Truth be told, I have a heck of a time finding them at real stores. Only online, and I'd rather not buy if I can't play first. Any ideas?

I was in the local Sportsman's Warehouse this afternoon and looked at the little Gerber LST Ultralight. It's nearly perfect as is the Buck Bantam 283 for what I had in mind. Both fit into Doug's PSP kit along with the water tabs and oven bag I've added to each.

Of course, as I'd said earlier in the thread, the likelihood of me having only that kit on my person without a larger pocket knife (I will typically have a mini-Grip as well as a Classic in my pocket and, often, either a Farmer or OH Trekker (though they usually reside in whatever pack I'm wearing).

Have not tested either the little Gerber or Buck but I know they cut string and such. What I really want to see is if I can make a decent few fuzz sticks with them and maybe a couple tent pegs. Pretty small knives for the latter.

Trust us. Just buy one of the Vic Alox knives. I recommend the Farmer.

The Farmers are cool little knives (I've got two) but won't fit into the tiny PSK's. For these tiny knives, I think a lock back or fixed blade knife is much preferred than a pen knife. I've got lots of pen knives (my grandfather was in the cutlery business) but they simply are not up to many of the tasks we ask of a knife outdoors. Also, my opinion is that knives are far better today than those of yesteryear.

Sorry Gramps, wherever you are.

My present PSK knife is a Scandinavian blade blank from www.ragweedforge.com If you can improvise a field handle
and a full tang isn't critical there are some very attractive options that take little space if you have the length to stow one.
I want Doug's latest offering too, but my state tax refund just came in the form of a voucher.

Since I haven't paid state taxes since 1995 and haven't gotten a federal refund since before then, pray tell me what a refund voucher is??

Does voucher also read I.O.U.??

PS Texas doesn't have state income tax, I am not delinquent. Instead, we pay thru the nose on property taxes.

The Galieter of Sacramento wont budge with the girlymen of our state assembly and there is no budget. So tax refunds are coming as vouchers ( IOUs) with a 5% interest rate if they ever become cashable.

If you go to a Victorinox Classic-sized, something like their Midnight Manager would give you an LED light (red) right on the knife. I'd rather have a working saw blade than a lock-back but I'm not sure you can get a SAK with a saw small enough to fit that pouch.

Chris, as an ex-Californian, I feel your pain. We bailed from the Tarnished State in 1994. We don't have the weather but Idaho is way more fun.

I am not even really sure if I would want my knife to come as part of a package.
I tend to keep in mind that these are just pocket survival kits too, so a decent disposable blade might be a fair option.

(Maybe a small Olfa style knife like CK1 or CK2 would do it. http://www.olfa.co.jp/en/body/kind/8_p2.html
These are small but fairly solid and they are resharpenable.
They might need to be redesigned a bit to make them more suited to our needs.
Maybe a smaller or thinner version.
Maybe a button type slider instead of a round nut on a screw, or maybe just an easier to grip and larger nut with nylon or something to make sure it does not vibrate loose when traveling in a car.
However, it is a fairly good and simple design to start from.)

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I am sorry if I am sounding a bit of a sour note here, but I am just simply addicted to reality.

One of the problems with going too small and with trying to do everything is you end up with gear that really does nothing.

I would rather have a good small pocket knife on me, in my pocket, than a fancy and pricey miniskinner in a plastic bag only intended for emergencies.
I am far more likely to need to cut a piece of string, strip some insulation off a wire, or slice open a pant leg than skin a deer.

(and yes, to most of us price does still matter.)

Just an afterword here:
Two rules I have learned about kit is to keep it simple and keep it functional.
You certainly do not need to be trying to figure out how to use gimmicky stuff in the dark when you are cold, scared and confused.
Fiddley stuff tends to break and lose parts too.
If your kit is full of stuff that dies or fails to do what you need it to do when you need it, then it is just junk and it does not matter how well it was engineered or how finely crafted.
Most of the rest of the kit does manage to be simple functional and versatile.

A good design is a functional design. Everything else comes after that.