This month I spent almost two weeks in the Northwoods and had a chance to test a couple of knives.  This last trip, I took along an early 3 blade melon whittler (before they called it an Executive Whittler) with burnt stag handles.  I've actually used this knife a fair amount so had a pretty good idea what I thought of it.  Using it on a camping trip is a bit different from the everyday chores of opening boxes, peeling apples, etc., but it handles those tasks just dandy at home or in the field.



One of the things that's always drawn me to this knife is the fact it is pocket friendly particularly when you consider the length of the main blade.  If you're cutting a large block of cheese or a loaf of bread, the long blade is really handy.  You also have the shorter blades for those jobs that don't require the extra length ;like cutting rope, peeling or trimming.  The slim profile lets it lie in the bottom or along the side of your pocket without taking up a lot of room. 

A big part of camp life is getting a fire started and that requires some fine tinder.  While the Melon Whittle isn't exactly in the same class as a good fixed blade, it performed just fine making little sticks out of big ones.  This is s a good example of the advantages of carrying a high qualihy pocket knife.  Birch isn't a particularly soft wood and soft steel and week joints don't hold up well under this kind of use.



While I prefer a bigger knife for most 'away from camp' chores, there are times when a small blade is a whole lot more efficient.  I frequently carry a Swiss Army for this job due to the stainless blades.  The stainless blades are a whole lot more forgiving if you leave some blood on the blade for a while before you get a chance to thoroughly clean things up.  The Melon Whittler worked fine to prepare supper, just make sure you clean it in warm (if possible) water with a little soap after the chores are done and put a little cooking oil on it if nothing else when you get back to camp.



I used the Whittler every day we were out for some task or another and the blade didn't come near a strop or stone.  Happily I can report that there's no need to touch up the blade!  Even after making kindling, cleaning some fish, etc, the blade held as fine an edge as you could ask for.  I've always thought that Great Eastern did a fine job with their steel and this little knife held an edge as good as any of the GEC's I've used.  The Melon Whittler would be a welcome companon on any outing I'll be going on.

So what do you get when you combine great cutlery, an excellent guide and cook???????