UL pocketknife – what blade do you carry?

There are a lot of knife threads but I would like to see more people explain the situations/enviroments they intend to use thier knife.
Its kind of like asking "whats the lightest sleeping bag"
without explaining the conditions you intend to use it in.

I have everything from a Derma-safe blade to a full tang Mora knife depending on where Im going and what Im doing.
If Im on a busy trail and intend to stay on it, I can easily get by with my Derma-safe razor.
Since I will only use it for superficial things that frankly could be done with out a blade but are just easier with one -like opening a stubburn food bag or cutting cord.
But-when Im intending to go off trail or somewhere more remote I may bring my Mora. In fact I bring my Mora on most day hikes because I dont have a sleeping bag or much for insulation and may or may not bring a poncho tarp for shelter.
But-with my Mora kinfe I know if something happens I have a reliable way to make shelter and stay warm.

I want to add that having the right tool is only half the battle- you have to know how to use it and practice!

I have completely changed my point of view about this over the past few years. I have come to realize that I never seem to find a use for anything more serious than the smallest Swiss Army knife. As it is, I use the scissors much more than I use the blade. Most of my hiking is relatively close to the civilized world so I don't feel I'll ever be placed in a 'survival situation' that will require a beefier knife.

For the poster wondering about the screws securing the carry clip on the Benchmade 530, they're most likely torx screws. You can find torx drivers in automotive parts stores but you might have a tough time finding one that small.

I handled the 530 at an outdoor store and it seems like a great little knife but the handle was really thin. Has anyone really put one to the test? Any durability concerns?

I carry the tiny Leatherman with pilers; I use them for pot lifters (gotta be a bit careful, the wire cutters at the base of the pliers can dent thin metals like my FireLite SUL 550 mug), fingernail cleaning, cutting, and so forth. Not worthy of bushcraft, which I don't even know how to do, but perfect for self-sufficient camp chores.

On my digital scale, the Benchmade clip with 3 torx screws weighs 0.20 oz

The best part about the BM 530 is the axis lock which is so easy to use but one of the strongest at the same time.

The only problem I could see with removing the clip is that the knife gets significantly thinner, making it harder to grip.

> (Benchmade) 530 … it seems like a great little knife but the handle was really thin.

I have one.
Yes, I took the clip off it. I found that withOUT the clip it was easier to hold.
Yes, It has lasted very well and seems quite rugged.
Yes, I have disassembled it completely once, more out of curiosity than anything else.

A good knife.

For tiny torx screwdrivers you might try your local electrical supply store. I doubt the big-box stores carry them, but most industrial suppliers do, in a variety of sizes.

They will probably carry two types: standard torx and security torx. The difference is that security torx screws have a metal post in the centre of the head, keeping standard screwdrivers from working. More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torx

If you know someone that owns a jeep, they might have a torx you can borrow rather than going to buy one. Jeeps are put together pretty much entirely of torx screws; not sure if any of the interior ones are that small; but they might still have one that just came in a kit. might save you five bucks.

Hey, I drive a Jeep Wrangler and can tell you that it has nothing close to the size of those torx screws on my TJ. At least, nothing that I've seen. They're all much bigger. The electrical supply store was probably a good suggestion.

Most knife clips are T6 size Torx screws. Most knife pivots are T8. In my area, Walmart, Target, Home Depot, and Lowes don't carry them, and Sears only carries them in a set. But, ACE hardware (national chain) carries individual ones for around $2.25. They fit into any 1/4" driver, or will even work in a 6-in-one screwdriver in a pinch.

http://www.firehawktech.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=PQTT

for those tiny torx fittings.

I took my Swiss Army knife (victorinox classic) and ker-smashed it in the garage!!!! I retrieved the small scissors. That and the tweezers are all that I carry now.

I too am now the proud owner of one "ker-smashed" swiss army knife. I am now a scissor only carrying guy. I started thinking about it (after reading this thread) and that is all I ever used. If I was cutting spectra is was with my bic lighter. Mostly used scissors to open those water purification tabs.

I have a Benchmade 530 and just a couple packing days' experience with it. Its a really cool knife and feels very sturdy to me. I didn't chop any trees down with it though. (Works great on purification tablets :)

I also had a Leatherman Micra with me and that's overkill I won't repeat (no screws to screw anyway), but between the two (or kersmashed scissors), I'd rather have the Benchmade, just for pure aesthetics and testosterone purposes. Besides, it made me feel better to have it at hand when I decided maybe a mountain lion was creeping up behind me…

I hadn't thought of removing the clip, but I think I shall.

By Maynard76: "In fact I bring my Mora on most day hikes because I dont have a sleeping bag or much for insulation and may or may not bring a poncho tarp for shelter.
But-with my Mora kinfe I know if something happens I have a reliable way to make shelter and stay warm."
End Quote.

I tried cutting saplings, making a lean-to frame, weaving branches into a roof grid, and covering the grid with leafy / cedar branches and grass to waterproof it. It took several hours… It was not something I'd want to start at dusk on a dayhike when I realized I was lost – and definitely not something I'd want to try while injured. Carrying a small tarp, lighter, strobe (photon), whistle and tiny first aid kit on a day hike is a good emergency plan IMO. The tarp could even be used as a bivy in an emergency by rolling up in it like a burrito. Personally, I'd just carry a bivy in addition to the tarp though.

I bought a $12 Gerber Mini Paraframe from REI for my girlfriend at the time and myself. It received great reviews from online users on REI's website, but I have found their reviews often reflect the opinions of car-camping, family BBQ type people.

It has a serrated blade and its entire construction consists of stainless steel. Its blade measures 2.25" and the knife weighs 1.4 oz. There is no thumb stud for easy opening, just a fingernail notch as featured on pocket-knife blades. I find this type of blade difficult to open and is definitely not a one-handed operation, which I feel is and extremely important function of a usable knife. It is also difficult to close. You must exert significant effort to close the blade, and the action isn't exactly smooth. The tab used to close the blade is very tough on the fingers and hard to press. It is also directly in line with the blade, and on such a small knife it is easy to cut yourself when closing the blade without the utmost of caution. I would recommend against the purchase of this blade.

My backpacking knife is a CRKT 6601G. Its got checkered black polymer grips over the steel interframe. Pocket clip and plenty of holes through the grips. Its got very large thumb studs which allow an easy one-handed 'flick' to open. It is extremely smooth and just loose enough. There is even a discrete and easy to use blade lock stud – great safety feature to ensure the blade stays open when its supposed to. It is lighter and larger than the Gerber. It is also infinitely easier to open. Great blade at a great price <$10 on sale at Big 5. A 'must-have'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeJxY7YFBTA
Check out this review on Youtube.

This is a great knife and you can get it pretty cheap on ebay.
Its one of the best values out there as well as being the lightest most practical knife i know of.

It is also one of the fastest knives, and is so small and light that its easy to forget you even have it on you, even if your wearing BPL thorofare pants! 8)

Carry a Benchmade mini-Pika (1.80oz)

If you go with a mini pika over the flash one you lose the fast spring assisted opening and reviews also say the pika is slow opening. Also pika weighs .6 oz more and the blade is only .4 inches longer.

the youtube clip you posted was talking me into the sog flash 1 for daily/backpacking carry… My one complaint about the mini-pika has been that it's difficult to open with one hand.

a while back I lent it to a friend really quickly at a party to open something, and she got a small chip in the blade twisting off a champagne bottle's wire cage… so I guess I could talk my self out of $30, and in a new little knife.

Yea definitely go for it. I promise you won't regret it. 8)

I'd recommend the plain edge version for easy sharpening.
You can find good deals on ebay and make sure you get the Zytelâ version not the aluminum one which is heavier.

2.8 oz with sheath but I added para cord and a belt clip to that.

BTW, nice Izulu!

While I'm happy to do most everything else ultralite, with my knives I want a solid working tool.

I always carry a SAK Huntsman Plus (daily or while backpacking), and anytime I'm in the hills, I have a 4-5" fixed blade knife on my belt, usually a Bark River Aurora or Kephart.

This may be the result of being part of an older generation, but I can not forget an occasion when having such a tool enabled me and several other people to eat and stay warm in a survival situation. It wasn't fun, and I don't want to do it again, but if I find myself there again, I want to be prepared.

My Shimano knife is great, nice and light (14g), and cuts all that I need.

> My packing list always shows a Victorinox classic, but at the trailhead I never seem to be able to leave the folder in the car. It really bothers me to reach for it out of habit and not have it there.

I'm pretty much the same way. I carry a CRKT 3.25" folder every day. It such a handy tool with the clip. When I'm out BPing, it feels weird not to have it "at the ready," even though a lighter SAK (Swiss Army Knife) might suffice. And if I ever did need to get an emergency fire going, a little beefier knife would be a good thing.

I have a large gerber 800 multi for EDC but i am surprised no one has looked at some of the other light weight products of gerbers.

Artifact is 1.5oz
Curve is .8 oz
shortcut is 2.4oz

Curve

Artifact

Shortcut

personally for 5oz I like the Crucial.

2oz you can get a replaceable razorblades on a tool which I seen at Target tonight.