Why bring a folder into the woods?

From above...

The boy scout motto is "Be Prepared." When i was a scout, our troop had a sub-motto that was "when all else fails, improvise." I've found that is easier to be prepared than it is to improvise.

Very true. We had a secondary motto too- "Be prepared, or be prepared to do without." Pretty much the same thing, and sage advice which I still use today.:thumbup:

In response to some of the other replies concerning "that big huge fixed blade hanging off my waist" or in a pack, or wahtever...ffrom what I've read on the forums, the two most popular fixed blades are the RAT-3 and the F1. Neither has a blade over 4 inches. If I had a choice between a 4 inch folder and a 4 inch FB, I'd take the FB. To me, they feel sturdier, and would make me feel more confident. Maybe its a primal thing, i don't know. Its just my preference, and that's what great about it-your preference can never be wrong as long as it meets your paticular set of circumstances and risks.:cool:
 
I've worked outdoors a lot, I still do. I've been a hunting guide, I still do a few long mountain trips (on horses) every year, etc. I see folders as something I carry when I can't have a fixed blade on me, especially one hand opening folders.

As soon as I'm somewhere where a fixed blade is legal, I stop carrying folders. Fixed blades are stronger and easier to clean. The only folding knives I carry outdoors are SAKs, the extra tools make them really useful and having a back up cutting tool isn't bad.

My usual set up is a 4"-5" fixed blade and a Vic Farmer. When I travel on horse (most of the time) I'll add an axe or a khukri to one of the saddle bags.
 
I've said it before, and I'll say it again....

Given your knowledge is decent you will go further with better odds with a decent fixed blade that wont break.

Skam

To me, it sounds like you're admitting that you don't know how to survive with just a folder.

Is this true?
 
To me, it sounds like you're admitting that you don't know how to survive with just a folder.

Is this true?

Genius you are off your lithium. Any more assumptions youd like to make?

Fish somewhere else.

Skam
 
I use the TRILOGY CONCEPT

1 large chopper
1 medium fixed blade for general use
1 small blade for other uses.

some of my setups:

Large: Kabar Kukri
Med: Becker BK7
Small: Wenger single blade folder

Large: Tramontina machete, 20"
Med: Muela stag handled skinner
Small: Spyderco Endura

Large: Alaskan 15" Bowie
Med: CS Bushman
Small: SOG Seal Pup elite

Large: Estwing leather handled hatchet
Med: SOG Seal Tech Bowie
Small: SOG Flash2, plain edge

Large: Estwing felling axe
Med: CS PeaceKeeper
Small: Muela Mouse skinner
 
Franciscomv: good choice! I like hearing from a man with real experience in the field with knives and cutting tools. You've found what works for you and you're sticking with it. I still believe the bottom line to this whole "argument" (what it's turned into!) is to find what works for you and stick with it! Repetitive action with the same tools...or class of tools...will stand one in good stead should a survival situation raise its ugly head!

The absolute best survival tool we have sits between our ears!

Ron
 
I've said it before, and I'll say it again....

Given your knowledge is decent you will go further with better odds with a decent fixed blade that wont break.

Skam
In the outdoors i would probably choose a fixed blade over a single bladed folding knife. But really i wouldn't go out there without at least a multi/SAK Axe/hatchet and usually a generic "BushCraft" sized knife (mora buck etc).

But Skammer as Noss has pretty much proven there is no such thing as an unbreakable fixed blade, any knife will break if you heap enough abuse upon it!
And in the outdoors i don't think depending solely upon any one tool is ever a good idea.
 
But Skammer as Noss has pretty much proven there is no such thing as an unbreakable fixed blade, any knife will break if you heap enough abuse upon it!
And in the outdoors i don't think depending solely upon any one tool is ever a good idea.

Of course but there is massive margins of durability. Depending on a tool and being able to depend on a tool if it comes to that are very different.

I own a 4x4 vehicle and 99% of the time 2 wheel drive is all I need. Its that 1% that I am glad I have the 4x4 option the most.

Skam
 
when I go bush I take my folder because
its allready with me
its a good back up to whatever else I have
there are jobs that I am just more sued to doing with my folder than a fixed blade , as eating , cleaning small game , carving , picking splinters etc its just natural to grab the folder to do these things

I know a fixed blade is strong to pry boulders with or to pound on to split logs , but I dont pry boulders or pound on my knives to split logs so its not such a big deal for me

my folders do everything I want , my fixed blade if I carry it is more of a back up to the folder actually , unless its big stuff Im doing like making really nice slices of meat for jerky , or parting up a carcass ... the folder will do it but a longer fixed blade will do it neater

Im not claiming my folders will do everything anyone else wants or needs them to tho
 
I can see few reasons to bring a folder into the woods, and they've all been mentioned already. You'll bring a folder if you're used to always using one, or if you can't legally carry anything else, or if you're just irrationally in love with folders like someone might be with, say, a brand of beer. Or, you'll bring a folder because you feel like it does the job well enough and has the advantage of being compact and light.

I have always said that in most situations, a person can survive without any knife, folding or fixed, and indeed without any tools but his hands and brains. There are some situations where carrying a blade of some sort is a necessity, but these aren't very common at all. I have, for the hell of it, done some long hikes (numerous days in the woods) without any kind of bladed instrument, and they were all very simple affairs - the lack of a blade only caused minor inconvenience, but that's because I knew what I was doing. If I had screwed something up, like gotten lost in the rather vast forests, a blade would have come in more than just handy.

With that said, when I carry a knife, it's going to be a fixed blade. Why? Well, why not? Why not carry the kind of knife that is both more reliable and more ergonomic in the hand than any other? Why should I carry a folder, a knife already broken in half and by definition unreliable, if I can carry a knife that has very simple construction and is much more reliable and even feels better in the hand? Why should I carry a folder when I can have a more effective cutting tool? I see no reason. Being that I'm not a child, the weight of a small to medium fixed blade is meaningless to me. A 3" to 4" fixed blade is very light indeed to carry, and the weight makes no difference to me. As for the length of the knife, that matters just as little. I carry a rather large backpack, and if I can carry that, I can certainly carry a couple of inches of knife with me. In a good sheath, a fixed blade is a breeze to carry.

There are endless reasons why the fixed blade is superior. Obviously, it is far stronger. It is simpler, far more reliable, and far safer to use. A fixed blade will never, ever close on your fingers, no matter what the hell you do with it. For anyone worried about having their fixed blade run through its sheath to stab them, I suggest you get a better sheath with a strong inner liner. With a good sheath, a fixed blade will not be coming through it, and if it does, the impact is going to be such that it would likely tear apart any folder's construction, too, and have the folder's blade stab you in the guts. The fixed blade is ready to use once you draw it. You never have to play around with uncertain one-handed opener features or fiddly automatics that might fail because there's snow and sand in the system. A fixed blade is simpler to clean, compared to any folder. But best of all, the handle ergonomics on a properly made fixed blade are superior to a folder's, because the handle can be designed only with ergonomics in mind, and it does not have to be large enough to accomodate the blade of the knife inside it.

I understand that some people will not carry fixed blades because of legal reasons. I'm fortunate enough to not have that issue: where I live, a folder is exactly as illegal to carry as a fixed blade, unless you have a good reason for it such as being out in the woods hunting, in which case you can bring a two-handed sword for all anyone cares.

Finally, there's tradition. To call any folder traditional is, to an extent, an insult to tradition. Does anyone here think folding knives were around four thousand years ago? Three thousand? Romans may have used primitive folders for purposes of providing handy eating utensils on the field, but they would rely on fixed blades for any serious use. Traditional knives are fixed blades, tried and true. They worked from the beginning of the ages, and they work still. They work better than anything else. Sure, grandpas in some places of the world used folders a hundred years ago. In some places, they used fixed blades instead. Such is life. Sure, you can call the old folder that your grandfather used traditional, because it's a hundred years old and has wooden scales and a carbon steel blade. Sure, it's much more traditional than flashy modern mall ninja folders with serrations and one-handed opening features. Sure, it's a nice knife, and may be worth a lot of money. But when we start looking at what people used a really long time ago, and what still survives to this day, that would be the fixed blade.

Well, that's what I think, anyway. I've never been one to like folders. My father used fixed blades and only fixed blades, and so did his father and his grandfather. Why use something that's only decent when you could use something that's good and even great?


But Skammer as Noss has pretty much proven there is no such thing as an unbreakable fixed blade, any knife will break if you heap enough abuse upon it!

Certainly there is nothing unbreakable in the whole world of man-made tools. But, you mention Noss' testing. Look at some of the things he does. You will find that some fixed blades will think nothing of being hammered with a steel mallet through 4x4s or having a large man stand on their handle while the blade tip is wedged tightly in wood. If that's not unbreakable enough, then I'm thinking it's best to stay indoors instead of braving the dangers of the outside world. Sure, you can break the strongest fixed blade - unfortunately for this argument, it will require you to try to baton it through steel with a heavy hammer. I don't know about you, but I've never had to baton my knives through steel in the woods. I can't think of any scenario where I would need to, either. And if I did, I guess a folder wouldn't be very useful in that scenario, would it? ;)
 
I've been using axes and knives since I was 9 or 10 and with a friend would borrow them to muck around in the woods behind where we lived. We'd make shelters and fires etc, try to make sure parents didn't notice too much. Anyway my point is, a folder is ok if you have an axe but otherwise it doesn't cut it for chopping up good sized firewood that will burn long for cooking meat or keeping warm all evening.
 
If you can learn to use a folder than a fixed blade of comparable size shouldn't be a problem. My comment on fixed blades was meant about younger kids not about adults I think once you are an adult you should make your own decisions. I've never cut myself with my hatchet (knocking on wood) Sorry about posting so late my father was in a car accident and was in the hospital
 
This thread was started asking why we bring our folders into the woods, not let's bash folders cause fixed blades are stronger. If you want to talk about strong fixed blades go over to another thread that talks about that. I guess since some of you guys don't carry folders then you don't really have much to add to this thread.

edit: Not talking about you BigFrov, I think you posted before I refreshed the page so I'm not directing towards you. Hope your dad is okay.
 
I usually carry 1 folder, although i prefer fixed blades. I like a really sturdy heavy duty folder that i can depend on. Last camping trip I went on I used a Bechmade presidio, and just to see if I could I batoned firewood with it. For regular edc I have a folder 100% of the time and a fixed blade about 50% of the time.
 
But really i wouldn't go out there without at least a multi/SAK Axe/hatchet and usually a generic "BushCraft" sized knife (mora buck etc).
Do you really take all of that every single time you head off in to the woods?

Anyway my point is, a folder is ok if you have an axe but otherwise it doesn't cut it for chopping up good sized firewood that will burn long for cooking meat or keeping warm all evening.
I've never had to chop firewood while camping.
Folks chop up firewood so that the logs will fit inside of their fireplace in their homes.
In the woods all you need to do is drag a small deadfall tree over to your fire (or build your fire under a deadfall tree) and then slowly feed the tree in to the fire.
No chopping required....and you will save LOTS of energy that you would otherwise spend chopping.
And unless you're cooking a whole buffalo, you really don't need a large fire to cook meat.
 
My usual carry is an Okapi lock knife , its got a 4 inch blade ... I see a LOT about having a fixed blade with a 4 inch blade ... I allready got one tho , it IS my folder , and my folder folds , it slips into my pocket or its belt pouch easily and dont get hooked up in my seat belt or in the way when Im driving or pushing thru vines or scrub .
Its been my experience that my fixed blade tangles up and gets in the way , but maybe thats because I dont wear it allways like I do my folder ..
Like I said before I dont baton , I dont pry boulders , and I dont chip thru ice , but I do open rock oysters , clean fish , clean and skin game , my Okapi takes all this in its stride , I love green coconuts , my Opinel does too , the thin blade means I can cut a plug out and drink , then open them neat to get the jelly out :)
I carve a lot , but with my folder , I have a couple marttiini carbon steel mora style knives , they are too thick and bulky tho , my folder is easier for me to do delicate stuff with .
Someone wrote about the traditional knives really being fixed blades ... I spent some time on walkabout with some old people , a bit of a culture trip , they passed on some of their knowledge to us young bucks , we learned new-old tricks , the knives they used were flint , and the longest was as long as my thumb , if you used a flint knife , youll know how sharp they are when fresh , and how they lose it after a while too , so they are used with care and the cutting edge is preserved , not abused ... traditional knives may not have been folders , but they sure werent slabs of hardened steel that could chop firewood to neat lengths either ( not here anyway , we got aussie hardwoods ) , they had to be treated with more gentle care than a folder is today .... in my experience anyway

I personally feel that a folder as basic as the ones I use are WAY ahead of the ones my ancestors ( like 2 and 3 generations ago ) used , and while I definitely know that there are far better stronger knives availiable , these do all I need them to in the bush

I like to have backup , usually I have two folders one for eating , one for working with .

When Im car camping , Ill take extra blades along as well but the folder is there on my belt always ... the rest are backups .

This is just me tho
 
Why carry a folder into the woods, or more right, out from the town?
For me it is because I carry the folder everyday and I do not "unload" stuff when I go into the bush, I just add on.

One other thing is that if you are used to wear and use a folder, for practical reasons, political reasons, mum says so and what not, you will most likely be carrying it when it is needed for real. You are the best man on a wedding and the ring is tied to the pillow and the knot holding it down jams, you are going to a party and you have to get some strings for some baloons but the string is 15 meters long, you are on a nice party and your partner has an annoying thread on her dress and so on. When you are out in the woods and have just gutted a fish or have tree resin all over the fixed knife, the folder is nice and clean to cut the proper food.

Some years ago HRH Queen Elisabeth II were to embark on some small boat tour somewhere, if it was in Sweden or somewhere in UK, anyway. She and her entourage got on the boat and it was to leave. Unfortunately the knot tying the boat to shore jammed on the rope so there were some excitement where soldiers in ceremonial dress with swords and such tried to cut the rope. Eventually some officer observing the event emerged with a folder. It looked quite funny when somewhere about ten soldiers were armed with swords and bayonets but none of them were sharp. It is not easy to keep the appearence with a big fancy hat and frills and bobs and stuff and at the same time relentlessly try to chew off a big hemp rope with a dull sword. :) The news later asked the officer in charge of the whole show what they had done to prevent this and he showed up a knife that he was to carry just in case. Rumours say that almost anyone the next day were armed with knives just in case. :)
So get a small folder, a Buck 110, a Fallkniven U2 or similar. It is so small so even if you were to bring into Verboten areas noone knows. I would doubt that security personell would mess about if they saw you cut that thread on a dress or so anyway.

It is strange though how people react to things. I have seen people trying to cut rope and such with dull kitchen knives and when they have been at it for a while I take out my small folder and solve the problem in seconds and people think I am a mass murdering pedofile Al qaida (the worst thing there is) for carrying a knife, which they say is illegal and I have to read the law to them. Would it have been better that they had slipped with that dull knife and stabbed someone instead.
I intend to get a bunch of U2 folders to give to people I care for or maybe LM multis. Unfortunately they have stopped making the PST.

U2 to the people.... or the new folder from Fallkniven with thumbstud and clip coming in April.
 
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