hiking/backpacking

[eglbc]

yeah i almost ******* lost it and started crying. Then i thought i should write her back from beyond the grave and had a nice laugh. Gotta cope somehow. \\\\

 

[Johnny_5]

Great pics Egl.

I'm in the market for a good knife ,guys. Anyone have any suggestions? I have to admit, I like the Bear Grylls Utlimate Knife by Gerber even though it is kind of gimmicky.

 

[eglbc]

This is what I carry I found this in a bush , so I didnt choose it, it chose me. I like the cutout handle for weight reasons. Full tang is ideal, but for practicality purposes you cant go wrong with any lightweight folding gerber.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Originally Posted by Johnny_5

I'm in the market for a good knife ,guys. Anyone have any suggestions? I have to admit, I like the Bear Grylls Utlimate Knife by Gerber even though it is kind of gimmicky.

What's your intended use? If it's "survival" you can do better for about the same money. The Gerber is a decent knife but for camp/survival purposes it has a few minor flaws:

- Configuration is not ideal for small detailed cutting.

That upper guard prevents you from getting a proper saber grip. Unless you intend knife-to-knife combat, an upper guard doesn't really have a lot of utility. Further, the blade could use a choil to permit your index finger purchase while you perform smaller, precise cuts. Last, it could use some thumb notches on the top of the blade near the handle for the same purpose; I can see why Gerber didn't include them on that knife because the upper guard takes away the utility of such a useful feature.

- Does not say if it's full tang or not. If you are going to baton you need a full tang blade.

- Not a big fan of serrations on my camp knives but it's not a huge deal.

I attended a knife class where the instructor had us use plain edge and serrated edge blades to cut at raw meat-wrapped PVC pipes being swung at us, with denim over the meat (to simulate an attacker's clothed arm). It was extremely eye opening to see how much deeper the plain edges cut into the meat as opposed to the serrated edges.

To be fair, serrated edges are easier to maintain in the wilderness so they do have some positives. But if you've got a honing stone on you, the plain edge just cuts better.

- Didn't see info on what grind is used on the blade. I prefer flat ground blades for strength.

- Didn't see info on what steel is used. I'm not a steel geek but I prefer steels that are relatively easy to sharpen and hold an edge. There is no perfect steel.

I like 1095 or D2 for general use. 1095 sharpens easier and IMO will resist rust so long as you have a coated blade. D2 is more rust resistant. I have a few O-1 steel knives that will rust just sitting there in the open air. In the woods you can always keep a carbon steel knife oiled if you want; just carry an oily rag with you.

So what do I like? I like the Ontario RAT-3 in 1095 steel (it's also available in D2). The only problem I've ever had with Ontario RAT knives is the bevel ... sometimes you need to reprofile the blade (straight from the factory). An hour or so with a diamond stone will be all you need to make it razor sharp and at a practical bevel angle. Made in the USA as well, by the same company that makes the USMC Ka-Bar knife.

 

[Johnny_5]

Wow, thanks for the detailed post Ace. My intended use is for backpacking (obviously) but I want something that is going to be durable and will stand up to harsh conditions if I was ever to encounter them.

The Gerber is a full tang, but if there is something better out there for the money I would obviously go that route. I just liked the fact that there were some great features in one small package. For example I keep my firesteel in my pack near my emergency gear along with my whistle, but also have a whistle built into my sternum strap so if for some reason my pack was lost I would still have my survival essentials on me assuming my knife was held on my belt.

Also, since you really seem to know your stuff Ace, what are the general legalities involved with carrying a blade (type, features, size etc)? Obviously, laws would vary from state-to-state but I'm just curious in general.

 

[Harold falcon]

Originally Posted by Johnny_5

Also, since you really seem to know your stuff Ace, what are the general legalities involved with carrying a blade (type, features, size etc)? Obviously, laws would vary from state-to-state but I'm just curious in general.

The problem is that not only do laws vary from state to state, but often from city to city. Local municipalities have all kinds of local rules (many of them probably unconstitutional) that you would have contend with.

This is a decent, albeit very general, guide.

http://pweb.netcom.com/~brlevine/sta-law.htm

The usual rule is that the size or shape or specifics of your blade don't make it legal or illegal, rather it is a very slippery scale and depends on your intended use, or what a reasonable person would perceive to be its intended use. Most hunting knives sold by major manufacturers are legal in most states, especially if your intended use in the backcountry.

 

[Johnny_5]

I've been eyeing the Becker BK2. Anyone have any experience with these? So far it has gotten a lot of great reviews.

 

[Piobaire]

Oh man. Think I pushed up a bit too much today. We went in 2.5 hours, very rocky terrain, a ton of elevation change with several major ups and downs. The trek out was very painful on the uphills that we had to do back out. IMO, out should always be downhill! Sipping a nice G&T right now with my feet up. Leki poles saves my ankle today. About 1.75 hours in a rock rolled out on me. It's just a little twingy right now but if not for those poles, I think it would have been a full on sprain. We were really slogging so didn't take make pictures. You know how it is when you're dragging, you just look at the trail in front of you. However, did get this one. At the bottom of the canyon, walking along the river bed, and the sun was just cresting the ridge in the distance.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Nice!

 

[Johnny_5]

Beautiful picture Pio. Where did you go?

 

[Piobaire]

Thanks, guys. I'm very happy with that picture

J5, trailhead is about 10 minutes from my house and leads into some local mountains.

 

[thatoneguy]

Originally Posted by Johnny_5

Great pics Egl. I'm in the market for a good knife ,guys. Anyone have any suggestions? I have to admit, I like the Bear Grylls Utlimate Knife by Gerber even though it is kind of gimmicky.
Best knife I have seen - http://www.dougritter.com/dr_rsk_mk1.htm Benchmade Griptilian with Doug Ritter blade

 

[Johnny_5]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Thanks, guys. I'm very happy with that picture

J5, trailhead is about 10 minutes from my house and leads into some local mountains.
Nice.

Originally Posted by thatoneguy

Best knife I have seen - http://www.dougritter.com/dr_rsk_mk1.htm Benchmade Griptilian with Doug Ritter blade
Thanks for posting. After doing some research I think I'm going to go with a full tanged fixed blade because of their durability and utility. 90% decided on the Becker B2.

 

[VaderDave]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Thanks, guys. I'm very happy with that picture

J5, trailhead is about 10 minutes from my house and leads into some local mountains.

That's a great picture. The colors are awesome.

 

[yerfdog]

Originally Posted by VaderDave

That's a great picture. The colors are awesome.

Yeah, you must have a better camera OR actually know what you're doing, because whenever i try to take a pic in a dark canyon the sunlit areas are washed out and the shadowed areas are practically in greyscale