what knife?

[Hoodoo]

There handy but not good for serious work.

Don't buy it at all. I've done a ton of woodcarvings with nothing more than a slip joint. Ray Mears used to sing that song but watch his canoe making video and notice what the native craftsman was using. Funny how Mears starting carrying a slip. As for serious work. My grandfather and father were farmers and all they carried was a slipjoint. Serious work? You bet.

 

[Thenihilist]

Don't buy it at all. I've done a ton of woodcarvings with nothing more than a slip joint. Ray Mears used to sing that song but watch his canoe making video and notice what the native craftsman was using. Funny how Mears starting carrying a slip. As for serious work. My grandfather and father were farmers and all they carried was a slipjoint. Serious work? You bet.

Maybe i shouldn't have said serious work, poor turn of phrase. I have an SAK it's great but any folding knife has limitations compared to a sheath knife.

The OP said he had a multi tool already so he probably wanting a sheath knife.

Both are very good but a sheath knife is more useful than any folding knife.

 

[santaman2000]

Maybe i shouldn't have said serious work, poor turn of phrase. I have an SAK it's great but any folding knife has limitations compared to a sheath knife.

The OP said he had a multi tool already so he probably wanting a sheath knife.

Both are very good but a sheath knife is more useful than any folding knife.

A sheath knife is more DURABLE than a folder. I've got a couple of folders that are at least as useful as most of the sheath knives I see most commonly mentioned here. One is a Case Trapper with the blades each 4 inches, the other is a Buck 110 (and it will probably match a sheath knife's durability pretty closely)

Yes I could do much more brutal tasks with a sheath knife; but not without going to a larger one than is commonly carried by members of this forum.

And please bear in mind that the above comments are from a man who dearly loves large sheath knives.

 

[Thenihilist]

Heres a test then, try using a folding knife as a shear, i can say with a fair degree of certainty it'll break.

Try driving the tip an inch or two into a log, it will probably break.

These are not brutal things to do.

 

[Toddy]

The Opinel folders are excellent and there's nowt wrong with the Svord pesant one either .........and Hoodoo's flinching already, I can see it even across the other side of the world but with care you can batton with either of them ....but then I believe the secret to battoning is to make, and use, a wedge asap.

Another vote for the Mora range though and when you know what you're doing, and enjoying doing it and can afford something a bit special, have a look at some of the Makers on here and British Blades; their knives are truly excellent and a lot better value than the celebrity endorsed and high priced ones.

Please don't try to buy a knife on either forum until you are of age, or your parent buys it for you; it can cause real legal issues for the seller.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Hoodoo]

Heres a test then, try using a folding knife as a shear, i can say with a fair degree of certainty it'll break.

Try driving the tip an inch or two into a log, it will probably break.

These are not brutal things to do.

What's the point? I've used fixed blades that way but I've never HAD to do it. Might as well say "try filleting a minnow with a 10" bowie." I gather Mors is your hero because I hear his dogma in your argument but there are lots of ways to skin a feline. Mors wants a hole in his blade too. Gotta have that too? And I can think of lots of 3/4 stick tang knives that will fall apart the minute you try driving them into a log. Plenty of pics around here for that. Not all fixed blades are equal.

 

[Toddy]

What's the point? I've used fixed blades that way but I've never HAD to do it. Might as well say "try filleting a minnow with a 10" bowie." I gather Mors is your hero because I hear his dogma in your argument but there are lots of ways to skin a feline. Mors wants a hole in his blade too. Gotta have that too? And I can think of lots of 3/4 stick tang knives that will fall apart the minute you try driving them into a log. Plenty of pics around here for that. Not all fixed blades are equal.

I don't *get* the hole in the blade thing
My Spyderco bushcrafter has one, but that's kind of iconic.........I find it just traps gunk tbh.

Plenty of broken knives......very hard, stay sharp, pointy tipped ones, especially.
I've never broken one myself thankfully, despite a heck of a lot of varied use; delaminated one and the scales have come off another, but that's it.

cheers,
M

 

[Hoodoo]

One other point. When you break your little red plastic handled mora by driving it into a tree, what you have left is a broken knife. When I snap a blade off of my stockman by doing something stupid, I still have a knife with two good blades.

 

[Toddy]

Yeah, but Stockman's are *really* good comfortable to use too. Don't think I've ever seen one broken.

cheers,
M

 

[Thenihilist]

What's the point? I've used fixed blades that way but I've never HAD to do it. Might as well say "try filleting a minnow with a 10" bowie." I gather Mors is your hero because I hear his dogma in your argument but there are lots of ways to skin a feline. Mors wants a hole in his blade too. Gotta have that too? And I can think of lots of 3/4 stick tang knives that will fall apart the minute you try driving them into a log. Plenty of pics around here for that. Not all fixed blades are equal.

The shear technique is great for a vast array of applications. There are many reasons why you would wan't to drive the tip into wood and they have a purpose.

You don't have to do it but the alternative would be time consuming.

A good sheath knife will be more useful than a good folding knife this is logic and common sense.

 

[Thenihilist]

One other point. When you break your little red plastic handled mora by driving it into a tree, what you have left is a broken knife. When I snap a blade off of my stockman by doing something stupid, I still have a knife with two good blades.

I don't own a plastic handled knife, just because i follow the teachings of a man with 50 plus years of experience doesn't mean i copy everything he does.

It would require something very stupid to break a good knife.

 

[Toddy]

Mince lad............just a very hard blade (Buck for instance) and shoved it into a tree half an inch. It snapped clean through.
I didn't do it, but I saw it done.

I can carry, and use, my folding pocket knife (right now it's a S R M one) 'anywhere' (legalities of situation, etc.,) and I can do all that I do with a sheath knife with that wee knife.

That the sheath knife is more comfortable and perhaps more appropriate for some tasks in no way means that it's the only knife that I want to own, carry or use.

Besides, it doesn't fit in my pocket, and an awful lot of my foraging and usage is on common ground. Yeah, I can just see me off for a wander with a sheath knife strapped on

It's horses for courses. I don't come up agin black bears and wolves on my rambles, or have to hack my way through a bamboo jungle. Time and place for different tools.

We've seen Mors shove his Mora into a tree, and stand on it :yikes: not really something required in s Scottish woodland tbh. He's a fascinating fellow though.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[santaman2000]

The shear technique is great for a vast array of applications. There are many reasons why you would wan't to drive the tip into wood and they have a purpose.

You don't have to do it but the alternative would be time consuming....

I've been in the woods over 55 years now (for fun and professionally) and I've never heard or seen any reason to drive a blade into a log. And BTW, just what is this "shear technique" of which you speak; never heard of it in those 55 years either.

Does it help you clean a deer? Squirrel or other small game or fish? Cut tent stakes? Cut meat or veg?

 

[Tank]

has this thead gone off topic?

 

[santaman2000]

...We've seen Mors shove his Mora into a tree, and stand on it :yikes: not really something required in s Scottish woodland tbh...

Nor anywhere I've ever been. Not logging, camping, canoeing, hunting, or while in service.

 

[Toddy]

has this thead gone off topic?

Well, the OP's getting an education in knives ....or at least a variety to choose from

cheers,
M

 

[Toddy]

Nor anywhere I've ever been. Not logging, camping, canoeing, hunting, or while in service.

He came to the Moot incredible energy
but no, I agree never, ever have I needed to do such a thing.

atb,
M

 

[Retired Member southey]

AFAIK the tip being driven a few inches into a tree thing was a supposed test of a knife, it isn't something that I can see as of any benefit in any circumstance?

 

[Retired Member southey]

Could you do a pic of the shear thing TN?, it sounds interesting!

 

[bushwacker bob]

Could you do a pic of the shear thing TN?, it sounds interesting!

First you need a sharp fixed blade knife and a sheep in full fleece........................