Knives and Thoughts

After harvesting Dinner I've been thinking about the knives I use. With knives, like many things,it is easy to get carried away and spend more money than I really should. I think I've pared the options down to five knives. There is overlap with the use of some and probably some will be stored in various places for use when needed. Some I have and some I'm in the process of acquiring.

I carry a simple two blade pocket knife everyday. It's a Remington branded knife with 1.5" and 2" blades. I try to keep it sharp and generally abuse it, but don't worry about it much.

On weekends I often carry an French Opinel #7 with a 3" blade that I have had for years, but only the last few years have used. It it used for finer work than the pocket knife. It's great for marking in wood work instead of a pencil. I will score the wood with the Opinel before chiseling and less tear out results.

The Robeson ShurEdge that I re-handled is what I used on the turkey harvest. It worked well, but the 5" blade was a bit much a few times. I love the blade and the handle is pretty to look at, maybe because I made it. It certainly fills a need in a working knife collection. Certainly in the defense realm.

What I'm looking for now is a skeletized knife for slaughtering animals. Some thing that is easy to care for and clean. I will be getting a Buck PakLite Skinner. It's a skeletal steel knife with a shorter blade than the ShurEdge. There are others that will work, but I'm looking forward to using this knife.

I'd also like a CRKT Minimalist Bowie. It has a 2.125" blade. Part of the value and worth of a knife is how it feels and works. This little knife feels good in the hand and should be handy in many ways. I could see it as an everyday carry, replacing the Opinel in some uses.

Not everyone will agree with these choices, but where I am at this point I can use these.