What knife are you carrying now?

[fritz_monroe]

I love Moras.  Which one are you taking along?

I picked up a Craftline 511.  My first Mora, so I wanted to stick to one of the cheaper models.  If I like it, I'll probably pick up a couple more to try out.

[FreeLancer]

But I am way beyond limiting my guns and knives to just what is needed and well into the just-because-Merica or for fun!

Yup.  I got their big-ass Modern Bowie last year, just because......

If you drive along Hiway 6 in the coast raange next week and spy a new clear cut, you'll know I got carried away with my new knife.

Strangely enough, I know that road like the back of my hand.  I'll keep my eyes peeled for damage when I'm up there next month.

I picked up a Craftline 511.  My first Mora, so I wanted to stick to one of the cheaper models.  If I like it, I'll probably pick up a couple more to try out.

Mora's are awesome, too, I can't think of anything that beats them for value.  Their beefier Garberg carbon steel blade throws sparks off the spine right out of the box, and, despite being at the opposite end of the $1 to $100 spectrum as their other knives, it's probably my favorite.

[NWPilgrim]

Took the Fallkniven S1 with me hiking yesterday. Not really needed but wanted to see how it carried with day pack and through the brushy trails and rock scrambles. At lunch and breaks I tried it out on dead limbs or hacking overhanging limbs.

I am even more impressed with this 5” knife. I thought 5” would be a bit in the too large side for hiking. But the Zytel  sheath is minimalist and carries very light and hangs out of the way. About the most unobtrusive sheath knife I have ever carried. So gold star for carry ease.

This knife easily bites into the wood and allows excellent control for a thin shaving or deep cut. I could easily carve through a one inch branch. This will be perfect for slicing off branch nubs/knots for smoothing a walking stick. Often those are too big and hard for even a good size pocket knife to deal with. The S1 hacks and slices them off in a breeze. Need to build an impromptu fir bough shelter for an unplanned night in the hills?  The S1 makes short work of such branches. It sparks fire steel easily, too. I din’t Baton knives but it looks plenty sturdy to do so.

Overall this is the best woods knife I have ever used. I am leaving my large folding knife home and taking just the S1 and a SAK for all future hikes. Anything my Camper can't handle the S1 will do so easily. It carries like a 3” knife and cuts like a 3”, 4” and 6” knife. A Mora  Campanion would be my natural choice for a lightweight fixed blade. But the S1 carries so light and out of the way I see no reason NOT to carry it instead. If I had to extract myself from deep in the hills over several days and could only have one knife, the S1 would be my pick. This will make a great all around camp knife as well.

[David in MN]

I clip on a Mora "Heavy Duty" in the garden. It's kinda like somewhere between a knife you care about and one you abuse. It's big enough without being some kind of military blade that will weird out the neighbors but has enough bite to do garden chores. I mean doing cuttings and trimming.

I'm also a big fan of the Mora neck knife which is tiny but really handy to cut things open and a neck knife you really don't care about is awesome in the water at the cabin. You're not going to throw a $50 SAK in your swim shorts while wading around the boat and while the Mora needs a magnetic clasp so you don't have 550 chord wrapped around your neck there's also a lot of options to carry it. I can tuck it into the belt of a boonie hat next to the bug spray. To be fair I look like a complete fool in my boonie but hot damn there's a lot of handy stuff on my head. Don't sell short the idea of having your tools on your hat and around your neck when you're putting in a boat in 34 degree water.

My latest build is the Victorinox Skipper. I had a little issue boating with my nephews and I'd feel like a fool not having a handy shackle opener and marlin spike at hand on the water. Nobody got hurt but there's just a plethora of issues dealing with ropes and props. Mine has about 3 feet of bright orange parachord (I don't know why marine knives come in blue so you can't find them when you drop them) with 6 champagne corks threaded on. It won't float but dropped in our normal 5 feet of water will be easily retrieved.

[NWPilgrim]

A couple of interesting knives I acquired recently.

First, is the Spyderco Pacific Salt. Based on the classic Endura it has H1 stainless steel and coated fittings to make it nearly impervious to long term water exposure. No liners, just yellow FRN scales so it is extremely lightweight. I got the full serrated edge since H1 is suppose to work harden and actually be very hard at the edge while be less hard but more tough at the spine. While it is marketed as a boating/marine knife, it is looking like a darn good EDC. And I was never a fan of serrations. Until now.

Second is the Opinel knife from France designed in 1890. Round wood handle with slot for blade rotating on a pin, and a twist collar for licking the blade open or closed. Friction fit so blade is useable without locking in many circumstances. Extremely simple “peasant knife”. The blade is thin so easy for slicing. The factory grind is mediocre, nothing like a Victorinox or Mora. But at $10-$15 it is easily sharpened and handy knife for cheap. It comes in sizes of approximate centimeter length if the blade. But he No. 8 is lost popular and about 3.25” blade. Available in carbon or stainless steel (Sandvik).  I got a No. 6 stainless to try. Now thinking to keep it in the knife drawer as a “always” sharp paring knife and get a 8 or 10 for larger food prep. The family paring knives are forever bashed around and dull quickly.

Anyway, a couple of affordable interesting knives I am trying out.

[David in MN]

OK another weird one. The Esee Izula minimalist neck knife.

https://eseeknives.com/product-category/esee-knives-0

I wrapped the grip with parachord and it's a little oddball. More "knife" than most neck knives and it just disappears under a shirt. But it's a sturdy clip point well adapted to food prep. It's basically a one piece steel ready to carve fruit or harvest veggies.

I'm coming to the conclusion that all knives need to be first and foremost food prep. I really like the Euro utilitarian mindset that a knife should turn an apple, hunk of cheese, and a loaf of bread into a meal. It's not something you'd want to "fight" with because it is little and it's not a combat weapon. But you could definitely pull a cutting board to the grill and use it to pare onions and peppers. That's pretty cool.

Also came with challenge cards that give advice on surface to air survival signals. Really cool stuff that any backpacker or cross country skier should have tucked away in their kit.

Not the cheapest neck knife... That might go the the CRKT minimalist (which is also awesome) but this Esee is something worth looking at if you want a food prep and gardening knife on your person stored on your chest where nobody will grab it.

[Bradbn4]

Esee Izula ....
Dang good knife, the first and only knife I ever wrapped in 550 cord.
Today was a nice lower end Kershaw folder.

I have had the knife - Izula for a number of years and have been happy owning it.

[David in MN]

A couple of interesting knives I acquired recently.

First, is the Spyderco Pacific Salt. Based on the classic Endura it has H1 stainless steel and coated fittings to make it nearly impervious to long term water exposure. No liners, just yellow FRN scales so it is extremely lightweight. I got the full serrated edge since H1 is suppose to work harden and actually be very hard at the edge while be less hard but more tough at the spine. While it is marketed as a boating/marine knife, it is looking like a darn good EDC. And I was never a fan of serrations. Until now.

I jumped with all my bias and bought a Spyderco Salt 2. No serrations (I detest serrations as they fly in the face of food prep and other common knife uses). But I do an annual trip to the Caribbean and I really wanted something I could carry without worry. So I needed a knife that could survive the elements.

Up front it's everything I hate in a knife. Beyond the goofy Spyderco blade hole it's super light. My kitchen scale says 2 ounces. I prefer a big beefy knife probably because I come from a cooking background so a massive German chef knife feels like home. My Benchmade Adamas is 8 ounces and I like it. The Salt does some good things, though. It has a slightly rounded tip so it's clearly built for cutting close to the skin (imagine a diver tangled in a net) and it is built for cutting. I like this because I think knives are cutting tools and not weapons. I also like that it's no-frills.

Bottom line: EDC? No. Not for me. But... I have a knife I can carry swimming in the ocean and carry while launching boats in the spring. And it's not a bad knife. Even as a guy who doesn't like the Spyderco design it does work. These are really minimalist designed for rough use "just have a knife on you" knives and if you've got the scratch and do work in the elements it might be worth a look. Just think... I'll have my knife on me in every pool. That could come in handy at a cookout.

[David in MN]

I'm falling in love with the Spyderco Salt 2. Dammit. It's kinda cool to have a knife I don't have to think about. I can wear it while sweating working out. I can wear it on my swim trunks. I can wear it to bed. I can treat it like trash and it seems just fine.

It's not my favorite knife. Look, we did this experiment for an ultimate utilitarian tool and we got the Marine KaBar, still one of the best blades ever made. That's why I madly love massive drop point blades like my Benchmade Adamas (and let's be honest I'll buy one eventually) the Cold Steel AD-10. They are the crosstown of chef knife and bayonet. If it needs to be done with a knife that's the starting point.

If you're like me you look for a "do-all" knife and the KaBar, Bowie, Arkansas Toothpick, etc. start showing up. They are chef knives molded for field use. It harkens back to the misericord or bodkin. Big utilitarian blades that do all things well.

So why am I so loving this lightweight Spyderco that defies everything I like in a knife? I don't know. But the darn thing just works and works well. It cuts really well. I might not want to do a lot of food prep but it's there when I need it.

I'm a large frame guy. I routinely walk around with both a Benchmade Adamas and a Swiss Army Outrider in my pocket (yeah, that's like 3/4 a pound right there) so I'm not weight sensitive but this little thing is sneaking in to my EDC really easily.

[David in MN]

I so fell into the Spyderco Salt 2 I bought a Para 3 Lightweight. I can't put my finger on it but I'm just really digging these light Spyderco knives. It feels like brand suicide because I'm a Benchmade purist (let's be honest if you're torn between Benchmade and Spyderco you're making the right decision either way).

I didn't like the Para 2 because I have a Benchmade Adamas and could buy a Cold Steel AD-10 for cheaper and if I want a massive knife that's where I go. The Para 3 always felt like an "also ran" and for that beef I can do better. But the Lightweight is just kind of a sweet spot that hits all of Spyderco's strengths with really no big drawbacks. It's a light weight fiberglass handle blade with their compression lock (mine swings free and gravity closes) and not much else. I think on his Youtube review Nick Shabazz called it "the most Spyderco Spyderco". I kind of agree. It's everything you would call proprietary Spyderco in a really great package.

For $90 you could do a lot worse. So says the Benchmade fanboy. But they had the wisdom to cross the Delica 4 with the Para 2 and the result is the Spyderco we've always wanted. Solid marks.

[Plainsman]

I normally have three knives in my pockets while Im awake as EDC.
Top to bottom:
Benchmade Contego
Victorinox OHT
Becker BK14 EsKabar (Might be switching this back to BK11 Necker w/Micarta scales)



The Contego is my defense/SHTF blade.

The OHT does all my light work and specialty jobs.

The EsKabar is my heavy duty cutter.

[Bradbn4]

My current daily carry is a itty bitty knife that will get lost in the bottom of my pocket.

It is a cheap knife that it's primary roll is to have something so small you always carry it.  The cutting edge is less than 2", and mostly use it to open mail or plastic/tape seal when opening boxes.   The lightning knife at the site is much bigger and would be almost useful for something besides a fidget toy. 

this is more of a silly but still useful knife, but I still like it.

https://www.grindworx.com/item--Coffin-Blaster-Sand-Camo-DAOTF--35361

Kershaw leak is my favorite pocket knife that is small, but useful.  I have the black wash version just because I like the looks.

For good reviews on common knifes I visit Blade HQ...I have spent way too much money at that site.
Kershaw also makes (imports) some of their knifes from China, I have found those to be well made for the price point. I often keep these knifes in the tool bag in the car.

[Fyrediver]

I'm carrying a Benchmade folder and a Shivworks Clinchpick on body and a Leatherman Wave in my EDC bag.

[BearGrillz12]

Hi,

I am carrying a ZIMAIC clip knife! I was looking for something low budget but also sort of edgy at the same time. It all started with this thought how would I benefit from carrying a knife, what would I use it for etc. While I was doing my research, I came across this website that had all my questions answered and even offered a few choices I could easily find. That's my story.
If any of you reading are still questioning what are the benefits and where to find affordable knives,

Best regards

edit: removing the link to the non-English site since I think that most members are not German readers.  If any wants to visit it here,  Klappmesser: Test & Empfehlungen

[David in MN]

I did it again. I bought a Kizer Vanguard Sheepdog XL.

https://www.bladehq.com/item--Kizer-Vanguard-Sheepdog-XL-C01C--98147

But here me out... This is a dedicated travel cooking knife. As soon as I saw the shape of it I realized it would never do for EDC (for me) but since I tend to do a lot of things that see men end up in AirBNBs, hunting camps, and ice fishing shacks having a food prep folder makes a lot of sense to me. It's way too heavy for the dedicated backpacker but for my uses it's about right.

It's not what I would call a good pocketknife but if you really want a portable chef knife it kind of fits that niche really well. Even holds like a real chef knife.