much use. If there is real work to be done then bigger more specialised tools are just so much better. Saws are more efficient, and compliment a small knife very well indeed. Its a pretty safe well trodden track in most places now.

Spyderco with their serrated blades have a real place for emergencies and anything to do with ropes. For medical packs and climbing kit they excel. I still think they are specialised kit as I prefer a straight edge for knife tasks on the whole. Everyone should have a Spyderco with serration's as they are well worth the carry.
 
GREENJACKET said:
...Spyderco with their serrated blades have a real place for emergencies and anything to do with ropes. For medical packs and climbing kit they excel. I still think they are specialised kit as I prefer a straight edge for knife tasks on the whole. Everyone should have a Spyderco with serration's as they are well worth the carry.
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I shared your point of view until I realised that I didn't need to carry both (plain and serrated) for an alpine climb... Cheese, sausage, sandwitches, packaged food and the (ocasional) piece of fruit (way to heavy to haul up a wall)... stand no chance against well sharpened serrations! :D :D :D Usually the plastic in the food packages just stays put in one serration as you slice it clean. True, the food cuts are not as clean as a those made with a plain blade, but is not that we are going gourmet stile while sitting on a ledge munching on something!

BTW... you mentioned SPYDERCO SERRATIONS (I fully agree)... I was looking the other day at some Cold Steel knives with serrated blades. And I realised that I don't think I would be able to sharpen the smallest serrations with a sharpmaker... How on earth am I supposed to sharpen those if they ever need it??? Is there any special device suitable for it?

Mikel
 
My thoughts on serrated knives is they don't last long if used full time. Their first factory edge is always the best they will be. A quality Spyderco will last years if only occasionally used. I do resharpen mine once in a blue moon if necessary, but even doing my best is never quite as good as when first new. And I do think Spyderco do serrations best. Some makes are almost disposable/throw aways. My very old Leatherman Wave's serrated blade isn't very serrated any more... well shows its wear. So for holiday use they are great, or even professional occasional use. Because they are so effective well worth having. But for EDC and large regular work loads then a straight edge just lasts longer and easier to maintain. Others may disagree; just what I think and I am a fan.

They are a good one for mountaineering and the slopes. Compliments a SAK, which I carry to tighten bindings.
Pretty yuck for bushcraft.
 
I don't like serrations at all. I have never had trouble cutting rope with a sharp plain blade.
I carry a midsize folder in my right front pocket, something slim & good for peeling apples. & a 4 inch FB. A helle Harding or BRKT canadian special.
If canoeing, I take a half axe & a spade. I haven't found a good spade yet. The last one only lasted one trip.
 
Spade, this is what I use:
Links to LIVE eBay auctions are against the rules!
OOps, sorry. Do search for Titanium Special Forces Spetznaz shovel. I've a picture of it in one of my threads with big choppers somewhere.

They are titanium and very light weight and plenty strong. Do a search and they might be found in the USA. I've bought several from Russia and they have always arrived 3-4 weeks later. Cold Steel's steel SP spades are great for the truck, great for throwing, but weigh a ton. ThesE titanium ones are great if a bit/very expensive, but isn't everything titanium. Get a Cold Steel cover as they are better and do fit.
 
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Most people think CS serrations are single use, and once broken or dulled they believe they have basically a throwaway blade.

CAM01726_zpsp0lnjn6t.jpg


But,, even though CS serrations are much finer and have a more fragile construction than Spyderco's they bite deeper into soft targets (i.e. flesh, meat) and rip more agressively.

20150730_192438_zps6ydtnbhu.jpg


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Now, don't use them on anything harder or a bit tougher, as they'll break, snap and split with ease, leaving you an ugly, irregular pattern.

20150818_092121_zpsneftks02.jpg


20151209_155142_zps71903zvo.jpg


They are harder to sharpen, but it is not impossible, and Lansky designed a specific sharpener, very similar to the Croc Stick sharpeners for Spyderco, that fits the CS pattern and matches exactly the valleys and peaks.

20151209_155951_zpsixvuweli.jpg


Both finer and larger scallops can be sharpened simultaneously this way.

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Larger scallops can be sharpened alone, though, with a tapered rod (like DMT's) and cut effectively for a long while.

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Anyways, it's just a matter of patience and having the right tool for the job

20150730_192505_zpsgsqixn9f.jpg
 
GREENJACKET said:
There really is something reassuring about carrying a substantial long blade like the Hankos. Its just that they in reality get carried a lot and don't get much use. If there is real work to be done then bigger more specialised tools are just so much better. Saws are more efficient, and compliment a small knife very well indeed. Its a pretty safe well trodden track in most places now.

Spyderco with their serrated blades have a real place for emergencies and anything to do with ropes. For medical packs and climbing kit they excel. I still think they are specialised kit as I prefer a straight edge for knife tasks on the whole. Everyone should have a Spyderco with serration's as they are well worth the carry.
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It is a Horkos. It is not a whittling blade. I don't "carry it". It stays on my pack no matter what. It has a very specific purpose that is hopefully never realized.

Might help to qualify your statements so it is clear you are stating your opinion.
 
If I see a blade with serrations I just move along and keep on looking.

I think I have only three knives with serrations. An old Benchmade CQC7 I bought 20 years ago - the knife that proved I do not like or want serrations, a Spyderco Native OIF still in package which was gifted to me and which I never have and never will use, and an old Camillus C-4 scout knife with the small secondary serrated blade.
 
Fully serrated Spyderco H1 is an amazing thing. I was a skeptic until I tried it.
 
Craytab, see my post 50 of my views on longer blades. Sorry for the copy/typing error Horkos, its not a knife I know but looks ok.

A well executed serrated blade such as a Spyderco do have a place in any cutting armoury. Certain materials they can zip through for sure.
 
GREENJACKET said:
Spade, this is what I use:
[Don't quote links to LIVE ebay auctions!]

They are titanium and very light weight and plenty strong. Do a search and they might be found in the USA. I've bought several from Russia and they have always arrived 3-4 weeks later. Cold Steel's steel SP spades are great for the truck, great for throwing, but weigh a ton. ThesE titanium ones are great if a bit/very expensive, but isn't everything titanium. Get a Cold Steel cover as they are better and do fit.
Click to expand...

Thank you.
 
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GREENJACKET said:
Craytab, see my post 50 of my views on longer blades. Sorry for the copy/typing error Horkos, its not a knife I know but looks ok.

A well executed serrated blade such as a Spyderco do have a place in any cutting armoury. Certain materials they can zip through for sure.
Click to expand...

Post 50 was not made by you.
 
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