Folder or Fixed?

[dinosaur]

I like them both but for everyday carry I use folders because they are compact. I carry three knives. One is a CRKT M-16. This is a lockback that has never failed me. I also carry a mini-lockback with a one inch blade and my Victorinox.

My fixed blade knives are too numerous to mention but the one I carry most often is a survival knife made by United that I reground myself to suit my purposes and it will quite literally chop down a tree. It's a big knife.

The problem is that when backpacking, bulk and weight are the enemy. With a little patience, a smaller knife will do the same thing. The better thing about a smaller knife is that it is much more useful for whittling and I almost always fashion some things out of wood for use at a campsite.

[woodsman]

Originally Posted by Michael

There's a phenomenon I've observed when checking out knife reviews, especially on YouTube. Some people seem to think that every knife needs to be able to split a log or chop down small trees.

It bugs me for exactly the reason you've stated here: If I need to do some heavy duty wood processing, I can just grab an ax or a saw. They're designed to do that.

A knife isn't crap if you can't chop down a sequoia with it.

I think it's more of a concern for military personnel, who need to have something that is good for every situation and the extra space and weight required might make a huge difference.

[Michael]

Originally Posted by woodsman

I think it's more of a concern for military personnel, who need to have something that is good for every situation and the extra space and weight required might make a huge difference.

And I understand this argument in the context of military personnel. It's just how often it's given to casual campers, without the reviewer noting that the comment is based on military service.

Your average, casual camper doesn't need a huge knife that can be used to fell trees unless they choose to carry such a thing. If they're not chopping wood (ie using a camp stove), they really don't need a knife for much of anything, unless they're hunting.

In other words, the thing that annoys me is the assumption that everyone needs a huge full tang knife that can be used to chop a four inch oak branch and that any knife that doesn't fit that description is crap. Because I've definitely seen that assumption in a number of reviews.