Camping Knife For Food Preparation

Posted by Camp Trainer on Jan 29, 2009 in Knives • No comments • 435 views

The primary use for a camp knife is preparing foods. You’ll slice vegetables, meat, and cheese; spread jam and peanut butter, and cut your supper steak. Rambo survivalits will insist on a stiff-backed sheath knife with a blade at least 6 inches long, while more gentle souls will argue the merits of a penknife.

Between the 2 extremes are scores of expert campers who will agree that at least one knife in the camping party should have these 2 characteristics:

Enough length (4 - 5 inches) to slice meat and cheese and to reach deep into the peanut butter can without getting gunked up.
A thin, flat-ground blade for effortless slicing.

Nearly all knives sold for outdoor use have blades that are too thick. One-eighth of an inch across the spine is the maximum thickness permissible for a utility knife, no matter how delicate the edge. Try slicing a tomato with the typical hunting knife and you’ll see why!

Your favourite kitchen knife would probably be perfect for camp use if it had a bit less length, more backbone and better steel. In fact, the most popular knives on the frontier wiere the famous Green River models, which were nothing more than solidly built kitchen knives.

The primary camp knife may be a fixed blade or folding model. You’ll pay much more for a good folder than for sheath knife of similar length.

If your taste runs to folding knives, select a model with a 3-4 inch long thin, preferably flat ground blade. Lock-blade knives are safer than those those with traditional pressure springs, and their blades can be opened single-handedly while you are wearing mittens.

However lock blades tend to loosen with time as the lock mechanism wears. Pressure-spring folders usually stay tight much longer.

Boker 540 Bowie Fixed Blade Knife - $104.95
Gleaming, polished 440 stainless steel makes up the business end of this fine quality Boker 540 Bowie fixed blade knife - includes leather sheath with snap.

Columbia River Knife and Tool Ichi Pocket Knife - Liner Lock - $31.95
Columbia River Knife and Tool asked Japanese custom knife designer Koji Hara to make the Ichi knife a unique looking folder with real utility.

Spyderco Ocelot Knife - Lockback - $129.95
Opens and closes easily with one hand with Patented Spyderco Round Hole for one-handed opening