Knife or multi-tool

Are there certain aspects that make a good quality knife that I should be looking for?

One decision to make is whether to go with a carbon steel blade or a stainless steel blade. If the admittedly imperfect metaphor helps, you might think of the difference as choosing between a manual transmission (carbon) and an automatic transmission (stainless). If you don’t mind giving just a little bit of care to your knife, I would recommend going with carbon.

love my Opinel #6.. like 12 bucks.. scary sharp with a touch of work. easy to patina so it doesn't rust. I don't use a knife backpacking a lot, my tiny sewing scissors get more use cutting moleskin, loose threads etc but for 2oz it is nice to have.

i see no use for a multitool since most of the tools will go unused.

I carry both – a Leatherman CS multitool and a stainless steel Mora. I could probably get by with just a pair of mini scissors as that is the one feature of the multitool i use most. But i own the CS so it goes in the bag. The Mora does get used but the knife in the multitool could suffice for necessary tasks. I just like this knife. I prefer the form factor when slicing food vs the miniature blade in the CS, and when i reach camp early and want to busy myself I can whittle, make tinder sticks or, when getting in touch with my inner Davey Crockett, work on my knife throwing skills, something particularly hard to do with a multitool.

The only thing I carry is my Swiss Army Clipper:

It weighs just 37 grams (1.3 ounces) and has everything I've ever needed while on maintained trails. I really like the nail clipper function. Mini multi-tool?

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=94689

Also helpful is this thread:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=78637

Ask yourself what on a multi-tool you would really need. For many the answer is scissors, tweezers, and maybe a blade. You can get better functionality for each tool if bought separately, and without a weight penalty. A pair of Westcott scissors, Uncle Bill's tweezers, and Gerber Ultralight LST were my choices for a total under an ounce that still gets me three precision tools, including a 2" locking blade. If I swapped out the knife with a razor blade then the trio would weigh under half an ounce.

+1 to JR above.

Most of what's on a multitool is dead weight and can be replaced by better, separate options.

Leatherman Micra – 1.75 ounces

scissors
blade
bottle cap opener (beer)
tiny screw driver (occasionally the screw on my glasses loosens)
phillips and slotted screwdriver
tweezers (not so much first aid but to hold things)
metric and inch ruler
awl
file

I've used all of those. Maybe sometimes at trailhead so I could have a couple things in my car, but what if I'm in someone else's car, easier to just carry Micra.

The blade is pretty minimal – hard to see gutting a fish – but quite sharp.

Hard to replace with anything lighter.

It depends on two things: what you actually need to do in the woods, and how you prefer to do it. Some examples:

Mechanical assistance:
I carry a Leatherman PS4 everywhere (including hiking) for the pliers. My carpal tunnel makes it hard to grasp and manipulate small items with any sort of force. Some people prefer fixed blade knives for tasks like prying and batoning wood.

Fires:
Some people carry a larger Swiss army knife with a wood saw blade. Some people carry a separate minisaw or hatchet when they plan to build a fire. Some people carry a fixed blade knife (to baton wood) and no specific firewood tools.

First aid:
Some people want scissors to be able to cut tape and moleskin, some use a razor blade or knife. Some carry tweezers and nail clippers.

Food prep:
Some people carry a fixed or folding blade to slice food, some use a tiny folder or a razor blade to slice open packages. Depends somewhat on the form factor of the food you like to eat.

My advice:
Try a small folder like a single blade pocketknife or a Swiss Army classic. If you find yourself wishing for something more robust, look at larger folders and fixed blades. If you find yourself wishing for specific tools, consider a small multitool or separate tools such as tweezers and sewing scissors. Conversely, if you get bitten by the SUL bug, you can consider going to a dermasafe or razor blade.

>"Try a small folder like a single blade pocketknife or a Swiss Army classic. If you find yourself wishing for something more robust, look at larger folders and fixed blades. If you find yourself wishing for specific tools, consider a small multitool or separate tools such as tweezers and sewing scissors. Conversely, if you get bitten by the SUL bug, you can consider going to a dermasafe or razor blade."

+1

SAK Classic. 21 grams. $6-$7 on eBay (TSA seizures being resold), even cheaper by the lot. For me, that's the sweet spot of weight savings versus utility. But as MDT says, play with that and go up or down from there. About a 50% chance you won't go or down, though.

Multitools like larger Leatherman's are just so dang heavy and I just never need to adjust my brakes, strip wire, turn a nut, open a can, or cut metal because, well, I'm BACKPACKING! If I need to hammer something or file some smooth, that's what rocks are for.

It is nice to have a good sharp blade for doing emergency surgery on the trail.

–B.G.–

I was going to say +2 on the SAK Classic. But now I'm wishing I got the Clipper! Didn't know about that one.

I think knives are sort of like first aid kits in terms of bringing what you know how to use.

The Clipper is 'da BOMB!

I have always liked those scissors and the nail clipper just works well.

I use a squirt thats permanatly attached to my keys anyways

When climbing having pliers that can tweak a few things can be quite useful

Not to mention the mini screwdriver can tighten up my glasses

The knife is small but good quality, and it has small scissors that i can trim nails with

Not to mention a lifetime warranty

;)

+1 on the SAK Classic.

I've carried many kinds of knives over the years, but I've stuck with the Classic for backpacking. Just big enough to do the essentials – mostly opening ornery food packages, cutting and trimming first aid tape or duct tape, and trimming nails. Usually all I need is a sharp blade and a good pair of scissors.

The Classic tweezers are marginal – I carry better tweezers in my first aid kit. The toothpick and nail file I've never used in the wilderness.

And since I stopped using framed backpacks decades ago, I've never needed pliers, screwdrivers, or similar tools. On rafting trips, with plenty of metal objects needing fixing (frames, oarlocks, stoves, tables, pumps, …), the tools on a Leatherman are not enough to fix all the problems, so I carry a small tool kit instead.

The Classic is almost too small in one respect – it's easy to lose. I usually keep it tied with some Triptease to other small, easy to lose objects, to make one larger, less easy to lose object that I can find in the dark.

The SAK also helps me feel like a real backpacker :-)

— Rex

Thanks, all for the advice. Given the number of recommendations for a basic SAK, I think that's where I'll start. If my needs change then I can simply switch to using individual pieces to suit those needs (sewing scissors, small knife, etc).

I carry a SAK Classic for convenience because it's so light and small, and a Mora #1 for cutting and firewood processing (both emergency and routine). The Mora can be purchased for just a little more than the Classic.

Good to see you made a choice.

I would just add, if you cannot list exactly what an item will be used for, chances are that you dont need it.

I cannot come up with uses for most items on multitools. There are some that prefer to use the pliers as a pot grabber or such however.

I went from never using a 3 oz folding knife, to never using a .6 oz Spyderco Lady Bug. Now I bring a pair of tiny scissors from one of those Swiss Army Knives and a razorblade. Ive never used the razor blade but hope one day I will need it for cutting a guyline or opening a mountain house meal. The tiny scissors have been used for cutting leukotape and similar first aid duties. I also bring a quality set of tweezers for cactus needles or splinters.

Now if I were thru hiking I would probably bring a different set up but for weekend trips this works for me and weighs very little. YMMV.