Postby dlum1 » Mon Apr 22, 2019 2:05 pm
Hiking and fishing are important hobbies of mine, so I’ve come across this issue before. From Spyderco, the Bradley Junction, mule-team, and waterway are hard to beat.
I recently purchased a junction on sale and hope to test it as a short-distance hiking and fishing knife. It’s made from PSF-27, which is similar (if not identical) to D2. I’ve grown to love tool-steels because of their ability to keep a razor edge when whittling/torqueing on hardwoods (likely from the higher hardness?). Their downside is the potential to rust. PSF-27 has a relatively large percentage of chromium and will probably only stain / rust with serious neglect. As such, it should work well for fresh-water fishing and summer hiking with appropriate care. Additionally, the manufacturing process may make PSF-27 a little tougher than ingot based D2 at the same hardness. The sheath is very well-designed and while excellent, I still prefer a taco style sheath for the smaller profile when attached horizontally to a belt. The thinness of the junction may compensate and make it ride unnoticed.
The mule-team project was a fantastic opportunity for many to get a fixed blade with exotic steels for practically a steal. You’d be hard pressed to find a fixed blade of equal value for the cost. I’m sad to see it go, but I think it was more of a gift to the knife community from Spyderco from the beginning. Likely, it just became too expensive to maintain. That project is the only reason I own a PD1 fixed-blade, which is similar to cruwear. Spyderco also sells nice G10 handes and boltaron sheaths. Again, the sheath is very well done, but I find it a little large on a belt. It’s perfect for strapping to the outside of a bag. They still have two stainless models composed of RWL34 (similar to cpm154) and cts-b70p. They also have the pma11 tool steel (similar to 10V). I’ve been thinking about purchasing one, but I’m worried that the high hardness and carbide content will make it more likely to chip if whittling or torqueing on wood when making tinder or feather-sticks. Any feedback on the subject is welcome (but probably not in this thread). The PD1 appears to still be in stock and has my vote as the best outdoor mule option. I’d probably give the second to RWL34 because 154cm is a known well-rounded performer.
The waterway is likely going to be my perfect fishing (and possibly hiking?) knife once I purchase one. The practically corrosion-proof steel makes it ideal for placing it on my belt and just forgetting about it when wading into the water when fishing or sweating on a hot day. I’m not sure how well LC200N will take whittling before the edge rolls though. It’s supposed to be a tough steel, so I’ll have to wait and see. The design is ideal for an outdoors knife and the sheath is taco-style with a thumb-ramp for easy one-hand extraction. Additionally, the spine should work well with a ferrocerium rod. The whole package is well designed. I’m a little surprised I don’t own one already…
For ultralight backpacking, the best knife I have found is a little elmax fixed blade from Rainer knives. It’s likely too small for seriously rough usage. It requires a paracord wrap (making it less than ideal for fishing) and has a minimalist, lightweight, horizontal-carry sheath. Being a fixed blade, I’m not afraid to subject it to some light abuse that would likely destroy the pivot on a folder. The sheath is a big decision-maker for me and is the only reason I never bring a mora along. The waterway and junction meet my minimalist-size horizontal-carry sheath requirement. I rarely need a knife when I’m backpacking and only bring one as a precaution in case I need to make some dry kindling if it rains. I value my spydercos more, but they are heavier. If (and when) I throw fishing into the backpacking mix, I’ll likely bring either the junction or waterway (once I get one) with me and decide later if I mind carrying a quarter-pound tool + a fishing rod around.
For short hikes, I usually have an s110v military or serrated pacific salt in my back pocket for reference.
Hope this helps.
Best regards,