In the market for a field knife? May 31, 2010
Posted by hardly Other
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In my earlier article on The 10 Essentials, I talk about which knife I’d put in this assortment of survival gear. However, when I’m packing my gear for a hike or other outing, I like to be well equipped, and I always bring one additional knife beyond my Swiss Army Huntsman.
As an aside, if you want to get into a good discussion with some hikers you’ve just met on the trail, ask them about one of the following: 1) How they like their pack, and which one they’d like next; 2) How their tent is working out for them, and what they’d change about it; 3) Which knife they pack and why. This discussion should be long enough for dinner, dessert, and the slow calming before heading off to your sleeping bag.
A field knife needs to be able to do a bunch of things well that a Swiss Army Knife cannot, so it’s designed differently. The blade should be more durable, and thicker. The blade should be longer, but we’re not talking KA-BAR length; 4 – 5 inches will do nicely. It should be at least a lockback, and if you want real blade security, it should be a fixed blade with a hard, kydex sheath. And it needs to hold an edge, certainly far better than the Swiss Army knife does. I’d not go off into the land of Tactical Knives to get a field knife, as this just adds features which make the knife less useful in the field and sometimes makes it harder to maintain (Ever used a serrated edge to spread peanut butter? Or tried to sharpen one?).
Fortunately, there have been good advances in knife steel technology over the last several decades, with better steel-making processes getting into the blades of production knives. Of course, if you have the money, lower-end hand-made knives are definitely nice; I’m a big fan of Dozier knives, and in particular the Buffalo River Hunter.
But, why spend all that money when you can get a production knife that’s within a whisker of a hand-made one? Great question! With this in mind, look at Cabela’s Alaskan Guide Series of knives . For my money, the Buck 110 Folder is the one to get: Time-tested design, great steel, relatively easy to sharpen, and easy to operate.
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