Knife: light, flat and locking...

My survival/ first aid kits include a small knife. As most of these are based on a 5x8 envelope or similar shape these need to be light, flat and a locking blade. And not expensive. The buck lite is a perfect example. Can you think of other models?

Kershaw DWO
Gerber LST and LST2
Spyderco Dragonfly, Cricket, Ladybug, and Ambitious
Boker - Chad Los Banos Subcom series

Mercator Cat 4-1/4" closed. Flat, locking and available in both stainless and carbon steel. Great knives and the even have a bail so you can attach a lanyard so you don't lose it...

Various KISS models from CRKT and how about the Doug Ritter Mk5 from the same outfit? it is a fixed blade but I don't see that as a disadvantage - quite the contrary. I need to buy one for my kits one of these days....

The Gerber LST family and the Mercator Cat were my first two thoughts, and the Spydercos are probably too expensive, at $50+, although better knives. Similar in size, price, and construction to the LSTs and Bucklites, Case makes the Caliber lockbacks with black and camo handles, and the mini Blackhorn. Another good alternative is the Bob Dozier designed, Taiwanese built Kabar folders. Different sizes, colors, thumb studs or Spyderco type holes in blades.

Do you have price and size targets, or just looking at what is in that "flat, thin, inexpensive locking" market space?

Here's a few relatively small blades from my collection:



From the top down...

Buck/Hartsook Ultralight
$40.00 msrp

Benchmade 10610 Benchmite II
$35.00 msrp (Discontinued)

Spyderco Dragonfly Stainless Steel
$89.95 msrp (FRN handle version $69.95 msrp)

Case Mini-Blackhorn
$9.95 @ Lowes Hardware

Cutco Pocket Knife (DD serrated edge version)
Price varies from your local Cutco seller.

Gerber Curve (Blue)
$13 msrp
*In addition to the locking knife blade, it has three screwdrivers, a nail file, and a bottle opener/spring clip.

For a size comparison, the bottom knife is a common Victorinox Classic keychain knife.

Thought it worth mentioning that the Case Mini-Blackhorn is one of my favorite knives. It's under $10, it's made in the USA, and it's a great size, shape, and blade profile for daily use. Plus it weighs next to nothing. I've given away a bunch to friends and family over the years and they've held up quite well.

like the Hartsook and the CRKT Ritter...there are several one piece "neck knives" that would be sturdier...

ESEE Izula
Newt Livesay Woo
CRKT stiff kiss
Camillus ArcLite

possibly a "kit" knife without the handle scales from Jantz or other kit supplier

If you can find a dealer with a Blue Ridge catalog, they often have clearances on pretty good stuff

Please check out www.agrussell.com for their "3.0 Titanium Lockback Folder".It's catalog number is RUS-P73TI.The knife measures three inches closed,3/16" thick handle,2 and 1/4 length blade that is 1/16 inch thick.The blade metal is VG-10 and the handle scales are titanium.Price is $34.95.I am not affiliated with them,just a happy customer who has ordered some very nice knives from them.


BOATMAN
John

Many good suggestions. Now off to shop....

Another vote for the Spyderco Ladybug. I particularly like the Ladybug Salt H1 version.

Wishing the SAK was locking. Whats the smallest locking blade they make?

( Victoronix or that other co.)

The only Victorinox that lock are the 111mm One Handed Trekker size and the SwissTools.

Wenger also makes a few locking SAKs in the Evolution line.

The Wenger Evolution S18 has a locking main blade, good beefy scissors, and an excellent crosscut saw. I have been impressed by it. I got it as a minimalist option to a pliers-based tool. Of course it's not for brute force work like batoning wood, but you can do most cutting tasks well with it.

It is not purpose-designed as a one hand opening knife. But I have had no trouble pinching the main blade's nail nick between my thumb & index finger then levering it open. I don't think you'd be completely hosed if you had to deploy it one handed.

For vehicle-based operations it's too dinky but when every gram counts I like it.

I agree. I recently picked up a Wenger S13; it was a Scouts Canada branded model with the Phillips instead of the cork screw.

My reason (or excuse ) for buying it was so I'd have a light weight but capable tool that I could keep on my body while my main fixed blade was lashed to my pack.

Exactly the same here. I keep the Wenger in the small waist pouch that stays on me at all times while my Mora Force bushcraft knife rides in my pack. Great minds, great minds...!

One quick suggestion is to take a look at the Cold Steel Mini Tuff Lite knife.

www.coldsteel.com

It's a very small blade, but like most things they make - it's quite a tough knife. Lately I've been playing around with how many things I can accomplish using a knife blade that is very small. The Mini Tuff Lite is ideal for this exercise. One advantage to these knives with very small blades is that they are generally still street-legal almost anywhere in America (except possibly Philadelphia).

Pete2

I put a small lanyard I harvested from an old flashlight on mine which allowed me to hook it around my belt and let it hang in my front pocket (technically, I guess I used a girth hitch ...). I barely notice it's there.


Or fools seldom differ ... but I think I'll go with yours

I second the praise for the SAK - easy to carry, friendly enough to use in public, and you can get a lot done with one - although the blade may not be as sturdy as some, you have purpose designed tools (saws, scissors, can-openers etc) which mean you aren't always having to misuse the blade

again.. an old SF trick...attach one end of your SAK to a Bic lighter (attached with a couple of feet of duct tape)via a piece of 18" paracord or nylon cord... use the aforementioned girth hitch around your belt and slip lighter and knife in your front pocket

I'd trade the bottle cap lifter and can opener space of my Vic Farmer for a large pair of their scissors...staying with the alox handles

My EDC knife is a Gerber TSL 2.0, they're light and thin with a locking blade and would fit your requirements nicely. Mine is barely noticeable in my pocket. I'm on my second one only because I lost the original after 2 years. I bought extras for my BOB's and to have a spare EDC. MSRP is about $20 but I've found them online for under $10.

bite the bullet and spend good money on the most important tool a person can own. this is not a good place to try and "save a few bucks".

i like William Henry folders for being flat and light and sharp.



shown is the B09 FT, while definitely not "cheap" at $375, its worth its weight in gold or blood or anything else. its ZDP-189 steel is the most amazing i've ever used. man, can it hold an edge!

http://www.williamhenrystudio.com/product-detail.cfm?knife_id=18

but i also edc a B15-FT2, now out of production.

For knives, like so many other classes of consumer goods, there is a wide range of quality and prices, going from very low quality/low price to high quality/high price. It gets interesting in the middle of the continuum where you can often find very good quality coupled with a reasonably low price -i.e., "the bargain."

You can see this in Consumer Reports ratings. Frequently the highest ranked product, very highly priced, is followed in the ratings by an item just a few ratings points lower, but at a substantially lower price.

When it comes to knives, I would get a decent model, paying no more than about $50, and I would put the rest of the money in a good climbing rope and assorted accessories, things that have come in handy far more often than a knife. Frankly, I can't recall any situations where a knife made a crucial difference, but there have been many in my experience where a good fire making kit, or a good rope, really improved the outcome. Proper footgear, suited for the activity you are pursuing, is another area where it pays to spend....

Yup. Me too. The 80/20 rule applies to knives, in my opinion. Fifty buckaroos or thereabouts should get you a decent knife. Put the rest into some other item(s) critical to your personal situation.

"Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien." (The perfect is the enemy of the good.)
-Voltaire

isn't it great we have those opinions?

over the last 50 years i've amassed knives ranging from $2 to $2000. each has their place.

i own super cheapies for use around the ranch (cutting baling twine or scraping battery terminals, for example), that can be broken/lost without crying, things like the superknife box-cutters. sometimes when i want "better" i might carry a $25-30 kershaw, either leek or chive.

my wife who spends all day horseback, likes the $50 gerber air ranger (designed by bill harsey). she has one clipped to her jean's pocket and another in the pocket of her chaps. in winter she prefers the larger spydie tenacious because its easy to open when wearing gloves.

yet when i head deep into the wilderness where replacements aren't an option, cost is of no concern. its what i can trust. in the last few years, this has been either the smaller sebbie, a 3" hinderer, or a baby terzuola, but most recently a couple of WH.

but yes, there are useful $50 knives, no doubt.

it all depends of what each person finds most important for their given situation. at either extreme is: saving bucks, or having what they consider the best. most fall somewhere in between. buyer's choice.

fyi - at times i also carry pocket kit containing a gerber stl 2.0, but having owned a half dozen of them, like most inexpensive folders, not all lock-up as they should, so i've ended up with bloody fingers. that is one of the prices to pay when giving up top-quality to save some money.



i suspect the lack of solid lock-up on low-cost folders is why Doug probably suggested the CRKT RSK-MK5 fixed blade knife for inclusion in Adventure Medical's Pocket Survival Pak Plus that i just purchased.

http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/product.php?product=233#

Its a trade-off; I need light and flat locking blades for SAK/ FAK use. So price point is important as I buy 3-5 for various places.

i understand and do the same. i have knives tucked everywhere, and none of the back-ups are the fancy one. i reserve the "best" for what i carry on me 24/7.

because i rarely trust low-cost folders to lock-up perfectly, i just as soon use slip-joint folders, which forces me to use them only for cutting/slicing, not "prying" (by which i mean, any sideways or reverse pressure at all).

with that in mind, one of my favorite "survival kit" knives is the flat/thin/sharp/inexpensive/high-quality/extremely-rust-resistant Victorinox SAK Solo Alox

http://www.sakwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page=Solo+Alox



seem to be available thru amazon for $16

http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Swiss-Pocket-Silver-Ribbed/dp/B0007QCO7E/ref=pd_sim_sg7


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I'm just trying to think this through based on this brief description, but if I was ending up with bloody fingers from folders closing on me, I'd be thinking I was using the wrong tool for the job.

If I often needed to use lot of leverage, especially the type that could create downwards force on the back of the blade, I think I'd look for something other than a folder to carry with me. Depending on the specifics of the expected uses, I'd think a fixed blade, one of those County Comm breacher/pry bars, or even possibly a pier-based multi-tool would be better suited to handling these types of forces while greatly reducing my chance of self-inflicted injury.

Rather than paying for a very expensive folder with a 100% fail proof locking mechanism (assuming one exists), I'd personally be looking for a reasonably priced tool that was better suited to the task at hand.

over the years i've had lock-blade folders fail doing even simple things like using it as an awl on leather or opening cardboard boxes.

i've owned/carried numerous FBs but find they to often get caught on ropes or brush or seat belts or even arms of chairs.

and i own a number of other tools, including County Comm's breacher/pry bars, but i don't always have them on me when needed.

i've never bent or broken a blade, and don't abuse them when better tools are available, but sometimes i do ask them to do more than simply cut soft fruit.

i also think its more likely to push a tool to its limits during survival situations, so personally want more than just "acceptable quality".

or maybe it just my luck, my clumsiness, my stupidity.

i give up. must just be me. sorry i spoke up, and promise not to in this thread again....

I wouldn't worry about it; there's nothing wrong with sharing your opinions and preferences. Each of us have had different experiences and influences which impact why we choose what we choose; for example I've never had a folder close on my fingers even when cutting moderately firm fruit (I don't just cut the soft stuff ). That's what we are here to share and learn from.

On the flip-side, just because someone comes to a different conclusion than you it doesn't invalidate your participation. I can't speak for everyone, but I'm just trying to flesh things out a bit more and grow in my understanding. Sometimes I might be right, sometimes I'm not and sometimes there just isn't one correct answer. What I do know is that if differing opinions are not discussed there is much less room for learning.

Very well-put.