Tag Archives: stainless steel

Victorinox Camper – my Every Day Carry

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Victorinox CamperBefore I started carrying certain tools with me every day, I often found myself struggling to open a firmly sealed plastic box, a beer bottle without breaking the glass, unscrewing bolts and screws or even opening bottles of wine. I often ended up having to use less than ideal solutions such as pushing the cork into the bottle or tightening and loosening screws with keys, which would often damage both the keys and the screws.

Then, I discovered multitools and pocket knives, penknives or small folders with extra tools added. Turns out there is quite a few of those available. Some are truly pocket sized things with a selection of useful tools that you can choose from selecting different models. Others are a bit too much for me as they weigh more than a full-size knife and take up even more space.

And if you live in a country such as England, there is the legal issue as well. Many countries will have specific restrictions which will force you to choose tools with blades up to certain length (less than 3 inches in the case of the UK) or/and without a locking mechanism. Unless, of course, you have a valid explanation for having a different blade, and time to explain it in case you were stopped and searched.

I’m not gonna express my opinion on that. I’ll just say that this will definitely narrow your search when looking for an EDC in the UK or Hungary. Out of the ones I’ve come across so far, I like the Swiss Army Knife type tools such as my Victorinox Camper. I have other knives from Victorinox, but this one is just what I need most often. It’s not too big, not too heavy, UK legal carry, and has most things I tend to use at work, on a walk or even when shopping or having dinner with friends.

The good thing about those knives is that there are plenty of them with different tool combinations so you can get the one you find most useful. They may not be the cheapest on the market, but I’ve already tried cheaper brands with very similar tools. The quality just wasn’t there for me. Of course, you’ll still have to be sensible when using a tool of this size. Something this small will have its limitations, which I mention in the video.

 

Things you should know about batoning

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To baton, or not to baton: that is the question. Why or why not? Is it really such a bad idea? How old is batoning and is it stupid?

It all depends on context I suppose. I have batoned since I knew how to use a knife and never broken a single blade while doing it. After watching several videos featuring knife fails, I think most of them have to do with either a bad heat treat or bad batoning technique. If you try and pound you mora classic through a 3″ knotty piece of seasoned oak, you’re asking for it. Same thing if you whack your knife at an awkward angle.

But if you know what you’re doing, if you’re being sensible, you can get away with unbelievable things. Like my grandmother did when she batoned a thin, stainless kitchen knife through bones pounding on it with a hammer for decades. I still have and use this knife BTW 🙂

There is one thing I don’t mention in the video. It is to do with heat treat and blade hardness. I’m no expert, but from what I understand, different knife types are made with different purpose in mind, which is reflected in steel type, and hardness. Some knives are meant to be rather softer (bainite or spring temper) and less brittle. These will be much better for batoning or prying. Other blades, such as the super hard Roselli knives from the UHC (Ultra High Carbon) line – HRC 64 to 66! and carbon content 1.5 – 2.0% – are obviously designed for different tasks, as their hardness approaches or even exceeds that of metal files. They will perform best when used for skinning and dressing game and should hold an edge much longer than softer, less brittle knives.