Light inexpensive knife

Update: I cut the belt loop off the sheath and trimmed it even with the outer side and added a shoestring lanyard, for a total weight of 1.8oz/50g. You could lash a firesteel and a whistle to the sheath for a quick and dirty survival tool too.

$2.75

10g

its my climbing knife …

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442588927&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302696855

I would go for the Spyderco Ladybug original, and something more like a Delica at 3oz. It *is* something you want to work the first time.

http://www.coldsteel.com/birdtroutknife.html
one of mine

There is a long-standing tradition of bird and trout knives. They are typically small knives with a neck sheath, and a ring in the handle to aid the small grip and allow it to swing down on your little finger while using you hands for dressing game. The term "bird and trout" is used generically for small knives in neck sheaths and they may have more conventional handles.

Cold Steel has some interesting designs, but the quality is poor and they are a little crazy on the social/political side of things. I prefer to do business with other knife and tool suppliers.

Marbles makes a similar knife with the finger ring: http://www.ebladestore.com/knives/MR80910.html

I got around to finding my stainless chain and silicone aquarium tubing supplies and made up a neck lanyard that will break away if hung up. The tubing adds a lot of comfort with a little added weight. This version is 2.5oz. The photos show the trimmed sheath too.

Dale- good find, does look a lot like the Victorinox "wavy" paring knife- I particularly like the orange handles so you don't misplace them (reason I had my WM1 handled in orange G10!)

should fit the bill for food prep and fish/small game

how is the retention on the kydex?

Mike

Thanks. The fit and retention on the Kydex is excellent– that is a must with a neck knife. Could get … uncomfortable :)

Why wouldn't a folding knife be better? You don't need a sheath, so there is bound to be less weight.

–B.G.–

You could debate that until Doomsday. It's just another idea.

Most folding knife designs have enough hardware to take them well over the 1.6oz weight of this knife and sheath (without the chain lanyard). Cleaning a folding knife after cooking or particularly cleaning fish is a pain, if not unsanitary. I doubt you would get much for $13.

If you want to get down to brass-tacks basics, you can buy this knife or a Victorinox paring knife for under $5 in a plastic sleeve that would be serviceable enough stashed with your cook kit and the all up weight is under an ounce. Beat that!

To get a comparable blade for slicing, peeling, and fish cleaning, you would need something like the Victorinox Sentinel which runs $20-$25 and is about 2.5oz. I do sometimes use its more complex brother, the Trekker, which has multiple tools, about 3.5oz and $35-ish. Of course there are 10,000 other examples. The Opinel knives certainly come to mind. I don't care for them personally, but you could obviously get good use from one. They are all a better bet than a razor blade :)

Or you could get a folding bucklite mini, blade length just shy of 2", for $10. It weighs 20g, has a bright orange handle, and cleaning is easy, as long as you do so right after you are done with it. And I've used my for the past 10 years without problems. Used it plenty to filet fish and works fine. Obviously a nice 8-10" filet knife would work better, but it works just fine in the backcountry.

I think it was $16 and weighs 25g including its sheath.
http://www.dougritter.com/rsk_mk5.htm