Blades, Multi-Tools & Edge Tools
Knives, multi-tools, axes and saws as everyday working tools: how to choose them, look after them, and use them safely in southern Alberta conditions.
In simple terms
A good knife or multi-tool is one of the most useful things you can own. It opens boxes, cuts rope, fixes a loose screw on the trailer and gets you out of trouble on the road. Pick a tool that suits the job, keep it sharp and clean, and it will last a lifetime. Some of Gary’s are older than his grandchildren.
For most people: a small folding knife or Swiss Army knife in the pocket, a full-size multi-tool in the vehicle, and a simple fixed blade for camp.
Why carry a knife at all?
Gary has carried a Buck knife since the 1970s. The habit started with Frank, the neighbour across the road, who was like the grandpa he never had. Frank always had a knife on a leather strap tied to his belt, shaved his whole head with a straight razor without a mirror, and kept every blade he owned razor sharp. That kind of respect for a good edge sticks with a kid.
A knife isn’t a weapon in my world. It’s the tool you reach for twenty times a week without thinking about it. Carry one, keep it sharp, and use it with respect.
Fixed or folding?
- Folding knives ride in a pocket and go everywhere. A locking blade (lockback, liner lock or frame lock) is safer, because it can’t close on your fingers.
- Fixed blades are stronger and easier to clean. They’re best for camp, hunting and heavier work, carried in a proper sheath.
- Swiss Army knives trade cutting power for versatility: scissors, screwdrivers, tweezers and a can opener in your pocket.
Blade shapes, simply
- Drop point: the all-rounder. Strong tip, good belly for slicing. The best first choice.
- Clip point: finer tip for detail work, like the classic Buck 110 folding hunter.
- Sheepsfoot and wharncliffe: straight edge, blunt tip. Safe and precise for cutting rope and cord.
- Serrated or part-serrated: grabs fibrous material like rope and seatbelts, but is harder to sharpen.
Grinds
The grind is the shape of the blade as it narrows to the edge. Flat and hollow grinds slice well. Scandi (one wide bevel) is popular for woodwork and easy to sharpen in the field. Convex edges are tough and suit axes and heavy choppers.
Blade steels without the snobbery
Every steel is a trade-off between edge holding, toughness (resisting chips and breaks), rust resistance and how easy it is to sharpen. No steel wins at everything.
| Steel | What it’s like |
|---|---|
| 420HC | Tough, rust-resistant and very easy to sharpen. Buck’s long-time workhorse steel, and a great choice for a working knife. |
| 1095 carbon | Tough and takes a keen edge, but rusts if neglected. Wipe it dry and oil it lightly. |
| D2 | Holds an edge well; semi-stainless, so it can still spot with rust. |
| S30V / S35VN | Premium stainless: long edge life, slower to sharpen. |
| MagnaCut | A newer stainless steel that is both tough and very rust-resistant, with good edge life. |
Heat treatment matters as much as the steel. A well heat-treated budget steel can outperform a poorly treated premium one. Buy from makers with a good reputation, and don’t chase steel names.
About Damascus
Most “Damascus” today is pattern-welded: layers of different steels forged together and etched to show the pattern. Good pattern-welded blades are beautiful and work well. Cheap ones are sometimes just a pattern etched onto plain steel. Buy for the maker and the core steel, not the swirls. Keep Damascus dry and lightly oiled.
Multi-tools: the most useful gift there is
Gary’s first Leatherman was an original PST, bought before Leatherman even put serial numbers on them. Since then he has given Leathermans to his children and their spouses, to his grandchildren (along with cut-proof gloves and safety glasses), and to ham radio friends, some engraved with their callsigns. He keeps a limited-edition anniversary PST, still boxed, set aside for his oldest grandson.
It’s how I can give of myself, to be there in their memories when it’s Leatherman time.
Choosing one
- Full-size pliers multi-tool (for example a Leatherman Wave+ or Surge, or a Gerber Center-Drive): the vehicle and RV workhorse. Pliers, wire cutters, screwdrivers, saw, file.
- Swiss Army knife (Victorinox Huntsman or SwissChamp type): light, pocketable, great for camp and travel.
- Keychain tools (Leatherman Micra and similar): scissors, tweezers and a small blade you’ll always have with you.
Look for tools whose blades lock, that open with one hand if you wear gloves, and that come with a solid warranty. Leatherman’s warranty is famous for a reason.
Axes, hatchets and saws
- A folding or bow saw does most camp wood work faster and more safely than an axe.
- A hatchet splits kindling and drives tent stakes. Use it kneeling, with a chopping block, and swing away from your legs.
- A full axe is for real splitting. Keep it sharp: a dull axe bounces and glances off.
- Store them in sheaths or on a wall rack, never loose in a truck box where someone reaches in blind.
Looking after tools in southern Alberta
Dry dust, deep cold and chinook swings that bring condensation all take a toll.
- Dust: blow out pivots and locks with compressed air or rinse in warm water, then dry and add a drop of light oil. Prairie grit in a pivot wears it fast.
- Condensation: a cold tool brought into a warm house or truck sweats. Wipe it down so moisture doesn’t sit in the joints.
- Cold hands: small nail-nick blades are hard to open with mitts. In winter, a knife with a thumb stud or a pliers tool you can open with gloves is safer.
- Extreme cold: avoid prying or hammering with a blade in deep cold. Steel is less forgiving, and a knife is not a pry bar at any temperature.
- Oil: a light food-safe mineral oil works for kitchen and camp knives.
Kids and first tools
When Gary gives a grandchild a first tool, it comes with cut-proof gloves and safety glasses, and the lesson comes first: cut away from yourself, close the blade before you walk, pass it handle first, and put it away when you’re done.
A small Swiss Army knife or a basic multi-tool, plus gloves, glasses and an adult who shows them how.
Keep reading
- Sharpening & Edge Maintenance: Gary’s bench, angles and how to get a truly sharp edge.
- Bushcraft, Fieldcraft & Navigation · Tools · Preparedness