Homestead mailing list

[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

Leslie wrote:

> I made another excellent "investment" this week that I was able to 
> get at wholesale prices, and I'm thinking of getting more to use as 
> barter.  Hunting knives of various lengths, bone saws, filet knives,
>  skinning knives, general all purpose knives, field binoculars (with
>  surprisingly good optics).  And of course all made in China.....  I
>  figured since I don't know how to make steel.... it's a good 
> investment.

Do you really think the economy will become that bad?

In my mind, I don't see a need for all of that just yet.  I see things
going downhill, then stabilizing, then coming back in a few years in
time for the re-election.  I see a lot more programs and such to be put
in place in Obama's second term.  People will get the relief they need,
but there will always be a portion who become dependent on the dole.
Eventually, for whatever reason, that dole will stop, and in my mind,
that is when TSWHTF.  The lessons of Katrina illustrate my point.
People did not evacuate because it was time for the check to arrive and
they had no money save that check.  Afterwards, when there were no
services(and there still aren't in places), people had to move on to
other cities, other areas, to find what they needed.  Many are still
angry and still want to return to LA.  But what if instead of a small
section of the population we are talking about a majority of the US
population on the dole (from various social programs that will probably
be instituted over the next 8-10 years) and what if there was a
nationwide or global economic collapse and suddenly, all the Havenots
would have no place to go..but they would definitely still see the
Haves, and then their anger will spill over...yada yada yada...
IF that were to happen, and I think even that is a big IF, I wouldn't
expect anything like that for 10-15 years at the earliest.

> > Question.... on the hunting knives.... some of them have some 
> > wicked jagged edges on the upper side.  What is the jagged edge 
> > really for?

As for hunting and survival knives, I have a Kershaw and a pair from
Knives of Alaska.  Mine do not have the large serrations that you are
talking about because mine are more for hunting than survival.  Those
large serrations are for cutting with a sawing motion...yes, you can cut
a bit of wood, maybe, but mostly it was designed to cut things like
parachute cords and lashings, wire, and even thin metal like a coke can.

The first 'survival' knife I bought was a hunting knife like the one
below.  Mine is a slightly different model Kershaw in that mine is a
scoche larger and somehow my gut hook looks different, but it is close.

http://kershawknives.com/productdetails.php?id=366&brand=kershaw

Then, as a gift, we got these knives..

http://www.knivesofalaska.com/catalog/prod_display.aspx?from=Combination+Sets&cat=Combo+Light+Hunter

The one I use the most is the Light Hunter combo.  It has the double
sheath like you see in the picture.

The first deer Ron shot was his to gut and clean, and his second was
mine.  He got two deer in one sitting, his first and second kills came
within seconds of each other.  Anyway, I beebopped out to the meat pole
with my knives and sharpeners and bowls and such and we started
butchering our first deer.  It only took a few minutes to realize that
the big Kershaw wasn't the right tool.  Yeah, the hook helps cut
ligaments and in skinning and in pulling out the guts, but the best
knife was the smallest one, because I could hold that knife and work my
hand up inside of the tight space of the animal.  The hand became part
of my hand, not a tool to hold.  That made all the difference.  The
smaller blade also allowed for more delicate cuts around the anus, etc.

Point is, there are some things you learn by doing, and what looks like
the right tool may not be.  Before you invest more money in tools of any
kind, talk to people and find out what they really use to separate that
from any pre-conceived Hollywood notions(like large Rambo knives) that
you might have. Both of my knives are decent quality tools..'cold
steel'..both hold an edge well and are easily maintained...but a knife
is a tool, and despite the claims of multiple uses, they are fairly
specialized.  Had I been cutting up larger game like an elk or
moose(note the name of the Kershaw knife is Elk Hunter-DUH), that
Kershaw might have been just the ticket, but for these little
whitetails, it is overkill and not the right choice.

I think knife choice is almost a personal decision because so many
factors go into the choice..hand size, use, handle preference, cost...

However, if I were going to stock up on cheap tools to barter or
something, I'd buy multi-tools. I love my Gerber tool...very useful and
easy to carry.  They come in different sizes, too.  A couple of weeks
ago at the tag office, I had to empty my backpack purse at the metal
detector..lol...you should have seen the officer's face when I pulled
out my multi-tool, my Swiss Army knife, a folding boxcutter, a separate
pocket knife, and assorted other junk...it was too funny.  I had to
basically take my purse and contents back to the truck...  :)

Bev


--
"The world is my country, all mankind are my
 brethren, and to do good is my religion."
 Thomas Paine (1737 - 1809)