How much knife does a man need? This question has bothered knife enthusiasts for some time. And yet, oddly enough, the working men and soldiers are the ones who actually need a good knife. And they often swear by a knife looked down upon as "inferior".
Most knife enthusiasts look for what they see as important characteristics in a knife based on opinion and marketing. Soldiers and craftsmen look for the stuff they know they'll need based on experience and what was lacking in previous knives. A craftsman may choose a
Opinel or
Douk-Douk because it has what he needs.
Both knives are relatively inexpensive and simple in construction, yet their continued popularity and the multitude of satisfied owners speak to their hardy craftsmanship. The Opinel is carbon steel. That means you actually need to care for it. But it can get really sharp, and the Douk-Douk has a similar reputation.
The traditional Japanese pocket knife(the name escapes me) is similar. It is simple, single-bladed, without all the fancy do-dads and whatchamacallits. All these knives seem to dispense with much of the marketing hype in most of today's knives. And therein lies their charm and utility.
Many civilian knife buyers are looking for a means of self-defense or for a good survival knife. It is difficult to sort out the advertising and hot air from the real thing. Knife reviewers have often been criticized for their unrealistic knife testing and the expectations they place on the blades. Someone in a real survival situation will try very hard to get the most out of what they have, and that means they will use the knife to make other tools, rather than use the knife as a do-all tool.
The Aitor Jungle King I&II were hollow-handled knives that included many interesting features and survival kits. Hollow-handled knives have a certain stigma surrounding them, but much of this is unfair. The knife will certainly perform just fine if you are smart and use your head.
For self defense, just about any knife can be used. However, there are a few things to look for in a knife for this purpose. One is a good sharp point. That might seem obvious, but for self-defense, that point is more important than the edge. That's what makes all the argument between enthusiasts about the "perfect edge" pretty silly. Figure out what you are using the knife for, and plan accordingly. You want to slice open a deer? Get a pretty sharp knife, maybe with a saw back. You want to chop wood? Get an axe, not a knife.
I personally don't go really fancy. A small 3" folding Gerber with a few other tools and a pocket clip is what I normally carry when I wear a knife. It would probably make a knife purist gasp in horror, but it cuts through boxes and packages well, has a good point, and I don't expect to use a knife for much more than boxes.
Unfortunately, there is something of a social stigma about carrying a knife. People are paranoid about things like that, because apparently teenagers are going to go on shooting sprees with a little folding pocket knife. 'Nuff said.
I can get away with carrying a knife most of the time because I'm home-schooled and live in a rural area, where knives and sticks don't look so out of place. But elsewhere people are not always so fortunate. And I think it's a pity.
But my point is, you don't need to spend $300+ for a good, serviceable knife. $100 or less will get you an excellent performer.
(Note: I neither endorse nor recommend the companies linked to. They are merely places that sell these knives.)
