Knife to Choose?

Hello, I'm the OUTDOOR PROFESSOR from DiscoveringTheOutdoors.com/

Here's your outdoor tip on choosing the best knife for the outdoors.

Next to fire starting tools, one of the most important tools you will take with you on an outdoor adventure is a good knife. A great deal can be done with about any knife if you have the proper skills. It is a tool that is meant to be used as it has been from the time of our ancestors for hunting, fighting, building, and general survival. Some knifes might be better than others, but the choice of knife is somewhat personal.

There is a long list of functions for a knife in the outdoors:

Cutting
Carving
Digging
Fire Creation
First Aid Tool
Food Prep
Hammering
Hunting Weapon
Make-Shift Screwdriver
Prying Tool
Self-Defense
Shelter Building
Signaling
Splitting

There are almost countless options that meet the personal choices of outdoor explorers. Again, there is a long list:

Colors

Lanyard positions

Steel type

Handle material

Notches down the spine of a blade

Decorations

Blade serration

Type of sheath

Brand/Manufacturer

Style of blade

Finger Guards

Blood gutter

So there are many considerations to make in selecting a knife, but here are a few important features that you need to consider.

Size: Big is not always better when it comes to a knife. If the blade is too big, you can sacrifice the ability to do detailed tasks such as small carvings. When the blade is too small, it does not function well with chopping and other splitting/carving projects such as cutting wood for the fire. Many people feel that the ideal size for a knife is about 10-11 inches with a 5+ inch blade. A longer blade gives more power and durability for hefty tasks.

The blade: A folding blade will not be as durable as a fixed blade. The jointed handle and blade can break easily and they usually have shorter and thinner blades than a fixed-blade knife. A joint means a weakness and you can lose your ability of pounding, chopping, and thrusting. The folding blade may be handy for everyday use, but the fixed blade makes a stronger utility knife. The best outdoor knife will have a thick blade to stand up to potentially tough use. It is questionable to have a serrated edge. A straight edge is cleaner and easy to sharpen.

Full Tang: Along with having a fixed blade, a full tang means a stronger knife. Full tang means that the blade and handle are made from on piece of metal. Grips are attached to the handle portion of the tang for comfort. It is easy to identify a full tang knife as the metal tang can usually be seen sandwiched between the layers on the top of the handle. With extended use, a partial tang knife blade can loosen and give you a wobbly handle. It is difficult to repair a partial tang blade and the knife can be dangerous to use. A full tang knife is still usable if the handle comes off and it can easily be repaired with a new grip.

Pointed Tip: Self-defense is the obvious advantage of a sharp pointed tip on your knife. This can also enable you to make your knife into a spear for hunting. The sharp point allows detailed work such as picking, drilling or notching—can be great for digging out a splinter. Access to acorns, hickory or other nuts is much easier with a knife point. Accessing any hard to access area can be accomplished by the point.

Single-Edged Blade: Most people think you do not want a double-edged blade. A dagger is not necessary for most uses and can be a disadvantage. A flat spine is helpful for fire-starting striking an iron rod—a sharp edge just cuts the metal. The flat edge is helpful to provide pressure or pounding force to cut things such as wood for a fire or notches in logs.

Solid Pommel: The butt or bottom of the knife’s handle is the pommel. A solid pommel is helpful for pounding. A rounded or hooked pommel is not good for hammering and you often will want to do this when you are constructing things from wood in the outdoors.

The choice is yours when selecting a knife for the outdoors. Many features come down to personal choice. Hopefully, the ideas I presented will help you make the right selection for you.

This is the OUTDOOR PROFESSOR from DiscoveringTheOutdoors.com/ Additional outdoor tips can be received by subscribing to the Outdoor Professor Tips on iTunes or Stitcher. If you enjoy outdoor tips, please leave a positive review at these sites.

References-Additional Reading

Top 5 Survival Knives (and How to Choose the One that’s Right for you)
http://news.discovery.com/adventure/survival/top-5-survival-knives.htm

How to Choose the Best Survival Knife
http://www.knife-depot.com/learn/best-survival-knife/

How to Choose the Perfect Survival Knife
http://www.artofmanliness.com/

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