Guns Might Go Off - Blades Always Cut

[utcaleb]

This thread is dedicated to finding quality, bladed equipment to use in the field and for personal protection. What do you use carry everyday? What do you recommend for disaster preparedness? Have a problem or recommendation with a particular product?

 

[hso]

I'd first recommend reading the stickies and performing a search or two (or just reading).

We don't entertain "SHTF" topics on THR. Being prepared for realistic situations, but "SHTF" topics usually aren't realistic. Stranded with a broken car in the backcountry, forced to overnight while fishing/hiking, etc. are just being prepared. Societal collapse/Zombie apocalypse and other "SHTF" fantasies aren't.

The knowledable members lean towards a good 4 inch fixed blade for field knives. Specific favorites are Frosts Moras, ESSEs, Beckers, and TOPS.

A knife is a nice self defense tool, but a good stick beats a knife (or knife wielder) in most cases so we have a lot of very pro cane folks here. Still, Spyderco, Benchmade, CRKT, Timberline, SOG, and other mainstream and specialty folder manufacturers are well thought of.

Remember that you get what you pay for and prepare to be surprised how much a quality folder may cost.

 

[Ringer]

I don't really carry/rely on a knife for self defense as I'm not well trained in knife fighting. As far as every day carry, my most favorite is a Benchmade Mini Griptillian. Small enough to clip in my pocket comfortably and large enough to handle most tasks I run into on a daily basis. I do own both smaller and larger folding knives. Unfortunately fixed blades are no go in Michigan for carry or I would own more of them. While I own multiple brands including Spyderco and Boker most of my knives are Benchmade. I have just always been happy with their products.

As far as "Blades Always Cut", that requires regular maintenance/sharpening.

 

[InkEd]

I like the ol' standby Ka-Bar. It's not the "best" knife for any job BUT it can easily perform any job.

I guess I'm kinda like Garande rifle guys. It's outdated compared to more modern designs but it's stylish, reliable and good enough to help win several wars then it's good enough for me.

 

[rjrivero]

I carry a Boker......FWIW.

 

[Gordon]

The top is my normal field knife for sportsman outdoor activities a 5.5" Mad Dog Bearcat
The 4.9" lower Mad Dog Packrat is perfect for EDC for me when I carry a belt knife other wise a CRK BG42 Large Sebenza in the pocket.

 

[Cosmoline]

Knives are not always sharp. Even my Shun "kitchen katanas" need their razor edges refreshed all the time.

 

[utcaleb]

Topic fixed; thank you, HSO. It is right that knives are not always sharp, but like any good gear, one must maintain them to ensure their function. Knives (and blades) are important, not always necessarily for direct defense, but for the function as a tool in fulfilling many roles. Does anybody use ESEE knives (formerly RATT cutlery)? I carry one when camping and hiking. The steel is great, their company provides great customer service, and their function seems hard to beat amongst many custom-made competitors. Check out the link, to see more.http://www.eseeknives.com/index2.htm

 

[REAPER4206969]

 

[wheelgunslinger]

The finer point of disallowing these topics and subjects to live around here is that the inexperienced like to shout over the top of the people who know. The inexperienced and daydreamers like to drag discussions off on unhelpful tangents.
The only real value these threads have is for people to talk about what they have and why, based on realistic experiences in 1st or 2nd person.
The whole "get a pallet of ammo and a shotgun for the zombies" thing isn't helpful.
The whole "get a Katana and a Buck 110 for the looters" isn't helpful.

The general helpful nature of these threads is short lived, so the mods tend to watch them closely, and rightfully so. A lot of message board readers and posters get the wrong ideas from the people who parrot info just to look cool on fora, but don't really have any mud on their boots from actually being there.

I've been through a number of major weather related events that could and were called disasters, such as hurricanes. I do a lot of backpacking. I do a lot of bowhunting. I like the task of sharpening, but despise blades that dull quickly.

Having given that introduction, I would say that a good quality folder is a lifesaver, literally, when you're in a tough spot during a disaster of any kind. Knowing how to sharpen it, well, that's about as important.

I have a Buck 119 and several inexpensive 440 stainless folders in my stash. I keep a tiny little folder in my pack because I live in a deciduous forest that allows for lots of deadfall and low hanging black, jack, and white pine limbs that can be broken over the knee, so there's not much need for a knife that splits firewood.
I also keep razor blades (10) in my pack for medical needs.

I keep a folder in my 72 hour bag. purpose: food prep and shelter making
I keep the Buck 119 in my hunting pack. purpose: butchering in the backcountry
I keep a folder in my hydration pack. purpose: food prep and shelter making
I carry a folder in my back pocket most days because my hands are so big it makes keeping one in my front pockets a pain, and my pocket inaccessible for my hand. I have no interest in using a knife in SD situations. I carry a 357 and I practice AiKiDo, so it's either bang or blend.
I have been intrigued by designs like the Parang and Kukri, but have yet to be able to come up with enough reasons to buy one or more.

I'm also a convert to the legion of cane carriers and generally have a walking stick with me if I'm out and about during any kind of disaster or outdoors activity.

YMMV

 

[sm]

The Reality is...

Situation: Tornadoes.

Knife: Case Peanut, with CV blades.

I "run what I brung".
Meaning, I did everything from "peeling" a windshield, to get occupants out, to cutting garden hose to siphon gas, to first aid, to cutting food, to opening tin cans, to...

I and others survived that threat!

Bring. It. On.
At THR we attack the argument, not the member posting.

My role, is to pass forward as passed to me. So, if anyone chooses to have a good, civil, discussion, about the thread topic, bring, it on!

*btdt*

 

[memphisjim]

Folder = benchmade mini afck plain edge out M2 steel
Fixed= Kabar and flock field knife

 

[Cosmoline]

Don't worry about fancy blades, what you really need in a pinch is sm!

All the gear in the world is useless without good folks who will help you out in time of need. That's the real secret of survival, and it doesn't cost anything.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Skillz & Toolz

It's good to have tools.

It's way better [post=5706370]to have skills[/post] and tools.

• Rope does you little good if you don't know how to tie knots.
• Tinder and kindling are useless if you don't know how to ignite it.
• And, once you have a fire, it's not a great help unless you know how to feed, house, and manage it.
• A sword is pointless in the hands of the unpracticed.
• You can't carry enough water for a month, do you know where water hides, and how to capture it?
• Do you know what's hiding in plain sight around you that is already food, or can be made to be?
• Know how to prevent scurvy after your supply of bottled vitamin C runs out?

And then there's the matter of the tools themselves.

Yeah, we all keep and carry a knife. Or two. Or six. And an axe.

But when it's time to hunt for game or defend against various predators, do you use the knife as a primary weapon, or do you use it to fashion appropriate weapons for the game or predator at hand?

Knives suck for hunting, but a good knife can make you what you need as long as you own the know-how to go with the cutting edge.

Know-how costs time, but little money. Practice, for many things, is generally free. And the best way to acquire know-how is in live lessons from folks who already have it. Books will help, but there's just no substitute for doing it in person.

I used to work shipboard. I got pretty good with knots. After 1974, there was little daily use for those skills. By 1981, I was officially rusty in the knots department. That was thirty years ago. Now I have a handful of books on the subject, and I take a little time every month with some cords and laces and work at renewing something that used to come naturally.

If you're good with knots and rope, there are a few very effective weapons available to you that need nothing more than some cord or rope, a small rock or two, and the magic you can do with your own fingers.

Knowledge really is power. Especially if the way you spell it is "S-K-I-L-L-S."

Hmm. The more I think about it, the more I think there would be value in a THR/NFW skills challenge.

 

[Carl Levitian]

I don't really have much use for large sheath knives in my disaster plans or lost in the woods senerio. I go to extremes, from my edc pocket knife which may be a Case CV sodbuster, or Opinel number 8, to a 12 inch Ontario machete or hatchet. The pocket knife for normal cutting and food prep, and the 12 inch machete for any survival work in the way of shelter building, firewood prep, or tool making. My normal edc pocket knife is either the sodbuster or a Case chestnut bone peanut in CV carbon steel.

I don't carry a knife for protection, but carry a nice knarly Irish Blackthorn stick or one of my own homemade Hornbeam walking sticks. If off in the woods, I carry a stout hornbeam staff about ribcage high.

In my pockets all the time edc, is firemaking and cutting tools, and a small but bright LED flashlight. I figure if I can see what I'm doing, and make a fire, and have a knife, I'll be alright. It's a start.

Carl.

 

[hso]

Let's be sure we define our terms so that we know what we're disagreeing about.

Preparedness is the practical approach to dealing with real world emergencies and disasters in a practical way.

"SHTF" is the fantasy extreme end of this reasonable topic.

There way be some disagreement about where the dividing line is between being prepared in a practical manner for a reasonably definable event and the fantasy musings or paranoid fantasies of the improbable to the point of impossible.

I carry a tow line, fire extinguisher, 2 ways to start a fire, small tool kit, machete sized brush hook, space blanket, first aid kit and folding shovel in my car along with a sizable "sharpened pry bar" type knife and a 3" fixed blade and sharpener. I have each of these at one time or the other on field projects, camping trips, car accidents and even my own drive way. Someone might consider carrying all that the gear list for someone lost in a paranoid fantasy, but living in the country they can all come in handy (the tow line has seen more use than any other piece of kit).

So, if we agree that being prepared is the practical response to anticipating realistic emergencies and "SHTF" is the over the top collapse-of-society-invasion-of-the-urban- zombie-hordes tactical wheelbarrow full of gear instead of skills we might remove some of the heat and shed more light on discussions of what being prepared actually is.

 

[ilbob]

I am not a huge fan of expensive blades. I find a small folder pretty handy in my day to day life. Have carried one since I was in HS (yea - I am old enough that pocket knives were not banned in any of the schools I attended).

I recently acquired a Ken Onion Vapor by Kershaw, via the clearance bin at Cabelas. It is larger than I have ever carried before, but I have sort of convinced myself that bigger is better. I have started doing some hiking and I just feel better with a bigger blade out in the forest. I suppose I could bring a bigger fixed blade with me, but I just haven't.

In fact, I don't think I have even used it while out in the forest. But I feel better with something that is more likely to be of some use out there than the little pen knives I always carried in the past.

http://ilbob.blogspot.com/2011/01/cabelas-purchases.html

As for the moderation thing, I am not real worried about it. There are certain subjects that are sore spots for the mods, and over time I have just accepted that they are going to bring the hammer down pretty quick on those subjects if the thread heads in a direction they don't like. Most times, I agree with them when they close a thread off. It is usually the best way to stop a thread that is getting out of hand, and not having to ban someone.

As for survival topics not being welcome, there are plenty of places you can go and talk about whatever survival topics you want. I settled on a couple. One of them is mostly non-weapons gear oriented.The other is heavily gun oriented. Both have goofy people who post. Both have other posters who try to get the goofy people back on track. Both are moderated about as much as this place is.

 

[sm]

hso wrote:
Preparedness is the practical approach to dealing with real world emergencies and disasters in a practical way.

Yep.

One never knows the where or when of their next encounter. C.R.Sam.

The reality is, one may have to deal with whatever with what they have on person.

Since THR, is global, and WE do have members in Restrictive locations, all over the world, WE at THR suggest Mindset, Skillsets, "then" Toolsets, as Lee Lapin, often quotes a buddy of his.

I have no problem with modern equipment.
What I DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH, is folks thinking they can buy skill and targets.

I assure you, having been there and done that, I fear the person with a well worn "piece of equipment", because not only do they know that equipment like a body part, they have the attitude, and experience with said "tool" to make it work for their intended purposes.

In the same note, an Old Hickory kitchen knife, is proven, in defending against evil, taking care of field needs, and taking care of survival needs in situations such as hurricane, tornado, fire, flood and the like.

 

[Sam1911]

Hey, let's talk about the topic the original poster was interested in. O.k?

Remember this?

This thread is dedicated to finding quality, bladed equipment to use in the field and for personal protection. What do you use carry everyday? What do you recommend for disaster preparedness? Have a problem or recommendation with a particular product?

 

[TimboKhan]

I have my particular tastes in folders, and you know what? From a fair amount of experience, 99% of what I do on any given day can be handled adequately by any one of my folders be it traditional, utilitarian or tactical. Thats my situation. Others on here require folders frequently for tasks I will never undertake and thus have different requirements. It is worth pointing out that I spend exactly zero time considering the SD roles of any of my knives, fixed or folder.

Honestly, this point of view is a relatively new discovery for me, but it shouldn't have been. I carried a pink Delica (easy to find when dropped) when I was in the USMC in the early 90's, and that little knife was all I needed in any real, practical sense. I had a Kabar for anything else, and that was a rare occasion. As Mr. Greebly says, skills are more important than equipment, a point I am learning is true more and more as I get more interested in building those skills.

Still, I have my favorites. I will never be without a Spyderco Endura, and that would be my choice if I could only have one knife. Having tried different styles and types of knives, for my daily needs, a traditional folder is often the best choice. I counted, and I now own 35 folding knives, of which I typically rotate through about 10 of them based on my mood, the alignment of Neptune and Saturn and what color the grass is. Here are those 10, in no particular order:

1. Spyderco Endura.
2. Case mini-trapper with wharncliffe blade.
3. Case mini-trapper with spey blade
4. Spyderco Kiwi
5. Spyderco Persistence
6. Kissing Crane mini-trapper.
7. Benchmade Griptilian
8. Benchmade mini-Griptilian
9. Buck Vantage
10. Rough Rider mini-trapper.

I also have a couple of BBQ folders, both Benchmades, that I carry when I wish to carry a fancy knife. I also carry a Cold Steel folding Bushman in my car. Also, I have a Leatherman freestyle that I often carry in addition to a pocketknife almost entirely because of the pliers.

As far as fixed blades go, I am a little more close minded, but I am so based on experiences to date: For light, general purposes I really like a plain ol' Mora with plastic handles. easy to sharpen, easy to carry and I personally like the sheaths even though a lot of people do not. For more serious needs, I have been carrying a Becker BK-2 for a little bit now, and it is all the knife I need for literally any situation I could even remotely imagine myself in. For fishing and bird hunting trips, I have a little CRKT Carson-designed drop point that I can lash to my vest that I have owned for probably 8 or 9 years. It is all I could ever hope for in a fishing/pheasant knife, and I stopped looking for knives to fill that role a long, long time ago. The only thing that would change that is if I bought another, which I would in a heartbeat if they still made them and I could find one.

For both folders and fixed blades, I have other choices, but those are my main ones.

 

[REAPER4206969]

I thought this thread was about defensive knives.

I carry a Case CV Mini-Trapper for utility use.

 

[451 Detonics]

What do you use carry everyday?

I generally carry three knives daily, one is a social knife, normally a traditional slipjoint like a Peanut or medium Stockman, 2nd is a lock back like the Case Sharktooth or an AG Russell to handle heavy cutting chores, last is a tactical that never gets used, it's sole pourpose is for a true emergency.

What do you recommend for disaster preparedness?

Each vehicle has several items in it including a Breacher Bar from CountyComm, a Cold Steel Bushman fixed blade with a complete fire starting kit in the sheath, a cat's claw, first aid kit, and a few other small items.

 

[Ole Coot]

I would rather depend on a walking stick also. I make my own fixed in the Nessmuk style, 4" blade. Always carry a SAK and for defense and I have used one for that purpose I carry a SOG Flash II behind my belt buckle. I'm too old to be a contortionist and I can reach the SOG with either hand and have never used it for mundane work.

 

[bikerdoc]

EDC= Spydeco Native, and SAK
SD= Spydeco Endura,
Field use = Kabar, Randal, or Kukri half moon.

 

[wheelgunslinger]

I carry a SOG Flash II behind my belt buckle.

Interesting.