Like it’s dining companion the Lexan Fork, the Lexan Knife from GSI Outdoors is probably one of the handiest and toughest pieces of tableware you’ll ever find for camping (or even for home use).

You most often hear about stainless steel or aluminum tableware when it comes to basic camping cooksets, probably because they are fairly lightweight and sturdy. However, it’s Lexan that really takes the cake when it comes to weight and reliability. The Lexan Knife will most likely last for as long as you are camping and when you pack it away, it’s so light you probably won’t even notice it in that backpack.

What do you get with this knife?

Like the other Lexan tableware from GSI, the knife is slightly oversized when compared to regular silverware you’d find on your dinner table at home, though they are significantly lighter. At eight inches long, the knife isn’t too big to comfortably hold in your hand – but smaller children who are camping with you might find it slightly on the big side. The knife only weighs 0.5 ounces – around half the weight of a comparable stainless steel utensil. You’ll know it’s in your hand from that weight – but that’s about it.

You can get your knife is one of three different colors – the glacier ice (which is actually a blue) and the emerald green colors are translucent, while the eggshell color is a solid off-white color. In the end it’s a personal preference, as I’ve had all three colors and I haven’t noticed any difference – none of them stain and the color is throughout the Lexan so it doesn’t wear off.

The knife offers a serrated edge that is surprisingly sharp. I don’t think you’d get through a steak with it, but for most things that will come across your plate in the woods, I don’t think you’ll have a problem cutting them up – I never have.

Lexan is basically unbreakable during normal use and even during most extreme conditions that an average backpacking trip could expose tableware to. Lexan can block a bullet when it’s used in place of glass, so you can imagine how much this knife can take before it breaks. It bends and flexes without problems and doesn’t scratch that easily. Don’t try jumping up and down on it – but for most normal use and even most extreme use, you’ll never have a problem with the knife.

While you won’t notice it as much as you might with a fork or a spoon that you use to stir hot liquids or something that is cooking, Lexan doesn’t transmit heat like stainless steel and aluminum utensils can and therefore you don’t have to worry about the grip becoming too hot to hold.

Lexan doesn’t stain like some plastics, so if you’re cooking or eating something that you might think will stain the tableware (like tomato sauce), don’t worry about it – once you wash the knife, it’ll look as good as knew. Another plus that comes from the Lexan is the fact that the knife can be exposed to extremes of temperature without any worry – you can go from a hot liquid to something cold and it won’t crack and when you get your Lexan Knife home, you can throw it in the dishwasher and not have to worry about it deforming.

How I use my knife…

Along with several other pieces of Lexan tableware, I’ve had my Lexan Knife for several years and haven’t yet had a single problem with it. The knife has never cracked, deformed, bent or otherwise become marred – as a matter of fact, the knife looks like it did when I first bought it.

I’ve used it on camping trips – both backpacking and car camping. It’s been stuffed in a backpack, packed away with other pots and pans in the car and even been a regular fixture in my kitchen when I’m not using it camping.

The knife though doesn’t get quite the use as the fork and the spoon that I also have – simply put there’s less of a need for a knife when you’re camping since most meals don’t involve something that needs to be cut. That said, the knife still does come in handy on trips when I know I’ll be needing a knife – it’s light enough that it won’t bother me when I add it to the stack of stuff to pack and I know it’s sturdy enough to pull through without any problems.

My final take on the GSI Lexan Knife…

I think you’d be hard pressed to find a better bargain for camping tableware out there. These knives are available for 50 cents and can literally last forever. So if you need a knife for your camping adventures, I would definitely suggest that you get one of these.

The knife is very light and very strong. I would suggest getting it, along with the rest of the Lexan tableware (a fork, a tablespoon and a teaspoon) to either build your backpacking cookset or replace an aging one.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 0.50