I am going to start work on my own knife and want to design some additional functionality into the tool without adding too much weight. I would like your input. If you could only have three tools on the trail what three would you choose?

About two year ago I made some nice basic light weight pocket knifes for my brother and I with just the essentials with parts from Sog knife company.
I order the Sog pocket power plier handles from Sog and blades, scissors and can opener screw driver combo part,Plastic washer,metal washer parts . Then I mounted them on one side it makes a great light weight sliplock knife.

I marked on the handle were I should grind cut outs to open each blade. Then I used my dremel and a round bit to grind out the cut outs. I then made a para cord braided lanyard to mount on the side with out the blades.Be sure to mount bolts on both ends of the handle to keep the knife structure stable.

On one knife I put 6 different tools on one handle but it was very hard to do I was not happy with the weight and how you had to open different blades just to open the other blade you wanted to open.
So the three blade combo works the best.
What's cool about Sog is the blade quality is the one of the best in the world and you can get black oxide for the tactical look if you want.
Link for Sog parts:
http://sogknives.com/store/accessories.html

Edited by socal-nomad on 01/12/2011 14:44:09 MST.

Knife, saw, striker.

+ whistle +led

Edited by rbeard on 01/12/2011 18:08:11 MST.

Unfortunately I have to keep it very simple due to a limited set of metal working tools. But I was thinking of something small, similar to these Atwood tools. My main goal was to come up with something that would accomplish the following tasks:

cut small diameter rope
shave small wood for fire starting
remove splinters
open packages
release knots (awl?)
strike a fire rod
Slice cheese and steak

What tasks do you find yourself doing in camp or on the trail most often?

bear cannister key. pot grabber.

Pot grabber and bear key are both great ideas and shouldn't be too hard to incorporate.

Love this subject. If I could only have three parts: Knife, double tooth wood saw and pliers - knife and saw tips double as screw drivers (two different sizes – knife: small / saw: medium) and pliers double as pot grabber. But I would want to add: Scissors, tooth pick and tweezers. Don’t want a led – I want the light to be separate for when I need to use the multi-tool at night.
Apologize for being so ignorant but, what’s a bear canister key?

the swiss tech utila key can do almost all the jobs described and its cheap and wicked light.

-Tim

"Apologize for being so ignorant but, what’s a bear canister key?"

There are several models of bear canisters, and they are all supposed to be almost impossible for a bear to open. For the human to open them, typically there is some kind of tool required to actually turn the latches. In the old Garcia can, this required only a coin or something shaped about that way. In newer brands, it is fairly similar. My Bear Boxer requires something about like a car key.

However, if you have nothing, you are in trouble.

--B.G.--

I really want a knife with a tiny LED like the Photons as well as a fire striker and a medium/small blade, oh and maybe a whistle too!

Someone please tell me this already exists!

It seems like a lot of people on this site carry a necklace with a Photon Micro light, fire striker, whistle, and knife. What if it was all one thing!

"It seems like a lot of people on this site carry a necklace with a Photon Micro light, fire striker, whistle, and knife. What if it was all one thing!"

As a general rule, a fire striker requires two separate parts, one for each hand. How are you going to do that within one knife tool?

--B.G.--

Maybe it'd be like a Blastmatch?

I really want a knife with a tiny LED like the Photons as well as a fire striker and a medium/small blade, oh and maybe a whistle too!

Light My Fire has one with whistle/blade/firesteel:
http://www.lightmyfireusa.com/firesteelknife.html

I had one and thought it was perfectly usable, but I haven't seen them mentioned on line. The steel isn't anything exotic, but is at least as good as a Swiss Army knife.

There is something to spreading your survival items out a bit, so you can't loose them all at once. Adding a Photon to the knife would work fine.

As to the OP's post, a saw needs some more sophisticated machine work. Putting a prybar on the end would be great, but you would want a reliable sheath.

Edited by dwambaugh on 01/14/2011 00:14:20 MST.

Bob,

In Spain we don’t have/need bear canisters, so that’s why I didn’t know a key was needed to open them. I get the idea. Thanks.

I don't really see flint and steel as a survival item

In a survival situation you should climb into your sleeping bag in your tent

It's probably going to be raining and windy where it is difficult to get a fire going period, and to get the fire going and gather wood to keep it going you'll get way more wet and cold than you'll ever get out of the fire

If you want a fire, use waterproof matches or butane lighter

I think fire is more for recreation

I think the idea might be you get separated from your pack and the knife is still in your pocket

the same reason I carry a small neck knife that is setup as a "kit" (albeit I also carry a matchsafe in my pocket)

<- Boy Scout :)

Kevin,
Pretty cool project making a one piece primitive tool and knife. To get the multifunction you want I saw one knife on Dave Budd site that look like it might meet your needs to get ideas for designs. it called the viking for ideas.
http://www.davebudd.com/AvailableNOW.html

I also played around with draw to design a primitive one piece pocket tool that about 3 to 4 inches long over all. The bottom is the blade the top of the knife is steel striker and the spike is your awl and splinter remover. Wrap the the handle in 2.5 or 3 mm climbing cord. Make a small leather sheath that has the small part of top of the blade steel exposed so you can use it as a hand protecter from the blade when you strike the flint that hold with small pocket for your fire start flint stick.

Have fun
SC nomad

Edited by socal-nomad on 01/14/2011 10:27:34 MST.

Jerry opined: "I don't really see flint and steel as a survival item

In a survival situation you should climb into your sleeping bag in your tent

It's probably going to be raining and windy where it is difficult to get a fire going period, and to get the fire going and gather wood to keep it going you'll get way more wet and cold than you'll ever get out of the fire

If you want a fire, use waterproof matches or butane lighter

I think fire is more for recreation"



I carry firesteel, matches and butane lighter. I use the lighter for everyday tasks. I would use the matches for emergency fire starting, then the firesteel. A firesteel is the most inert, stable, totally waterproof means of starting a fire. It is also the hardest to use, ergo the matches.

My survival preparedness is based on losing my gear. Stream crossings, bears and two-legged snakes would be the main scenarios for losing gear. For those who cook in their tents, add loss due to fire.

My fire kit is a small redundancy for hiking in cold wet conditions. It gives me the ability to purify water, cook food, get/stay warm, dry clothing and sleeping gear, and signal for help. I do hike solo most of the time.

I have a K&M match safe with a compass, and a key chain with firesteel, tinder in a spy capsule, a Leatherman Style CS scissor tool, whistle and a Fenix E01 flashlight. I carry these items on my person along with a small quality folding knife. It gives me the ability to provide shelter, maintain my core body temperature, and navigate.

In fact, I carry the key chain and pocket knife every day and they form the core of my disaster preparedness kit.

I'd think it depends on your definition of what a "survival situation" is.

If you just mean stuck in the woods trying to get home, maybe you're right.


I think many of us have more paranoid definitions of "survival situation".