THE CUTTING EDGE – IT’S YOUR CHOICE Remembering back to my youth the idea was implanted in my mind that real hunters always carried a BIG hunting knife – a blade that would make Jim Bowie grin. This bigger-is-better knife logic stayed with me for a long time. If required to guess I’d say the middle to late 1960’s.
It was about this time the folding belt knife came into being moving up several notches from the common pocketknife. The lock blade-folding knife followed it closely. When it was perfected, I was hooked.
At the 1982 Outdoor Writers Conference I had the pleasure to share the dinner table with Al Buck. As was Buck’s habit I was given an engraved Buck knife of my choosing after attending my first conference. My choice was the Buck classic the Buck 101 Folding Hunter, a knife I still own and carry.
So what about those fixed blade-hunting knives? They are still around and have become liter and more compact such as the Buck #390 Fixed Hunter. Ever since I started hunting elk and larger game I have been carrying a fixed blade knife for reducing a large elk to meat. So which one is better? Here is a quick look at both.
People who want strength and stability prefer the fixed blade knife. These are mostly hunters who go after large game and have tough cutting projects and need the knife that gives them confidence. Some could say that fixed blade knives give a “macho” appearance. This may be coming from the lock-blade people but lugging a foot long frog sticker into town for lunch does seem a bit ridiculous - but to each his own. My fixed blade stays on my pistol belt and is only carried when I am in the field.
The lock blade knife of today is a whole different animal. Chosen for its compactness and ease of carrying into the field the lock blade-folding knife has become a common sight on the belts of many Americans. It’s not just hunters but fishermen and workmen find the folding lock blade a valuable tool.
So I guess the bottom line is the best knife is the one the person who will carry it prefers. As for me I chose both and in addition to my knives, I carry a small saw with both bone and wood blades. Between the knives and the little saw doing a big job in the field much easier.
New for hunters this year is the “PakLite FieldMaster”. This set contains the 141 PakLite Large Skinner, the 135 PakLite Caper and the 499 PakLite Guthook. Each knife is of a minimalist design, but is surgically efficient. All three items are carried in one lightweight, durable sheath.
New also is the 222 Silver Creek Versa® is an all-purpose mid-lock folding fishing/outdoor knife. Offered with a safe and reliable rubber handle and a Titanium coated 420HC drop point blade, this knife will safely serve your needs.
Al Buck once made the statement, “We design every knife with a purpose in mind, but in the final analysis, every knife is for whatever the guy who buys it uses it for.”
There are many quality knives on the market today and the selection process has not become easier. First, decide what jobs you want to accomplish and how the knife will be used, then and only then buy the knife you prefer and appeals to you.
If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please Email him at: jimf06@gmail.com
