How to Choose an Outdoor Knife? A Complete Guide
In outdoor exploration, camping and other activities, a suitable outdoor knife can be said to be an essential tool. It not only helps us deal with various unexpected situations but also plays a crucial role in survival tasks. So, how do we choose a suitable outdoor knife for ourselves? Here is a detailed introduction.
I. The Importance of Outdoor Knives
When we are outdoors, we may encounter various unexpected situations. For example, we need to cut ropes, set up tents, make tools, and process food. At these times, an outdoor knife becomes our most powerful assistant. A good outdoor knife can improve our survival ability outdoors and enable us to deal with various challenges more calmly.
II. Selection Points
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Durability
- Full-tang straight knife: Full-tang straight knives have very high strength and can withstand large pressures and impacts. The blade and handle of this kind of knife are integrated without any welded or spliced parts, so it is very sturdy and durable.
- Carbon tool steel knife: Carbon tool steel is a very hard steel with good wear resistance and cutting performance. However, carbon tool steel knives are prone to rust and need regular maintenance.
- Damascus steel: Damascus steel is a very beautiful and excellent steel. It has good hardness, toughness, and sharpness, and at the same time, it has unique patterns. However, Damascus steel knives are relatively expensive and need to be chosen carefully.
- Plain edge and serrations on the back of the blade: Plain edges are suitable for cutting soft materials such as ropes and fabrics. Serrations on the back of the blade can be used to cut hard materials such as wood and bones. When choosing an outdoor knife, you can choose a plain edge or serrations on the back of the blade, or a style with both, according to your own needs.
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Comfort
- Blade length: The ideal blade length for an outdoor knife is 10 - 15 centimeters. A knife of this length can perform fine operations and also be competent for some relatively heavy tasks. If the blade is too long, it will increase the difficulty of carrying; if the blade is too short, it may not meet some actual needs.
- Handle material: The handle material of an outdoor knife should have a good grip, be non-slip, wear-resistant, and corrosion-resistant. Common handle materials include wood, rubber, plastic, G10, etc. Wood handle materials are beautiful and elegant but are prone to moisture deformation; rubber handle materials are soft and comfortable but not wear-resistant; plastic handle materials are lightweight and cheap but have low strength; G10 handle materials have high strength, are non-slip, wear-resistant, and corrosion-resistant, and are a very ideal handle material.
- Lanyard: Some outdoor knives are equipped with lanyards. The lanyard can be used to tie it to the wrist to prevent the knife from accidentally falling. At the same time, the lanyard can also be used as a rope in some emergency situations.
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Safety
- Good sheath: A good knife sheath can protect the blade and is also convenient to carry. When choosing a knife sheath, you should choose a sheath with a sturdy material, excellent workmanship, and stable knife storage. Avoid using wooden, plastic, and other materials for the sheath, as these materials are easily damaged and cannot protect the blade well.
- Comply with laws and regulations: When choosing and using an outdoor knife, you must comply with the country's laws and regulations. Do not carry illegal knives to avoid unnecessary trouble for yourself.
III. Specific Consideration Factors
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Size
- A medium-length knife is a relatively ideal choice. It can perform fine operations and also be competent for some relatively heavy tasks. If the blade is too long, it will increase the difficulty of carrying, and at the same time, it will be inconvenient to operate; if the blade is too short, it may not meet some actual needs.
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Knife type
- A full-tang straight knife is the best choice for an outdoor knife. This kind of knife has high strength and good durability and can withstand large pressures and impacts. Although folding knives are convenient to carry, they are not as strong and durable as straight knives. Moreover, the locking mechanism of folding knives is prone to failure and is not very suitable for use in the harsh outdoor environment.
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Blade
- A non-serrated blade is more practical. A non-serrated blade can perform fine cutting and is easy to sharpen. Although serrated blades can be used to cut some hard materials, they are troublesome to sharpen and have relatively limited uses.
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Handle
- The handle should have a good grip, be non-slip, wear-resistant, and corrosion-resistant. You can choose some handles with better materials, such as G10, Micarta, etc. At the same time, the shape of the handle should also conform to ergonomic principles for convenient gripping and operation.
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Material
- Damascus steel is a very good material for outdoor knives. It has good hardness, toughness, and sharpness, and at the same time, it has unique patterns. However, Damascus steel knives are relatively expensive and need to be chosen carefully. In addition to Damascus steel, there are some other high-quality steels, such as D2, S30V, etc. These steels also have good performance and can be chosen according to your own needs.
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Knife steel types
- Carbon steel: Carbon steel is a very hard steel with good wear resistance and cutting performance. However, carbon steel knives are prone to rust and need regular maintenance.
- Tool steel: Tool steel is a steel specially used for making tools. It has good hardness, toughness, and wear resistance. Tool steel knives are relatively expensive, but their performance is very excellent.
- Stainless steel: Stainless steel knives have good corrosion resistance and are not easy to rust. However, the hardness and sharpness of stainless steel knives are relatively low and need to be sharpened frequently.
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Five key characteristics
- Hardness: Hardness refers to the sharpness and wear resistance of the knife. Generally speaking, the higher the hardness, the better the sharpness and wear resistance of the knife. However, knives with too high hardness are also prone to breaking, so a balance needs to be found between hardness and toughness.
- Toughness: Toughness refers to the resistance to bending and breaking of the knife. A knife with good toughness is not easy to break and can withstand large pressures and impacts.
- Wear resistance: Wear resistance refers to the resistance to wear of the knife. A knife with good wear resistance can maintain sharpness for a long time and reduce the number of sharpenings.
- Corrosion resistance: Corrosion resistance refers to the resistance to corrosion of the knife in harsh environments such as humidity, acid, and alkali. A knife with good corrosion resistance can extend its service life and reduce the number of maintenance times.
- Sharpness retention: Sharpness retention refers to the ability of the knife to maintain sharpness during use. A knife with good sharpness retention can reduce the number of sharpenings and improve efficiency.
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Knife model and center of gravity position
- Planing type: The blade of the planing type knife head is relatively thin and is suitable for fine cutting and carving work.
- Flat-head round-head type: The blade of the flat-head round-head type knife head is relatively round and is suitable for some general cutting and cutting work.
- Hook type: The blade of the hook type knife head is arc-shaped and is suitable for some special cutting and cutting work, such as cutting ropes and leather.
- Round type: The blade of the round type knife head is curved and is suitable for some special cutting and cutting work, such as cutting branches and bamboo.
- Drop-point type: The blade of the drop-point type knife head is relatively sharp and is suitable for some piercing and cutting work.
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Sheath material and workmanship
- A sheath with stable knife storage can protect the knife and is also convenient to carry. Common sheath materials include leather, nylon, Kydex, etc. Leather sheaths are beautiful and elegant but need regular maintenance; nylon sheaths are lightweight and durable but have relatively poor knife storage stability; Kydex sheaths have high strength, stable knife storage, and are convenient to carry, and are a very ideal sheath material.
IV. Characteristics of Different Types of Outdoor Knives
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Portable folding knife
- Advantages: Convenient to carry, small in size, and can be placed in a pocket or backpack.
- Disadvantages: The strength and durability are not as good as straight knives, and the locking mechanism is prone to failure.
- Locking method: Common locking methods include liner lock, frame lock, axis lock, etc. Liner lock and frame lock are relatively common locking methods. They have high reliability, but unlocking requires certain skills. Axis lock is a relatively advanced locking method. Its unlocking is very convenient, and its reliability is also very high.
- Blade type: The blade type of a portable folding knife is generally a plain edge or a half-serrated edge. Plain edges are suitable for fine cutting, and half-serrated edges can be used to cut some hard materials.
- Blade material: The blade material of a portable folding knife is generally stainless steel or high carbon steel. Stainless steel knives have good corrosion resistance and are not easy to rust; high carbon steel knives have good hardness and sharpness but are prone to rust and need regular maintenance.
- Handle selection: The handle of a portable folding knife is generally made of materials such as aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, G10, etc. Aluminum alloy handles are lightweight and cheap but have low strength; titanium alloy handles have high strength and corrosion resistance but are relatively expensive; G10 handles have high strength, are non-slip, wear-resistant, and corrosion-resistant, and are a very ideal handle material.
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Fixed-blade straight knife
- Advantages: High strength, good durability, and can withstand large pressures and impacts.
- Disadvantages: Large in size and inconvenient to carry.
- Blade type: The blade type of a fixed-blade straight knife is generally a plain edge or a half-serrated edge. Plain edges are suitable for fine cutting, and half-serrated edges can be used to cut some hard materials.
- Blade material: The blade material of a fixed-blade straight knife is generally high carbon steel, tool steel, Damascus steel, etc. High carbon steel knives have good hardness and sharpness but are prone to rust and need regular maintenance; tool steel knives have excellent performance but are relatively expensive; Damascus steel knives have good hardness, toughness, and sharpness, and at the same time, they have unique patterns, but they are very expensive.
- Handle selection: The handle of a fixed-blade straight knife is generally made of materials such as wood, rubber, plastic, G10, etc. Wood handle materials are beautiful and elegant but are prone to moisture deformation; rubber handle materials are soft and comfortable but not wear-resistant; plastic handle materials are lightweight and cheap but have low strength; G10 handle materials have high strength, are non-slip, wear-resistant, and corrosion-resistant, and are a very ideal handle material.
V. Summary
Choosing a suitable outdoor knife for yourself requires considering multiple factors comprehensively, including durability, comfort, safety, size, knife type, blade, handle, material, knife steel type, five key characteristics, knife model and center of gravity position, sheath material and workmanship, etc. When choosing an outdoor knife, you must choose according to your actual needs and usage scenarios and not blindly follow the trend or pursue high-end brands. At the same time, when using an outdoor knife, you should also pay attention to safety, comply with the country's laws and regulations, and not use outdoor knives for illegal purposes.
