Reddit mentions of Morakniv Companion Fixed Blade Outdoor Knife with Sandvik Stainless Steel Blade, 4.1-Inch, Green

Agreed. I'm not a knife enthusiast by no means, but I was in a situation where I refused to give up my old Leatherman Wave, but needed a good blade so I picked up a Morakniv Companion and love it. 4 oz with the hard plastic sheath.

EDIT: I should also note that I cannot be trusted with folding knives, from experience.

I got a Mora Companion in stainless steel for $11. I had to pick a bright color and got it when it was on sale to get it at that price point.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EAL1090/

I like the bright color anyway, I won't lose it. Check to see which color is which price. You can get it in carbon steel too if you prefer the constant maintenance.

Modifications: see the sub I linked to. I wrapped my neon sheath with some paracord, tucked in a ferro rod, and then covered the whole thing with a slice of bike inner-tube (great emergency tinder, burns when wet, and you can make "ranger bands" as needed from it too.) The inner tube cuts out most of the neon, leaving just enough not to lose it in the bush.

A pocket knife is useful for some basic cutting tasks like opening packaging and cutting some zipties or such. Fixed blade knives are much more durable and can cut branches and are capable to handle a higher variety of tasks as well as typically having a better grip and much less likely to have issues when under hard work.

I'd recommend a Morakniv ; they're cheap, proven reliable, good factory edge, very durable, and lightweight. It's a great option if you're not super into knives but want a cheap one to just toss in the jeep and forget about until you need it.

I'm sorry for leading you down this rabbit hole... It's a great hobby but it's a really niche one that's massively popular, so every Instagrammer has a book. My favorite book is The Artful Wooden Spoon as it's really cheap for a craft book, has beautiful designs and photography, and it goes over every possible method to carve, whether traditional hook knives and wet wood, or dried wood and power tools. Spon is another great book but I haven't gotten a copy yet so...I don't know if I could honestly recommend it.

I got started in my summer before first semester of college, so I went the cheap way which is following many instagram accounts, youtube videos, and buying Mora knives off Amazon rather than having a hand-forged one made for me. (The price point and waiting list of blacksmiths is insane). This is my knife, not the best for spooncarving as it has softer steel and is more meant for rough bushcraft, but it was given to me when I turned 16 and is now on my hip whenever possible: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EAL1090/ref=twister_B07H1138CR?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

This one comes more highly recommended by the pros: https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Carving-Knife-Laminated-3-2-Inch/dp/B005IW5YN8?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_6501052011

Then you'll need a hook knife: https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Carving-Stainless-0-5-Inch-Internal/dp/B01N4FNUX4/ref=pd_sbs_468_2/130-9218892-1730051?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01N4FNUX4&pd_rd_r=8d8fce0c-2c9d-11e9-8a86-1d7479451c7c&pd_rd_w=cqTt0&pd_rd_wg=78jDF&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=KEJZKBPVA4EWJ7CZJPNT&psc=1&refRID=KEJZKBPVA4EWJ7CZJPNT

A hatchet is of course also necessary, but those are very common to find. Almost any will do. Sharpening is the most important part, regardless if you have a hook knife made by a blacksmith who makes his own charcoal for his forge and only uses recycled steel, or if you use a knife forged in Mora and bought from Amazon. Especially with the odd shapes of hook knives, sandpaper is the best way to go- try googling the "Scary Sharp Method"- but it basically comes down to working the bevels and steel with progressively finer grit. Autobody shops will have the wet/dry sandpaper in the grits you'll need, from 100grit for rough work and customizing your blades, to 6000 grit when you're finishing up.

https://www.instagram.com/michigansloyd/ is one of my favorite spooncarvers to follow on instagram, he's a professional and can create a beautiful spatula in less time than it takes me to split a branch. https://www.instagram.com/klipnockywoods/ is another good one.

http://www.robin-wood.co.uk/wood-craft-blog/ this is probably one of the best blogs, there is a scroll on the side with links to posts for beginners, from what knives are the best to what oil to use.

https://www.emmetvandriesche.com/blog/how-i-carve-wooden-spoons is another good blog.

I'll try to stop now, but there's just so much going on in this niche.