Choosing The Best Knife For You

Photo Credit: Sam Mugraby

A tool that most homesteaders and most country people carry with them is knives. It is a tool that is sometimes misunderstood. It is not meant to be a weapon but often used that way so people tend to see one and automatically think it is threatening. When you are doing chores it is one of the things I borrow the most from my husband. He carries his in his pocket at all times. And yes, if we go to a government building he has to give it to the guard before we go through the security gate.

When you choose a knife to carry, you have to first determine what is your purpose in carrying one? Is it for hunting and skinning your game? Or is it to carry with you for all those times you need to cut something doing your chores? For me, it would never be hunting. It is definitely for cutting the fence line, cutting baling twine to open a hay bale for my horses, cut something out of my horses' manes, cutting a plant or weed in the garden or the forest, etc. There are so many chores that you can use them for, I could never list them all here. I am usually  using a  pocket knife that I can easily carry in a jacket pocket, pants pocket or even my purse.

A folding knife is probably more sensible if you are carrying it in your pockets or purse. My husband's knife is one that folds up and he likes that kind better. I carry one in my purse more like the one in the above photo like multi purpose pocket knife.  One thing you must remember to do is to keep it sharpened. A dull knife isn't much good for any job.

Another type of knife that I want to mention is the survival knife. This is a knife that would assist you in times of emergencies or disasters. If you are lost in the wilderness or forced to live out in the forest for some reason or other, a survival knife would be one, if not the most important item in your gear. You will need to choose from stainless steel or carbon steel blades. Stainless will last and is virtually indestructible. Carbon steel is known to hold an edge longer, but will rust faster depending on where you are and what you are doing. Here is a link to an article I thought was excellent on all points to consider for your survival knife, 7 Things To Consider Before Choosing Your Survival Knife.

I hope this is helpful for you in choosing what types of knives you need for your homestead. Teaching your children from a young age how to handle a knife and what it is for is a good way to avoid accidents. If they know about them, then you will avoid kids playing dangerously with knives when you are not around. I know my brother and I were always around them as we came from a fishing and hunting family. These are important skills for everybody to know in case you are ever  in a situation needing to use a knife for survival purposes or an emergency.

Copyright © 2010  Kathleen G. Lupole