I could write volumes about the thought process trail I've been on, sometimes in circles, about choosing which blade(s) to carry on trips. Believe it or not it's been a 2 year adventure of learning and researching. And the basics are important, such as that the blade profile is as important for knife use as the blade material itself. The first question my wife and I had to answer might've been the hardest : Why carry a blade? We had to decide what purpose a blade would fulfill for either of us on a trip. Knives are often specialized in their designs. A skinner differs from a bushcraft differs from a kitchen slicer differs from a tactical differs from a ...I'm trying not to ramble, just trying to explain the funny way we decided upon the kind of carry Miranda chose. Our discussion went something like this.
" Okay Miranda, so you've narrowed down your knife use to strictly kitchen prep,this suggests a flat grind of stainless or semi-stainless fixed blade on your belt."
"I don't wear a belt. I hate belts on canoe tripping."
"Oh. Okay. Maybe a stainless flat grind pocket folder. There are quite a few of those too."
"I don't wear pockets on canoe tripping. I hate them."
"Oh. Okay. Hmm."
"I don't want to carry one really Brad, but do want it handier than having it always stashed in the kitchen pack."
So she's decided she'd prefer a fixed blade in a leather sheath carried on the food barrel harness. Well secured of course, but always handy for camp or trailside use. We're in no hurry to make the final purchase, though she's chosen a beauty. I'm waiting to see if she'll end up changing her tripping style. Slacks. With belt. And pockets.
