Wirecutter roundup “The Best Outdoor Knife”

BEST is a word that should be used with the outmost caution.... There is also a statement saying that the primary use of a knife outdoors is to process wood. Well, if you were to solely process wood, you wouldn't be carrying a knife, but more dedicated tools.

Don't know what else to say. Interesting to read, but I am not a fixed blade fan and I think there is a number of knives that could have been in that review...

Glad to see they speak higly of the S1 though!
 
Hmm, right off the bat I would not choose the laser strike as my outdoors knife. Too thick for me. But hey, that's just me.
 
David T. MacNeill said:
I read this with interest:

https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-outdoor-knife

Thoughts? I thought it was rather well done.
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I truly love the wirecutter, they take knowledgeable people and put them at the helm of every single possible niche. Can’t wait to read this!

Their choices might not be the best for experts in the field, but they sure can help laypeople get into it. (Also the lady who heads the headphone reviews is really pretty)

Here is their folding knife article. Color me biased because I chose the CRKT drifter WAY before this article was written. (Although A LOT has changed in that price range since that article was written)
https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-pocket-knife/

And a golden little gem: the utility knife
https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-utility-knife/

NOTE: a lot the top recommendations are budget minded, even the 200$+ headphones start at a reasonable price
 
They looked at a whole lot of knives, and came up with solid reasons for their picks and gave some positives and negatives within each pick. Wouldn't be my picks, as my budget isn't $100 and I really prefer a more corrosion resistant steel with no coating. But for someone just looking for a good answer, not back picks IMHO.

Wirecutter is a place I go for reviews on categories of products I have no knowledge of and use their reviews along with "Experienced Expert" reviews to make my choices. For example when I wanted a lightweight backpack the experts said one thing, but I'm not interested in grams of weight, so Wirecutter and other reviews helped bring choices back to my reality.
 
I always have a few gripes with wirecutter articles, but they’re rarely completely off base. And the suggestion of an ESSE4 or a Fallkniven (if you’ve got the cash) wouldn’t even be unusual on this forum.
 
"Best" is a word that will always stir up some debate here. We all have our personal preferences and I'm willing to bet most of us couldn't pick the "best" knife or multitool out of our own collection.

I think they chose pretty good knives, better than most recommendations in articles written for the general public.

It's clear that they aren't targetting hardcore knife guys, for instance in their article on EDC folders a Mini Grip is considered "luxurious".
 
Franciscomv said:
"Best" is a word that will always stir up some debate here.
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I chafe at the word “best” as well. But I think they’re using that word for search engine juice. I think it’s what people search for when they’re not knowledgeable about a topic, and just want an authoritative suggestion on what to buy.
 
David....

Thank you for bringing the article forward to us....

Regardless the type of forum these setting will always bring out the snob in us...... always something better,thinner,fatter,faster,slower......

The knives mentioned are all reasonable and great choices for the everyday person to enjoy the outdoors .
 
Well, since the whole concept of that site is to make money via click through links to Amazon AND the article quoted the "usual suspects" :rolleyes: on YouTube, I wouldn't put much credence in their conclusions.

Regardless of which knife they deemed "best," and whether I agree with them or not, one would be better off just reading the reviews and unsolicited testimonials here, in my opinion.
 
If they knew what they were doing they’d have mentioned mora. Easily better then some of those knives.

Edit: LOL! “Why you should trust us.” Yikes! Does that line work on people? To me it’s the first indication of untrustworthiness.
 
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It was a long article that I just skimmed, but it seemed too simplistic for serious knife people. For example, by limiting their discussion of blade steels to stainless vs carbon, they are dismissing a whole lot of steel knowledge that is valuable to knife owners.
 
I rarely end up agreeing 100% with the Wirecutter pick in any category, but I sincerely appreciate their write ups, and their choices are usually pretty good.

I'm more of an F1 guy than S1, but seeing Fallkniven in the list made me happy.
 
Shotgun said:
If they knew what they were doing they’d have mentioned mora.
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They did last time, but there was a whole fiasco about someone being in a company's pocket for both this and the bike helmet reviews. It's drama that I don't care for...
 
Shotgun said:
If they knew what they were doing they’d have mentioned mora. Easily better then some of those knives.

Edit: LOL! “Why you should trust us.” Yikes! Does that line work on people? To me it’s the first indication of untrustworthiness.
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uxo2 said:
No Mora.


Fail
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The word Mora appears in the article at lease twice with this to say for it:

"The same can be said for the Morakniv knives we tested: the full-tang Garberg, the Bushcraft Black, and the Companion. All of them are excellent at carving and detail work, they dig deep into wood and maintain a high level of blade control. We don’t think they’re the best for a general-purpose blade. The Companion, a wildly popular knife sold in a huge array of colors, is typically under $20, so if you’re curious about Scandi grinds, this knife offers a low-investment starting point."
 
"Best" is relative, and depends on your uses.
The "best" knives I've used in the boonies is a Mora No. 1, a SAK Huntsman, a (large) Stockman, and a Buck 110.
I don't baton my knives, or chop with them.
I also carry a sportsman's axe when I go out in the boonies.
Since I'm still "alive" after 63 years (and counting) I guess these knives (and my skills) must be sufficient for me. :)
 
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