A mat/box knife isn’t meant to be substitute for a pocket knife or a survival knife but it’s a good sharp instrument to have. And if you do lose your primary cutting tool it can take over some of the tasks that still need to get done. You can:
- Cut rope
- Whittle Wood
- Cut shavings for tinder
- Cut and fashion bandages
- Prepare food such as slicing vegetables or fish
- Cut through material such as belt webbing
- Cut a fishing line
- Mark a Tree/Wall and carve a message
- Splice cable
- Cut a door screen
- Use as a last resort weapon
The price of a mat knife is $1.99 for one of the two models in the photo.
Additionally, I recommend a pack of razor blades. A pack of 10 razors costs roughly $1.98. For about $4.00 dollars you can purchase a cutting instrument and 10 razor blades that will help you with your tasks in the outdoors. If you don’t want to purchase a mat knife, keep a small pack of razor blades with you. If you have a couple more bucks to spare, buy a few packs. If you lose a small knife, you lose one cutting tool. If you carry a pack of 10 blades, and lose 1 or break 1, you still have 9 left over.
They weigh little and take up almost no space.
