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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is $300 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Need climbing and camping knife
- Thread starter tuckman81
- Start date
Hey thanks for that. Hadn't seen those.
First, I hope you have a 1/10th of the enjoyment that I've had in the mountains. They are the most wonderful places to go.
Second, if you haven't done so already, save money and spend it on the following books:
- The Freedim of the Hills by The Seatlle Mountaineers
- The Backpacker's Handbook by Chris Townsend
IMO, the information in these books is infinitely more important than any knife.
Third, I recommend healthy skepticism regarding the NEED of one hand opening knives for rock climbing. In boating, you can encounter emergency situations where you need to cut a rope quickly. In general, when climbing, cutting a rope is done deliberately and only as a last resort. This is why a simple 4 blade Swiss Army style knife has been the go-to knife in the climbing community for generations.
This brings me to the fourth subject, specific knife recommendations. I think you should consider 3 options.
1) Get a small SAK with scissors. This is my least favorite option but it works.
2) Get a Leatherman Juice with scissors. This gives pliers which can be used for zipper repairs, sewing and other repairs.
3) Get a Leatherman Squirt PS4 and augment it with the largest Stainless Inox Opinel your parents are comfortable with. A #8 or 9 or one of the new Outdoor models would be ideal, but even the #6 will serve you well. You can tell them legitimately this is the traditional French climbing knife and will mostly be used for food. Just never ever rely on the lock to prevent it from closing. It's not designed for that really. Many non knife people respond to the Opinel well. It's less theatening looking. Many outdoor shops carry them including REI.
FWIW, after a lifetime being in the woods and mountains, an Opinel and Squirt are my preferred choice. It's a very light and very capable combination.
Second, if you haven't done so already, save money and spend it on the following books:
- The Freedim of the Hills by The Seatlle Mountaineers
- The Backpacker's Handbook by Chris Townsend
IMO, the information in these books is infinitely more important than any knife.
Third, I recommend healthy skepticism regarding the NEED of one hand opening knives for rock climbing. In boating, you can encounter emergency situations where you need to cut a rope quickly. In general, when climbing, cutting a rope is done deliberately and only as a last resort. This is why a simple 4 blade Swiss Army style knife has been the go-to knife in the climbing community for generations.
This brings me to the fourth subject, specific knife recommendations. I think you should consider 3 options.
1) Get a small SAK with scissors. This is my least favorite option but it works.
2) Get a Leatherman Juice with scissors. This gives pliers which can be used for zipper repairs, sewing and other repairs.
3) Get a Leatherman Squirt PS4 and augment it with the largest Stainless Inox Opinel your parents are comfortable with. A #8 or 9 or one of the new Outdoor models would be ideal, but even the #6 will serve you well. You can tell them legitimately this is the traditional French climbing knife and will mostly be used for food. Just never ever rely on the lock to prevent it from closing. It's not designed for that really. Many non knife people respond to the Opinel well. It's less theatening looking. Many outdoor shops carry them including REI.
FWIW, after a lifetime being in the woods and mountains, an Opinel and Squirt are my preferred choice. It's a very light and very capable combination.
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2012
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Wow, you enjoyment level is epic!
Cutting a rope quickly or not has no impact when you have only one hand available.
This absolutely nothing to do with rock climbing.
Lightweight is key. Ability to cut rope is important. Ability to be clipped to gear slings (lanyards are enough) can be favored by some.
But one hand opening isn't a need in this scenario. That doesn't mean that OHO designs are bad. Just means you can't justify the desire for getting a OHO knife because you *NEED* it for rock climbing.
The OP wants a OHO knife, I think. That's another matter entirely.
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Rock climber here myself and I carry a Dragonfly H1 while doing so. Clip can be switched for lefties as well.
Oh.... it's an awesome knife in every way. :thumbup:
Lee D
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Last edited:
- Joined
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- Messages
- 29,050
Rock climber here myself and I carry a Dragonfly H1 while doing so. Clip can be switched for lefties as well.
Oh.... it's an awesome knife in every way. :thumbup:
A dragon fly is an excellent choice. ONE HAND OPENING, light weight, excellent purpose driven steel. Carry it while climbing and use the Wave around camp. Non-threatening bright Yellow. Explain to your parents that it might save your life at some point. Since it is ONE HAND OPENING you can use it in an emergency situation while your other hand is occupied with the climbing. And yes, the clip on most salt knives can be switched!
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I'm a southpaw and a climber. Many spyderco offerings are fully ambidextrous, as are many benchmades. I would go with a fully serrated spyderco for climbing. Dragonfly is very compact and I'm sure it would work fine. For me personally, I would get an Atlantic salt. It's lightweight and big enough to do some camp chores and food prep. Really for multi day camping and climbing you should get a fixed blade and a small folder. Haven't your parents seen "127 hours" ? He'd have been dead without a knife.
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A couple of thoughts as far as climbing knives. pocket clip won't matter as much, because pocket clipping a knife while wearing a harness is a good way to loose a knife over the side. Not so great. A good lanyard, and an effective carry method, either a biner off your harness as close to center back as you can (both hand access) or a zipped shirt pocket are more ideal. I like having a dedicated ropes knife, so you always know where it is, and that it is there.
Smaller is better. I'm not a fan of the spatha knife, having used them, they are fiddly, and I don't like how they carry.
Last thought, any time you cut a rope, cord or tape, unless you can see both ends, confirm the cut with someone else, and broadcast it. Seems simple, but make sure you know what you are cutting, and that those around you know what you are doing. A lot of people get killed by someone cutting the wrong rope, and it can happen very simply, someone calls out a color, and they are colorblind, or the color looks different in the light, or sunglasses.
Where I work we carry the gerber rope-hook knives on our harnesses (the one that uses a utility blade in a large hooked holder) they work well enough, and its a good set and leave knife. You can attach it to your harness and never leave it at home.
I'm guessing you climb with others, (hopefully more experienced people) Get their help as well. If your parents trust them enough to let you climb with them, then they should take their advice as well. And if you are still starting out as a climber, you should be sticking to places and with people who can take care of things for you. I have a bunch of formal training, and still I'm a long way from being an expert, or from climbing natural areas on my own without good leadership.
Smaller is better. I'm not a fan of the spatha knife, having used them, they are fiddly, and I don't like how they carry.
Last thought, any time you cut a rope, cord or tape, unless you can see both ends, confirm the cut with someone else, and broadcast it. Seems simple, but make sure you know what you are cutting, and that those around you know what you are doing. A lot of people get killed by someone cutting the wrong rope, and it can happen very simply, someone calls out a color, and they are colorblind, or the color looks different in the light, or sunglasses.
Where I work we carry the gerber rope-hook knives on our harnesses (the one that uses a utility blade in a large hooked holder) they work well enough, and its a good set and leave knife. You can attach it to your harness and never leave it at home.
I'm guessing you climb with others, (hopefully more experienced people) Get their help as well. If your parents trust them enough to let you climb with them, then they should take their advice as well. And if you are still starting out as a climber, you should be sticking to places and with people who can take care of things for you. I have a bunch of formal training, and still I'm a long way from being an expert, or from climbing natural areas on my own without good leadership.
But Leghog, those aren't one hand opening? How will cut a rope to save your life when you are hanging there on a rock by your left hand like Sylvester Stalone?
Or have you done more climbing than just watching movies?
This thread has moved deep into poseur posturing land. Not you! But just sayin'.
But Leghog, those aren't one hand opening? How will cut a rope to save your life when you are hanging there on a rock by your left hand like Sylvester Stalone?
Or have you done more climbing than just watching movies?
This thread has moved deep into poseur posturing land. Not you! But just sayin'.
If you have that one hand opener clinched squarely in your teeth, you can actually get another hand hold with your free arm. Let's think this through and not panic. Panic kills.
I just spit coffee on my iPad. Thanks for that!