Field solution to snapped knife?

[Falstaff]

I managed to snap a cheap knife off at the solid plastic handle while doing something in the kitchen, and thought, what would I do if I'd done that out on a trip?
I normally only take one knife with a blade of any length with me.
I'm left with about a 5inch blade with an edge on it the full length, and a blunt lump of hard black plastic. I don't think I could melt the blade back in or halve the handle.
I suppose the other option is to reduce its length by tying 2 halves of a stick around it as a handle, leaving maybe a 2 inch blade, but stabilising a sharp blade between two short halves out in the wild would not be easy. Also would be no good for say battening or cutting anything that needed more effort to cut.

Any suggestions/ideas?

 

[hughtrimble]

This should be good! I had similar but with an already shorter knife. The stub left in the wooden handle protruded enough to still be used as a Stanley-type knife so I kept it, but the blade I had no ideas for.

I'd be very wary of the rather high risk of the blade in a jerry-rigged handle biting you as it inevitably comes loose. Perhaps safest would be a draw knife-type arrangement, with the broken ends hammered into some sticks?

Be interested to hear what the more experienced lot suggest.

 

[Chris]

I know it’s not the answer you are hoping for, but I would just not take a knife that is likely to snap, and if it was a critical item I’d have a second one with me.

As mentioned above, a bodged fix in the field sounds more like a recipe for potentially serious injury than any potential benefit from ‘fixing’ it.

 

[John Fenna]

"Two are one, one is none" ... Knife Guys ...
Always carry some kind of back up - you can snap anything!
I have even seen photos of a snapped MOD Survival knife!
I would try to blunt the edge for 3", leaving a 2" blade and bind the blunt bit with cord or tape from your mending kit (you do all carry a repair kit don't you ?) - this would be less prone to failure than tied on wooden handle IMHO...
I usually carry at least an Opinel No 9 as well as my fixed blade...

 

[Herman30]

First and foremost make sure the knife you have is a full tang. And secondly don´t misuse the knife, a knife is not a prybar.

 

[Pattree]

I have much the same right here but in my case I cut a lump from the bottom end of a carving knife.
I shall grind down 1/6 -1/4 on each side and make a recessed handle.

But

You asked for a field fix.
Rub the “handle” length of the edge on a stone to remove the cutting edge.

Wrap the handle in paper (newspaper works well), about five layers then wrap in paracord. Paper is a good anti cut material if it doesn’t move against the edge that you’ve removed.

The vast majority of camp jobs can be done with a 60mm blade (or no knife at all come to that).

 

[Tengu]

First and foremost make sure the knife you have is a full tang. And secondly don´t misuse the knife, a knife is not a prybar.

That is what I was thinking

 

[C_Claycomb]

Propper mechanical sympathy goes a very long way to not needing a full tang. If you are heavy handed enough you can break full tangs too.

If you are just out for a jolly, I would be very reluctant to do a field fix.
But, the ones described would be how I would do it. Blunt on a stone, wrap with something cut resistant, over cover for grip and security. I might well carefully melt a plastic handle to use as glue to stick the blunted blade into a wood handle. And more melted plastic to lock cord wraps in place.

I always have at least three knives, the sheath, a one blade folder and a SAK or multi tool.

 

[stonepark]

Any suggestions/ideas?

Kitchen knife steel is generally not outdoor quality, if you are carrying a decent knife in the field to start with, it should not be an issue if you are using the knife for the purpose it is intended. However accidents and breakages can happen.

I carry a SAK and a belt knife in general (various types) and in addition have a back up Mora Companion HD, Light My Fire or Kansbol as my backup knife in rucksack when outdoors bushcrafting/fishing/hunting and whilst not generally as heavy as my belt knife, will do till I get home.

So in the wilds, I have at least 3 blades (sometimes 4 depending on SAK model if it has a small and large blade).

Then if I know I will be processing firewood, small forest axe sharpened to shaving sharp or saw (and if a modern silky type pull saw, it can cut quite effectively as well), so other blades of sorts.

 

[Tony]

blunt off the edge for a couple inches, get the plastic off and set it into a stick handle, it would work fine if you had a ring (bit of copper pipe?) that could be used to help keep the blade in place. Same principle as making knives from old saws etc...

 

[Falstaff]

Thanks for all the suggestions.
Seems to be fairly consistent view of this a) carry more than one knife b) blunt it and wrap, preferably with tape.

I've always been bothered by the risk/legality issue of carrying big knives/multiples. I only bought a cheap Mora last year and previously have for years only travelled with a folder, usually only the one, often a leatherman.
I don't normally cut much wood except for the odd tent peg or emergency tent pole/prop. But sometimes they do get a misuse beasting.
With the restrictions on overseas travel I'm thinking that it's easier to move to "buy one there and dump it at end of trip". But this leads to a lack of choice and cost implications, which reduces quality and suitability.

 

[hughtrimble]

Thanks for all the suggestions.
Seems to be fairly consistent view of this a) carry more than one knife b) blunt it and wrap, preferably with tape.

I've always been bothered by the risk/legality issue of carrying big knives/multiples. I only bought a cheap Mora last year and previously have for years only travelled with a folder, usually only the one, often a leatherman.
I don't normally cut much wood except for the odd tent peg or emergency tent pole/prop. But sometimes they do get a misuse beasting.
With the restrictions on overseas travel I'm thinking that it's easier to move to "buy one there and dump it at end of trip". But this leads to a lack of choice and cost implications, which reduces quality and suitability.

May I ask what restrictions on overseas travel you're referring to? Nothing's changed in terms of e.g. airlines and hold luggage as far as I'm aware. Carry-on, sure, but hold?

 

[stonepark]

Thanks for all the suggestions.
Seems to be fairly consistent view of this a) carry more than one knife b) blunt it and wrap, preferably with tape.

I've always been bothered by the risk/legality issue of carrying big knives/multiples.

The law is blind as to the number of knives you carry.

You either have good reason for carrying a locking or fixed blade in public or you don't.

Bushcrafting is a legitimate reason.

 

[Falstaff]

While the laws may be unchanged you are at the mercy of individual customs and police officers spot judgement, right or wrong. With a growing wokeism and fear of nutters, comes suspicion and a tendency to seize/detain/put you on a list and sort it out later.
I can do without that and the potential delays and problems it can cause.
In some countries you cannot even wear certain types of clothing, I fell foul of that in Barbados - no camo pattern clothing, even a pair of shorts. (Who knew?) Even tattoo's can get you into trouble, and not just in the USA.
Whilst hold luggage is not subject to much checking you still have to walk out with it at the other end. I've been checked in Spain whilst waiting at the carousel. I think it was a random check because I was a single male with a small daypack and didn't look like the usual holidaymaker crowd on the flight.

 

[MikeLA]

For want I do I carry a mora and a penknife. Sometimes on hillwalking a penknife only.
That has snapped in the past but at least I can use the other smaller blade till it’s replaced