Hobo knives

[MarshallDodge]

A friend invited me to go with him to a gun show yesterday so I reluctantly went along but was pleasantly surprised when we got there.  This was a collectors show so it there were quite a few collections on display and the usual guns for sale.

One of the guys had a large collection of Hobo knives.  I had never seen these before or at least had never been shown how they work.  He showed me how it typically looks like a big swiss army knife with a spoon and fork but they come apart so that you can use them for eating.

He was not selling his knives but there was one that I thought was pretty neat.  It was a military style like this: Link
I am considering making the purchase.  It would be great for my gear bag but I am not sure these are the same quality as the one he has.  $7.99 seems pretty cheap but I guess if they are making them by the thousands or if this is surplus then maybe they are good stuff at a good price.

Anybody have any experience with these?

[Outbreak]

I just have a knife and fork in my bag. I borrowed them from a hotel so I could eat my leftover dinner from the night before, and I had every intention of bringing them right back after the mission. Then, while we were flying, and I was eating my chicken alfredo with the borrowed silverware, the mission got changed, and we ended up not going back to that hotel. It's been in my flight bag ever since, and it comes in handy. And I promise, if I ever return to that town, I'll return it to the hotel with my deepest apologies and thanks.

[Irwin]

Knife and spoon is all you need or a spork and knife.
http://www.lightmyfireusa.com/spork.html
These are great once your done just lick it clean and pop it back in your pocket job done and you dont have to waste water while your camping.

[g.willikers]

And, Irwin, you will never have to worry about anyone wanting to borrow it, either.

[Outbreak]

And, Irwin, you will never have to worry about anyone wanting to borrow it, either.

+1

FWIW, my utentils haven't been properly cleaned since I "borrowed" them. I do lick them as clean as I can after use, and then use an alcohol swab to sterilize them before use. Since they never leave my flight bag, they never see my dish washer.

[Irwin]

Its definetly a treat to find curry mixed in with your porridge in the morning, I have a green spork on my desk and its spent that last 6 months being licked clean and thrown back to my desk, I only put it in the diskwasher the other night as I feel asleep after eating toffee beon and I could lick the toffee off.

[seanp]

I used to have one that was very old and very cheap when I was a kid.  A "World Famous Scout" or something like that.  It had a knife, fork, spoon, can opener, and bottle opener/flat blade screwdriver, with stamped metal bolsters and thin faux jigged bone handle scales.  I think my mom got it from some old guy at a flea market for me when I was a cub scout.  The thing that irritated me was that you had to close the fork to use the blade, and then close the blade to use the fork.  Fine for stew and stuff, but if you were using it to eat anything that required you to cut and fork it - fried SPAM and cheese on toast for example - it was a PITA.  My Dad later bought me a clip together dining set:  knife, fork, spoon that all snap together that can be had for less than $5 I think:



I still have it.

If you want a Hobo Knife that I think is really useful, I would go with the Case one that comes apart into 3 pieces:

[Outbreak]

I used to have one that was very old and very cheap when I was a kid.  A "World Famous Scout" or something like that.  It had a knife, fork, spoon, can opener, and bottle opener/flat blade screwdriver, with stamped metal bolsters and thin faux jigged bone handle scales.  I think my mom got it from some old guy at a flea market for me when I was a cub scout.  The thing that irritated me was that you had to close the fork to use the blade, and then close the blade to use the fork.  Fine for stew and stuff, but if you were using it to eat anything that required you to cut and fork it - fried SPAM and cheese on toast for example - it was a PITA.  My Dad later bought me a clip together dining set:  knife, fork, spoon that all snap together that can be had for less than $5 I think:



I still have it.

If you want a Hobo Knife that I think is really useful, I would go with the Case one that comes apart into 3 pieces:

I had camp utensils when I was a kid that were all joined together by a little snap ring. Problem was the ring as a little bent, so it wouldn't securely snap together. I put them on a key ring, only to realize it was a giant pita to take them apart, but not so much of a pita to use them while still hooked together.

[Precious Roy]

I've got that clip together set.  A relative who was in boy scouts gave them to me when I started scouting.  I think mine are US made though.  I've had them for years and they've seen tons of use.  If I'm really gonna cook extravagantly they go in the little pack with my old Boy Scout mess kit which I've also about used to death.  If I'm going light then they go in with my old school GI canteen cup.

I've got a knife which folds out a fork and spoon but to be honest they're a pain to try to eat with and it's one more little knife to lose in the bottom of my gear.