How many knives is too many???


festus

God Bless Our Troops!!!
I carry a fixed blade, a locking folding blade and a Leatherman with a blade every time I'm in the field. It is a redundancy that I have found very usefull while camping and hunting. What are your thoughts?
 

Well even though the Leatherman has a blade I would consider it more a tool than a knife so that leaves you with two. Does not seem excessive to me.
 
sounds good to me. I usually carry a fixed blade and a folder just because i can get the fixed blade out faster if Im in a bind. I agree that the leatherman is more of a tool.
 
I carry a tactical folder clipped to my left pocket and another clipped to the right pocket. The "strong side" one is for defensive purposes and the "support side" knife is for handgun retention and use as a backup. The "support side" knife (Emerson Super Karambit) features the wave opening system so that it opens itself on the draw. I also have a Leatherman on my belt. Both of my bug out bags have a fixed blade inside or attached to the webbing. One of these is a Ka-Bar USMC fighting knife and the other is a Gerber LMF II. On occasion I wear a Topps Cockpit Commander boot knife and I've been looking at neck knives lately. So I'm not sure how many is "too many", but I'm getting there. :biggrin:

John Connor (Guns Magazine, I think) wrote a great article not long ago about always having 3 or 4 blades on you.
 
I carry a Leatherman, two other knives, and a box cutter. They go on my belt or in my pocket before I pick up my wallet. The only time, since I was 12, that I've not had at least 2 knives, other than at the courthouse or airport, was at boot camp.
 
For a daily carry I usually have a folder and my gerber multitool. In the field I will add my cold steel fixed blade to my side. So to answer your question I don't think its excessive at all. I will also have a backpacking hatchet somewhere also. Its usually connected to a bag.
 
As for neck knives you might want to check out the cold steel spike series. I personally like the tokyo spike, my wife likes the tanto.

Be careful with some neck knives as they could be called a concealed weapon and some states dont let you have concealed weapons, only concealed firearms.
 
I carry a fixed blade, a locking folding blade and a Leatherman with a blade every time I'm in the field. It is a redundancy that I have found very usefull while camping and hunting. What are your thoughts?


How Many knives is too many? When you weigh so much you fall down! :biggrin: I work a part-time job a few days a week and also work around my property. On my property I carry a fixed blade Cold Steel R1 Military Classic or a Randall of the same design. At work, I carry a Leatherman tool on my belt. I carry a Spyderco Military Folder clipped on one pocket and Mike Sanders Custom lightweight Folder in my pocket. The pocket knife and Leatherman are for utility use and the Spyderco is carried as a weapon/ back-up and never gets used for anything else.
 
Most of the time I have a Bowen double-edge belt knife belt holding up my drawers, with a small (2.5" blade) folder clipped to my right front pocket, and a SOG 'Winder' (GREAT knife!!) in the r/rear pocket. Is that too many? I don't think so.
 
For many years I carried a Leatherman Charge everyday. One day I had to go to the Social Security Office on business. I took a number and sat in the waiting for about an hour. Feeling the urge to use the restroom I approached the security guard and asked for directions. When I came out and began walking to my seat he approached me and asked what I was carrying. He explained the policy about the weapons ban. I had seen the sign when entering but thought nothing of it because I wasn't carrying a gun.

In short I was asked to leave and told that I could return without the weapon. This tool and previous models have served me well for many years. I feel naked without it, but now I am wondering is a Leatherman considered a concealed weapon? I now have a concealed handgun permit and don't want to do anything to jeopardize my permit.

Note that I have been to the Social Security office before without a problem. If you haven't been to a government office in a while it is bilingual. Hey if you can't speak English you mustn't be a citizen, right. Then why are you collecting Social Security?
 
THINK "SYSTEM"... Not just 'Knife'...

Weight is my biggest consideration,

When just knocking around in day to day I only carry a Kershaw (Ken Onion) small pocket clip on the right side front pocket.

When I'm in the 'Bush',
I carry a large fixed blade,
I have a Gerber multi-tool in the outside pocket of the fixed blade,
And I have scalpel blades in the back of the sheath.

I REALLY don't want to be cutting out a fish hook or honey locust thorn with a huge straight knife,
So that's the purpose of the individuality packed, STERILE, scalpel blades.

The Multi-tool has a 3" smooth blade, and a serrated blade for about any 'Sharp', but small utility work I need to do,

And the larger, heavy straight blade (Becker) takes care of large cutting/hacking and light 'Chopping' work.
I'm pretty well covered.

Knife03.gif


Notice there is a light weight, but large enough to sharpen a machete if you needed to,
Diamond sharpener included with the stuff I commonly carry.
That things sharpens serrated blades, flat blades, fish hooks, hones small parts (like triggers or other firearms parts), ect.

Makes for a VERY light weight, dependable package that covers about everything I need to take care of in the field.

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One thing I learned in the military (From actual field experience) and from a lot of camping/hunting is the sheath, belt and accessories you carry along with the larger knife are as important as the Knife (Knives) you have at any given point...

The belt is what military 'Operators' call a 'Last Resort' belt,
Paratroops call it a 'Riggers' belt,
Training cadre call it an 'Instructors' belt,
And there are other names for it depending on what branch/section of the military you are in,
Or what 'Outdoor' discipline you subscribe to.

Basically, what it is...
A piece of rigging strap, like for heavy air drop rigging or parachute main straps,
With a dependable, high strength, no slip buckle sewed in so it simply will not fail.
The 'Buckle' has an attachment ring built into it for carabiners, rigging support, ect.

SoftGear01.gif


I don't need to make a 'Swiss Seat' out of rope, or wear a swiss seat over my gear since this belt is in place for any 'Field Expedient' climbing, rappelling, safety belt use, ect.

The Sheath is SILENT,
It's keeps the knives/equipment SECURE (Lost equipment doesn't do you ANY good),
The sheath is rigged so it mounts vertical, Inverted or horizontal depending on what you need to do with it during it's use.

Only an IDIOT uses an inverted sheath in anything but all out combat situation.
I don't know how many people I've seen with the 'Hollywood' version of inverted sheath on the web gear,
With nothing but an empty sheath because they LOST THE KNIFE on the trail somewhere!

I like SILENT,
I like quick drying NYLON that doesn't leach acids/salts to rust things up like leather does,
I like quick drying NYLON so the STITCHING doesn't rot out like it does on leather,
I like LANYARDS to tie it off in several different positions, or to lend cordage to the camp construction or gear lashing.
I like a RIGID sheath liner so the edge doesn't cut the nylon, and so I can store small items between sheith and liner.
I like an OUTSIDE POCKET for my multi-tool, sharpener, ect. (some people call it a 'Magazine Pouch', but mags have their own place, and I don't need the extra weight of a loaded pistol mag when I'm hunting or camping).

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OTHER CONSIDERATIONS,

Safety Pins! These things are SO HANDY when you are camping!
If you can't see the usefulness of a few large, solid safety pins, then you have never been out there where cloths get ripped, you need to attach something to your gear, you need to wrap your poncho around something for a shelter, ect.!
There was a reason they used to be issued with ammo bandoleers and C-rations!

FISHING EQUIPMENT,
I keep some fish hooks, line, sinkers taped to the back side of the sheath insert where you see the scalpel blades above.
I've seen guys try and fish without this stuff, and it's usually VERY UNSUCCESSFUL!
I can cut a 'Fishing Pole' fairly easily,
I can find 'Bait', or even include some small 'Popper' type fish hook/lures in the insert, and I'm usually successful.

CORDAGE!
There is no such thing as 'Too Much' cordage!
I make lanyards out of cordage and attach them to the sheath,
I wrap my knife handles in cordage so it's handy,
I keep extra cordage in my 'Possibles' bag on the belt most times.

In the same 'Cordage' category is a wrist lanyard on the knife.
A lost knife, dropped in a stream, kicked out of your hand and lost down a hill side while chopping, ect. all mean your knife is just flat GONE.
I never understood the necessity of a wrist loop on a knife until I joined the military and had a military instructor snatch the knife from me about 20 times in a row,
And in a recent trip to Alaska, my Girl Friend dropped TWO knives,
One down a ravine and one into a flowing river, so loosing a knife is VERY possible.

BASIC NAVIGATION.
I ALWAYS carry a light weight wrist band with the knife sheath.
It's ALWAYS got a thermometer, compact compass, pace count beads on it.
If you have never been out in the mountains or high desert at night, then you don't know you MUST have a thermometer to determine what measurer you need to take to preserve body heat or make external heat.
The compass and pace count beads should be self explanatory.

For those of you that haven't been in the military, or don't have land navigation skills well developed,
If you know what general direction you were going, and how FAR out you went from initial starting point,
Then you can calculate a general path back to your starting point, or any other destination you want.

"POSSIBLES" BAG.
It's not very big, but you can stuff a LOT of 'What If?' stuff in there.
Head net, bug spray, fire starters, ect.
VERY good place for your 99¢ rain ponchos, survival blankets, Climbing carabieners ect.

WATER/PURIFICATION, COOKING.
I still have never found anything as handy as the military canteen, especially the WW-II versions that were metal that you can boil/purify water in.
The military canteen, canteen cup, canteen stove, canteen cover make a VERY light weight, compact and efficient way to keep yourself in cooked food and purified water.
 
Regular day to day it's the Leatherman Wave & a Benchmade folder. Either a Griptilian or the Presidio

For away from the comforts of home I add a Swiss Army knife w/ magnifying lens (fire starting) and a Kershaw fixed blade.

Peace...
 
I like Leatherman Wave,
The only issue I have with it is the handles don't 'Lock' into place, and when the pin joints get worn, you can't navigate it one handed anymore.

Gerber isn't the tool the Wave is, but it locks into place.
 
I have LOST so many knives, I almost don't need to carry one any more if I want to spend the time looking around wherever I may be at the time. I have one Kershaw which spent a winter next to my swimming pool in Boston, and spent another winter under a tree stand in Maine. I keep finding it in the spring though. :biggrin: If you want an idea of how many knives to own, count how many pair of shoes your wife has. :laugh:
 
I carried a dozen knives when i was a kid,no exaggeration,a dozen,literally.Now i have a Stiletto and a Winchester multi tool,and a pig sticker i carry when im out in the woods.Cant never have too many.I would carry more if i didnt have two 5" 1911s.
 

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