Category Archives: Knives

Pocket knife safety

I mentioned elsewhere that I carried a pocket knife almost all the time when I was a kid. Some of my friends found this unusual when they found out—I guess their parents didn’t let them play with anything sharp (I wonder what that says about my parents?).

One time I recall walking home from school with a friend and the topic of my knife came up somehow. Of course he wanted to see it, so I pulled it out and before handing it to him I advised him that it was sharp. To demonstrate, I showed him how he could gently drag the blade of the knife over the ridges of his thumb to feel the sharpness. He imitated me and instantly cut his thumb.

I think this event made such a big impression on me because I really was not aware that other kids might not have the same level of training and experience with a pocket knife as I did. They were basic tools around my home. So, keeping this lesson in mind, perhaps it is worthwhile reviewing some of the basic safety tips for handling a pocket knife.

First point, as my friend learned, knives can be sharp. Don’t cut toward your body with the knife blade. We are all guilty of this; you are holding a stick and just need to make this one cut back toward your hand, and bingo, it cut through quicker than you thought. Or, you are holding that tough plastic package on your thigh to stabilize it as you cut through to open it—wham, yup you did it. Just make a habit of cutting away from yourself, period.

Don’t run (or walk) around with the knife open in your hand. If you are going more than a few steps just close it. It really only takes a few seconds.

If your knife has a locking mechanism for the blade, carefully practice with it so you know how it works. Even though some knives are designed to be worked with one hand, you are really better off using two. You might need to loosen the blade or even oil it a bit if it is too stiff. However, you may not want to oil a blade that does not have a locking mechanism—nothing worse than having the blade suddenly close around your fingers.

If you hand the knife to someone else, either close it or hand it over by the blade, carefully holding it so it will not cut you, but your friend can grip the handle to take control of it.

And finally, do not slide your finger ALONG the blade to test how sharp it is. Gently drag your finger PERPENDICULAR to the blade to feel how easily the edge catches on the ridges of your fingers.  A sharp blade will catch easily against your skin. If it fails to catch the ridges of your fingerprint it is not sharp. Some of the worst accidents happen with dull blades, so they are more dangerous, not less.

Happy and safe cutting.

King of pocket knives

In a previous post we discussed some of the crazy stuff you can find on a pocket knife. I indicated that I was not super impressed with the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink knives out there. There is, however, one exception to the rule. I am very fond of my Leatherman tool.

I think my family purchased Leatherman tools back when they were just “Leatherkids.” I sort of feel we grew up with the company. I have owned several over the years and find them incredibly useful. The full-size versions are larger than your typical pocket knife and so may be more than you need for everyday use. In fact, they come with a belt holster as it really is too big to comfortably be called a pocket knife, although I have slipped it into my pocket at times. They do have smaller models too.

One of the nicest features of the tool is that it folds out to form a full-size pair of pliers. Having pliers right with you makes all kinds of tasks simpler. You need to grab this, turn that, cut this wire? Having this tool gets these light tasks done right now

The other tools within the Leatherman that I find most useful are the screwdrivers, both Phillips and regular, the knife blade, and the bottle opener. I don’t know how many times I have needed a quick screwdriver to do a simple task, and the Leatherman was right at my side.

In keeping with a theme of other comments about pocket knives, I am the first to admit that the Leatherman’s versions are often not as good as the tools it imitates. The pliers are often not as good as a “real” pair of pliers: the Leatherman pliers are needle nosed and often slip from something you are trying to work with, and you are not able to get as much force on the handle of the Leatherman. But when no other pliers are around the Leatherman is a God send. The screwdrivers are short and sometimes close on you when you are applying force on that stubborn screw. But again, a screwdriver in hand is better than one in the shop.

As the Leatherman tools have grown in popularity, they have fallen into the “Swiss Army knife” syndrome I think. They have come out with more models with more tools and different features, and I guess that is inevitable. But as with the Swiss Army knife trying to be all things all the time and not doing much well, I feel the “tricked out” Leatherman tools end up in the same boat. For me, I will stick to the basic, tried and true models, the tool that is multifunctional without being multi-dysfunctional—the basic Leatherman tool.

Also see what to look for in a hunting knife for other ideas.

It has what?

Here we will explore some of the more specialized pocket knife accessories you can get on your knife. This gets into the world of gadgets and gimmickry, and in the extreme cases, just plain silly.

At the low end of the spectrum we have pocket knives with multiple blades. In an earlier post I gave my general opinion about them, but some people will find them useful. They are especially useful if the second blades have a different function than the main blade. For example, fishing people will appreciate knives with the second blade being a fish scaler.

Another tool that looks handy for the upland bird hunter is the bird hook. I have read several descriptions for how to use it, but in general you cut open the abdominal cavity of the bird and fish the hook around inside to pull out the entrails more or less in one swoop. Having gutted many birds, I may look into this tool myself.

Other tools that seem at least somewhat useful include a bartender’s pocket knife with blades for cutting foil from wine bottles and a cork screw. Although, I think there are likely better cork screws on the market.

Then there are the proverbial “Swiss Army knives.” I don’t know what the Swiss Army does, but for a neutral country they seem to need a lot of stuff. On one model you can get: 18 Implements with 31 Functions; black rubber grip; 2.50 inch locking blade; double-cut wood saw; adjustable pliers w/wire crimper and cutter; fish scaler; hook disgorger; line guide; magnifier; screwdriver; metal file; metal saw; compass; straight edge; ruler; springless scissors; universal wrench; and an additional 9 unspecified implements with 14 unspecified functions.

Personally, I have never really been too impressed with the Swiss Army knife concept overall. It just seems to me it tries to do way too much and ends up not doing any of it very well. However, many people must like them. I guess I might be more impressed when they come out with one that can locate fossils.

Pocket knife basics

When considering a pocket knife to carry several things are important to me. Perhaps size and weight are the most significant. If the knife is too large or heavy you will end up leaving it home on your dresser rather than tossing it into your pocket or purse.

Many pocket knives have more than one blade. This could be handy I guess if the second blade is a different shape or design than the first. For example, if the second blade is considerably more pointed than the first and could be used for different tasks. In general though, I don’t find second blades terribly useful.

Locking blades are a different story. Many modern knives have some sort of locking mechanism that snaps into place and keeps the blade from folding back into the handle while in use. This can be an important feature as you might be surprised how many times you are working with the knife, and all of the sudden feel it give way, with the blade coming dangerously close to your fingers as it closes. For really casual use this might not be a necessary feature. In another post, (pocket knife introduction) I mentioned the knife I carry much of the time, and it does not lock. But if you are likely to use the knife much at all, getting a blade that locks is incredibly handy, and can be much safer.

Blade length is related to overall size and weight. For almost all everyday uses a blade of 2 inches is perfectly fine. I would not recommend carrying a blade of more than 4 inches as the knife starts getting big and heavy, and the extra length is really not needed in most everyday uses.

If you really expect to use the knife for more moderate- or heavy-duty uses, a heavier knife is warranted. Get the right tool for the job. Outdoors adventurers, hunters, fishers, campers and the like will likely use the knife for everything like cutting rope, digging into rocks (yes, I have), prying open cans, whittling marshmallow sticks, slicing cheese and lunch meat, and a host of other activities. For these sorts of uses a larger, stouter blade is needed. If you intend to carry it in your pocket, I still would not recommend a blade longer than about 4 inches. Much longer and the knife is just too uncomfortable to carry.

If you are expecting much more heavy use you might want to consider a fixed blade hunting knife, the kind with a sheath that does not fold at all. The fixed blade is a single piece of steel with the handle, making it much stronger overall. Pocket knives are great to have handy, but there are limitations to what you should expect them to do.

Knives For Hunting Also Have Many Other Uses

If you are gathering together the things you will need for an extended journey into the great out of doors, then any experienced outdoorsman will tell you that proper knives for hunting are essential. This is because having a quality knife near at hand will be very useful during your journey and not just for the obvious uses of cleaning and skinning any of the game you successfully bag. A good knife will also be very handy if you encounter a wild animal that might attack or for trimming branches in order to set up camp.

As with any other type of instrument for cutting, hunting and fishing knives must be well cared for and maintained in order to extend their life and to make them as useful as possible. When one is out on a hunting, fishing or camping expedition, it is important to be sure that the fixed blade hunting knives or folding hunting knives that you take along are ready at a moments notice to do their job. This means they should be clean and recently sharpened. In the instance of folding or pocket knives, they should be oiled so that the blade can be accessed easily and quickly.

For those who use their knives for hunting on a daily basis for other purposes, it is a good idea to clean the knife daily or after every use. This helps to keep not only the blade in the best condition possible, but the entire knife as well. If the hunting knife is properly cleaned, then you can see if there are any nicks or damages to the blade.

If you do see that the blade has been nicked, it is important to hone out that area as quickly as possible, and most certainly before using the blade again. This will keep the blade from becoming even more damaged and will also assure that you always have the sharpest cutting edge on your knife at all times. A dull blade can be dangerous to the user, as more pressure is required and in such circumstances the blade is more likely to slip and cause an injury to the user.

Hunt and fish knives typically end up being used to skin, gut and clean animals and fish that has been killed or caught, and as a result they can become very dirty, very quickly. Out in the wild it is not always possible to thoroughly clean a knife that has just been used, but at the very least the blade and handle should be wiped down to remove as much blood and tissue as possible.

Upon returning to camp, it is best to completely wash the knife with soap and water to rid it of any residue and dirt left on the blade and handle. There are also a number of cleaning solutions on the market which can be very useful in keeping the knives for hunting in good condition and which can easily be taken along on your next hunting trip. Visit www.lightsandknives.com/hunting_knife_sharpening.htm for tips on how to maintain your knives in good condition.

Want to find out more about knives, then visit Tim Frazier’s site on how to choose the best folding knives for your needs.

Also see what you should look for in a hunting knife.