Why Every You Should Carry a Fixed Blade Knife

Whether or not backpacking, mountain biking, searching, tenting, or climbing, there are numerous variables and hazards you face when headed into the backcountry for some off-grid exploration or journey. As such, being armed with a correct loadout of instruments and kit on your chosen out of doors exercise is totally important — and infrequently makes the distinction between thriving or merely surviving. No matter off-grid exercise, there’s one piece of equipment that’s conducive to virtually each out of doors sport or pastime, and that’s the fixed-blade knife. Under, we’ll be breaking down the explanation why each out of doors fanatic ought to carry a set blade when going into the outside. 

The Profit Of Utilizing Instruments Outdoor

Whether or not residing in a small city or a serious metropolitan space, dwelling in civilization not solely means having established infrastructure and entry to fundamental utilities, nevertheless it additionally means meals, water, clothes, and different provides and necessities are readily-available and often require only a brief drive or a fast supply order. This ,nonetheless, isn’t the case when present within the backcountry, as you’re fully faraway from civilization and all the advantages, niceties, and creature comforts that include it. Consequently, being ready for the outside requires carrying an array of instruments and kit that can assist you deal with your fundamental survival wants — whether or not this be making shelter, constructing hearth, or searching, processing, or getting ready fish, recreation, or different meals.

Important Off-Grid Fastened Blade Makes use of

A set blade knife must be on the high of your listing when compiling an outside gear loadout, as these inflexible knives supply an infinite quantity of utility within the backcountry due to the truth that they lend themselves to such all kinds of off-grid duties and makes use of. This contains all the pieces from feather-sticking wooden and making kindling to getting used for hammer-splitting logs to skinning recreation to camp cooking, simply to call a couple of. There are additionally numerous bushcraft duties that may all be carried out with little greater than a set blade, a little bit of know-how, and a while and dedication. 

The backbone of many mounted blades will also be struck with a Ferro rod to make hearth. Fastened blade knives are additionally nice for different around-camp duties like whittling and reducing rope, and may even be helpful in self-defense conditions for warding or combating off predators (not less than in a pinch). This plethora of doable makes use of additionally affords mounted blades with a fairly spectacular stage of versatility — which in flip additionally offers them higher worth and bang-for-your-buck as they can be utilized for a myriad of various out of doors purposes and actions (relatively than buying particular person knives for each). 

Outside-Targeted Edges

The immense utility and wide selection of makes use of they provide off-grid solely play one function in making mounted blade knives so extremely conducive to backcountry use. The opposite major purpose these knives lend themselves so effectively to out of doors use is their design and building. Any high quality outdoor-ready mounted blade knife will profit from a full-tang building (i.e. the place the blade metal extends from the tip of the knife down by way of to the very backside of the deal with, in a single building), which supplies it removed from power and structural integrity than even the sturdiest folding knife locking mechanisms. 

Moreover, mounted blade knives usually have beefier blade (and tang) thicknesses than folding knives, enabling them to do a markedly higher job of standing as much as hard-use duties similar to being hammered by way of logs. Additionally of main significance is the truth that mounted blade knives are fully devoid of any shifting components or mechanisms in any respect, which means there are not any elements to interrupt or fail, only a blade and a set of deal with scales. What’s extra, the inflexible nature of mounted blades and their lack of shifting components additionally makes these knives considerably simpler to scrub and keep — making them much more ideally suited for off-grid use.

As a result of their blades don’t fold and so they can’t merely be slipped in a pocket, just about all mounted blade knives are bought with an accompanying sheath. Whether or not crafted from leather-based or a extra fashionable arduous building like ABS, polymer, or KYDEX, the sheaths of mounted blade knives additionally afford way more carrying choices than being suspended out of your pocket on a clip, and cannot solely be mounted to a wide selection of areas (from conventional hip-carrying to reverse chest carrying to carrying on a backpack strap) however may usually be oriented in nearly any route (tip up, tip down, scout carry, and so on). 

What To Look For When Buying For A Fastened Blade

When buying a set blade knife for out of doors use, there are a variety of key areas that one ought to deal with. For starters, you’ll need to be certain that any knife you’re is of the full-tang selection. Subsequent, you’ll need to assessment the form of the blade, as completely different profiles and silhouettes will enable the knife to higher lend itself to specific varieties of duties. We advocate primarily limiting your search to blades with both a drop level, clip level, Wharncliffe, or tanto profile, as these all supply a stable mixture of piercing and slicing skills and might be usually suited to most out of doors duties. 

The kind of grind the blade has can also be of main significance and must be reviewed when purchasing, as sure varieties of grinds make sure duties a lot simpler — similar to Scandinavian grinds that are nice for processing and dealing with wooden. We additionally advocate choosing blades with partially-serrated edges, as these offer you one of the best of each worlds when it comes to competent slicing and sawing. Holes within the blade or deal with that can be utilized as lashing factors for turning the knife right into a spear are additionally a welcome addition on any outdoor-focused mounted blade or survival knife.

You’ll additionally need to pay shut consideration to each the thickness of the blade (and tang), and, extra importantly, the kind of blade metal used to assemble the knife, as this may decide total hardness, edge retention, and a number of other different key elements. Likewise, you’ll additionally need to take a look at the deal with materials. You also needs to pay attention to the sheath, as that is one other essential aspect when shopping for any mounted blade. The general measurement and dimensions of the knife are additionally pivotal to bear in mind, as is the form of the deal with and the knife’s total ergonomics. 

The Gerber Strongarm

The Gerber Strongarm ticks just about each field talked about above and is a stellar instance of what to intention for when looking for a set blade knife for out of doors use. Made in America, the Strongarm is a bonafide survival knife that incorporates a beefy 0.19-inch-thick full-tang building that’s composed of 420 high-carbon metal and culminates in a 4.875-inch drop level profile with a partially-serrated edge. This design makes for a ridiculously hardwearing knife that has no drawback standing as much as all the pieces from hard-use workhorse duties to bushcrafting to even close-quarter-combat. 

Persevering with Gerber’s legacy of manufacturing out of doors and survival knives for the U.S. army that dates again to 1968, the blade has been paired with a rubberized over-mold deal with with a grippy diamond-texture sample and a hanging pommel that permits it to behave as an impromptu hammer. Spanning 9.75” total and weighing in at simply 7.10oz, the Strongarm additionally ships with an included MOLLE-compatible polymer sheath that gives plenty of mounting type and site choices. 

Customized Configuring

Along with coming backed by a lifetime guarantee, the Strongarm can also be eligible for Gerber’s Customization Program which permits consumers to custom-configure the knife on the model’s web site nonetheless they see match. This customization program contains a wide selection of deal with and {hardware} coloration choices and blade finishes, in addition to the flexibility to have textual content, patterns, logos, or pictures printed straight onto both aspect of the blade. It’s an excellent — and reasonably priced — means of constructing the knife your individual, and the chances right here actually are just about limitless. 

Spec Sheet

Pricing & Availability

The Gerber Strongarm Fixed Blade Knife is on the market now, with pricing beginning at $90.