....i had drank through my 3l of water i was carrying and still was bordering on heat stroke....
Wow.
yeah. it was 100° in the shenandoah mountains and we were carrying over 50 pounds in our packs. i was a semi-experienced hiker/camper, but we made some bad decisions in the name of machismo. it was an important learning experience that changed the way i journey outside.
A Mora Companion with sheath is only about 5.5 ounces/155.9g, so that is probably what I'd carry. ....
EDIT: Just realized that this is about FOLDERS, sorry..
Yes, the Mora Companion is really a great knife for the money - for me the "regular" one, not the "heavy duty" with the thicker blade (Never would have needed that added thickness and strength).
It is superlight, and despite having just a stick tang can take batoning really well (I do a lot of that when outdoors and making fire cause I normally don´t bring a hatchet, and even if I do: For smaller pieces of wood batoning with a knife works at least as well as using a hatchet for me, if not better).
Also the 12C17 of the stainless version is really good - I sometimes wish Spyderco would use that steel in their "budget" knives. I am sure, being Spyderco, they could make it even better with their attention to perfect heat treatment and the like.
Last edited by Wartstein on Mon Jan 01, 2024 1:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
Some points why the Pac Salt SE (the disco´ed "1" in my case) is my preferred full size hiking / backpacking / mountaineering folder:
- The linerless construction held up to all the use and abuse I put on it no problem - so why go heavier, more complex in construction (and, if this was a concern of mine, also with more parts that could potentially rust)?
- The sabre hollow ground blade is really stout with a strong tip: In an emergency it could even be used for some medium prying I guess, if one grabbed the knife on the BLADE so that there is no stress on the pivot
Same goes for some digging, drilling holes or whatever. I know, rather very unusual and more emergency tasks, but in the outdoors it can´t hurt to have a tool that could somewhat do that in a pinch
- The serrated H1 edge stays sharp for a pretty long time - and will still tear apart matter when technically "dull"
- For me the serrations clearly work better for stuff like cutting branches (for example from dwarf mountain pines for making a sleeping "matress") and fine feathersticks
- The edge is long enough for "outdoorsy" food prep - though admittedly here ffg and a tapered blade would be the better choice over the stout sabre hollow grind.
(I roughly smoothed out the "sharp" transition though between the lower hollow part and the upper rectangular part of the blade on my H1 Pac Salt - makes it glide trough food and matter with wider diameter noticably better).
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
I voted other. The Rockjumper in spyderedge is my go to knife for the job.
Marius
" A mind all logic is like a knife all blade. It makes the hand bleed that uses it "
( Rabindranath Tagore ) Proud member of the old school spyderedge nation
A Mora Companion with sheath is only about 5.5 ounces/155.9g, so that is probably what I'd carry. ....
EDIT: Just realized that this is about FOLDERS, sorry..
Yes, the Mora Companion is really a great knife for the money - for me the "regular" one, not the "heavy duty" with the thicker blade (Never would have needed that added thickness and strength).
It is superlight, and despite having just a stick tang can take batoning really well (I do a lot of that when outdoors and making fire cause I normally don´t bring a hatchet, and even if I do: For smaller pieces of wood batoning with a knife works at least as well as using a hatchet for me, if not better).
Also the 12C17 of the stainless version is really good - I sometimes wish Spyderco would use that steel in their "budget" knives. I am sure, being Spyderco, they could make it even better with their attention to perfect heat treatment and the like.
12C27 < 13C26 < 14C28N. All are very, very tough, tougher than 52100. I would like to see Spyderco use 14C28N for fixed blades and budget knives. That stuff holds an edge pretty well, is very corrosion resistant, and won't break. I have two hunting knives in that steel and prefer it to D2 and other common steels.
I Pray Heaven to Bestow The Best of Blessing on THIS HOUSE, and on ALL that shall hereafter Inhabit it. May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under This Roof! (John Adams regarding the White House)
Follow the Christ, the King,
Live pure, speak true, right wrong, follow the King--
Else, wherefore born?" (Tennyson)
Wartstein, that’s a great idea! I’ll have to smooth out the transition on one of my serrated PAC Salts and try it for food prep. Thanks!
It's an improvement, you'll see...
Since I don't care for pretty looks at all especially on my workhorse Pac Salt blade, I just grabbed whatever was handy several times and sanded / filed away at that transition... I think one time I used a metal file, one time sandpaper and one time a sharpening stone meant for scythes...
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
It really depends exactly what you think you would be cutting, also One man’s hike is another man’s expedition.
My HH UKPK does pretty much everything I’d require of a folding knife for what I would expect to be cutting on a single day, home before dark type of hiking and backpacking trip.
I’d carry a 4-5” fixed blade like a Jarkkarripukko if I need something more robust to make fires and perform camp duties etc if it was that kind of a multi-night expedition.
If I had to choose a folder that I would be fairly at ease covering both of those tasks it would be my CS Ultimate Hunter. The Tri-ad gives you a almost as much confidence as a fixed, that how secure it feels.
When hiking in CO, I carried a Stretch 1 in ZDP-189. I was more ignorant then about steel qualities, but it did what it needed to do for years. I would carry a tougher steel these days. Maybe a Stretch 2 XL LW....
When hunting in Texas and doing walk and stalks, I carried a Delica 4 VG-10 and a Bob Dozier Skinner Fixed Blade in D2. I have cleaned deer with a Delica before, so I know that they are plenty of knife for the job.
From a certain perspective my vote isn't very relevant because all I have ever used at this point is an Endura, but the best knife is the one you have on you, and obviously despite not sampling other Spydercos, the Endura was my choice when I got the opportunity to buy a Spyderco.
One important note about me and pocket knives when I am camping/hiking though, I consider folders back up knives to a fixed blade. I never carry just one knife, so on a normal EDC type day my Endura is my primary knife for it's convenience, and my Izula is the back up. When I am out in the woods my Mora is my primary and my Endura is the back up.
Despite not being my primary when hiking, I put a lot of stress on having a good back up, and it has to be light weight, so I love the Endura for that role.
I voted ‘other’ as I’d take either a Cruwear Manix 2 XL PE or a Stretch 2 XL Salt SE, depending on where in the world I was weather wise. I always carry a modest fixed blade and a small axe, so it’d mainly be used for odd tasks and food prep.
NB - if was in the UK I’d be sporting a UKPK or two.
- Al
Work: Jumpmaster 2
Home: DF2 K390 Wharncliffe/DF2 Salt H1 SE and K390 Police 4 LW SE/15V Shaman
Dream knives -
Chinook in Magnacut (any era)
Manix 2 XL Salt in Magnacut
A larger Rockjumper in Magnacut SE
