Tip of the day...If you already carry a Ti spork, you can grind a very nice and sharp 1-1/5" simple knife blade on the handle end. I grind mine in a tanto type shape leaving part of the end rounded-- let's me use it as a point to slice while not being too pointed in the hand. I find no threat of slicing my hand while using it as a spoon. It can cut and whittle very well, especially when needing to make fuzz sticks for quick fire starts. Ti is tough and you'll need a good grinder to shape it. With a dremel tool mini serations can be added to part of the blade to get through you elbow tendons if needed...

Any plans to market one for those without the appropriate grinder needed for Ti?

I know you arent worried about cutting your hand, but you could put some scotch tape on it just in case

What do you think if a very nice 1-1/2" knife blade with serations is made on the handle end of BACKPACKINGLIGHT Ti Mini Spork? For the handle of this spork might be thin enough as knife blade.

Not that I've tried, but just thinking out loud -- how about grinding one edge of the spork, instead of the handle where you can potentially cut yourself?

OK, after reading "Anon's" post below, I retract my suggestion. It's no better than "status quo" after all.

Edited by ben2world on 01/07/2006 20:15:19 MST.

"grinding edge of the spork, instead of the handle"

You run the risk of a cut to tongue or lips.

What? You have never eaten a frozen yogurt with a paring knife?

"paring knife"

No. Especially not with one of Ron Bell's Tanto handled sporks. Reading into how sharp these things might be ground, I get the picture of something I could also use for a dual purpose: a spork or spork handle so sharp that one could shave with it. I'm not putting anything that sharp in my mouth.

How about a shrinkwrap sheath? I put one on my "pocket" marline spike (boatguy stuff) works good no holes in pocket or leg. If the spork handle tapers down towards the spork end the cutting edge would need to be less than half the handle length so that the sheath could retract toward the spork...Like one of those 80's tekna diver switch blades.. titanium ninja spy guy spork.....hiyaaa

or you could just put some tape over the blade.

Now that is a great idea, Ron. Thanks for the tip.

Or for those who have used & liked the plastic "Light My Fire" double ended sporks (with pseudo knife on the fork end) - This is now available in titanium too.

http://lightmyfireusa.com/spork.html

I have one - its great - same size as the original small plastic ones. It comes with a not very sharp serated knife section - probably for liability reasons. I have ground a sharper edge on it... its not like you need to be that careful to avoid cutting yourself (esp. in fork mode vs spoon mode)... works great. Likely not such utility as a knife - but you could easily fuzz sticks with it...

Edited by Alan_In_AZ on 04/08/2010 09:19:04 MDT.

I saw many of these break on the trail this year, I wouldn't recommend one to anyone, sorry.

I'd recommend a Ti SPOON, not spork. A spork can't clean the corners of pots out and you can use a spoon to eat anything on the trail.

I have to disagree. Eating pasta is never fun with a spoon.

Peter did you read what I actually wrote...? this was about their TITANIUM sporks - and of course this style has fork/knife & real spoon ends... I also have a snow peak single ended Ti spork but I much prefer the LMF one...

I've used the plastic LMF sporks and they seem fairly robust in my use - but they certainly do melt easily if you use them as pot utensils - I do like the oversize ones used carefully as utensils for large group cooking.

Edited by Alan_In_AZ on 04/08/2010 19:19:24 MDT.

Having used a spork exclusively for the last six years, I just haven't ever had a problem with not being able to clean out the "corners of my pot".

I'm saying I saw many people on the AT this summer with LMF utensils that were broken/cracked. Just what I saw.

As far as a spork, it doesn't scoop out the entire pot since it has the fork on the end of it. I use a spoon now and am just as happy with it as anything else I've used.

This is all personal preference, so use what works for you and what you eat.

Peter I'm a little confused. The LMF spork has a regular spoon on one end and a fork with one serrated prong on the other end. So it does actually work just like a spoon, only it has a fork... and a knife... of sorts.

My regular LMF spork is 10 grams + my Stanley Mitey Knife w/ extra blade in handle is 8 grams. Are the TI sporks <18 grams (0.63oz)? I've never looked into them. thx.

I know what they are, I'm just saying that they aren't very durable. If you try to eat cold ice cream with one, they will break. That's my measure of a durable eating utensil:)

I wish I could get cold ice cream on the trail.

I have a bunch of the light my fire sporks, and after reading this thread i tried to break one on purpose with my hands. Not near as easy as you would think. 2 of the prongs on the fork broke, but it took serious effort to snap it in 2 pieces,

"I wish I could get cold ice cream on the trail."

There are some freeze-dried ice cream products on the market. First of all, don't get your expectations set too high.

When you get near your high-elevation camp, you have to look high for some old snow drift still remaining from winter, and you carry down a pot full. Scrape out the bits of twigs and rocks, and use just the good clean part. Vigorously mix the ice cream powder with the snow, and VOILA!

I've made this for a group dessert many times, and it always seems to go over great as long as the sun is still up and the weather is warm. Once the sun goes down, nobody wants to eat ice cream while wearing a down jacket.

--B.G.--

Senario where you might have icecream on the trail:

You're a thruhiker and you go into a town to eat some food. Pick up a pint, or two, of Ben and Jerry's and go to town on it. I bet I did that 20 times last year on the AT.

I'm liking the guy that broke his plastic utensil for the sake of the thread. That rules.

For what its worth, I find my LMF sporks to be pretty darn durable. I mean if you intend on using them for cat hole digging or guyline deadmen, then I might recommend something else, but for eatings sake, they rock. I have seen less durable household metal spoons.

With that said I just switched to a Sea to Summit long spoon for bags and as a cooking utensil and I am digging it. As for the original post, i don't know if I would sharpen the end of my spoon. I carry a knife, so it wouldn't be of much use.

I've broken a fork tine fairly easily on a LMF spork, but the actual utensil does seem hard to break. This utensil is pretty easy to melt though. If you are frying in your pot you need to be really fast flipping stuff or it'll melt. Never try scraping off baked on food while you are frying.

I've broken several LMF forks. I find extreme cold makes them brittle. However I loved the design so I now own a titanium version. Love it.

Like this idea of making a knife out of the titanium handle of a spoon. Unfortuneatly won't work with a LMF ti spork, but with a standard spoon you could extremely easily make a very simple and minimal sheath for it. This could well replace most people's need for a knife alltogether. Plus I think the spoon end would naturally make a decent handle in the palm of your hand.

At the very least one could use this idea to improvise a knife from a titanium spoon should they loose theirs on a trip. Though I'm not sure how long it would take to sharpen titanium on found stones. :)

i agree with this, those plastic ones are generally crap in my opinion. one thing i do like is the actual shape of the spoon end, its great at home for eating yoghurt. i also tend to eat using my right hand and the knife edge seems to annoy the area between finger and thumb (there is probably a name for this part of the hand). i did cut the fork end off one just to use the spoon which was nice, but also a waste of time because my darling wife put it in the dish washer, then it was screwed. do LMF make a left handed spork? if they did i still wouldnt get one, not even in Ti. none of the freeze dry i ever use on the trail needs cut with a knife, and if it did, i would be wanting to hold the thing down with the fork, but wait, thats the same end that has the knife. 'hold it with your fingers' i hear. if im getting my fingers all messy on some tasty little backcountry treat, then why use the LMF spork? bin the spork, go freeze dry, get a spoon - GO THE SPOON - p.s thanks for the tip though Ron, big ups

Edited by mrjones on 04/15/2010 15:57:13 MDT.

Just out of curiosity what happened in the dishwasher? Melted? I could have sworn I've dishwashered one of these before.

The plastic spork with a spoon on one end and a fork/knife on the other seemed like a good idea to me, but after using it, I rarely to never used the fork, and when I wanted to, I thought twice about putting that in my mouth after I'd been holding it with my grubby hands, since each side of that spork is the other side's handle!

Yeah, plastic tools might break. Separate Lexan spoons and forks have worked for me for years. I keep one of the plastic LMF sporks in my lunchbox and we use them for picnicking. I have one of the Ti LMF sporks that works great for hiking.

I wouldn't sharpen the edge on a fork past the butter knife stage. I'm not sticking something truly sharp in my mouth. Sharpening a handle would be good, IF you could get some kind of hot-dip vinyl or molded silicone cover; otherwise, is just too much fiddle-factor.

Ultimately, I would just have my spork and a Swiss Army knife. If you want a light and cheap camp kitchen knife, a Victorinox paring knife is 0.75oz and $4.50.

Had a big fail with my first outdoor use of the LMF Spork last weekend as I was eating some cooked ramen in 60 degree weather - snapped right in half. Luckily, my buddy had a spare one that he wasn't using. I guess I will be moving on to more durable solutions.

Also, it really isn't long enough for freezer bag cooking (something else I was testing out).

If my hiking buddy had a spare spork, i'd find a new hiking buddy. ;p

Jack

Yeah, I wasn't out with any UL'ers. The one guy had about 50 lbs on his back. HYOH. I have been paring down my kit and was just out to relax, test some new setups and hike a little. Needless to say that some stuff didn't work out as well as I had hoped. WIP :)

Edited by tinkrtoy on 04/26/2010 08:03:00 MDT.

That must have been some heavy ramen to snap a spork in half!

This is a great idea!!! I'm going to the store right now to purchase some plasti dip. cover that edge for probably 1 or 2 grams. THANKS RON.