Buying A Wild Camping Knife?- Here Are 5 Tips To Follow
While on a trail, a good camping knife is precisely what you should be needing. It will help you prepare your food, collect timber for your fire, and it might be the thing that will save you if things take a turn for a change.
But the benefits of a wild camping knife will depend if you buy it right.
With regard to this, what should you consider when buying your first camping knife? We bet the market is full of an array of choices. However, choosing the right knife is important, and here’s how you can do it.
Read on to explore the key considerations you must consider when buying a camping knife for your next camping expedition.
What Is The Purpose Of The Knife?
Because there is a wide variety of knife types, the first step would be to identify the primary use of your knife. Are you searching for a little, pocket-sized blade to possibly chop a sausage or some vegetables at home or when camping? Or, do you have something more brutal in mind?
You might also be searching for a quality survival knife that can withstand the most hostile circumstances and all the damage you can dish out. Whichever you choose, there are critical structural characteristics to take into account while choosing a knife.
Here’s a brief look into the critical traits:
Steel Type
Carbon steel and stainless steel are primarily used to make knives. But how do the two differ from one another?
The name “carbon steel” refers to the material’s high carbon content. It is sharper and can maintain an edge for a longer period of time. However, it is more vulnerable to rusting and, therefore, needs more careful upkeep.
On the other hand, stainless steel contains more chromium than regular steel. Its resistance to rust is what gives it its greatest edge over carbon steel. Additionally, stainless steel is harder to sharpen and loses its edge more quickly. It is also more impact resistant to carbon steel knives and has no bad aftertaste.
So, which one should you choose?
Most stainless steel knives work just as well as blades made from carbon steel, and with proper care, these blades can keep their edge for longer. Meaning, stainless steel knives are perfect for beginners.
However, if you require supreme quality, a carbon steel knife is what you should be needing. Just keep in mind that it will rust if not properly cared for, which is not always simple to accomplish while you’re out and about.
Fixed Blades or Folding Blades
Of course, every knife has a blade and a handle, but how the two are joined determines the knife’s qualities.
Folding knives includes a pin that connects the blade to a hollow handle, allowing the blade to spin upward while being secured by a locking mechanism. In contrast, a fixed blade has a tang below the blade and is unsharpened; the handle is wrapped around the tang.
Fixed blades outperform folding knives in terms of durability and safety since they are typically crafted from a single piece of steel with no moving parts. A fixed blade will not break unless it is subjected to tremendous pressure, helping to avoid severe mishaps and leaving you with a useless knife.
On the other hand, a folding knife is significantly less functional and has a much less range of applications. If they are subjected to too much strain, they run the risk of breaking at the point where the handle and blade meet, putting you and others in danger, or the locking mechanism may malfunction, forcing the knife to shut on your fingers.
The Bottomline
Choosing the right camping knife will depend upon your needs. If you are a beginner at it, we recommend sticking to stainless steel knives. They are rust-resistant and are also much easier to take care of. However, if you love putting your blades to the extremities, choosing a carbon steel knife can be a good choice.
