Knife Talk

So, as you will soon learn. I am a knife nut and also a flashaholic. It may not seem like it, since my inventory is rather low, but that's just because I don't have the money to spare for it ; ) To make up for that, I'm all about research. Getting the best bang for my buck, choosing budget/economy options, allowing myself to buy one or two things that are of high quality that I will use over and over. Obviously, this post is about knives. I looked at forum posts, notably, whiteblaze.net, edcforums.com, bladeforums.com and survivalistboards.com to see what people EDC (every day carry) on the trail. I also checked out numerous posts regarding normal fixed blade EDCs. The following spreadsheet is my top options.

Knife	Weight w/o sheath	Blade length	Sheath	Price	Tang
Russell Woods	1.2	2 3/8ths	leather/kydex	23 / 28	full
Russell Hunter	0.5	2.5	plastic neck	20	3/4?
ESEE Izula	2	2.6	kydex	50	full
Mora 2/0	1.8	2.9	plastic neck	18	3/4?
Classic SAK	0.8 / .6	1.5 + scissor	none	15 / 21	no
Manager SAK	0.8	1.5 + bottle	none	27	no
CRKT Min	1.1	2	kydex	22	full
Small Leatherman?

Let me explain each one and why I put it on there (knife nuts enjoy, all others, skip to the end).

A.G. Russell Woodswalker: I love the look of this knife. It's simple, its elegant, it's built for utility. Full sized handle, average small blade size, and has a unique angle to it, that was designed to keep your hand above the object being worked on. The two sheath options are leather and a kydex neck-knife style sheath (priced respectively). The weight is good, allowing for the full tang/handle. This is a knife that will one day be in my collection, but perhaps not quite yet.

A.G. Russell Hunter Scalpel: Simple, and with a single-built purpose, for hunting. Obviously, it can be used for other things, but this little (and I mean little) gem is pretty much a caping knife for skinning game. I like the safety button sheath, I love the weight, and the blade length is more than capable. But, I'm wary of the tang and plastic handle as well as the blade geometry. It seems to be a Full Flat Grind, but again, designed for skinning. That means "scalpel" sharp with a delicate edge. While this would be great for opening up food packages and digging out splinters or what not, what if I want to build a fire? Would I use this for processing wood? I can't imagine myself doing so. I think a great EDC and ultralight option, but not enough capability for me. I want to mention, that I considered carrying two fixed blades, a micro and a small, but I've come to dispel that option due to redundancy and a waste of weight (regardless of how light it might be). I also might mention, if I do get this knife, I think I'll get the Blaze Orange version, as dropping this in some foliage may be the last thing I do with it.

Esee Izula: This is the top hit knife in all of the forums, for both lightweight survival and fixed blade EDC. I could not hear enough cries of "Esee Izula!". There were recommendations for the Kabar Becker series especially the Becker Necker and Eskebar but from what I've read, the Izula has the edge (pun intended). It's just a little more ergonomic, little lighter, little big better sheath and comes with a lifetime warranty, (also a little more expensive...). I considered looking at the Kabar options but if I'm going to spend $40 on a Kabar, I might as well go for the $50 favorite Izula. Nothing against Kabar, I have their short utility bowie and that was my first fixed blade, I still keep it around. But I'm going for best of the best for ultralight purposes. So why so heavy you may ask? I would like to process firewood. Ideally, I don't want to baton, but if I need to for survival or what not, I have that capability with it's full tang. This bad boy was built for survival and bushcraft and it's following supports that. I can't say much more about it other than it's just ready to go.

Morakniv Mora 2/0: I want to say this is a much less known model. The No. 1 and 2. seem to have more reviews on Amazon and surely doesn't have a following like the Mora Clipper/Companion but it's also the lightest of their knives. Surprising right? You might think the electrician's or wood carver's knife would be lighter, but their grippy plastic handles also grip onto weight. This is a 2.9 inch blade with a wood handle and I think a 3/4 size tang. I was impressed with the weight but not impressed with the sheath. It's a plastic, although detailed (it has some scandinavian designs on it), sheath that is really just for belt carry. No retention as far as I can tell. This is also a knife that begs to be in my collection for lightweight duty and straight up value. $18 is a steal as are all of their knives for their worth. I would love to buy one of each of their popular models if I had the money/room for them. Maybe not the best ultralight option vs. functionality, but if you're on a budget and want a small-mid sized blade, this could be perfect for you.

Victorinox Classic Swiss Army Knife plastic/alox: The two models I looked at were the regular plastic and aluminum, which they call "alox". The small SAK (Swiss Army Knife) is the go-to for the majority of the ultralight community. With it's weight and it being a "multitool" (it is!), it has been indispensable for many a thru hiker. The scissors I believe are it's greatest advantage for many people. Having the option of a small blade that can be cleaned, and the precision of a small pair of scissors for making repairs appeals to many people that want to cut out the weight of a handle. I don't blame them, as I was considering throwing my black classic in my pocket, and still might for the scissors, but I'm not sure I can justify carrying two knives as such. If I'm going to have a knife around my neck, am I really going to dig in my pocket to pull out a nail indent opening knife? It will be a straight up no. I'm just going to grab the handle and pull down on my neck knife and either cut some wood or open up a package. No fuss and no decision, it's just so much more convenient, regardless of size. Nail file? Meh. Screwdriver? Maybe, but what do I have that uses a flathead... oh right... nothing...

Victorinox Manager Swiss Army Knife: I got this idea from Terry M. Trier's article "Lighten Up!". This seemed to be his recommendation and that bottle opener sure looked appetizing to me. The pen is also really convenient, but the price? Just to add those options from the base Classic we're talking 12 bucks. While that may not seem like much, it is if you don't use it. I'm not planning on writing a journal, either phone or video will do. And as to beer, well I do love a chilled brew, but if I buy one in a restaurant/bar they will open it, and otherwise, well... what otherwise? I'm not going to buy a six pack and pack it out with me, and I'm not really going to pay for a single, and even if I did, I could open up a dang bottle with a stick or the handle of a knife if I wanted to. It's just not worth it in my opinion.

CRKT Minimalist Wharncliffe: This is actually the only knife on the list that I own, and it wasn't in my research. Maybe one or two people mentioned it but nothing like the others. I've EDCed this knife for two summers when I was a guide for the BSA canoe camp and it stayed with me. I still have it hanging up in my kitchen as a box opener. It's a great little blade and I've even batoned with it (chopping enough into a large fallen branch for me to kick it in). It's a full tang, ergonomic design and great sheath (although the grommets did oxidize). But 2 inches? 2 versus 2.5 may not seem like much, but when you're talking small fixed blade usage, 2 inches is definitely on the small side. If I wasn't planning on collecting any wood or potentially getting stranded somewhere, I'd say it would be a safe bet. But I think if I took it into the woods as my primary, I would be wanting, but that's just me. It's a great knife and I highly recommend picking one up, but it's not coming on this trip.

Small Leatherman?: I have a Leatherman Wave that I carried as a canoe guide and bring with me when I travel but never got to EDCing it. I've never needed it enough to have on my person (though I've never used it's blade as a primary knife), but I have it nearby. I looked at the small leathermans, ones with scissors or pliers and even ones without a sharp edge; while I'm still considering a plier/scissor combo without a blade, I'm not sure I can justify the weight. This is something I will be looking at in the future.

So what's the verdict? You may have guessed, but it's the Esee Izula. The amount of people that are in love with this knife, the fact I could EDC in the "real world", and it's relative expense vs. functionality make it a winner for me. I looked at the Izula 2, but for the extra cost and ditching the scales for the weight, I couldn't justify it. So I have the Esee Izula Black in the mail and am looking forward to unboxing it. I'll let you all know what I think when I take it on a test backpacking trip.