TRIPLE PLAY

CARRYING THESE 3 TYPES OF KNIVES IS A WINNING COMBINATION

- CHRISTOPHER NYERGES

A man without a knife is a naked man, right? (That goes for women too!). Well, at least I feel naked without at least one knife and preferably more.

The knife is one of the most ancient tools that mankind has manufactured, carried, and used for millennia. The idea that most of us are urban is not a reason to not carry a knife. A knife is still very much essential in modern day-to-day life.

Though I have been accused of carrying too many knives, I believe that you can never really have too many knives. There's a knife for every purpose, and some might be for backup. You might also have a few for trade or barter. When I hit the trail, and even on a normal day around town, I find that I carry at least 3 knives, each filling a different niche.

Though I have quite a few knives for each of these three categories, under regular circumstances, I tend to carry just one knife from each of the categories. Let's take a look at the three categories and my uses for each.

FOLDING POCKET KNIFE

A stainless steel folding pocket knife is a must. It is easy to carry, unobtrusive, and can serve many purposes. In my case, this is usually a Swiss Army knife, and I prefer the model that has two blades, as well as a saw and scissors, both of which I also use. There is also a can opener and a bottle opener, both of which I use regularly. There is also a corkscrew. Because I am not a drinker, I really don't need this tool, but I have used it on occasion to pull the cork on other peoples' wine bottles.

At the very least, regardless of the model, when I select a Swiss Army knife, I want at least one blade, the saw, and scissors. Most come with a can opener and the tweezers and toothpick. Victorinox makes quite a few pocket folding knives, and for the money, they are probably the best knife you can carry in this category.