Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Pocket Knives

Top notch idea there. Everyone needs a "dress" pocket knife, and a working one too.

Oh.... duh.

Miss Lynn, the knife pictured above is one of the best choices you can make for a Serious Social Purposes pocket knife. I carry its twin in my right front pocket at this moment, as it happens, and I did not choose it at random.

One must take into account the intended purpose of the knife, first thing. Is it intended to go everywhere and do everything, such as sharpen pencils, open packages, pry up staples and the like, occasionally gut a fish or field-dress a squirrel or pheasant? Then a thin-bladed single-blade folder such as PatPowell's Case knife is probably the answer. But if it's a knife intended to be carried for potential life-threatening occasions, it needs to be something a bit beyond the simple Buck or Case folder.

Folding Social Purposes pocket knives are a compromise... much like carrying a J-frame revolver, really. The best true combat and multi-purpose knives are fixed-blade designs with longer, heavier blades, and while you can get some that are small enough to carry in a pocket, a defensive knife should have a blade of 3-4". A folding knife allows you to carry an acceptably long/heavy blade in a package not much over 3-1/2". But they aren't as quick to deploy as a fixed blade, and most folders have the annoying and potentially crippling habit of folding back on the user's hand when put to use in Serious Social situations.

There are several reasons for carrying a Benchmade Griptilian or one of its sibling designs. Like many other premium (not to say custom, which is a whole 'nother animal...) knives, the steel, workmanship, and versatility of Benchmades are top-drawer. Add to that the ergonomic handle design which makes the knife very secure in your hand, even when wet, even when bloody (note the serrations on the edges of the handle and the deep checkering).

What separates the best Benchmades from all the others is the Axis lock (that's the silvery-looking thingy in the slot on the handle. This patented lock design locks the blade out very securely, i.e., it makes it impossible for the blade to fold back on your hand "accidentally" during use.

This knife is also available with a partially-serated blade, which I favor over the straight blade, but that's a minor quibble.

Actually this is the only statement on what I am looking for:

I guess I had traditional in mind, but it doesn't have to be. It just needs to be functional, not too heavy, and definitely something that will last awhile.

He would use it mostly I guess for small everyday projects, he already has a several larger knives for hunting and carving.

Lynn

I'm with Scott on this one, I like the old style knives, but when you look at it strictly from a utility standpoint you can't beat the modern folders. I now carry a CRKT Mt Rainier and it works great. And like Scott said, often when you realize you need to cut something, you already have your hands full so a knife you can open with one hand is great.

Yep. I read Steelhead, and thought I was reading your post for some reason. For traditional, take a look at the site I posted for you. If you want to spend less, but still get a really nice traditional pocket knife, check out Case Knives.

Lynn...you looking for a heirloom type piece or one where the absent-mindedness and forgetfulness of a young man won't make the loss devastating?

+1

Miss Lynn,

Here is the knife I carry for everyday use:

http://www.benchmade.com/products/907
It is one-handed opening knife with a pocket clip and really good steel.

I, too was thinking the person you were talking about was a "youngster".

This is the Case Stockman I was talking about:

http://www.basspro.com/Case-Amber-Bone-Knife-%E2%80%93-Medium-Stockman-042/product/10222821/-943647

Ed

I remember my dad always carried one of these.

I guess the heirloom type was what I was first thinking of, and now I am thinking two. One for everyday use, and an heirloom type one for dressier occasions.

Lynn

Thought these looked kinda cool.........

That's the spirit. You got the everyday use one figured out with the Benchmade I posted, I'll let others deal with heirlooms...

I'll sharpen it for you when you come down.

A Benchmade one-hander is as good as it gets. Steelhead speaks the truth there. That would be my choice if I could have only one knife. That said, currently a Case bird hunters classic rides along in my pocket most of the time. I like it for it's delicate narrow blade that holds an edge seemingly forever. Perfect for slicing a baloney or peeling an apple which is about all I use it for anyway.

Can't tell you how many jeans pockets I wore through over the years with a regular old Swiss Army knife.

==============

His knife or his wit?

I gave everybody, to include the women folk, in my family pocket knives for Christmas. I was amazed at the some of the great pricing and bundles found at Amazon for many of the names mentioned in this thread.

Just cuzz you have a pointy head it doesn't mean you're sharp.

Both will be honed to a keen edge when he leaves.

I've had a Kershaw Skyline for a few months now. Perfect for EDC. I have no complaints besides the thumbstuds being too far recessed into/against the scales, but a file fixes that problem... and besides that, the flipper is better/faster IMHO.
I've sharpened it once so far, and I use it on a daily basis. Unless I'm without pants, it's with me. :P