Posts tagged knives
My younger brother (14 years old) has recently expressed interest in joining my outdoor escapades (hiking, camping, backpacking, etc). As part of this interest, he has asked me to teach him how to ...
Similar to Serrated vs flat-edge knives, I'm wondering what the strengths and weaknesses are of folding knives versus fixed blade knives? What are fixed blades good for? What are folding knives no...
Pictured below is my knife sharpener. I’d like to sharpen my knives, but there’s so much metal built up on the stones that it won’t sharpen. How can I clean these off? Attempts with cloths and Q-ti...
Some places I travel to have stray dogs in the city. Can a knife be used effectively if attacked by one or more of them? I've had creepy close encounters.
I have this tool on a few Swiss Army knives (though I think I've seen it on other multi-tools as well). What is it and what is it for? On one edge, it has a sharp edge. It also only opens halfwa...
I keep seeing slightly different answers for some of these questions. In summary of what I know already, please tell me if I am wrong. You can own any knife of any length, with the following gene...
Some knives have gut hooks, and some have line cutters, Source It basically the same notch just optimized for different purposes. How exactly would one sharpen the gut hook/line cutter? Its...
Even stainless-steel can rust, and I've seen axes and saws that were visibly rusted. I've been told that wrapping the metal parts of the tools in oiled paper will prevent this. Can oil really be u...
I recently bought a knife that near the handle end of the blade has a sharp, curved part: I don’t think it’s a choil because it’s sharp. What is its use? I thought something to do with stripping...
In order for knives to be useful, they need to be sharp. If I am sharpening one myself, how do I know when I am done? What would be a simple easy test of whether a knife is sharp enough?
I'm not used to multi-day hikes, and soon I will be going on a 5 day hike and I thought it would be a good idea to carry a folding knife this time just to be on the safe side. I won't be needing it...
I'm looking for a small or mini knife for when I don't have a normal sized knife with me. I don't need it for self-defense, but just for cutting things in normal day usage. What features should I ...
Michael Strogoff by Jules Verne (1876) describes how Siberian hunters used to hunt bears with nothing but a knife. This was ideally done with a single lethal blow, to damage the fur as little as po...
This question was prompted by the advice to "follow the existing angles" in this answer on sharpening ice screws. I have heard the same advice when it comes to resharpening knives. Of course, there...
If I am required to transport my diving equipment (in the UK and Abroad) what are the best practices of transporting my diving knife / shears? If on a plane this can just go in the hold luggage sa...
The little pocket-knife multi-tools sometimes come with tiny saws on them. Those saws are somewhat useful but extremely limited in the size wood they can be used for. Are there any multi-tools ava...
Several people have talked about having single edge knife so that you can cut down small trees. What is the proper way to cut or carve wood with a knife?
I've been using the Victorinox Swiss knife for a long time now. One thing that has baffled me is the saw blade on most of their multi-tools. The saw is around 2-3 inches long (depending on the mode...
More states in the US are decriminalizing switchblades, yet there are many other methods of opening a folding knife with one hand such as studs on the blade or groove to make it easier to open. I ...
Inspired mostly by this answer, if I were to decide to buy a set of throwing knives for just for fun, what exactly should I be looking for? I do realize that throwing knives are not legal everywhe...
I worry about carrying a fixed-blade knife on my hip, because if I fall or wrestle my kids or whatever, I worry I could get stabbed. I've had pointy blades push through a cheap sheath before. I st...
Although most knives I have seen have their edge symmetrical, others (often serrated ones) have the edge ground out only from one side (the side of the serrations). There are also some straight edg...
In lots of places around the world, locking folding knives are illegal for everyday carry while non-locking folding knives are much less restricted. Almost everyone I know who carries a knife dail...
I have an old Swiss Army Knife on which I can only open one blade; the rest are locked in place. How should I clean this, and is there anything else I should do to refurbish it, like oiling, after...
Whenever I browse knife shops or online stores I see many fixed-blade knives whose handles are essentially just a piece of paracord wrapped around the tang. From my anecdotal experience this also s...
I carry a cheap folding knife with me while climbing, particularly if I know there is a chance of stuck ropes, grubby anchors, or we are in the backcountry. The knife is held shut with a loop of co...
Take a look at this knife: Notice that the edge start very far away from the edge of the blade, if that makes sense. The question I'm asking myself is whether, when sharpening this knife, do I ...
I have some obsidian and I know that it can be made into knives and other sharp objects such as arrowheads. Historically this was done for a long time in the United States before there were steel b...
I have a multi-tool and I want to disassemble it – not for any repairing just to take it apart and take the blade for other uses – but it has no screws. How can I disassemble it? (See image below)
A recent question asks about disassembling a multi tool pictured below. We have an existing question How do you fashion a spear with a fixed blade. All of the blades pictured are long handled an...
Assuming I am lost with minimal tools, but have my knife, is there any way to improvise a knife sharpener in the woods?
Under the assumption that an emergency kit like the ones listed here are for the emergency of getting lost and being stranded for days, how necessary is a knife sharpener?
I've hiked some in my life, and gotten used to carrying a small axe for chopping wood for the fire. But after I bought my self a large fixed-blade bowie knife, I find myself relying less and less o...
I'm using a Spyderco Tri-angle sharpmaker to sharpen both a drop-point fixed blade and a folding tanto blade. It has 2 settings: 2 20 degree sides for a 40 degree working edge 2 15 degree sides ...
A lot of knife owners who have carried pocket knives for 30+ years talk very fondly of the traditional patterns, like Barlow, stockman, etc. However when it comes to explaining exactly why they car...
I bought an old knife, the previous owner botched up the blade. The sharpening was done so bad there are sections that look like a one sided knife blade and some that are sharpened on both. I can u...
I have a knife and a whetstone. One side of the whetstone is rough and the other is finely grained. I occasionally sharpen my knife but I'm not 100% clear if I'm using it correctly. I normally mov...
What style/size of knife would be most useful in a survival scenario in the forest?
I am a first-time knife buyer. What should I look for in an all-purpose, lightweight backpacking knife? I aim to use it for cutting trail plants and fish. My top priority is a knife that doesn't ...
I have a lot of knives that are 20-30 years old, and I've never spent more than $100 on any knife. Have there been appreciable advances in the steels or treatments applied to mainstream knives ove...
I have been mountaineering for about four years now and one of the things I have learned is how important a good knife really is. A knife that is sharp, durable, and can take a beating can make a ...
I've got the advice to take a pocket knife with me for 2 weeks of wild camping / hiking in Scotland (West Highland Way). However, I don't understand when I would need it. I will take the following...
what size of knife should I carry to not make peoples eyebrows raise? what manufacturers would you suggest?
I am always uneasy at the idea of carrying around a fixed blade. For this reason, my backpack knife is a multitool (A fantastic Leatherman Blast, which saved the day already many times). I would li...
I have read that California has some of the strictest weapons laws in the US. What types of knives are allowed when camping, hiking, or hunting? What should someone camping in California know befor...
Each has their purpose, I'm sure. So for what activities is each better? When would I use one over the other? What about half-serrated blades?
