Ever use a sporting/survivalist/defensive for culinary use?

SanLuisObispo said:
The Becker and SOG are beasts! They would do a number on BBQ!
Click to expand...

The BK-5 is, for all practical purposes, a camp chef's knife! With a little practice, it'll do about anything an 8" traditional chef's will do. The SOG is good at cutting most meats, but a little thick for cheeses and some veggies. At work, Thanksgiving 2019, I carved two hams and two turkeys with a White River Sendero Classic. It was the only knife in the place big enough to do the job, at 4-1/2". At restaurants, I've used a Buck 110 and 101, TOPS Skinat, a few small handmades, and several other production fixed blades up to about 4-1/2", as well as any number of folders. It's a tool for cutting stuff. If it doesn't cut stuff, it's not a knife, it's a paperweight. Or man jewelry. Not my thing...
 
Those of us who own kitchen knives don't mainly because the thickness of blades on outdoor knives, whether fixed or folding is usually too much for kitchen work. There are some outdoor knives that are thin and serve the purpose well "outdoors".

When using your outdoor knife on food, always wash the knife (blade) before and after. Just like any kitchen knife.
 
No I have not, I’ve spent a lot of money acquiring kitchen knives and use them for kitchen duty. They even travel when needed.
 
KenHash said:
Those of us who own kitchen knives don't mainly because the thickness of blades on outdoor knives, whether fixed or folding is usually too much for kitchen work. There are some outdoor knives that are thin and serve the purpose well "outdoors".

When using your outdoor knife on food, always wash the knife (blade) before and after. Just like any kitchen knife.
Click to expand...

That would depend. I own some old carbon steel Sabatier chef's knives that are as thick as most large Bowie knives.
 
I spent about 3 months in Virginia for some work living in a vacation rental. I purchased a Buck 119 when I got there because I'd never had one and though I'd give it a try. I used it for everything. It did not excel in the kitchen, but at least it was sharp.

I use an Opinel #8 for scoring bread loaves instead of a razor.

I put a handle on an 8 inch leuku blade which I now use as a sort of light cleaver in the kitchen.

I went camping a while back and used my BK62 Kephart to cup up veggies for dinner and avocado for guacamole. It's okay for potatoes, it was fantastic for the avocado.

Given my druthers I'll use my 10 inch carbon sabatier.
 
SanLuisObispo said:
That would depend. I own some old carbon steel Sabatier chef's knives that are as thick as most large Bowie knives.
Click to expand...

Yes, Lobster Splitters and the like. Obviously the largest of the European kitchen knives are going to be thick. But I doubt they will be as thick at the spine as a bowie like a FK Thor or CS Trail Master. Can you cleanly split a firm apple with a large bowie cutting slowly? Bet the apple will split halfway down.
Without a fairly narrow spine and FFG it's nearly impossible to do. With a typical Scandi or Hollow ground it will split. That's why kitchen knives are not ground that way and people talk about "Slicers". You "can" put a smaller bowie knife to use as long as the spine is not very thick.
 
Last edited:
Buck 110 or 301 stockman frequently during lunch, sitting in my truck or on the tailgate if not raining.

A few years ago a coworker bet me 5 bucks I couldn’t eat off my knife blade all week without cutting my tongue or lip. After paying up the next week, he started doing it too. Now when we work together, we both eat off our knives, and he gets a big kick out of telling the story to anybody else. I tell him it’s the longest fun he’s ever got for 5 bucks.

Parker
 
I am playing around with camp-fire wood cooking. So I go out and be all rustic. But I bring a ute full of cooking gear.

And because I wanted the experience to be thematic I have bought a condor bush slicer. Which while is geared towards being a cooking knife it is definitely leaning towards a survival knife/cooking knife.

It works pretty well. Not really high price cooking knife well. But it is still nice to use.
 
KenHash said:
Yes, Lobster Splitters and the like. Obviously the largest of the European kitchen knives are going to be thick. But I doubt they will be as thick at the spine as a bowie like a FK Thor or CS Trail Master. Can you cleanly split a firm apple with a large bowie cutting slowly? Bet the apple will split halfway down.
Without a fairly narrow spine and FFG it's nearly impossible to do. With a typical Scandi or Hollow ground it will split. That's why kitchen knives are not ground that way and people talk about "Slicers". You "can" put a smaller bowie knife to use as long as the spine is not very thick.
Click to expand...
They certainly can be used to split lobsters, but they're chef's knives.
 
SanLuisObispo said:
They certainly can be used to split lobsters, but they're chef's knives.
Click to expand...

Yes they are. "Lobster Splitter" is just a slang term for the really big German/French knives. They weren't made strictly for that purpose only.
 
Gents, I have to say that the 10” Sabatier we have, which is part of a set given to us on our wedding day nearly 20 yrs ago, while not being Bowie thick, is far thicker than a chef’s knife needs to be, in my view.

I’ll shortly be investing in a Japanese 10” chef’s knife, as our Sabatier tends to act more like a wedge than anything. I figure that the Sabatier has had a good innings, but I’ve always loathed that knife! YMMV ;)
 
Not really, I use my Taylors Eye witness kitchen knives and a few handmade single bevel kitchen knives in the kitchen 99% of the time, I have a few cheap beater kitchen knives like from kitchen devil and store brand stuff that I use for breaking bones and when contacting inside of ceramic or glass cooking dishes to save the razor edges of my better knives. I sometimes use my Opinel number 13 in the kitchen, but that's basically a folding kitchen knife, not really. I sometimes use my EDC folder to peel things or cut a sandwich or 2. I never use for example a large bowie for food prep though, or a KA-BAR or dagger. I do actually baton fire wood with one of my Bowie knives, the closest I get to food prep with those kind of blades is probably using them as fire pokers, or batoning fire wood.
 
You know what might be a fun thread? Kitchen challenges with the most unlikely outdoor knives. Boeuf à la Bourgogne using only a BK-2. Lasagne using only a Ka-Bar USMC. Poule au Pot using only a Fällkniven A1. Sauté julienne vegetables using only a Busse Battle Mistress*. Photos or it didn’t happen.

*Okay, I don’t own that particular knife. But if somebody wants to give me one, I’ll accept the challenge... ;)
 
LfeULsX.jpg

When I set the table for dinner, my wife remembers why she shouldn't get me to set the table :)
 
Pilsner said:
Gents, I have to say that the 10” Sabatier we have, which is part of a set given to us on our wedding day nearly 20 yrs ago, while not being Bowie thick, is far thicker than a chef’s knife needs to be, in my view.

I’ll shortly be investing in a Japanese 10” chef’s knife, as our Sabatier tends to act more like a wedge than anything. I figure that the Sabatier has had a good innings, but I’ve always loathed that knife! YMMV ;)
Click to expand...
No question there has been a transition by many from heavy, bolstered French and German (e.g. Sabatier, Henckels, Wusthof) culinary knives of relatively soft steel, to Asian origin designs (e.g. Global) without large bolsters, thinner blades and harder steels.
 
Last edited:
"Survivalist" knife? Not sure I've ever had a "Survivalist" specific knife.

"Defensive" knife? I know I've never owned one of those. Never wanted one, either. There are much better tools for defense than a daRn knife.

"Sporting" knife" Yeah, Sure. All the time. Buck 110/112, Old Timer 6OT/7OT, two blade slipjoint folding hunters, skinning knives, fish cleaning knives, and various 3 to 5 inch blade non-folding sheath knives, all work well for cutting meat and veggies.

I've also used my multi-blade "Work Knives", such has a stockman, canoe, Barlow, sunfish, etc. patterns for kitchen/meal duty.

I believe the only knife I own that has never seen kitchen/meal duty is a Stanley 10-499 box cutter/utility knife. I don't think I've used it for so much as to de-leaf a radish or strawberry, or to peel a grape. if I ever did, the memory of the incident has escaped.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top