What is the purpose of carrying a knife out in a safari..

[rookhawk]

Agreed, you added another dimension "single bevel" why so?

Because a dull knife is a useless knife. Stainless knives might be sharp, but they are very hard to get back to sharp on a hunt. A single bevel knife made of a good tool steel is very easy to strop back to razor sharp about anywhere. It requires no special talent to strop at the correct angle, and it's the easiest edge geometry for your to assess with the naked eye to determine where the problem lies with the edge.

 

[HankBuck]

I easily open boxes with a key. And carrying keys is essential. Personally, I can't stand to have a lot of nonessential stuff in my pockets. I don't even carry a wallet anymore. Haven't for maybe twenty years. Why should I? Everything is done with cards these days. Wallets are just good for collecting useless detritus. This is all I need for ID and transactions. It goes in a front pants pocket, not poking me in the butt every time I sit down.
View attachment 585543
And no, I don't carry hankies either. Kleenex at home and in the car can handle any booger issues. Keys, card holder, and phone are all I need to have in my pockets. Oh ... I do often have a small comb in my back pants pocket but it is becoming less essential every day. Sigh!

I see way too many guys who wear Leatherman on their belts just to project a tough guy image that they are somehow mechanically inclined. Two of them I can think of right now can't figure out how to change oil in their cars. I can overhaul a car engine but don't see the need to advertise it.

Ontario - is carrying a Leatherman = “tough Guy”? Maybe only in Canada…surprised because you’ve actually got some “tuff guys” (hockey players with No teeth). Never carry cash? - bad idea, try those credit cards when you’re looking for a favor somewhere away from home —$$ “talks”. Always carry cash - and if Not - a knife, then you can “rob some cash” (kidding, there’s No crime or violence in Canada).

 

[rookhawk]

Ontario - is carrying a Leatherman = “tough Guy”? Maybe only in Canada…surprised because you’ve actually got some “tuff guys” (hockey players with No teeth). Never carry cash? - bad idea, try those credit cards when you’re looking for a favor somewhere away from home —$$ “talks”. Always carry cash - and if Not - a knife, then you can “rob some cash” (kidding, there’s No crime or violence in Canada).

The more nuggets of wisdom I get from Canada, the less interested I am in returning to Canada.

 

[HankBuck]

The more nuggets of wisdom I get from Canada, the less interested I am in returning to Canada.

ROOKHAWK, I lived in Ontario for 2 years - EXpat for work - loved everything about it from the colder weather to the people…..but Not the taxes

 

[Ontario Hunter]

To respond to the OP's precise guidance re his original question:

If you carry a knife all the time at home, then go ahead and carry one on safari. You won't need a knife on safari. What you need is to be yourself. Safari should not be a costume ball. When you get there, no one will expect you to be anyone but who you are. That's who they want to meet, who they want to get to know. Not an imitation.

I remember the first morning of my first safari. It was the depth of winter in RSA and my PH meets me in the dining room wearing a double jacket, gloves, ... and shorts with gators. "What the ...? Glen, why are you wearing shorts? You'll freeze your butt off." He didn't know what I would be wearing. If I showed up decked out in safari costume and PH is not ... well, you know ... that could be awkward. I told him I came to Africa to hunt not be in a style show. "Wear what you want. Be yourself. Let's just go hunting." He grinned, gave me a silent thumbs up, and quickly changed into pants.

 

[Hunting Hitman]

I easily open boxes with a key. And carrying keys is essential. Personally, I can't stand to have a lot of nonessential stuff in my pockets. I don't even carry a wallet anymore. Haven't for maybe twenty years. Why should I? Everything is done with cards these days. Wallets are just good for collecting useless detritus. This is all I need for ID and transactions. It goes in a front pants pocket, not poking me in the butt every time I sit down.
View attachment 585543
And no, I don't carry hankies either. Kleenex at home and in the car can handle any booger issues. Keys, card holder, and phone are all I need to have in my pockets. Oh ... I do often have a small comb in my back pants pocket but it is becoming less essential every day. Sigh!

I see way too many guys who wear Leatherman on their belts just to project a tough guy image that they are somehow mechanically inclined. Two of them I can think of right now can't figure out how to change oil in their cars. I can overhaul a car engine but don't see the need to advertise it.

You proven to be a very "Special" type of person that many of us on here hope to achieve your legendary South African Safari experience...

HH

 

[mdwest]

I did a safari knife shootout article about 5-10 years go. In the shootout of a LOT of knives, the best production knife of all of them was the fixed blade ESEE-RB3 Camplore. I carried that knife thereafter for about 7 years, only upgrading thereafter to a custom made VonGruff bushcraft hunter for superior looks and better steel.

I know Jeff Randall of ESEE personally (although we havent spoken in several years at this point).. His primary medic for many years that he used in his survival courses (Hugh Coffee) is a very close personal friend that Ive know for close to 30 years that I did quite a bit of work with "back in the day"..

As a result, I've used a lot of ESEE products (and RAT products prior to Jeff selling those off to the Ontario Knife Company) over the years.. Jeff designs a very functional blade, and ESEE produces a high quality tool for the price point..

I prefer the ESEE4 over most of the options in the camp-lore line though (I think they have 5 or 6 different "camp-lore" blades now.. each sporting a different blade profile or handle profile.. but all adhering to a basic "bushcraft" design concept)..

Im pretty sure I still have an ESEE4 one of the big JUNGLAS knives around here somewhere.. although I havent carried either of them in many years..

I took up being something of a hobbyist knife maker maybe 6-7 years ago and for the most part carry my own stuff these days when doing "outdoors" stuff (whether its hunting in South Africa, hanging out at the deer lease, or screwing around on our fishing boat, etc..).. and carry a reasonably decent folder EDC when kicking around the house or just out in town (I have tried to make a few folders in the past.. but if Im honest with myself.. they suck.. I lack the tools and the craftmanship to build a decent liner lock or lock back type knife..)..

One of the first knives I made of any quality was something of a knock off of an ESEE4, with a tall 3/16" thick blade, slight drop point, flat ground, and super rugged micarta handles..

 

[SStomcat]

Because a dull knife is a useless knife. Stainless knives might be sharp, but they are very hard to get back to sharp on a hunt. A single bevel knife made of a good tool steel is very easy to strop back to razor sharp about anywhere. It requires no special talent to strop at the correct angle, and it's the easiest edge geometry for your to assess with the naked eye to determine where the problem lies with the edge.

I do understand and know a little bit about high end custom forged Japanese knives and own a couple of them. These are hand forged to my specifications and sharpened by me on Japanese natural stones (Nakayama suita) to a level that very few american or other steel can achieve. Yes, these needs some care handling as it has a rockwell hardness of 64-65 made out of carbon blue steel, but the edge with a custom double bevel can slice through meat or vegetable like butter...

 

[Wiley64]

Of course you probably won’t NEED a giant knife while hunting the dark continent, but you technically don’t NEED to be there at all anyway… it’s all for fun… my question is if you don’t NEED a blade on a safari, when would you find it important to have one, if ever, besides in the kitchen? I’m carrying a kabar on my belt for my buff hunt in 25, primarily because it looks cool as hell.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

You proven to be a very "Special" type of person that many of us on here hope to achieve your legendary South African Safari experience...

HH

Keep at it and maybe you'll get there someday.

 

[SStomcat]

Of course you probably won’t NEED a giant knife while hunting the dark continent, but you technically don’t NEED to be there at all anyway… it’s all for fun… my question is if you don’t NEED a blade on a safari, when would you find it important to have one, if ever, besides in the kitchen? I’m carrying a kabar on my belt for my buff hunt in 25, primarily because it looks cool as hell.

Please re read my OP. Good that you look and feel good with your Kabar, whats there not to wear one..

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I carry a buck 110 on my hip and a case trapper in my pocket every day of the world. I also carry a lighter, but I don’t smoke. $300 cash at least, a pair of ear plugs, and my carmex.
I don’t guess Africa would be any different for me.
My dad carries a pair of 8” slip joint pliers, a two ended 1/2 and 9/16 wrench. A 7/16, 10mm. Sometimes mini vise grips. And one VERY dull pocket knife. But farmers do like to be prepared.

 

[SFRanger7GP]

I like your innovative ways of thinking, try to be in the bush on a hot summer day without one and report back..

A real Ranger never wears underwear. Seriously, those who know, know.

Back to the knives issue, I went and looked before I popped off my mouth, but I do not own a folder or straight blade knife that I couldn't use to field dress and process game with. Some may do it much more efficiently than others, but they could all do it. I find that while hunting, I carry a folder with a locking blade more often than before. The larger fixed blade knives generally stay in the truck (if it easy to access) or go in the backpack. I think a large blade Swiss Army knife with features you like, or a Buck 110 lightweight are excellent choices. A knife is no different than gun; you need to use it so you can be good at using it when needed.

Bumming around the house today, I have a an Opinel #8 in my pocket.

Safe hunting

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

What I've gathered is that there are two general groups of people out there, those that have shame and those that don't have shame. The knife is a symptom of something bigger.

I would be ashamed if I'm dressed in business formal attire (charity event, board meeting, funeral, wedding) if I did not have a clean handkerchief to hand to a lady in need.

I would be ashamed if I was at a business meeting about to sign a contract and I needed to borrow a pen.

I would be ashamed to be on a hunt and ask to borrow the guide's binoculars.

I would be ashamed to be on a hunt of any sort and fail to have a knife on me. This very thing happened to me on a kids hunt a month ago and I was knifeless and feeling mighty pathetic.

The same lack of propriety can be said for showing up without a button down shirt, tie, and jacket at a country club. Or showing up for a driven hunt without tweeds or a trachten. Or showing up to meet your date's parents for the first time on a motorcycle. Or not having a jack and jumper cables in your truck and being unable to use them properly when someone is broke down.

In general, shame is supposed to wash over a man with the constant fear that he is useless in a given situation or inappropriate in a given situation. Try not to be useless or inappropriate.

That was wonderfully said. I believe sir you’ll find the men who prescribe to the school of thought in you description have through action not words earned the prefix gentle attached to the use of the word man when describing them.

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

Ontario - is carrying a Leatherman = “tough Guy”? Maybe only in Canada…surprised because you’ve actually got some “tuff guys” (hockey players with No teeth). Never carry cash? - bad idea, try those credit cards when you’re looking for a favor somewhere away from home —$$ “talks”. Always carry cash - and if Not - a knife, then you can “rob some cash” (kidding, there’s No crime or violence in Canada).

Please for goodness sake do not consider Ontario hunter a representative of Canada.

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

I carry a buck 110 on my hip and a case trapper in my pocket every day of the world. I also carry a lighter, but I don’t smoke. $300 cash at least, a pair of ear plugs, and my carmex.
I don’t guess Africa would be any different for me.
My dad carries a pair of 8” slip joint pliers, a two ended 1/2 and 9/16 wrench. A 7/16, 10mm. Sometimes mini vise grips. And one VERY dull pocket knife. But farmers do like to be prepared.

I bet that dull knife was just perfect for stripping wire while being just sharp enough to open feed/seed bags and cut twine.

 

[rookhawk]

I bet that dull knife was just perfect for stripping wire while being just sharp enough to open feed/seed bags and cut twine.

Surely it is. @Wyatt Smith is the kinda guy that has never been a victim of circumstance in his whole life. I was extremely impressed by him when we met in person. God loves a farmer!

 

[Tom Leoni]

In my experience no, you don't need a knife as a client while on most safaris. Especially if you are worried about extra gear and weight, as you indicated in your original post. I also understand that many (most?) trackers and skinners like to do the job themselves and may not welcome offers to help.

On the other hand, a minimalistic multiplex tool like a Swiss Army knife with a good pair of tweezers may not be out of place in your pack. I've carried one, although I've never had to use it.

Your mileage may vary.

 

[cwpayton]

rookhawk, tool steel Im familar with is very hard, maybe carbon steel, my fnife maker prefers old steel with more carbon sharpens easily..
times people need a knife;;;;; on a flight over Pennsylvania on 9-1-1 would have come in handier than hot water ,against box cutters';;;;; in hand to hand combat and your gun is jammed, well ,its happened,I grew up with a marine who carried a k bar and said sometimes they stuck in the wall of the fox hole for immediate use to visitors in the dark,'''' to slice and dice fish, rattle snakes,ect.;;;;;when the fancy change out blades of said knife got left at home but dad has his scabbered 4 1/2 fixed blade for elk skinning.;;;;for shaving kindling for a camp fire,;;;; digging out a rock from a horse hoof;;; scrapping off a horde of ticks. scrapping away snow when you drop a round;;;;;.sharing an apple;;;;;.looking cool on a safari when you forgot your shorts!

 

[PerH]

Next for me is Newt Livesay knives to get some of and use .