I just picked up a Fremont Farson Blade. Check out the below video. You can either ignore or pay attention to the fact that is is a survival video. I used it to see the usefulness, weight and pack-ability for touring and also my backpacking. While backpacking and bike touring (bike camping) I do take a fixed blade knife and a small folder and find all kind of uses for it. For a few trips I am going to take this Farson blade in addition to my normal knives and see if I can replace anything.

NEW! Bushcraft / Survival / Hunting Paracord Tool - Farson Blade Survival Tool - From Fremont Knives - YouTube

I've watched the video and see this tool as merely another tricksy encumbrance which, like many other similar items will be destined to live in a drawer.
I fail to see any advantages this has over a conventional knife which I'm sure can cut an apple equally well. If you already carry a Folder and a fixed blade then why bother with this?

That line of thinking goes against my personal philosophy. Granted I am by nature and preference a minimalist and everyone does not share that preference. It is possible to find uses for all kinds of unnecessary things. In my opinion it is much better to think "can I get by without this" than "can I find a use for this" when deciding whether to pack any given item. Also "can I get by with something smaller and lighter" might be a good question to ask yourself when deciding on an item to carry or not carry.

On the Farson... I think that taking a folder and a fixed blade is already overkill. Adding another blade doesn't make sense to me. Not sure what it weighs, but it looks way heavier than most small folders or fixed blades.

On the other hand if you don't care about weight carried and enjoy having another blade it is your choice. I don't recommend it though.

Where's the corkscrew?

Reminds me of those famous Ronco Veg-o-matic commercials. Only knife I bring into the woods is a very small keyring knife & I've made it back every time.

Opinel.

I like how they are rethinking the form factor for survival knives. my Dad is a collector, I'll mention it o him.

I actually sort of like it but I'd never carry it on a ride. What it seems to add utility over things that people already use (that are also smaller) is chopping wood. Much more wood is chopped in people's imagination than in real life. (What the heck is it with all the wood chopping?)

I've had my Opinel for 30 years. Light, easy to resharpen.

WM, I think the greatest attribute of that knife is for a fist fight. My father (RIP) collected knives and I wish I could ask him what he thought of the design. I think he would've liked the simplicity. I tend to favor the Boy Scout jack knife type of design and have a couple of Victorinox models.

Brad

+1 Openel in the cooking gear, and a Victorinox . plus the eyeglass screw driver in the corkscrew.

A Swiss Army knife would be much better for spreading peanut butter.

I've been carrying a Leatherman Juice cs4: corkscrew, bottle opener, decent blade, but mostly the pliers and wire cutter for cable and spoke problems, though I've never had such a problem on tour. Still, it's a knife and a corkscrew and I'd feel silly without either of those. Of course my Swiss Army is better in those departments, but the pliers are enough of an inducement to carry a couple extra ounces. I carry a Micra when I hike.

+1

I sometimes carry a Climber model - corkscrew, 2 blades, screwdriver, bottle opener, can opener, scissors, toothpick. It's got a couple other tools that are practically useless - otherwise it's a decent basic knife-tool. I'd delete the unused tools if I could to save weight for backpackiing,

Climber Swiss Army Knife

SAKWiki | Climber

Personally I find that kind of "wood-craft" tool unnecessary for bike touring. I do a lot of stealth camping and never light fires. I do carry a Leatherman which has been put to good touring use, over the years.

Even for backpacking, I long ago ditched my hunting knife. The only backpacking "tool" I carry now is 1.2 ounce box-cutter.

I agree that you can force uses and you can trick yourself into thinking something is needed when it really isn't. I'll find out as I use it.

I've read many debates about carrying both a fixed blade as well as a folder. I could CERTAINLY get by with just my fixed blade as I use it for everything. I've dug with it, opened cans, sliced food, etc. etc. If I opted to just carry one it would be it. I just personally like to carry a very specific folder with me. It's a scalpel knife folder (Replaceable blade skinning knives and hunting knives by Havalon Knives) and I find it useful, but not minimalist necessary.

Supposedly the Farson is fairly light, probably lighter than the fixed blade I prefer to take along.

After I take it with me on a few trips I will probably see that it doesn't replace anything well enough to switch. It will be fun figuring that out.

Don't know yet! It will be fun figuring it out. If nothing else I'll keep it at my hunting cabin and use it just to use it.

Different model.

If I only carry one I'll carry my fixed blade and be just fine. I'd probably be just fine for a normal folder but if you are ever caught out, lost or whatever the fixed blade is more multi-use, in my opinion. For a day walk I could take one of many things.

The peanut butter gets in all the little cracks. A spoon works well.

Tremendous knife.

If he likes to play with different ideas, knowing that the chances of finding something better than what you have is low, then he will be intrigued.

I like how this can be a scraper for hides. Sure you could do that with a fixed blade or a rock but not as easy.

I don't chop much wood either. I do baton to split but I could do that with my fixed blade. The good thing about this is that it can do more things if you ever found that you needed it to. When will that be? Probably never but there are several items, like a first aid kit, that I carry but will probably never get full use out of.

Using it for self-defense is something that immediately came to mind but I hesitated to mention it. Usually any mention of anything other than trying to hug an attacker into submission bring on the arguments.

Sure, but what if the bread is stale? You are going to need some heavy weaponry to deal with that.