A Good Knife is Indispensable-But Which One?
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QUESTION: KNIVES
I want to get a good knife or handy tool for my emergency backpack. There are so many interesting knives out there. Do you think the Swiss Army type knife is the best? Is there a better knife to use? I'm thinking about what I'm going to need the knife for, other than cutting cheese or string or bandages. Because I've never been in a situation that would require an emergency backpack I don't know what some uses of the knife would be. Do you have any suggestions?
Steven Knopp responds:
I could write a library on knives. Good knives are an essential preparedness tool and are indispensable for fire-making, cooking, many aspects of emergency shelter construction, improvised clothing, camp preparations, making traps, snares, and improvised weapons; for butchering, and preparing game and gathering food and medicine, emergency first aid, and self defense, many uses in escape and evasion tactics, emergency car repair, and the list goes on an on.
I ALWAYS carry a real Victorinox Swiss Army multi function knife with me at ALL times [really] as well as in preparedness packs. They are wonderful. I recommend the Swiss Army SwissChamp or the next smaller model. The Leatherman or Gerber Multi-tools are also nice.
But I INSIST on combining it with a small 6 or 7 inch FIXED BLADE laminated or high carbon steel survival knife. (A fixed blade knife does not fold or slide, and is typically stronger due to the tang, the extension of the blade into the handle, and lack of movable parts) Frost Mora Cutlery is a good inexpensive one. (I always made these knives available in my survival, and wilderness classes.)
Stay away from the large stainless steel ''RAMBO'' type knives, unless you're Rambo. They are too large for most people and most ''bushcraft'' uses, and too small to be a good machete. If you want a machete get a real machete. They come in many sizes and have many uses.
(Click on any underlined word above for links to these particular items)
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Abigail Haddock Responds:
There are 100's of varieties of Swiss Army knives with multiple combinations of tools and blades. My favorite Swiss Army knife is simple with a couple of blades, screwdriver, scissors, and bottle opener. It is red so I can locate it easily, hangs off a ring so I could attach it to something for safe keeping, and usually resides in my purse (except when I fly of course). I have a
Knives are tools and are designed to do a job. Identify what your personal needs will be and get the best tool for the job. Before you buy knives, learn their anatomy. Knives are made up of four parts: the blade, the handle, the bolster, and the tang. Buy from an expert who knows knife-ology. Don't be seduced into the biggest scariest knife that will do 32 different actions. You are not Rambo and you do not need a Ginzu. When choosing a knife ask what it was designed for, hold it, check the fit, then practice using it, cleaning it and taking care of it. A good knife will be a friend for life.
More information about knives and the different materials they can be made out of:
The blade can be made of stainless steel, carbon steel, high-carbon steel or ceramic. Metal blades can either be stamped (pressed out of metal) or forged (molded under high heat). Forged knives are heftier and tend to last longer, though stamped blades are useful for lighter work like filleting.
• Stainless steel knives are inexpensive, but cannot be sharpened once they lose their edge.
• Carbon steel knives hold their edges remarkably well, require careful cleaning and drying, and will eventually discolor, turning black over time. There's nothing bad about the discoloration; it's a matter of preference.
• High-carbon steel gives you the sharpen-ability of carbon steel without the discoloration. Most professional knives are made of this material.
• Ceramic knives stay sharp the longest but can break easily.
The handle can be made of wood, plastic, rubber or metal. Though wood can be beautiful, the other materials are more durable. The handle can either be riveted to the blade or molded around it. Riveted ones are believed to be the strongest, but the most important thing about a handle is that it feels good in your hand and you feel comfortable holding it.
The bolster is the thick ridge between the blade and the handle. It's standard on forged knives and rare on stamped knives. It's usually ground down towards the bottom to make sharpening easier.
The tang is the part of the blade that extends into the handle. "Full-tang" knives are made out of one piece of metal that extends all the way back to the handle. This is the heftiest and priciest option, but the tang shouldn't be a deciding factor unless you plan on regularly using the knife for heavy-duty chopping (say, bones).
Thank you experts!
NEXT WEEK: Food Storage and who knows?
Be well. Be happy. Be outrageous.
Louise
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