All right, here I go thinking again.....I have seen some awful purty neck knives floating around at the MPR, online, and on various other occasions, but I have also seen sheaths tucked behind belts, attached to bags, and stuck in various other places, my question is this, just HOW MANY darn knives should a fella be packin'? I ended up having three when I got where I was going(one on my shooting bag, one on my belt bag, and one on my belt with three different blade sizes), and I kinda wanted another one when I saw those quilled kneck sheaths, but with my luck I'd probably strangle on the darn thing....I smoke, so a tobacco bag(worn around the neck) is a must, I have a back up firestriker sewed to a little bag(also around the neck), there are various accoutrements needed for shooting(around the neck too), chokers, beads, etc, that I saw folks wearing.....it's amazing more frontiersmen didn't just plain hang themselves on a tree when they were busting through underbrush(now admittedly a lot of that can be tucked in too) but still.......I'm curious to know how many knives you guys carry. ;D
Normaly two a neck knife for cutting patches and an old 10 in butcher knive in a belt sheath on the belt
I think this is another one of those "it depends" answers. I have a sheath that attaches to my bag strap (http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i79/Bull3540/Trade%20Rifle/HPIM0723.jpg). It's a fair knife for camp chores but simply will not hold a keen enough edge to cut patches with, but it looks the part. If I'm out hunting I'll carry a production knife on my belt, but since it's got a bone handle and brass finger guard, it can pass for my 1830 persona but nothing earlier than that if you are talking strictly HC, plus it holds a razor edge that will skin several hogs before it needs a touch up. The sheath is custom made at least. Then there's my latest find, which will easily pass a five foot inspection, but if you look closely you'll see that the blade is stamped "Village Blacksmith" and was made sometime between 1917 and 1937. It's a great piece of stamped steel that holds a good edge and is easy to touch up, but the handle looks like it's from the 18th century. It wouldn't make a great patch knife but if I had to use it for that I could, and it would skin a deer or hog, no problem. If I have to cut a patch at the range my go-to knife is a Case mini-trapper with SS blades, and I could use it for that all day long, but it would be a point of contention at a rondy for sure, but it is the right size to hang around my neck. Like a lot of my gear, it would be nice to someday have the money to buy a handforged/handmade, historically accurate this or that but would it do a better job? I don't know, but you are right, it's a wonder that they didn't hang themselves from all the knives they could or should have been carrying back then.
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i79/Bull3540/Knives.jpg)
This is one subject that could drive a person insane. Your persona, location, and time period can help with the decision of type of knife and carry mode. However, a body can not have too many knives in reality cause no one knife fits the bill for all occasions. I like all the carry modes depending on my mood. I have tried them all and like them all. I have about 40 knives of all types....prefer carbon steel even in my pocket knives (by the way, Case is my favorite). Go with what suits you best.
Realistically 2 knives will do most any camp chore from peelin taters to peelin a frenchman and anything in between. Howsome ever, some of us go a little gonzo. For instance, in my Ranger persona, I carry an antler handled butcher knife on my belt. A plug bayonet and tomahawk on a belt frog. My skein du is tucked in my right leg garter. And I have a 4" osage handled utility in a sheath attached to the back of my hunting pouch. A little overboard, I know, but I like blades. In all I have about 50 knives in a trunk at home that are all suitable for rendevous. They don't eat anything so I can't bring myself to sell them. Oh, I also have a folding knife in my haversack.
I have 2 neck knives and I don't use them because the knife falls out. Both are soft knives and a person would have to carry a stone to sharpen them regularly.
The little reading I have done about such things indicated the use of belt knives, butcher knives, boot knives, possibly bag knives, but not neck knives so I went back to a bag knife and sometimes a butcher knife on the belt.
usually carry a belt knife ,or pocket knife . have a small knife mounted on the back of one bag , and one on the strap of my other bag ! belt knife and bag knives are my own work ! depending on wether I`m hunting or going to rendezvous , the belt knife can be anything from a simple scalper ,to a bowie or riflemans knife ,also my own work ! pocket knife is store bought !
For the most part , I detest ss knives , never have found one to equal a well tempered carbon steel blade ! As to the number I carry , depends ! I have not had the oppertunity to attend but one rondy/shoot/ camp- last Sept. So I carried what I normally carry trekking/hunting . As a camp or working knife I prefer a blade no longer then 4 " or so +- . I also carry a folder in my bag or side pocket (also carbon). thmbsup I don't like any more objects than needed hsnging around my neck pnicso my main knife is on my belt . Now if I were going on an extended trek , hntr I'd carry a second work knife in case I were to lose one . [hmm] Like others here I build my own mostly from old carbon blades I've found at flea mkts etc. :applause: IU also forge a few from spring steel etc. flwa
The only reason I bought my SS Case knife is because it was on sale and they were out of the carbon steel examples. It is however, one of the sharpest knives I have and carry it every day. I have owned several stainless steel knives and I think that edge retention and ease of sharpening has a lot to do with what kind of alloy is used. Often the term "surgical stainless" is used to describe a number of SS alloys. which is deceptive in my opinion. Many times it's just the addition of chromium to cheap mild steel that overseas manufacturers slap the "surgical steel" label to, resulting in blades that so soft that they aren't practical for anything, but put them in a blister pack and stack them deep at wallyworld amd people but them. Other times the steel comes out so hard that it's nearly impossible to resharpen them and may even result in the edge chipping. Carbon steel is much more versatile IMO and can be tailored to the job, but that's not to say that every type is suitable for knife making or that the tempering process has been done right.
I prefer carbon steel , but I do own two ss pocket knives . one I`ve had for over 20 years , holds an incredible edge ,and it`s an old spanish pattern , the other is a schrade gamblers folding dirk , once again in ss but also a good knife that takes and holds a good edge ! so while most stainless is crap , not all of it is ! would`nt mind trying one of the stainless damascus knives , I`ve heard good things about them !
Quote from: beowulf on August 17, 2010
I prefer carbon steel , but I do own two ss pocket knives . one I`ve had for over 20 years , holds an incredible edge ,and it`s an old spanish pattern , the other is a schrade gamblers folding dirk , once again in ss but also a good knife that takes and holds a good edge ! so while most stainless is crap , not all of it is ! would`nt mind trying one of the stainless damascus knives , I`ve heard good things about them !
Stainless damascus? How would the pattern show up if the layers are SS?
3 is a good number. 1- folder in bag or pocket. 2- small neck knife in a simple leather sheath. 3- medium to large butcher knife(no monster knifes) in your belt or sash. This will serve you we for what every you might run it in the woods today.
I didn't mean to imply that there arn't any ss knives that wont serve well , and /or hold an edge , I've just never been the owner of one ! The last ss folder I had was a Buck , my Wife thought she was doing a good thing for my birthday as she knew the old timer I'd had for many years was near the end of its career . I certainly didn't want to complain and risk hurting her feelings , so I stuck it in my pocket and retired the old timer . Some months later she needed to cut somthing and asked to use my buck . After a short time she brought it back and said thats the worse blade she'd ever seen . She had tried to resharpen it and it just kept getting duller . That was the last ss we ever bought !
As William ssys , there are alloys that do well in ss but most don't use it . I've never seen the damascus blade , interesting concept . [hmm] flwa
Quote from: William on August 17, 2010
Quote from: beowulf on August 17, 2010
I prefer carbon steel , but I do own two ss pocket knives . one I`ve had for over 20 years , holds an incredible edge ,and it`s an old spanish pattern , the other is a schrade gamblers folding dirk , once again in ss but also a good knife that takes and holds a good edge ! so while most stainless is crap , not all of it is ! would`nt mind trying one of the stainless damascus knives , I`ve heard good things about them !
Stainless damascus? How would the pattern show up if the layers are SS?
even stainless is`nt stainless . it can be etched ,and different grades of stainless take on a different shades of grey much the same as different types of carbon steel !
Quote from: gordy on August 17, 2010
I didn't mean to imply that there arn't any ss knives that wont serve well , and /or hold an edge , I've just never been the owner of one ! The last ss folder I had was a Buck , my Wife thought she was doing a good thing for my birthday as she knew the old timer I'd had for many years was near the end of its career . I certainly didn't want to complain and risk hurting her feelings , so I stuck it in my pocket and retired the old timer . Some months later she needed to cut somthing and asked to use my buck . After a short time she brought it back and said thats the worse blade she'd ever seen . She had tried to resharpen it and it just kept getting duller . That was the last ss we ever bought !
As William ssys , there are alloys that do well in ss but most don't use it . I've never seen the damascus blade , interesting concept . [hmm] flwa
the larger buck knives are crap , but the smaller knives,like the buck knight seem to be made of a better grade of steel .I had one you could shave with ! I have one of the buck hunters that really is`nt good for much other than carrying on your belt to impress fools !
heres an example !
Quote from: beowulf on August 17, 2010
Quote from: William on August 17, 2010
Quote from: beowulf on August 17, 2010
I prefer carbon steel , but I do own two ss pocket knives . one I`ve had for over 20 years , holds an incredible edge ,and it`s an old spanish pattern , the other is a schrade gamblers folding dirk , once again in ss but also a good knife that takes and holds a good edge ! so while most stainless is crap , not all of it is ! would`nt mind trying one of the stainless damascus knives , I`ve heard good things about them !
Stainless damascus? How would the pattern show up if the layers are SS?
even stainless is`nt stainless . it can be etched ,and different grades of stainless take on a different shades of grey much the same as different types of carbon steel !
Ah, now I get the picture, I was thinking that each layer was somehow stained, not etched.