Looking to get a foraging knife. Tasman Salt?

[blendergasket]

Hi! I do a fair amount of foraging for fungus and plants for medicine/food. I keep chipping my spydercos, so I am considering getting a task specific knife for this. My thought is that the best foraging knife would probably be the serrated Tasman Salt. I will also have a fixed blade with me most of the time for bigger tasks or tasks that require a plain edge (if there are any, I haven't had a serrated knife before).

Has anyone had issues with these serrated blades chipping when hitting rock/grit/cutting with some lateral force?

Does anyone have any better ideas or any reasons why I shouldn't go this route? Thanks for the insight!

[steelcity16]

H1 typically is going to roll or bend rather than chip. The Tasman Salt SE is a great choice, or the recent orange H1 Spyderhawk sprint would be even better.

I really wish they would bring the Spyderhawk back as a permanent fixture in the lineup in both Yellow H1 SE and Toxic Green FFG LC200N SE.

[Enactive]

H1 typically is going to roll or bend rather than chip. The Tasman Salt SE is a great choice, or the recent orange H1 Spyderhawk sprint would be even better.

I really wish they would bring the Spyderhawk back as a permanent fixture in the lineup in both Yellow H1 SE and Toxic Green FFG LC200N SE.

Where are you finding Spyderhawks in stock? Or you meant secondary market?

[steelcity16]

H1 typically is going to roll or bend rather than chip. The Tasman Salt SE is a great choice, or the recent orange H1 Spyderhawk sprint would be even better.

I really wish they would bring the Spyderhawk back as a permanent fixture in the lineup in both Yellow H1 SE and Toxic Green FFG LC200N SE.

Where are you finding Spyderhawks in stock? Or you meant secondary market?

Yeah, secondary market. Bento Box Shop had a few in stock, amazingly at retail price, back when their M390 Delica dropped and I bought a backup then. But I don't know of anyone who has them now.

[JuPaul]

I do a lot of foraging, too, and so far I've never needed a serrated edge knife. I use a pe native salt for mushroom hunting, but i think a tasman salt would be great, too. I also carry a 4" plain edge fixed blade for bigger jobs. I can see how a serrated edge would be great for foraging some vegetation, but I'd worry it would tear up the more delicate mushrooms like morels or some chanterelle varieties. A sharp plain edge seems best for more delicate wild greens, asparagus, etc, imo.

[Evil D]

How exactly are you chipping them? If you're digging and hitting rocks just buy a decent garden trowel for that part.

[JuPaul]

How exactly are you chipping them? If you're digging and hitting rocks just buy a decent garden trowel for that part.

I can't speak for the OP, of course, but I've also managed to chip knives while foraging. Usually happened when I hit a hidden rock while slicing through a mushroom stem or cutting a big chunck of fungus off a log. And lots of mushrooms have to be cut, not dug or picked, or you can damage the mycelium. So unfortunately, a trowel just isn't the tool for the job unless you're looking for edible roots. I've learned in this case, it's better just to have the right steel for the job.

[Evil D]

How exactly are you chipping them? If you're digging and hitting rocks just buy a decent garden trowel for that part.

I can't speak for the OP, of course, but I've also managed to chip knives while foraging. Usually happened when I hit a hidden rock while slicing through a mushroom stem or cutting a big chunck of fungus off a log. And lots of mushrooms have to be cut, not dug or picked, or you can damage the mycelium. So unfortunately, a trowel just isn't the tool for the job unless you're looking for edible roots. I've learned in this case, it's better just to have the right steel for the job.

Could you use one to clear out around a mushroom to make sure there aren't any rocks and then cut?

[JuPaul]

How exactly are you chipping them? If you're digging and hitting rocks just buy a decent garden trowel for that part.

I can't speak for the OP, of course, but I've also managed to chip knives while foraging. Usually happened when I hit a hidden rock while slicing through a mushroom stem or cutting a big chunck of fungus off a log. And lots of mushrooms have to be cut, not dug or picked, or you can damage the mycelium. So unfortunately, a trowel just isn't the tool for the job unless you're looking for edible roots. I've learned in this case, it's better just to have the right steel for the job.

Could you use one to clear out around a mushroom to make sure there aren't any rocks and then cut?

Sure you could, but i personally wouldn't like to hike around with a trowel when I'm already carrying a sac full of my goodies plus a fixed blade and a folder, and often an ID book in my back pocket. I just do day trips, so don't carry a backpack. But that's just me. Anyhow it's not a huge problem for me, and hasn't happened since I stopped carrying cheap folders, and started being a little more careful.

[blendergasket]

How exactly are you chipping them? If you're digging and hitting rocks just buy a decent garden trowel for that part.

A few different ways, clipping pebbles, branches when cutting conks and mushrooms, lateral motion when cutting hard stems. Yarrow and pearly everlasting are what chipped it I believe. With the yarrow I was on my tip toes reaching up a cliff face and cutting at a weird angle. Also, sand may have been on the stems.

I don't dig with my pocket knife.

[blendergasket]

How exactly are you chipping them? If you're digging and hitting rocks just buy a decent garden trowel for that part.

I can't speak for the OP, of course, but I've also managed to chip knives while foraging. Usually happened when I hit a hidden rock while slicing through a mushroom stem or cutting a big chunck of fungus off a log. And lots of mushrooms have to be cut, not dug or picked, or you can damage the mycelium. So unfortunately, a trowel just isn't the tool for the job unless you're looking for edible roots. I've learned in this case, it's better just to have the right steel for the job.

Could you use one to clear out around a mushroom to make sure there aren't any rocks and then cut?

Sure you could, but i personally wouldn't like to hike around with a trowel when I'm already carrying a sac full of my goodies plus a fixed blade and a folder, and often an ID book in my back pocket. I just do day trips, so don't carry a backpack. But that's just me. Anyhow it's not a huge problem for me, and hasn't happened since I stopped carrying cheap folders, and started being a little more careful.

What angle do you sharpen your knives at? I am also considering putting a microbevel on my 15ish dps blades to see if that would help.

I was thinking a serrated hawkbill may be better cutting through stems and branches, but you're right, they would not be good for more delicate plants and shrooms like yellowfeet.

[JuPaul]

I can't speak for the OP, of course, but I've also managed to chip knives while foraging. Usually happened when I hit a hidden rock while slicing through a mushroom stem or cutting a big chunck of fungus off a log. And lots of mushrooms have to be cut, not dug or picked, or you can damage the mycelium. So unfortunately, a trowel just isn't the tool for the job unless you're looking for edible roots. I've learned in this case, it's better just to have the right steel for the job.

Could you use one to clear out around a mushroom to make sure there aren't any rocks and then cut?

Sure you could, but i personally wouldn't like to hike around with a trowel when I'm already carrying a sac full of my goodies plus a fixed blade and a folder, and often an ID book in my back pocket. I just do day trips, so don't carry a backpack. But that's just me. Anyhow it's not a huge problem for me, and hasn't happened since I stopped carrying cheap folders, and started being a little more careful.

What angle do you sharpen your knives at? I am also considering putting a microbevel on my 15ish dps blades to see if that would help.

I was thinking a serrated hawkbill may be better cutting through stems and branches, but you're right, they would not be good for more delicate plants and shrooms like yellowfeet.

I use a sharpmaker, so I generally stick with the 20 degree slots, but with some steels (zdp, for example) I've started finishing with a 15 degree microbevel. But with my native salt I haven't done that - worth a try, though, as I'd love an even more slicey blade for mushrooms.

And I agree, a SE tasman or similar would be awesome for stems and branches. I've often wanted one for yard work, I just rarely need it with the particular wild plants I go out for.

It sounds like you really know your wild edibles/medicinals, and that is an awesome thing, imho! My brother-in-law just introduced me to chaga in MN a few weeks ago - new to me as I don't think it grows in MO where I live. Always cool to learn something new!

[Cali HogHead]

I get out and search for Bolete and Chanterelle with relative frequency. I've been collecting Spyderco's for a bit over 2 years now and have amassed 18 Spydies. My favorite forest foraging knives are an H1 SE Tasman Salt, and a Sliverax. I've put that Tasman to the North Coast California test, and it's not let me down.

[JuPaul]

I get out and search for Bolete and Chanterelle with relative frequency. I've been collecting Spyderco's for a bit over 2 years now and have amassed 18 Spydies. My favorite forest foraging knives are an H1 SE Tasman Salt, and a Sliverax. I've put that Tasman to the North Coast California test, and it's not let me down.

Well dammit! Now you guys are really making me want a SE tasman, and that's just not in the budget right now.

Btw, chanterelle season hit with a bang here in MO this summer. Found over 200 in just an hour one day this june. After a few minutes I just stopped bothering to close my knife - it was awesome. :D