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Where do you carry your canoe trip knives and what are they?

In all honesty I carry more knives than I need.

A Spyderco Salt Rescue folder on the lash tab of my PFD. Never needed it for rescue purposes, or for much else, can’t imagine paddling without it there.

Spyderco Salt sheath knife in my essentials bag. Kinda like Scoutergriz it gets used mostly for slicing meat and cheese, occasionally for cutting rope or line in camp, so overkill in that regard.

Also in the essentials bag, a Leatherman type tool and a Swiss Army Mechanics knife. Both because it is impossible to make repairs or tighten machine screw hardware with a Philips head and hold the nut if both tools are on the same knife.

Of the dozen fold-out implements on those two I mostly use the Swiss Army little scissors, and should probably replace both those knives with a small multi-head screwdriver, a double ended (3/8 and 7/16) box wrench and a pair of scissors more accessible than the EMT shears in the 1st aid bag.

In the cutting implement category the “tool” I use most often may be a pair of fingernail clippers. I keep my fingernails very short, and still manage to break a nail or two every trip. And a small retractable bypass pruner, for nipping greenbriar and small branches; much faster and safer than using an axe or saw for those purposes.

P9180031 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

The “knife” I actually use the most? A nylon butter knife in the cookware set, for spreading peanut butter.

In everyday non-paddling travels I carry a small, slender, single blade Case folder in my pocket, but leave it home on trips. It has sentimental value, and is so small I fear I’d lose it on a trip.
 
I also have collected knifes most of my life and tend to go over equipped. I have a Gerber or an NRS rescue knife mounted on the lash tab of my pfd, depending on if I am canoeing or rafting. One has been used to slash a rope in an emergency and I always have one of these. My kitchen/utility knife alternates between a Case sheath knife and a Shrade lock back identical to Robin’s. Both are over 40 years old and have sentimental value. A leatherman multi-tool with pliers and sometimes a small Swiss Army knife travel in the dry box. My EDC is a Benchmade Griptillian, but I don’t risk losing it while camping. A Victorinox Camper also accompanies me most days. Can’t have too many knifes or canoes!!
 

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I like my Grohmann knives. I’m really good at loosing them so I’ve used most of their models. I started with the Survival and have worked my way down to the Bird and Trout. The little bird and trout feels really good in the hand and is up to most tasks short of splitting wood.
 
Attached to the food barrel is a Mora Companion. One of the ugly bright green ones. My wife loves it. I can't get any blade quite as sharp as that Mora.
I got a couple of those. I bought them specifically because of the zombie apocalypse green. You are right...they, like pretty much all Moras, come out of the box super sharp!
 
I have a Schrade 3-blade pocket knife that is always on me. Only addition for a canoe trip has been a cheap plastic-handled filet knife. Honestly, I've thought about a small pfd-mounted blade but, so far, the moving water hasn't been moving anywhere near fast enough to pull me into/under anything. (...perhaps this coming summer...)
 
A Spyderco Salt 2 in a pouch in my PFD for now, and whatever other Spydie I already had in my pocket. I mean to throw a Mora in the dry bag too. I want to replace the Salt 2 with an Atlantic Salt, but I’m too busy buying paddles and still smarting from that last boat purchase…
 
I used to keep a Gerber rescue knife on the outside of my pfd, but took it off because it felt too bulky and I never used that knife. So I keep the knife I do used, a Benchmade mini Bugout either in the main pocket of my pfd or in the bag attached under my seat. I keep a Leatherman multi tool in that same bag, as well as other quick items. I’ve played around with the idea of getting a shorter fixed blade, but Unlike 90% of the people I talk to, I’m a serrated knife fan and I don’t see too many fixed with serrations.
 
I used to keep a Gerber rescue knife on the outside of my pfd, but took it off because it felt too bulky and I never used that knife. So I keep the knife I do used, a Benchmade mini Bugout either in the main pocket of my pfd or in the bag attached under my seat. I keep a Leatherman multi tool in that same bag, as well as other quick items. I’ve played around with the idea of getting a shorter fixed blade, but Unlike 90% of the people I talk to, I’m a serrated knife fan and I don’t see too many fixed with serrations.
Spyderco has offered serrated fixed blades over the years. Current offerings include the Enuff, Aquasalt, and Fish Hunter. Of those the Enuff seems like the only one small enough to go on a PFD. Mora also makes a serrated cork handled knife with a blunt tip:


The tip could easily be ground to a point if you preferred. I thought about getting these as steak knives 😁
 
Spyderco has offered serrated fixed blades over the years. Current offerings include the Enuff, Aquasalt, and Fish Hunter. Of those the Enuff seems like the only one small enough to go on a PFD. Mora also makes a serrated cork handled knife with a blunt tip:


The tip could easily be ground to a point if you preferred. I thought about getting these as steak knives 😁
Dang! Thank you for that. I’ll look at the spyderco’s now.. I’m a big fan of their knives, especially the steel they use, but hate the back lock. I know they do make some liner locks, but I never actually looked at their fixed blades…. Wellllll besides their culinary knives
 
Dang! Thank you for that. I’ll look at the spyderco’s now.. I’m a big fan of their knives, especially the steel they use, but hate the back lock. I know they do make some liner locks, but I never actually looked at their fixed blades…. Wellllll besides their culinary knives


If you would like a folder that is not a back lock, there are a couple. The Autonomy and Caribbean come to mind. They also have a Salt version of the UKPK which is their take on a slip joint. I have an Urban slippie that I like quite well, but I think I’d rather have a locking folder on a boat.

I’m a bit of a Spyderhead myself 😁
 
I always have a small folder on my pfd. For a belt knife I have a Mora Kansbol, but if I'm packing light and not bringing a fixed knife (or a hatchet or saw) I bring this Wenger. It's kind of a big little knife, locking serrated blade and a big-enough-to-be-useful saw, pocket knife vibe but still a decent toadsticker. I keep it in a pocket of my hiking pants clipped to a keychain keeper.

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I always have a small folder on my pfd. For a belt knife I have a Mora Kansbol, but if I'm packing light and not bringing a fixed knife (or a hatchet or saw) I bring this Wenger. It's kind of a big little knife, locking serrated blade and a big-enough-to-be-useful saw, pocket knife vibe but still a decent toadsticker. I keep it in a pocket of my hiking pants clipped to a keychain keeper.
those swiss army saws are awesome, just be careful to only cut on the pull stroke, those blades are extremely hard and can snap it they bind on the push stroke- don't ask how I know:rolleyes:
 
I have a Gerber River Shorty attached to my life vest.
I carry a folder, with pocket clip, in my pocket.
For camp, I have a fixed blade in my dry bag.
I'm a big fan of D2 steel. Very tough, but not too expensive.
I like flipper knives. Assisted opening is handy too.
 
I've carried a CRKT M16 double-locking knife (3.5in blade, part serrated) clipped to my pocket daily for years and years, including while paddling (and everywhere else where metal-detector security isn't involved). I put that knife through a lot of chores one shouldn't do with a knife - prying, flat-head screw-turning and the like (within reason in terms of force used) - and it's held up well. I have a little folding Gerber (2.5in) in my ditch kit that I never use for anything ever, so I have a really sharp blade when I need one. I also carry a Messerschmidt fixed paring knife in my food kit for overnight trips - it locks into its plastic sheath nicely. Sometimes I take a Leatherman Wave multi-tool, sometimes I don't. I can never decide if it's worth the weight - I've never really managed to need it very badly on a trip (I'm usually only out 1-3 nights - I would definitely take it on a longer trip).
 
The only knife I carry on EVERY trip, regardless of the activity, is an old Opinel #8 folding pocket knife. It has a carbon steel blade (really don't like the stainless steel blades) and goes with me everywhere. I will probably begin carrying a new neck knife that is being created for the living history events I participate in. It's a Dutch style knife circa mid-1600s and will be stored in a brain tanned sheath complete with quillwork, trade beads and cones with deerhair. Both are being made by friends who are experts in their fields and I can't wait to use them at events and on trips.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper
 
I am an OG, carried a Buck 110 forever as a young construction worker. The knifes from bottom to top: Randall Model 11 bought in 1976, Russell knife bought in the '80s, trapper knife bought from a trapper Larry Post when I lived in Canada (he made them in the off season), and a rubber handled Buck knife that always seems to make it in the bag no matter where the adventure. From reading these posts there are so many options these days compared to my younger years. I will say the Russell knife sharpens to near razor sharp. I saw where Benchmade will sharpen your knife, almost unimaginable to an old knife guy. DMT makes a synthetic sharpening stone that I will put up against anything. Not cheap but you can't buy better. Your stone should be as long as the blade. I've had a 10" in my kitchen forever. They make a smaller 5" butterfly stone for about $30 that is good for any pocket knife. The one that goes on my belt is the Randall. The one that goes on walks is the trapper knife, just slides in your pocket so it will never fall out of the sheath when squatting down. Happy trails341CAAF8-C0F8-4977-AA3A-43B8E654C225.jpeg
 
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