Travel/Picnic knife or travel set?

[Sid Post]

I am wondering about a folding "chef knife" or something similar versus grabbing some Victorinox or PrepWorks paring knives. Ideally, I would have something like a Santoku or thin cleaver to dice veggies and scoop them into a Ti cup or small pot. In the past, I have used Victorinox paring/tomato knives augmented with a pocket knife but, if I do that again I really need a scraper because I'm eating healthier while I travel and camp.

I'm thinking a small picnic set might make the most sense but, I am open to other suggestions. Costs need to be reasonable to low. I'm not looking for the $0.97 specials at Walmart but, I also need it to be cheap enough that a loss won't bother me. I'm not making anything fancy or involved but, soups, stews, pastas, etc along with breakfast Frittatas and similar things. My knife or knives need to be capable of working with Squash, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Carrots, and similar stuff along with common boneless meats.

TIA,
Sid

 

[JPD1998]

Rough Ryder makes an inexpensive folding chef's knife - Rough Rider 2196 Pocket Chef Lockback Knife.
MAM knives makes various inexpensive folding camp knives.

 

[abcdef]

Maybe a stainless Opinel.

 

[guy g]

I vote for the Vic paring knife. Bring a 4" blade hunting knife like a Buck 102 or a lot of similar ones out there for the potatoes.
The Vic is a bit lite weight for chunking or slicing of potatoes. Hmmmm A Mora would be perfect here.

 

[pvicenzi]

AG Russell folding cook's knife.

 

[Bob Denman]

Whatever is in my pocket can cut food as easily as it can cut me...

 

[Alberta Ed]

An Opinel #8 Carbon lives in our picnic kit.

 

[pvicenzi]

An Opinel #8 Carbon lives in our picnic kit.

They slice and dice better than most paring knives.

 

[cbach8tw]

MAM makes some very useable and easily priced knives for a picnic set.

 

[Tafkaag]

Not sure I'd want a folder for anything to do with food, but Victorinox also makes a folding paring knife. Personally I'd go with the fixed Vic paring knife/knives.

 

[anthonycastorena2014]

+1 Opinel stainless. Not a santoku by any means but they are great for food prep.

 

[Mister_Punchy]

The knife you are looking for is definitely the Ontario Camp Plus santoku knife at around 14 dollars.

 

[Hashishiin]

In the Opinel camp, but MAM and Ontario are great. Vic, too.

 

[cbach8tw]

In the Opinel camp, but MAM and Ontario are great. Vic, too.

I have been enjoying the knife videos from Stefan Schmalhaus, mostly French knives, but that is what I call picnic use, he cuts bread and spreads cheese paired with meats and fruits and usually has a bottle of wine.

 

[Bob Denman]

I have been enjoying the knife videos from Stefan Schmalhaus, mostly French knives, but that is what I call picnic use, he cuts bread and spreads cheese paired with meats and fruits and has usually has a bottle of wine.

That is more than just a picnic: it's a day well-spent!

 

[cbach8tw]

That is more than just a picnic: it's a day well-spent!

They say the French know how to enjoy life, but I think the Italians know how to get the most out of adventure.

 

[Bob Denman]

But it takes an American; to truly enjoy the mess that they create...

 

[vinprom]

I am wondering about a folding "chef knife" or something similar versus grabbing some Victorinox or PrepWorks paring knives. Ideally, I would have something like a Santoku or thin cleaver to dice veggies and scoop them into a Ti cup or small pot. In the past, I have used Victorinox paring/tomato knives augmented with a pocket knife but, if I do that again I really need a scraper because I'm eating healthier while I travel and camp.

I'm thinking a small picnic set might make the most sense but, I am open to other suggestions. Costs need to be reasonable to low. I'm not looking for the $0.97 specials at Walmart but, I also need it to be cheap enough that a loss won't bother me. I'm not making anything fancy or involved but, soups, stews, pastas, etc along with breakfast Frittatas and similar things. My knife or knives need to be capable of working with Squash, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Carrots, and similar stuff along with common boneless meats.

TIA,
Sid

My knife or knives need to be capable of working with Squash, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Carrots, and similar stuff along with common boneless meats.

Talking from experience, a small ticker wood cutting board is the most important, to have room for the knickles. Any sharp folder can cut these, but for more heavy duty tasks I grab the big Squirrel to have both an excellent slicer and peace of mind the tip will withstand. Above that, for a coconut or cutting through the backbone of a big fish - Mora Classic #3 is what I use, but that is when any folder will probably fail, even though the destruction tests of the youtubers prove the opposite.

 

[Heimdall82]

This combo makes 95% of the food processing in camping. The CS Mini Pendleton act as my paring knife and the Spyderco Pacific Salt 2 in LC200n as my chef knife.
If i need something "beefier", i use my fixed blade (most of the time my Fallkniven F1 or LT Wrigth Gen 5 or my Green River Hunting knife or my custom Mini Hudson Bay which is almost a butcher knife)
My first "camping chef knife" was a 5$ Kiwi Thai Chef 6.5" knife with a cardboard and duct tape sheath and it worked really well, i wouldn't mind losing it at all for sure! hahaha

Camping and hiking Light Combo

My custom mini Hudson Bay knife with my Green River Hunting knife (with a new handle)

 

[Heimdall82]

Oh and sometime, i bring my Ulu, which is a great food prep knife! it doesn't take too much place in my backpack too, mine got a leather sheath. Watch your fingers with that one, it's really an awesome chopper!