Need to have vs want to have.

[Yorkshire Boy]

This is stupid I know.
I don't know where this is going.
But I was thinking....

When hiking or out and about do we need to carry a fixed blade?

When I went sea bass fishing with my brother in-law Giles
(lives round the corner from Tony).
I took a filleting knife with me.
Now I never filleted the fish at the shore, just scaled and gutted them.
I could've achieved this with a waiter SAK.
But it "felt" better to do it with the other knife.

How many times could any of us hand on heart,
"get by" with a little folder?

Need and want are two separate things.

I wanted a solid fixed blade, I got an F1.
Says British Red, Lol.

Do I "need" a fixed blade?
No I just wanted one.
I wanted a just in case scenario type thing.
We are collectors and lovers of knives.
Most of us could do with a folding knife and a pair of good scissors.

I know the experts,
and there are many of you here,
who use knives and other outdoor tools daily.

But for us city dwellers they are things for a certain time and place.
More of it is in the mind than the actual doing. Lol.

I drool over so much kit.
But I know I can't get the use out of it that it deserves.

I don't know what else to say,
only that this has been on my mind for a long time.

I don't expect any replies,
this a website of users, not losers. Lol.

 

[Tantalus]

It is a lot easier and more hygenic to clean "stuff" off a fixed blade than to get it out from the insides of a SAK.

Specifically as you mentioned cleaning fish.

Tant

 

[British Red]

John,

You like the F1, its fine with me

You are of course spot on. I have a knife on me all the time (except where its illegal). Its eith a Swiss light or a two bladed sheffield handmade penknife. A great deal of the time they are good enough for anything that comes to hand. I have, for example, build a bucksaw with a SAK.

In fact, there should be much more of a market for a good handmade folder than a fixed blade. There are only a few around that are EDC legal in the UK though. This is something that I plan to fix shortly

I do "need" a fixed blade for game prep and wood work now and again but 300 days of the year plus, a folder is all I need and if just out for a wander in the woods etc. its all I carry

Red

 

[mace242]

I have a small SAK I take when outdoors from walking the dog to hiking. If I'm off in the wilds I'll have my clipper at the bottom of my bag and if I'm far enough off the beaten track I'll take it out and have it on my belt - if I'm pretty sure that nobody will be about. If I think there may be a danger then I have it round my neck hidden.

Mostly these things are considerations for others. Though as others have said a small SAK can do most things. Just don't try battoning with it...

 

[Yorkshire Boy]

Tantulus (spelling!)
I don't want a big man who looks like the bloke from Harry Potter after me,
Imagine Hagrid with a shiny 1000'd things after you!!!!

Yes of course you're right about the hinge getting clogged up. Plus rusted.

It's just sometimes I find myself in a fantasy land,
somewhere between "Lost" and "Lord of The Rings"

I childhood imaginary world and an adult world of spend, spend, spend.

A filleting knife, a SAK, and decent pair of scissors would probably do me fine.
From the kitchen to the seashore...

An F1 for a crowbar

 

[Yorkshire Boy]

Sorry I forgot to say, it's time I went to bed.
I'm 8 hours ahead of you lot.
It's 03.30am here.

Goodnight.

 

[Tantalus]

To be honest I have a "less than 3 inch" slipjoint in my pocket all the time.

Not really a SAK fan so its a stainless laguiole at the moment but I have different ones.

If I am going out with a task in mind I will generally pick up a fixed blade before I leave the house, depending on if I am off cutting a walking stick or going fishing or shooting or a weekends camping I will choose one that suits the tasks I expect to come across or if I am in a mood, pick a knife I want to play with and find a task that is suited to it

Really isn't worth taking a fixed blade out of the house these days unless you have good reason to, so I tend to leave them at home unless I have specific purpose in mind.

Tant