Knives- A Man's Cutlery

Breaking away from guns for a bit, I thought I'd write a post about the knives I use. Just like guns, I do not have an endless collection, just a few that I use regularly. It should be noted that I do not really carry knives as weapons or for self defense, I carry them as a tool to use. I think its great to have a good knife with you, always a use for something. Also, while I like to buy decent knives, I certainly don't spend a fortune on the most amazing thing out there. I buy decent quality stuff that's affordable. I'll start with the smallest and work up the largest.

Camillus Sizzle

This is my "everyday" knife I carry around with me pretty much whatever I do. Nice little knife, assisted opening, 2.5" blade made of Aus8 stainless. I bought it as a gift to my brother, and liked it so much that I kept it. Has held a good edge, and its a nice size to carry around....a little blade to do random little everyday tasks. The one downside is that mine has a partially serrated edge.....when I bought it I thought that was great, but I have really grown to prefer a completely straight edge. They are discontinued but are still out there for sale. I bought mind for around $35

CRKT M4

I've had to warm up to my Columbia River Knife and Tool M4. At first, I can't say I liked the thing, but now I love it. It was my first decent knife I bought, and I think I expected it to slice through steal. Having generated realistic expectations about knifes, I know very much appreciate it. The blade is made of Aus8 stainless and bead blasted. It has a positive extra locking system that I like when the blade is open. The edge is hollow ground with a drop point.

I like this knife because its slightly larger and more robust, I feel I can take on serious work with the thing. It also has a thick enough spine that I would feel comfortable using to baton wood, etc. I have taken this camping/hiking and would feel good if I was lost and this is the knife I had at my side. I take it with me when I'm outdoors- plinking, dayhiking, or when I'm beboping around doing things where I might want a decent knife. It has a thin handle which is nice for my smaller hands. The one downside is the pocket clip can dig into the hand a bit. Overall, a well constructed knife. Does need sharpening a couple times to get a really good edge. They are around $90 new but I found one on sale for about $40 on REI.com

Benchmade Rant Drop-Point

I really like this knife. I've only had it for about a month. This is my larger, more robust knife I plan to bring on full-out hiking/camping/hunting trips. It has a 4.5" blade made of 440c stainless. Obviously, it also has a drop point. It came right out of the box with a really nice razor sharp edge. It has a finish that I can't explain....its like a bead-blasted but yet different. The appearance would remind you of corrugated steel. The handle is a very large textured santoprene handle. Actually, the handle is probably getting too big for me....it has a large palm swell that feels like it could give me blisters. I've only used it on a winter camping trip, so I had gloves on. It comes with a leather sheath that is well built, but is a but finicky on how it slides in. Thus, it doesn't easily resheath without looking- which is probably my biggest bummer.

On the trip though, it did a great job of splicing kindling, whittling, cutting rope, doing some kitchen duty, overall it was great. I would feel more than good in having this on my side if I got lost and was in a survival situation. Also would make a good knife I think for hunting and skinning. I've seen these anywhere from $45-70. Mine was in the middle.

Note: if you happen to google this, the knife was redesigned recently. Subsequently, there's lots of pictures out there of the old ones. The new one (that I have) is the Mel Purdue designed Rant DPT

Rant DPT on bottom, Fallkniven F1 on top.

Other things:

I also frequently carry around a Leatherman Fuse and a Swiss Army knife. Both great. I registered for a Leatherman Wave in my wedding gift registry, we'll see if I get lucky :) Great fiance to let me register for that, huh?