A fixed blade knife is just that: a knife that has a fixed blade. This is as contrasted with other types of knives such as a switch blade knife where the knife can fold or slide back into the handle. By this one characteristic, fixed blade knives are associated with durability and strength when compared to other types of knives and their widespread use is proof of this. The rest of this article will look at the key features of the fixed blade knife, under what circumstances it is most often used and the overall benefits of a fixed blade knife.
The blade is normally made of stainless steel with a high carbon concentration to give it an extra long life span and above average strength. The fixed blade knife handle can be made from plastic, steel or wood. But increasingly more knife handles are now made from rubber which provides a much firmer grip regardless of whether it is being used in dry or wet conditions.
This helps to not only lengthen the productive life span of the knife but also protect one from inadvertently injuring themselves with the knife when it is not in use.
Fixed blade knives have many uses but are probably made more famous by their popularity as a useful tool for the outdoors and for adventure lovers. First, it is important to always remember that safety comes first when using a fixed blade knife in whatever environment. When handling a fixed blade knife in the outdoors, the knife should be kept in a place where the likelihood of accidental injury to you or anyone else is low such as the side pocket of your backpack.
The uses of the fixed blade knife in the outdoors are numerous. You can use it to cut through everything from stubborn and dense undergrowth, ropes and thick animal hide. Actually, hunting animals, then skinning and dissecting the carcass is probably the most frequent use of a fixed blade knife.
In the worst case, such as if you are for some reason attacked by a wild animal, a fixed blade knife can be a potent defensive weapon. While a big part of hunting skill is the knowledge of where to find your game and the best way through which to take the animal down, what you do after the hunt is something you must be prepared for and this is where the fixed blade knife is particularly important.
Many fixed blade hunting knives have hooked tips that make them perfect for skinning. Others come with the two edges designed for specific but complementary purposes: one cutting side of the blade may have a rougher that can be used for sawing while the other would be an ordinary blade that is meant to slicing. In this case, the saw edge can be used to cut through bone or tendon and the slicing edge used for skinning the meat.
Fishing, whether commercial, for subsistence or for sport, is yet another activity where a fixed blade knife is necessary. The curved blade end is the perfect tool for skinning the fine scales off your prized catch. You can also use the knife to cut through hooks that would be otherwise difficult to disengage as well as effortlessly slicing through an irreparable entanglement of fishing nets.
During camping, having a fixed blade knife in your tool set is bound to make you more equipped when it comes to building a canopy from small branches. You can use the knife to cut the branches you require and trim them to suit your requirement. The knife can be used to create your own wooden tent pegs to make your camping tents sturdier. There are numerous uses of the knife in a camping environment.
Even though the fixed blade can be a powerful tool that many have found unable to do without, caring for the knife is of critical importance if you are going to reap the maximum benefit from having one. First, you must be sure to properly and thoroughly clean the blade after every use. Also important to is to make sure the blade and handle are completely dry after cleaning before you store the knife. Excess moisture can lead to rust formation and the loss of sharpness. On the flip side, it is important that the blade does not get too dry. In very arid climatic conditions, a blade left in scorching heat for too long can become brittle and break easily. Keep the blade sharp. How frequently you sharpen it will depend on how often you use it and what you use it for.
Finally, make your purchase decision only after conducting background research on the brand that you would like to buy. You can do this by asking close friends that you know have an interest in keeping good quality fixed blade knives. You can also go through online reviews to see what the experience of persons that have bought that brand of knife is.
