is a knife a non-essential item?

Regarding your new user name, "Ian Destroyer of Forums":

You now owe me two paper towels and a bit of Windex so I can clean up my computer screen.
TMI: it was burrito components.

Feel free to bump this. Or not.

-Jackson Pollack of the North.

"The problem with this discussion is that before you can decide whether or not something is essential, you first has to agree upon a common definition of "essential." If you don't have a common definition then a better framework for discussion is simply to ask what purposes others have for bringing certain implements and why they think it is worth the weight. No judgement."

True.
One definition could well make most of what we bring non essential.

Even when we speak the same language the best we seem to get is some form of overlap in what words even mean to us.

Katharina, thank you for clarifying. I try very hard not to engage in poor internet behavior. I do enjoy however the dry, tongue and cheek and sometimes darker shades of humor here. That can be refreshing.

jimmby

Edit- I believe the flint lock pistol in the above multi tool is going way overboard :)

I am working on better internet behavior…it's almost essential :)

"With the tool between my ears, I can walk into the wilderness buck naked, make a knife from obsidian, skin a dozen marmots and make clothes and shelter from their hides. I call this technique Marmot Craft UL. "

Did I somehow miss this trip report?

It just takes a long while to carve a trip report on sandstone slabs, let alone distribute copies to BPL subscribers.

""With the tool between my ears, I can walk into the wilderness buck naked, make a knife from obsidian, skin a dozen marmots and make clothes and shelter from their hides. I call this technique Marmot Craft UL. "

Did I somehow miss this trip report?"

You have to be an MLifer to read it. It was short on visual stimulation but long on substance.

""With the tool between my ears, I can walk into the wilderness buck naked, make a knife from obsidian, skin a dozen marmots and make clothes and shelter from their hides. I call this technique Marmot Craft UL. "

Good Grief… intoxicated by his own testosterone, no doubt…
… perhaps surgery would be in order…

Billy

"Woman, come hither and partake of the intoxicating aroma of my testosterone!"

Edit: for the record, already had surgery.

Surgery, great example. Let's see those knifeless fools try to do an emergency field vasectomy with wax paper and a Bic lighter.

>"do an emergency field vasectomy with wax paper and a Bic lighter"

Ralph: You'll be sterile when I get done, but you'd have greatly preferred a sharp blade.

So you bring it.

You know, there are advanced non-scapel techniques that use a needle.

Which validates your earlier point…

"Which validates your earlier point…"

please tell me that was not some kinda low pun ?

Billy

rest assured it was not. until you made one.

it was a reference to this:

"there are at least many what-ifs fixed by a needle and thread. Which weigh a gram."

A knife made from obsidian is not capable of doing the same tasks that a steel knife is capable of.
A non-locking folding knife is not capable of doing the same tasks that a locking folding is capable of.
A locking folding knife is not capable of (safely) doing the same tasks that a fixed blade knife is capable of.
A fixed blade knife is not capable of doing the same tasks that a machete is capable of.

A swiss army knife may be capable of doing anything that you need to do, but it is not an equal substitute to a fixed blade knife.

I carry a small Swiss Army knife and consider it essential. Rarely use it and when I do, its usually the scissors.

I carry a normal sized Swiss Army knife and a Benchmade Griptilian every day, and use one or both daily, either for the tools on the SAK for small jobs, or the Grip for prepping food or opening packages and envelopes. Why on earth would I not carry them when I'm hiking, where I also use them daily?

But then, I belong to that generation where a gentleman always carried a pocket knife and a clean handkerchief. Maybe it's just a cultural thing.

"Maybe it's just a cultural thing."

Yes and probably generational too. I had a larger SAK (camper model?) that I carried in the Army which belongs to my son now. I have memories of whittling and working on scouting projects with another SAK which unfortunately was lost over the years. It's a tool that rewards you for perfect execution equally punishes you for carelessness.

Justin, hopefully my comments were received as they were intended. Absurd. I don't disagree with anything you said but I also believe in bringing the right tool for the right job.

The Wonderland Trail for example, is indeed wonderful but hardly a wilderness experience where one arrives on the other side a fully certified Jeremiah Johnson. You also can't build a fire there. A SAK classic is perfect for that trail and I'd be just fine with only a razor blade (or nothing but screw that).

When I take my son to the Blue Mtns later in September, a more substantial knife and possibly a UL saw will be appropriate.

Edit: regardless of location or circumstance, unless I'm on an airplane, I carry some sort of knife.

Ian, your comments were hilarious.

I vote a knife is not needed but I carry one more often than not. Go super light and you can get a safe folding knife for nearly one oz.

This is one of the last things I toss out during many late packing sessions.

I didn’t use any of the implements on the PS4 for any trips this summer, so I am going to downgrade to one of These Bad Boys.

6 of ’em for $4.95, and at the rate I’m going that’s a lifetime supply.

There is a reason it's on the '10 essentials' list which was established for safety. You technically don't need any of them (arguments will stem from this statement), but when you need them, you NEED them. I use my scissors way more than a knife, but my scissors have a knife attached (rather than the other way around?). I would have to agree that how large of a knife is necessary is where the debate begins. Almost every UL and SUL list I have ever seen has some sort of cutting implement on it — most people think it's worth having something in that department.