Which large folder for camping?

[Ted]

Hi,



I'm thinking of trading some rare crickets for a large folder.



Usage will be camping, mountain-climbing, outdoor food preparation. (No hunting/skinning/self-defencse etc.)



My current thoughts are:



- Chinook C63

- Starmate C55

- Tim Wegner C48

- Bom Lum C46



I really like G10 handles and I think a plain edge is easiest to maintain in the field.

My current choice would be the Chinook, because that is I think the only one that has steel liners between the blade and the handles, is that right?



Does anybody know how the Tim Wegner and the Starmate are constructed?



I would appreciate some suggestions on which folder to choose.



Thanks,

Ted

[J Smith]

The Starmate has no liners and IMO is a self defence,tactical knife.The Wegner is built heavy but the thickness of the blade causes some drag when cutting.IMO the Military would be your best all around choise.Very light and strong,flat grind and a very good liner lock.The Chinook would be a very good choise but it is heavy.The lum has a useless tip unless your stabbing something.

JEFF

Edited by - J Smith on 7/13/2002 8:09:29 AM

[ftkinney]

i would agree with j. smith. how ever i have both a 40/60 wegner and a p.e. and i really love them. i do wish there was a flat ground version. but as i belive it was designed for sinning i think thoughs knives tend to be hollow ground, so as not to cut to deep. i could be wrong on this. i know are looking for a folder but if it is dedicated to camping i might tend twards a fixed blade like the moran or the perrin street bowie.

hope this helps

FTK

[KBR]

I agree with Jeff, the <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> Military PE is what you're looking for. Lightweight, but STRONG G10 scale handle with the excellent flat grind on that 4" CPM440V steel blade.<img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

Survive, Adapt, and Overcome...

Edited by - KBR on 7/13/2002 9:23:12 AM

[glockman99]

Chinook. That STOUT folder can cut-up just about anything, from a "pan-fish" to a tree, and it feels very comfortable "in-hand", and has a very solid lock-up.

The pair of Chinooks that I have are both "keepers"!

Dann Fassnacht Aberdeen, WA glockman99@hotmail.com ICQ: 53675663

[yog]

I would go with the Military. I find the flat grind to be better for cooking purposes.

Walk softly, carry a big stick.

[Zabrewolf]

Military or the Chinook. Either one will work like a demon for camping chores. Military is lighter, but you can use the Chinook as an impromtu hammer if need be (not recomended by <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> I'm sure, but it will put a tent peg in the ground). If you can, try the feel of them both and help pick for your hand comfort.

J Smith,
I would disagree with your Lum and "useless tip" statement. My Lum has served me quit well in camp chores.

"Ne vyklykaj vowka z leesoo, ..... bo tsej vowk maje <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> ." Don't call the wolf out of the forest, because this one carries a <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> .

Edited by - Zabrewolf on 7/13/2002 1:40:34 PM

[Sword and Shield]

VG-10 FRN Endura. It cuts like a chainsaw on a caffeine high, and is inexpensive enough to replace if you lose it, something I can't easily say for the Chin.

Edited- Dang, I made a lot of typos today! <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

Keepin' it real...real sharp, that is.

Edited by - Sword and Shield on 7/13/2002 6:34:53 PM

[SpyderNut]

Ted,

Welcome to the Forum, Man!<img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

I own both a Starmate 40/60 and Wegner 50/50, and they are both in the race for first place in my waistband for EDC. I have a SE Military coming in from Lady Glasshart on Monday, so I'll let you know how those "rate" once I get it. I have played with a Chinook, and its a swell knife indeed. (If you like a beefy, vault-like knife).<img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> I guess I'd recommend the Wegner, for starters, as it is on sale right now for $59 over at SMKW (eworks.com). For personal protection/hunting capabilities, this knife does it all. (And if you happend to misplace it, you loose only 60 bucks vs. $102 for a Starmate, etc.)

Good luck in your quest for a camp knife, bro!

Mike

[J Smith]

ZW I don't have a tanto blade.I got that info from reading several posts about that tip for utility.

JEFF

[dialex]

I think that Millie is the best choice. Endura is also a fine (and cheaper) knife you can rely on.

[sam the man..]

military + endura.. you'll never leave home without these <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>s! <img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

Sam

have bone implant will travel..

[gadfly]

I have most most of the knives mentioned, but my EDC is an SE Military. While all of the knives are worth having, the Military is so light, for a big knife. The G-10 material handles are so very fuctional. The "feel" of the knife is unbelievable.

One way or the other, you pay for your tools!

[Ted]

Guys, thanks for all the input.
I see a lot of people mentioning the Military (also as an EDC)
However, the knife would not be my EDC, it's really intended for camping/outdoor.
I'm still tempted for the Chinook due to it's 'unbreakable' look.
Will the Military owners prefer their knife over a Chinook while camping?

Ted

[J Smith]

I would.The milli is the best knife I own.

JEFF

[KBR]

"I would. The Millie is the best knife I own."

DITTO, Jeff.<img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

If I want to chop down a tree or pound on something, I'll get an axe or hammer to take care of the task.<img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

Edited by - KBR on 7/14/2002 7:22:18 PM

[KBR]

oops, double post.

Edited by - KBR on 7/14/2002 7:21:06 PM

[Ted]

Well, all the replies changed my mind.
I stepped away from a hollow-ground.
I have a Buck 110 and indeed, it tends to 'split' hard-fruit instead of slicing it.
Also, someone mentioned a fixed blade instead of a folder, and honestly, I have no real reason for a folder.
I always looked at the CAMILLUS TALON because I really liked the shape of the blade (not so 'pointy' as the Chinook/Military) and it has G-10 handles, but I found the Talonite material to expensive.
Till this afternoon, when I scrolled a bit more down on the pages and found that it's also available for half the price in 154CM steel.
If there are any Talon owners here, I would really appreciate your comments on this knife.

Thanks,
Ted

[Zabrewolf]

Ted,
Please don't leave <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>land.

A caution for 154CM, if your knife is bead blasted, satined, or what ever the maker wants to call it, it will atract rust. 154CM is a wonderful steel (I have few blades of it) but if it is not mirror finished then it will be prone to rust. Make sure to treat it with rust protection. I suggest Tuff-Cloth, or something from its family.

J Smith,
I have been a fan of the tanto for .... yeah I can say decades. But tantos (like other designs, materials, etc. in knifedom) seem to have a polar effect on people. Some really like it and say it is a great all round edge design, while others say it is too specialized for anything but (fill in blank). I think fans tend to make their favorite style work for the case at hand unless faced with a glaring short coming. I'm like that with tantos.

"Ne vyklykaj vowka z leesoo, ..... bo tsej vowk maje <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> ." Don't call the wolf out of the forest, because this one carries a <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> .

Edited by - Zabrewolf on 7/15/2002 10:32:25 AM

[cmassicotte]

Ted - I just looked at the Talon - it would not be the knife for me as a GP camping/food prep/etc. knife. I agree with ZW – Think hard about a spydie, before you give up on it.

I will tell you the Spyderco Military is the best knife I have ever owned - period. It is lightweight, solid and fits the hand as if it was part of it. And it feels like a natural part of the body when you wear it. I have carried a knife for over 45 years, a folder for the last twenty- five, and a Spyderco for the last ten of those years. I am a recently retired career Army NCO. My Endura, and then my Military saw a lot of heavy duty field use during those years, and it was the same kind of general purpose use for which you are looking for a knife. My Milie never failed me and I never wished I had something else.

I know that the Milie doesn't fit your image of what a knife should be - believe me I didn't think it looked like a knife should either, but after I had it in my hand, I could not imagine it being anything else. And it functions like the very best knife should.

I do know that you are faced with no easy choice. Even with all the advice you have been given – in fact, perhaps because of all that advice – the choice will agonize you until you have made it. No matter what your choice, if you choose quality, you will own a knife that will serve you well for years and will become an important part of your life.

Good luck in your search

Chuck


There is no right way to do a wrong thing