I am considering a Mission MKP fixed blade or folder in titanium for a camping/survival knife and would welcome comments. Since they are quite expensive. Would the folder be sufficient? Is titanium a good choice of metal or is it too light? Would you suggest a different knife and why?

Tom, first welcome to the forum. Your comment about the expense is telling. Have you assembled a basic kit for your needs? People ( read "us guys") focus on knives to much ( heresy! heresy!) Who would ( name your favorite female celebrity) want to sit next to in the rain; Sylvester Stallone with that sword or Marty Feldman with a tent and a good hot soup brewing? There is a cornucopia of fine, moderately priced knives out there from $8 to $ $80 that will get the job done for you. Personally I would get something decent, complete my kit and then upgrade to suit my personal tastes.

someone in another thread was asking for advice/opinions about the "cheap" mora knifes a while ago, i'll say to you the same as i said to them, get one, they're great. personally i think that there's very little benefit to be gained from buying an expensive blade especially if it's going to be used all the time, i'd much rather have a funtional cheap knife that i'm not too bothered about damaging that can get the job done as well as i can than a mega expensive "designer" blade that i'd be scared of damaging. <br><br>take it easy<br><br>stuart

>>Is titanium a good choice of metal or is it too light? <<<br><br>How could a folder be too light?

TomSwango,<br><br>Who does not love giving knife advice?<br><br>Personally, I would not spend the money on a titanium bladed knife for use in my camping/emergency kit. These knives are speciality items specifically designed for Underwater Demolition work where a magnetic blade could cause the user harm. <br><br>I have not seen or used either of these type blades (making this advice even more valuable ), but my opinion is that a traditional steel blade would better suit an outdoor kit. You would be paying a high price for a highly specialized tool that would not be necessary in a kit. The lighter weight over a steel blade may be an advantage.....but I would not go down this path.<br><br>I would point you to bladeforums.com for more information about Mission knives, but their search engine is currently disabled to basic users due to server overload. However, you could post a question there specific to these knives.<br><br>My current favorite outdoor kit knives are a Becker CU7 and a Chris Reeve Shadow III. The Becker is big, inexpensive and well done for $50. The Reeve is small, tough, and expensive, with a small integral (strong) hollow handle perfectly suited for a fire making kit.

I haven't handled the Mission folder, but I'm not as negative on the idea as some folks here. I do have two titanium knives, one an Ocean Master folder, and, while it's not my favorite, I do like it.<br><br>The thing about Titanium is that it tends to be expensive and a bit softer, but it has superb corrosion resistance. Just as with softer steel, this means that it doesn't hold an edge as long, it needs resharpening a bit more often in constant use, but it's easier to sharpen. On the plus side, corrosion resistance is not a trivial concern for anyone routinely spending time on or in the water.<br><br>Now, for some applications- like a diver's emergency knife that's not intended to be used unless the diver is caught in a net or something- corrosion resistance is MUCH more important than edge-holding capability. <br><br>Less obviously, I've found that when running miles, repeated exposure to sweat will do interesting things even to most "stainless" folders (and ANYTHING on my person is going to get sweaty), and the amazing light weight of titanium is more than welcome. It's abouit the only folder I can forget about when running- the rest are a constant irritant.<br><br>So- as always, the answer depends on your use. I've considered the Mission folder myself for sailing use, especially after seeing a large folder with a marlin spike affect a compass, titanium starts to seem like an even better idea.<br><br>I wouldn't count on it being a real workhorse, but rather one to count on in a pinch... but isn't that the case with all expensive knives? It may be reassuring to have a $300 knife on your person for emergencies, but when it comes time to dig crud out of some crevice, you're likely to want to reach for something else- preferably something cheap.<br>

While not to the size and likely finished quality of a Mission, I have purchased a couple of these knives at $20.00 each. I like the Titanium Reverse Tanto Neck Knife, better that the regular Tanto version, as I find it easier to sharpen. Pete<br>http://www.larryrameyknives.com/<br>

I have a Mission MPK 10" titanium knife that I use quite frequently. I originally bought it for diving but now use it for land use also. If you get one I don't think you'll be disappointed.<br><br>I went to Mission's Irvine (California) factory when I bought mine (they're now in Anaheim), and after meeting with them and seeing the testing they've done on their knives, I doubt if you'll have a problem.

The advice given to me when I was first looking for a good all around camp and survival knife was that I should think about all of the situations that I'd be using the knife for. Everything including slicing veggies, cutting rope, skinning game, lite to moderate wood working chores like whittling and cutting dead limbs from trees for shelter and fire, self defense not only from humans but large predators and whatever else you can think off. From lazing around the camp to being under extremely stressful times are what the knife will have to cover, so it's gotta be up to the task. <br><br>If you're confident that a folder alone will cover the tasks you'll need to perform, then get a good one. Lots of great folders out there with superb design, steel and locking mechanisms. <br><br>Another thought is that you get both the good folder, SAK or multi tool and also get a heavy duty blade like a fixed blade knife, machete, golok, khukuri or similar to handle the tougher jobs.<br><br>