RE: "fair enough, in a SHTF situ ANYBODY would grab the nearest tool and chop, pry, smash etc......even i would. Tools can be replaced, lives cannnot."


When down in an abandoned mine, what "nearest tool"? Hint: it's on your belt.

True story, particularly for someone with a picture of them carrying a child:

Some buddies and I were up in Colorado’s gold country, back in the forest. Kid runs up, frantic. His friend’s trapped and needs help. Where? In an old mine. Timber shifted while they were exploring, and it’s still slowly moving as the trapped kid tries to hold it. Plus, there’s a large bolt just above the kid’s chest. It has to come off NOW! You’re it.

You can lecture that kid all you want. You can discuss how knives shouldn’t be abused, take care of your knife so it’ll take care of you. You can ponder what you coulda, woulda, shoulda brought. But the only thing that matters is the toughness of the trail knives you’re carrying. Because you and your buddies are about to go down into an abandoned mine, bend away a thick bolt by hammering on it, and pry a heavy timber off a scared boy, all with your trail knives. Some of the knives failed, while others succeeded. Which are you carrying?

I guess your perspective depends on how much time you spend out deep. If going out deep means going to the county campground, no problem. But I’m often not only out of cell phone range, but out of range of the U.S. Central Nevada Radio Network. What you carry cannot fail. It must be hard tested.