who carries a knife into the tree?

I see your swiss army, and raise you buck knife.
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GregManning said:
I carry a Mini Super Knife ALL the time, everywhere (except airplanes).
It is a mini folding box cutter, using very small utility blades.
I don't replace the blades. (I bought spare blades, but have NEVER replaced the original.)
It is extremely easy to sharpen on a flat stone, or flat diamond surface.
Using a very coarse stone will leave "tiny teeth" on the edge, i.e. mini serrated edge.
It cuts 99% of everything I need. (except in the kitchen !)
e.g. ropes, boxes, etc

Folded, it is less then 2" X 3/4".

http://www.amazon.com/GERBER-SuperKnife-Aluminum-Silver-22-00801/dp/B000EX7FF6

I've had mine for 10+ years ?
Click to expand...
Ive got a similar knife to that, the thought had never crossed my mind to sharpen it...
 
I'm one of those guys that ALWAYS has a knife on him, and climbing is no different. I like the Gerber EZ Out series. Well made, with tips much less inclined to break off than Spyderco's when you're prying with them. Not too hard on the wallet, either. I've bought several "used" ones on EBay for $10/each that were mint. I've got a synthetic knife holder/sheath permanently installed on each of my saddles, down on the thigh where it's easy to grab. Always feared I might need one in an emergency, but use them for all sorts of things in the mean time. Works great for lifting the end of a Dead End Tree Grip when you need to take a cable apart in a tree. Primarily, however, the very sharp point works great for digging those horribly irritating splinters out of my fingers in the tree.
 
GregManning said:
Anyone tried one of these ?
PETZL SPATHA KNIFE
http://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?item=5826
Click to expand...

Hey, Greg! Yes, I do own the Spatha knife. I can't add much info that isn't already stated in the ad copy, though. The knife is very light in weight, almost amazingly so, to me. I keep it with me when I'm up in the tree, but I haven't yet figured out a really good way of carrying it. It will fit over a standard carabiner, but it seems like it ends up getting cocked out to the side on me sometimes, like maybe when it slips down to the bottom of a biner I'm already using for something else.

I guess the idea for having a knife for emergencies is that it needs to be hanging in a spot that is really readily accessible, so I was trying to leave it hanging in front of me, off of one of by backup ascender biners. But like I kind of implied, the fact that it wasn't hanging straight down was bugging me a bit.

It seems like a really nice knife, of good or excellent quality. When I'm not actually climbing I keep it in my right pocket as a backup, but I use my hawkbill knife most of the time, for most things, which I keep in my left pocket.

I guess I need to brain work how and where I hang my Spatha knife on my climbing setup. It occurs to me, as a result of this conversation, that what I might need to do is to create a strong little lanyard loop for the Spatha knife, to girth hitch it through the carabiner hole, and to then clip the other end of the lanyard to a biner that hangs in front of me. That would cause the knife to hang down straight, and not get in the way by sticking out to the sides.

So, thanks for asking your question, Greg.

Also, what they say in the ad copy or the "Ask an expert" comments about how much force it takes to open the knife seems correct to me. I seem to require two hands to get it open. Some other knives I've owned could be opened just by pushing down on the side of the blade with one's thumb, and sweeping the thumb in a clockwise manner. I think the Spatha requires too much force to get the blade open to be able to do that very easily, or at all.

I hope some of what I've said is useful to you. To be honest, I don't understand how they can make a knife of this quality and sell it for less than $30.00 and still make a profit, but I'm glad that they do.

In thinking about the possible need for a knife that could be of use in an emergency situation to cut a rope, now that I'm dwelling on the issue, it seems like a sheath knife of fixed length, instead of a folder, would be more appropriate. Undo one snap that holds a blade in its sheath, grab the hilt, yank it out and go to work. The skindiver's dive knife, which hangs off of their hip, ready to go if they get tangled in some reeds, or something, comes to mind. If you have to take the time to get a knife off of a biner and open it up in order to employ it in an emergency, you will probably be way too late.

I think it needs to be thought of in the same fashion as the old west gunslingers. The ability to clear the holster and employ the weapon quickly was critical to their survival, and I think the same situation may pertain with us, in a rope-cutting emergency situation.

Thanks to Kris Anderson for starting this thread.

Tim
 
Has anyone ever had an emergency situation in a tree where they had to use a Knife in the tree? Something that a hand saw could not cut?
 
@sherwood7, I have not, yet, but I do not have anywhere near the time in the saddle that a lot of the veteran members of this forum have.

It would be interesting to find out that it has never happened, to anyone. If it has happened, I feel strongly that it will make for really interesting reading.

Tim
 
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I just ordered a "Myerchin" folding knife w/ a locking Marlin spike & locking blade;
WF377P: Gen 2, Wood Handle, Crew Pro.
3-1/2" Closed; 3/4 of blade length is serrated; 1/4 L at Tip is fine edge.
I will use a coarse flat sharpening surface (diamond), as mentioned above, to create micro serrations on the tip edge.
The handle looks extremely "grip friendly".
Looks like I will need a "extra heavy" throwline loop to attach it to my waist; or a small "spit-ring".

http://shop.myerchin.com/searchquick-submit.sc?keywords=wf377p

I am not a knife collector; but I have been accumulating for well over 55 years, after my grandfather gave me one of his. He was a tool & die maker, so he knew steel quality.

I have well over 50 high quality kitchen knives; etc.
They sit in a hand-made cherry knife block.

More than you needed to know ................... ;-(

Thanks for the reference TimBr.
 
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