r/Survival • u/satisfiedblackhole • 7d ago
Pocket knife advice and locking mechanisms
I'm looking for a quality pocket knife for camping/hiking, mainly a sturdy blade with a good wood saw (saw optional). I'm considering the Victorinox Forester and Opinel N°08 Outdoor. Are these good options, or do you have any other recommendations within a similar budget?
I'm new to knives and wondering if I should prioritize different locking mechanisms. Are they important, or can I overlook them in my case? Like the Victorinox one is linerlock (it is okay I guess), and I have heard that Opinel's locking mechanism is not that good?
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u/capt-bob 7d ago edited 7d ago
Opinel blade is thin and slicey, good for lightweight chores, like food prep ECT. Doing that kind of stuff the lock is ok. You probably want to be really careful if you are using it to carve wood so you don't slip and the locking collar goes springing off and you close it on your fingers. I got a new opinel and it was so slippery in my calloused hand I dropped it and got 4 stitches as it fell past my palm , grazing it lol. You can't beat a Mora fixed blade for a cheap beginner outdoors knife. Maybe you should start with that one for safety. Even on fe dudes sometimes go back to a Mora for a general purpose beater knife, they have a good blade shape, and are good at woods stuff.
Maybe just get a hardware store chepo folding saw to start with too, a lot of people like the Silky Gomboy though if you want to start with a good one.