Knives and those that use them

Bobby Bigtime

Senior Member
Like most outdoor folk I love and use knives a lot. I am lucky enough to recreate in true wilderness and knives are an integral part of all things outdoorsy. The bushcrafters, hunters, woodsmen, survivalists, hikers etc... All have their own take on blades and preferences. I dig knives and always have and what folks like is their own business. In days past , whatever knife you carried was expected to do what you needed without a modicum of thought about if you had the right tool for the job. When one ventured out the trusty blade simply went along. Now days there are all these knife experts out there pitching what knives one should carry and the tasks they need to preform, otherwise you are ill prepared. I guess what I'm getting at here is all this time I never gave much thought into if I was packing the right tool. I use to go into the mountains for a month at a time and my knife (whatever it was) was silently doing it's duty. even on minimalist excursions I never once batoned a piece of wood or I guess really needed to. I built shelters and processed fish and game and managed to survive. I don't know about you folks but over time(a lot of time) I have decided that when it comes to knives I like to keep it simple. I like my own hand made models and a few commercial ones as well. Is there too much emphasis placed on what we carry? Or am I just a hard-nosed ol geezer?
 

livinoutdoors

Goatherding Non-socialist Bohemian Luddite
No sir you are right on the money. Simple is good. I carry a folding buck 110. Nowadays its all about selling you something. People in past did a whole lot more with a whole lot less.
 

Railroader

Billy’s Security Guard.
I have been a member of the Knife Culture for over half a century. I have always had an appreciation for anything with a sharp edge.

I have amassed quite the collection over the years, and I carry them all at one time or the other.

Some expensive, some dirt cheap, I like them all. And they will all do the job.

If I just HAD to pick a single knife for all purposes, it would be my Buck 110 switchblade...

But my favorite fixed blade is a Shade Sharpfinger I bought 40-some years ago.

And my favorite folder is a Case Trapper, hands down.

I'm just glad I can swap em out at will, and have dozens to choose from.

Knives are just cool, man.
 

crackerdave

Senior Member
I've loved knives since I was a kid,and wish I had held on to all the ones I've had.Spent most of my grass-cutting money and allowance on knives.
Now I'm 70,and I carry a Leatherman Supertool.It has saved me many a trip to the tool box, but it's not a weapon for self defense.I have only ever had to use a knife in a fight one time,against a baseball bat.The knife was a Buck 110 and it won.
 

Bobby Bigtime

Senior Member
I also have lots of them and like you folks I have choices. The bulk of them stay home and the precious few always go along. You can gut your deer with your Rambo knife, fillet a fish with your buck 110, throw your swiss army at beer cans etc....some are better than others for certain tasks of course. I guess I am burned out on the knife rules that seem to be all too prevalent. I agree ,knives are cool and there are few tools out there as versatile as a sharp point and keen edge. As I have aged I really appreciate quality and simplicity and the skill to use them. I really enjoy seeing what others carry!
 
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Pig Predator

Useles Billy’s Fishel Hog Killer ?
I've carried a lot of different knives in my time too but my favorite so far is the leatherman sidekick my son got me a couple years ago. I never realized how much I used pliers until I had that thing in my pocket.
 

GA1dad

Senior Member
If I just HAD to pick a single knife for all purposes, it would be my Buck 110 switchblade...

I was just this weekend pondering the same "single knife" concept. I have never owned a Buck 110, but my pick is very similar to it. This Gerber has been a great "all purpose" knife. From field dressing, to skinning wire, to making fire tinder, to concealable self defense,,,,, it has served me well and I feel like I could head out for an extended period and not need any other. And as the OP mentions,,,,,, it's pretty dang simple too.

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bullgator

Senior Member
I believe a good folder and a good fixed blade can handle about all a guy needs for everyday use. There might be special situations where a certain design would be a better fit. Like most of us, I have way more than I need simply because I want them. My dislikes are serrated edges and funky blade contours that are designed for marketing to young Rambo folks. Give me a clean and efficient design with a nice flowing edge and I’ll make do.
 

Lilly001

Senior Member
Case trapper for the pocket.
Good fix blade on the belt.
Dressed for anything.
 

Nicodemus

The Recluse
Staff member
I have a fair amount of knives going back close to 65 years and it`s fairly extensive a collection. I think my first gift was a knife. I keep a 1940T Old Timer in my pocket at all times. This particular knife has done and will continue to do it all. I also like my HH Canadian Skinners, both the original and the file knife for deer. For skinning fur I prefer a fresh knocked off flint flake a couple of inches long.
 

Doug B.

Senior Member
It is actually a good thing that there are a lot of different kinds and styles of knives to choose from. A knife that maybe many of y'all carry may not be my choice to carry, just as what I carry may not be what anybody else would want to carry. But I do agree with everybody else here on one thing and that is I can pretty much do whatever needs to be done with the one I carry every day!
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Hillbilly stalker

Senior Member
It might very well be a cultural thing. Where I grew up every young boy, say from 10 years old and up, carried a pocketknife, usually started with a Barlow design. They were cheap, had carbon blades and sharpened up easily. Usually at a little older age they switched up to a stockman of some sorts. The stockmans had three blades, so you kinda used each blade for different things always saving one that had a fine edge. But the one common thing was everybody had one, might need to cut bailing twine, whittle out a whistle or toy canoe or a good ol fashioned game of mumble peg. I usually carry a little bigger knife when hunting, it just makes field dressing a lot easier. While in uniform I always liked to carry a slimmer knife that didn’t look bulky in my pocket but still could be used in a worse case scenario. I have noticed from watching the survival shows, people are learning the true value of a good multi-tool. I never was one for the mall ninja type knives or the Rambo knives. If you know how to use and care for a knife, you can do a lot with one. If I have pockets on I have a knife with me, I keep a cheap spare in each vehicle because I cannot imagine not having one.
 

Jeff C.

Chief Grass Master
I’m a knife addict myself. Not in the sense of a collector,although I have quite a few from small to large, but in the sense of one clipped on a pocket or in it, or a sheathed hanging from belt. If I’m wearing pants there’s a knife, period.
 

Bobby Bigtime

Senior Member
I carry a Buck 110 and a stainless classic Leatherman everywhere.

My woods bag has a KBar and a folding saw in it, and if fish is on the menu I will toss a Rapala fillet knife in my creel bag.
I have a collection of woods bags(possibles) all ready to go. Each has its own knife ( a simple favorite) on the shoulder strap. A folding saw makes banging your knife through a piece of wood unnecessary.
 

Hillbilly stalker

Senior Member
I’ve never understood all the batoning the bushcraft community does. I’ve never needed to. If I was going to make a habit of it, I would buy a cheap lightweight hatchet ($15) and have at it. I never beat on my knife. That’s just not what their for.
 

Bobby Bigtime

Senior Member
I often have one of my own knives somewhere close especially for hunting but I really like my r Murphy knives the skinner(George herter knife) the hunter and their survival knife. They began making knives in 1850 and sadly we're absorbed by Dexter Russell a couple years ago. Oh and I am fond of a Green River Hunter as well. Very simple good blades make me comfortable and happy ?
 

Nicodemus

The Recluse
Staff member
I’ve never understood all the batoning the bushcraft community does. I’ve never needed to. If I was going to make a habit of it, I would buy a cheap lightweight hatchet ($15) and have at it. I never beat on my knife. That’s just not what their for.


I agree. Those bush hippies need to learn to properly care for a knife and how to use it. A knife, no matter how good and well made, will never take the place of a camp ax.
 

jrickman

Senior Member
The imagine themselves being able to take to the woods with nothing but a knife and flint/steel and build Atlanta a few years later. What they all seem to miss is that a couple good ole boys with an axe and a bic lighter would have a cabin built before they got the first good fire going.
 
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