Andy,<br><br>Hehehe - hey, Scouts are not my sole source of outdoors fixes! Yes, cursing under my breath while using a folded lock blade knife to peen over a busted what not is not something conducive to modeling proper behavior for a Scout before or after "Tote'n Chip" priviledges (good memory, btw). Fortunately, the knife has all the scars and I have none (from those abuses). I'd still be postholing out of the moutains (instead of skiing) if I had not fixed what was broken with what tool I had, tho - by way of example. Actually, most of those abuses were long before I'd even heard of a multi-tool (maybe Leatherman wasn't even in business yet for some of those adventures) and most of those situations that I can remember would have been handled as well or better by my Wave nowadays.<br><br>I'll demure on some other...past abuses of knives and skip over to one that I anticipate - expedient wood splitting. Shucks, I thought I was a real clever fellow years ago for figuring out how to split wood with a lockback for fire-building until I came here and found out that everyone has been doing it since time began. Never broke my knife - I was patient and used moderate blows on a Buck 112 or a Buck 110 (considered pretty hi-speed knives with the crowd I hung out with back then) - I seem to have mis-placed the 112, which I liked a little better than the 110 (it fit OK in my front pocket). It's probably around here...<br><br>On more than one occasion I have had a lock back un lock and partially fold while doing that - vibration, rebound, whatever. No blood, but not confidence building. I don't fell like blowing the $$$ to test out other locking mechanisms in that role; I've used lockbacks many times; they worked, and sometimes they folded up when I was doing it. Not something I want to have happen when I'm showing some Scouts how to do it. Not just any Scouts, tho - only those I accept into some specific survival training.<br><br>When I switched to a fixed blade knife (wifey gift) - what a difference! Much safer wood splitter. Faster, if I can quantify that. And the slightly longer blade didn't hurt, either. Safe is good...<br><br>Now that the light has (finally) dawned that we're not forbidden to use fixed blades in Scouting, I'm looking for the best combos overall for safety in carry & use plus cost & value. Since good habits work so well for me (I never lose my car keys because I ALWAYS put them the same place as soon as they clear the ignition - that kind of thing), I'm looking for what works well and safely in all situations for me where I am intentionally outdoors, including scouting.<br><br>I do not casually split wood with a knife - prefer other, more suitable tools. Have not, that I can recall, carried a hand axe out of sight of a vehicle, but I could if I didn't mind the weight or if I got a minimalist light weight hand axe. Have not used a lightweight for splitting, so do not know how well that works.<br><br>However... if I do not have my pack, I'm sure I won't have an axe, machette, SP-11, or whatever on me - too big; too much hassle. I WILL have a knife. I want the Scouts to be reasonably able to safely improvise in those circumstances, so I'm looking hard at resolving my habits to having a fixed blade on me. A folder would work, too, as I mentioned, but is not as safe IMHO.<br><br>If I can find a body-carry solution that makes me happy, I'm going to pass that on. If not... I'll figure something else out.<br><br>Does this windy explanation make sense to you? It's possible that I'm overlooking something obvious.<br><br>Regards,<br><br>Tom