Knives and the Outdoors
October is a fitting time of the year to write about the great outdoors. Most days start the same way for me. I wake up in a warm home, go through my routine, get ready for work, and when I’m about to head out the door I grab a knife, clip it to my pocket and go about my day.
It’s part of the rhythm of everyday life (at least for me)... comfortable, predictable, civilized.
But take that same knife out into the great outdoors, and suddenly it becomes something entirely different.
Out There, Anything Goes
When you’re a few miles from the truck and the wind is cutting across your face, there’s no drawer full of options to choose from. No fancy kitchen gadgets. No tools hiding in the garage.
I’ve been out camping or hunting and realized I forgot something simple. Just last week I forgot a can opener, so I had to use my knife to get to my Chili. Definitely a choice I would never make at home, but in the mountains "choosing" was out the window. I was hungry, and I needed to get it done.
A Knife Is Honest Out There
A lot of the time as knife enthusiasts we judge different pieces by how "fancy" they are. Handle materials and fancy finishes take priority, until you are out in the wild. Out there, what matters most is "can this thing take a beating."
After testing all of my designs, I put an Opinel N7 to the challenge (for those of you unfamiliar, it is roughly a $15 knife made in France). The only things missing on this little knife was the capacity to be deployed one handed, locked one handed, as well as a pocket clip... but aside from that it did great. I took it on a long hike and did every task I had with it. It performed fine. I was surprised to the level of beating you can put this knife through. Not only because it can take it, but also because at $15 you just don't worry too much about it.
The Simplicity of Real Use
There’s something grounding about using a knife outdoors. You’re reminded that, for all the tech and gear we have now, the most reliable tools are still the simplest ones.
No battery. No app. No setup. Just steel in a comfortable handle, and your hands.
When you use a knife to start a fire, or to cook a meal, or to fix something that broke, it connects you to that old, primal part of being human. The one that still knows how to work with the world instead of just moving through it.
Why It Matters
Outdoors, knives take on a whole new meaning because you do too.
You’re away from the noise, the screens, the rush of everything back home. You move slower. You notice more. You realize that it's not just the tools you got on you that are supposed to handle more... it's also you.
