Survival with a slipjoint

N

Nickypoo

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Nov 26, 2016
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What's up, folks? I'm new to posting, but have been using the forum as a resource for a while now. I haven't been into knives that long - just a little over a year - but have heard all sorts of conflicting opinions. Anyway, before I ramble: this guy does some stuff that the interwebs crowd says you need a .25" thick fixed blade to do, but with a slip joint folder. It helped me look at the subject in a new way, thought you all might enjoy.
 
Of course you can do such things with a slip-joint...although if using a slip-joint, I'll grab a Swiss Army Knife with a saw; uses less energy for cutting than he was using.

Something like the Junglas uses a bunch less energy to get through wood of the size he was using though.
I have doen the SAK to cut stuff thing, the big knife to cut stuff thing, the machete to cut stuff thing, the using a single bladed pocketknife to cut stuff thing, the sawing to cut stuff thing, and the axe to cut stuff thing.
They all cut stuff...but depending on what stuff you are cutting, some choices are more efficient than others.

It's going to depend on why (and where) you are out there in the first place to inform what makes sense to carry.
If one is going for a day-hike through a National Park with well established trails one is not allowed to go off of, carrying a huge axe might not make much sense; a Victorinox Camper might be a better choice. :)
 
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Thanks for posting ,he made it look easy.I have been more interested in slip joints lately thanks to some excellent new offerings from Case and GEC
 
Of course no knife could ever possibly replace a hatchet, but a small traditional slipjoint is a very capable tool.

My choice might either be my vic tinker, my case sodbuster Jr, or my imperial jackmaster Barlow.
 
well, the best survival knife is the one in your pocket when you need to survive, and the more in the head, the less in the pockets. At the end of the day, nobody cares, so long as you survive right?
 
stabman said:
Of course you can do such things with a slip-joint...although if using a slip-joint, I'll grab a Swiss Army Knife with a saw; uses less energy for cutting than he was using.
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James Y said:
....Personally, I would have chosen a Victorinox Farmer SAK.
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Victorinox Farmer.

On my hip every day. Day in. Day out.

8867296182302_celum_128210_560Wx490H.jpg
 
James Y said:
....Personally, I would have chosen a Victorinox Farmer SAK.
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oldtymer said:
The knife is not what made it possible; the knowledge to be able to make do with what was in his surroundings.
That gent is an experienced woodsman,probably ex-military also. Like Rambo said in pt.2
The mind is the best weapon
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When my mentor who was once my boss in the Army attended SFQC, the candidates could carry one folding knife. No fixed blades. For the course he bough himself a Victorinox Mauser. Why that knife? It had a good saw and TWO main blades.

Mauser%2520Open.JPG
 
I was fortunite to growup around and spend time with a couple of oldtime outdoorsmen when i was a boy. Neither of then had a dedicated hunting/outdoors knife. They both used slipjoint pocket knives for everything up to the point where a axe was needed. It wasnt needed often.
One of those fine old fellows liked the stockman. The other, the older of the two, prefered the Muskrat pattern. Money was scarce for these men, that would have been true most of if not there entire life. So they learned to make do and get by with what they had.
Its definetly possible to get by with a slip joint pocket knife. Its also safer to use a fixed blade or in my case a quality locking folder. I really tried to embrace the fixed blade for outdoor activities but always feel borderline ridiclious carrying one.
 
I still have a Mauser knife just like that. The only thing useless is the corkscrew.
 
That is pretty cool one can build a survival shelter with a Small folder, but unless that is all I had, I would not want too. Sure it can be done, just about anything we want to do can be carried out in one method or another. Given a choice even a SAK is too small for my preference albeit it does have a saw blade which is preferable. A good ole fixed blade of average length will get the job done much faster and more proficiently. And when you done ones hands may be in good enough shape to cook dinner. I have used a fixed blade for extended periods of time in the outdoors and it not fun.. I am sure the fellow in the video has some pretty sore hands too. Always IMO, can be done but not for me.
 
Just shows how skill is so much more important than equipment. A lot of people on here seem to go through much gnashing of teeth and other sorts of drama trying to find a perfect survival knife when an old Case probably does just fine.
 
Tjohnson4845 said:
Just curious, why do you feel ridiculous carrying a fixed blade?
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Thats a fair question. I dont feel ridiculous carrying a 4" bladed hunting during hunting season or even for a walk through the outdoors, woods and fields. I do feel silly carrying one of the large survival/chopper blades that have passed through my hands over the years because i dont need them, im not deep into wild untamed wilderness and im not Rambo.
Anyone who feels comfortabe carrying and using them gets two thumbs up from me. I'm just not so i traded off the last one i had a while back and im not going there again.
 
Grateful said:
Thats a fair question. I dont feel ridiculous carrying a 4" bladed hunting during hunting season or even for a walk through the outdoors, woods and fields. I do feel silly carrying one of the large survival/chopper blades that have passed through my hands over the years because i dont need them, im not deep into wild untamed wilderness and im not Rambo.
Anyone who feels comfortabe carrying and using them gets two thumbs up from me. I'm just not so i traded off the last one i had a while back and im not going there again.
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I carry a 4" fixed blade to go grocery shopping lol.
I'm far from an expert in survival. That said, a small slip joint could work if it's all you had. There are much better tools for the job of surviving though. It's sort of like using a rock as a hammer vs a nail gun to build a house. Sure it can get the job done if you have the skill to build a house. There are better options though. It's cool to see what can be done with the most inappropriate tools but it's unpractical unless you are forced into the situation. And, IMO, any time there is a chance you may be forced into such a situation, you should be better prepared with the best tools available to you.
 
Gee Nicky, I just posted a thread in Traditional with that vid. I've always considered large knives to be overrated myself. I will admit though for what Vinniesdayoff is doing, I'd prefer a larger blade, but it shows that a smaller blade can get the job done.
 
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