What is the Best Camping Knife?

How long is a piece of string? To be fair though it is a commonly asked question. There are a ton of things to consider when choosing the best camping knife.

What will it be used for? Fixed Blade or Folder? It will be used for what? What Blade Material? Edge Retention? What about Blade Length?

We need to remember that on a camping trip it is a tool that will likely get many different uses so it needs to be versatile. You might need it for food prep, fire building, even shelter building if it’s more of a lightweight hike you are on and creating your shelter regularly.

What will it be used for Most Often?

If the answer is mostly food prep and a bit of firewood splitting then I would probably steer people towards a fixed bladed knife. If its of a more general nature like small amounts of food prep, cutting string and small feather sticks then a medium sized folding knife would suffice.

What blade material should I look for?

If the knife will be used for fishing or used anywhere near the ocean then stainless steel is a must. Here’s where the cost starts to add up. Low budget stainless knife steels like 8cr13Mov is great for an average all round performance. If you are looking for a better stainless blade steel you might search for a knife made from M390 or SV10. The higher you go up the scale the more the knife will cost.

Is edge retention important? If it is then we can get into a lot of discussion about which one is better than another. I have written an article about blade steels and value for money (check it out here if you are interested) but in short edge retention, toughness, hardness and corrosion resistance are all things which need to be balanced against each other to get the best out of your knife. The very basic consideration is the hardness and toughness, they are a bit of a trade off against each other. The harder the blade the more edge retention you get but it’s more brittle. So what we are after is the perfect balance between the two and different steels need to be treated according to their recommended heat treatments during manufacturer.

All that being said the average camper probably won’t care about it the technical stuff. If you buy from a reputable dealer there is a big chance your knife will be of the quality you expect.

Warning If you buy direct from overseas you’ll be taking a risk that the steel they claim the knife is made from will be something else much more inferior! It is so tempting as they look so good. Be aware 90% are copies. What is really means is your knife will be blunt in no time

Fixed Blade or Folder?

Once again the answer to this should be based what you’ll be using it for. There is no doubt a fixed blade will stand up to way more punishment than a folder. Use over a long period of time, batoning timber for fires, cutting small limbs for shelter, hunting are all things a fixed blade is better for. Here is one I have used, it’s strong, has good steel and will last for years. (check out the latest prices)

Ergonomics? If the knife will be used for shelter building it will get a fair bit of use so it will need to be comfortable in the hand. For that the design is important. This is very much a personal choice. It does play a part in the control you have over it which in turn will be safer to use. Personally I like a slightly curved handle (like this one if it’s a folder you are after)

Blade length?

There is no recommended blade length, if you can foresee you needing a longer blade then get a longer blade. Having said that, if you are split between this knife or that one and one has a longer blade I would always go for the longer blade option. A warning though, make sure you are within your legal rights to carry such a knife. I have written an article on the matter right here specifically for Australia if you are interested.

Don’t forget to think about how you are going to carry the knife around. A decent fixed blade knife will come with a sheath, usually one with a belt loop. A folder either has a pocket clip or better still is a belt pouch, as in the classic all round Buck 110 folder.

Whether it has a locking mechanism or not is also important. The harder the work it has to do the more a folder need a good locking mechanism. My personal favorite is the back lock, they are so strong and reliable. Like this one here!

Conclusion As you have seen there are a bunch of things to consider that will point you in the right direction when it comes to the perfect little camping knife. It is really a subjective choice based on certain personal likes and dislikes. A knife you like may not be the one I would buy. Doesn’t mean it’s not as good, it just means it’s the one you like. If you follow the correct advice you’ll get hold of a fantastic little knife that will last you a long time if you look after it.

Here are my top 2 picks, one fixed blade and one folder for under US$200.

If you like the modified tanto look this is right up your alley, try this Tactile Knife Co. Dreadeye MagnaCut, it has a new type of blade steel of CPM MagnaCut, by some accounts it’s a very good blade steel, has a stonewash finish and comes with a kydex sheath.

If you are like me and folders are your thing, try this Viper Anso Orso , it’s sleek designed liner lock, has a drop point, an awesome M390 blade steel and a nice blue pivot pin for aesthetics.

As always happy camping :0)

Recent Posts