Knives On The Homestead

Fence work makes use of your knife!

Working around livestock means you have a lot of fence work to do. Our horses have an electric line that is charged by solar. Many times we have to go out and walk the line and cut weeds and high grass. I find using several different types of knives for this chore works best. Many times I will chose one over the other knife for some reason or other. On our homestead you have many uses for knives in general and one knife can handle many different chores. But there are times when you need a specific knife for a certain chore and no other will do.

Plants need cutting or tying up!

I carry a folding pocket knife  because I don't do jobs that need a heavy duty knife. It is small and if I need it I can use it quickly and put it away. This kind of knife can be useful in many other ways too. Working in a garden it comes in handy cutting a tough stem or cutting string to tie a tomato plant with. You never know what you might need to cut and it is a handy type to carry with you.

Cutting back berry bushes and grape vines is normal chore!

A tactical knife is one you will want to have on hand for survival or even defensive uses. This knife though can be used for cutting branches or thinning out blackberry thorns and grape vines. It is handy if you like to hike. We live right along the Fingerlakes Trail and using a knife like this to cut away the brush is the main reason to carry it with you along the trail.

The fixed blade knife has it's place on your homestead also. Especially if you are a hunter. This is the knife you would be using to skin and cut up your game, among other things. Cutting open bales of hay is something we have to do many times during the day. Any of these knives will work for that job. Just make sure you dry the blade if you get it wet. Taking good care of your tools on your homestead is the only way you will be able to preserve them. Nothing is worse than if you go to use a knife or other tool, and find that it is unusable due to rust and grime. Take care of them and they should last you many years, if not your lifetime.

Is there a certain type of knife that is your favorite? Why? Does it do the jobs you need done easier than another type? I found many knives online and saw reviews of knives that were mixed. Many people loved a certain knife and couldn't say enough good things about it. Then someone else would say absolutely horrible things about the very same one! I guess it is a personal preference as on most things.

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole