Mushroom knives
Every mushroom picker knows that they "hunt" for mushrooms, taking into account certain nuances. Some of them concern the skills and knowledge of a person, the other - his weapons. The mushroom picker knife should become a universal assistant not only in harvesting, but also for other needs.
Mushroom knives
Silent hunting weapon
A mushroom picker needs a knife as a working tool. With its help, the stem of the fruiting body is cut off without damaging the mycorrhiza. This is especially important for the mycelium, which germinates with whole families of fruit bodies. With the edge of a mushroom knife, it is easy to remove the caps without pulling out the legs.
"Hunters" - amateurs pay little attention to the choice of a special mushroom knife. This approach has its drawbacks. An ordinary table knife or a folding pocket knife is also used. But it does not always meet all the requirements that a real tool for "quiet hunting" has. Also, the skinning tool popular with ordinary hunters will not work. Mushroom knife:
- Made of stainless steel. The blade must not corrode.
- The quality of the stainless steel will be important, its ability to remain sharp for a long time.
- A narrow blade is required for human convenience. It is better to use it when cutting mushrooms, because this will allow the fruiting body to be incised closer to the ground.
- The handle is made of moisture resistant material. The most popular are rubber and wood. Also, the handle is made of polymer materials.
There are no separate requirements for the size of the gun. They come in different lengths. The standard blade is 7-10 cm, butt thickness is 2 cm.
When choosing a mushroom tool, it is better to give preference to bright colors of the handle. If lost, the red, yellow or blue tool will be easier to find in the grass. A product with a special brush or brush will also be useful, which will allow the mushroom picker to clean the mycelium from litter before moving it to the harvest basket.
Features of the
Each mushroom picker needs his own knife, ideally suited in shape and size. The blade is curved or straight, the handle is even or wavy in shape, comfortable when clenched in a fist.
Irina Selyutina (Biologist):
Mushroom picker knives are often referred to as hunting models, because they have a comfortable grip and a durable blade. However, despite this, there are a number of features for mushroom knives:
- the curved shape resembles a sickle, because they are designed for cutting mushrooms (although there are models with a straight blade);
- a special brush for removing debris: when choosing such a model, check the bristles - it should be stiff;
- the blade is necessarily sharp;
- for safety reasons, you can choose models with a rounded blade tip or fixed in a sheath.
In addition, pay attention to the thickness of the knife: the blade in the butt area should not exceed 2 mm. Also, for picking mushrooms, a model with a blade length of up to 10 cm maximum is better.
Experienced mushroom pickers note that even with the most ideal sharpening, a sharp but thick blade does not cut, but cuts the stem of the mushroom, leaving rather deep fractures on it. The shape of the blade with a "fish belly" - a smooth rounding is considered ideal.
The foldable tool is more compact and easy to carry. Very often, folding knives are positioned as the best for picking mushrooms. However, such a model in the forest can create a lot of problems when the mechanism becomes clogged with pieces of soil and debris. And obviously not all mushroom pickers are able to open normally folding models with one hand. The folding mechanism requires additional manipulations from a person before cutting off the found mycelium. The only exceptions are automatic structures, when the product unfolds at the push of a button. It is inconvenient to activate it with both hands, because the mushroom picker holds a basket in one of the hands.
Products with a stationary fixed blade are more reliable, especially for a picnic by the fire, when you need to cut the bark from a tree, etc. Most mushroom pickers agree that a fixed blade is more convenient in the process of "quiet hunting".
It is also worth taking care of human safety. A sharp knife of a mushroom picker, if inaccurate, can severely injure its owner. Therefore, the use of the scabbard is mandatory. They are often provided with a strong cord that is designed to be worn around the neck and a mechanism to prevent the weapon from accidentally falling out of its scabbard.
Popular models
The knife should be comfortable
On the market for weapons for "quiet hunting" there are a large number of options for weapons, folding and fixed, with a special brush and even a compass built into the handle. Someone will like the small version, while someone appreciates strength in weapons, preferring massive models.
The choice depends on the preferences of the person, as well as financial capabilities. However, experienced mushroom pickers are advised to stay on small-sized models. The mushroom picker knife is chosen from goods of both foreign and domestic manufacturers.
Foreign stamps
The most widespread are goods from foreign manufacturers. Opinel and Morakniv are popular among a large number of companies. The range of their products is the widest; both weighty items and small pocket tools are on sale. Some of the lines include mushroom knives with tassels. It is located on the handle, on top or on the side. When choosing such a tool, they look at the elasticity of the pile. For cleaning mushrooms from litter, it is better to use its tough options.
Today, models with a pear-shaped handle are popular. They fit comfortably in the hand, ideally suited to its contours. Some products have additional protection. Their edge is slightly bent, reducing the risk of self-injury when carrying or using a weapon.
Domestic brands
Russian manufacturers pay attention to both the appearance of the product and its quality. The most popular domestic knife is "Russian Bulat". Thin clear lines are traced, carved into the blade, and the handle has nothing superfluous. Bulat's advantage is the quality of materials. The Bulat blade is made of Damascus steel, only some models have a blade made of thin welded mild steel sheets.
The sizes of Russian weapons are average. The length is 23 cm and the thickness is 3.4 mm. With such a knife, it is convenient to pick mushrooms, as well as use for other purposes. Its advantages:
- low price compared to models from foreign manufacturers;
- high ergonomics (tool efficiency);
- ease of use;
- natural material of the handle (wood);
- the presence of a hole for the lace.
Another popular Russian instrument is the Maly Gribnik. Its peculiarity is the unusual curved shape of the handle, as well as the rare ratio of the length of the blade and handle. This Russian mushroom knife has a blade size (working part) of 9.2 cm with a total knife length of 20.5 cm. Small dimensions do not affect the quality of such a tool. High hardness metal (60-64 HRC) is used in the manufacture. Therefore, it is often used for woodworking.
A mushroom picker knife with a brush is also very popular.
DIY tool
A do-it-yourself tool is created both from a sheet of stainless steel and from an ordinary garden tool. It is better to use a hacksaw blade to create a blade. During the manufacture, the following steps are traced:
- Correct marking of the contours of the blade on the canvas.
- Accurate cutting of the workpiece with a metal hacksaw or grinder.
- Workpiece processing (all problem areas)
- Preparing and drilling a hole to connect two parts of the tool (blade and handle).
- Making a comfortable handle: the handle is made from any bar or piece of wood. The desired shape is given on a machine or manually by sawing and grinding the workpiece. Create 2 mirrored halves. It remains only to collect the weapon and go to look for mushrooms.
Conclusion
The mushroom picker must be comfortable and safe. There are a large number of ready-made products that are sold in specialized stores. You can make the tool yourself. It's easy to make a mushroom knife with your own hands. The easiest option would be to rework an old unnecessary tool for working with wood. This will be a plane or an ordinary hacksaw. Cutting mushrooms with such a tool is no less convenient than an expensive analogue.
