10 Ways Handy Safety Knives Can Benefit Birders

“Birder,” pronounced “bərdər.” Definition: A birdwatcher.

Yes, we’re talking about you. 

Out in the wild, fumbling with binoculars, hopelessly entangled in vegetation, trying to draw the black-capped chickadee in its natural habitat but failing because you chose to use a cheap pencil instead of a Ticonderoga. Where’s a pencil sharpener when you need one? 

We’ve all been there — well, you’ve been there. 

But what if we could redefine birdwatching — and with a simple, wearable tool? Let’s call this new breed of birder a “Hands-Free Birder.” 

With a Handy Safety Knife®, which is designed to be worn as a ring, the Hands-Free Birder is equipped for maximal marveling and minimal distractions when birdwatching.  

When wearing this knife, your hands are free to hold binoculars, a camera, snacks, and/or writing utensils — hence the “Hands-Free” part of “Hands-Free Birder.” Best of all, you will never wonder where you put your knife because it will always be on your finger.  

As a Hands-Free Birder with a Handy Safety Knife®, you can:

1.  Bandage Your Wounds: Uh-oh! You fell out of a tree while birdwatching and injured yourself. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time this has happened to you, but it is the first time you’ve had a ring knife on hand (literally) so you can cut bandages or strips of clothing and apply them to your injuries. 

2.  Create Camouflage: Wish you could watch that red-eyed vireo without frightening him away? Cut and assemble pieces of burlap, netting, and/or natural materials to create a “ghillie suit” you can wear to blend in with your surroundings. You may resemble a Sasquatch while wearing it, but the birds won’t judge you because they’ll never see you — and that’s the point!

3.  Cut Overgrowth: It’s hard to savor that pileated woodpecker’s glorious red cap when vegetation is in the way. Trim it away so you can observe and even photograph him in his natural habitat!

4.  Free Trapped Birds: “What’s that, Lassie? An evening grosbeak is caught in some netting a hunter left behind?” No problem! Break out that Handy Safety Knife® and set him free.

5.  Harvest Wild Edibles: While hiking to your birdwatching destination, use your ring knife to harvest berries, mushrooms, or other plants. Be sure to bring a field guide to identify safe edibles!

6.  Make Navigational Markings: Using our Razors Edge® Knife, you can carve markings into trees or stumps to track your movements while birding. This can prevent you from getting lost in a particularly dense forest.

7.  Open Feed for Birds: Slice open that bag of birdseed or packet of suet. You may attract the avian specimens that have been on your birdwatching bucket list forever!

8.  Secure Important Items: Use your Handy Safety Knife® to cut rope or twine to secure essential items like your bird blind or your camera’s tripod. You don’t want to accidentally knock these items over and scare that peregrine falcon away!

9.  Sharpen Pencils: If you enjoy sketching birds in a field journal, pencil breakage is an unfortunate inevitability. Use your ring knife to sharpen your trusty writing utensil so you can keep calm and carry on with your drawing!

10. Start a Fire: If you plan to stay in one area for a few days to birdwatch and it’s chilly outside, use your ring knife to cut dry bark or plant fibers for kindling to build a nice, toasty fire! 

Sounds like a pretty handy tool, right? (Pun definitely intended.)

With the Handy Safety Knife®, you can focus on birdwatching instead of wasting valuable time searching for your pocket knife. With one less thing to hold in your hands, you can use your binoculars one moment and your camera the next, making it easy to snap shots of birds you can treasure forever. 

Become a Hands-Free Birder today by ordering Handy Safety Knives for your next outing. Our website offers a variety of models, so you can choose the ones best suited for your birdwatching needs. Try them out in the wild, and let us know how you used them — we would love to hear from you. Happy birdwatching to you!