Best all around fixed blade
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Brian Williams
Moderator Emeritus
Cheap a real Honest to goodness Kbar from Camillus.
Other than that wander around
Knife forums
http://www.tacticalforums.com/
http://www.bladeforums.com/
Other than that wander around
Knife forums
http://www.tacticalforums.com/
http://www.bladeforums.com/
Skofnung
Member
Hmm...
This is just my opinion, but it is based on my experience.
One knife will not do all things well. One knife can be pressed into service to perform all functions, but it is often at a price.
A person needs a battery of knives, not just one. The settlers, longhunters, mountain-men and their ilk carried a battery of knives because they knew from experience that a camp knife makes a poor patch knife and a patch knife makes a poor fighter.
I am not going to touch much on "fighting" or "tactical" knives, as I have little experience with them. I will leave that subject to others. If I had to choose one, It would be a Bagwell Bowie of sorts or a > 8" broad bladed dagger with plenty of distal taper.
Here is my outdoor battery that I have been satisfied with for years.
Pocketknife: Swiss Army Tinker. This will get used alot. (~$20, I have not priced them in awhile...)
Light/Medium Duty: A Scandinavian Style fixed Blade, 3-4" in length. I have many, but I find myself using a battered Brusletto or a cheap Mora more than any other. This blade sees more use than any other in my battery, and I find it to be very adaptable. It can do things a Big knife can, but the opposite is not always true. (anywhere from $7 to several hundred, the cheap ones are just as good, just not as pretty.)
Heavy Duty/Camp knife: Again, I have several that fill this niche, not the least of which is the aforementioned Ka-Bar. I would not hesitate to reccomend one of these. Another good one (from what I hear, I have not tried one yet myself) is the Becker line of knives. I have also heard wonderful things about "Swamp-Rat" knives. (Ka-Bars and Beckers both run around $40-60 depending on model and where you get them)
With your budget, you can afford one heck of a good battery of knives. I doubt that you will find a "one knife" that will do everything, from killing gobblins to chip carving a spoon for eating, or whittlin out a figure 4 trigger for a trap at any price.
With $100 you can get a world class battery of blades that will do everything that knives need to do in the outdoors and indoors. Any extra money you spend on bells and whilstles is just "gravy" as they say.
As I said before JMO.
Oh yhea, don't forget sharpening equipment...
This is just my opinion, but it is based on my experience.
One knife will not do all things well. One knife can be pressed into service to perform all functions, but it is often at a price.
A person needs a battery of knives, not just one. The settlers, longhunters, mountain-men and their ilk carried a battery of knives because they knew from experience that a camp knife makes a poor patch knife and a patch knife makes a poor fighter.
I am not going to touch much on "fighting" or "tactical" knives, as I have little experience with them. I will leave that subject to others. If I had to choose one, It would be a Bagwell Bowie of sorts or a > 8" broad bladed dagger with plenty of distal taper.
Here is my outdoor battery that I have been satisfied with for years.
Pocketknife: Swiss Army Tinker. This will get used alot. (~$20, I have not priced them in awhile...)
Light/Medium Duty: A Scandinavian Style fixed Blade, 3-4" in length. I have many, but I find myself using a battered Brusletto or a cheap Mora more than any other. This blade sees more use than any other in my battery, and I find it to be very adaptable. It can do things a Big knife can, but the opposite is not always true. (anywhere from $7 to several hundred, the cheap ones are just as good, just not as pretty.)
Heavy Duty/Camp knife: Again, I have several that fill this niche, not the least of which is the aforementioned Ka-Bar. I would not hesitate to reccomend one of these. Another good one (from what I hear, I have not tried one yet myself) is the Becker line of knives. I have also heard wonderful things about "Swamp-Rat" knives. (Ka-Bars and Beckers both run around $40-60 depending on model and where you get them)
With your budget, you can afford one heck of a good battery of knives. I doubt that you will find a "one knife" that will do everything, from killing gobblins to chip carving a spoon for eating, or whittlin out a figure 4 trigger for a trap at any price.
With $100 you can get a world class battery of blades that will do everything that knives need to do in the outdoors and indoors. Any extra money you spend on bells and whilstles is just "gravy" as they say.
As I said before JMO.
Oh yhea, don't forget sharpening equipment...
45R
Member
Joe Demko
Member
Second what skofnung told you. No matter what anybody says, there is no "does it all and does it best" knife. You also have to decide what you mean by "survival and self-defense." Survival where? Self-defense when?
13.45
Member
one of my personal favorites is Al Polkowski's Warthog
TrapperReady
Member
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2003
- Messages
- 2,732
First, let me state that I agree with Skofnung.
My preference would be a Leatherman Wave for a multi-tool, a Benchmade Griptilian (or mini-Grip) for a folder, and a KaBar for a fixed blade. Add in a cheap filet knife and a hatchet (or light axe) and you'd be set.
That being said... if I were to pick one fixed blade (assuming general outdoor hunting, camping, etc... use), I'd go with a Randall #3 with 5" blade. You can do most anything with it (eventually), although it's small for chopping and big for real precise work.
My preference would be a Leatherman Wave for a multi-tool, a Benchmade Griptilian (or mini-Grip) for a folder, and a KaBar for a fixed blade. Add in a cheap filet knife and a hatchet (or light axe) and you'd be set.
That being said... if I were to pick one fixed blade (assuming general outdoor hunting, camping, etc... use), I'd go with a Randall #3 with 5" blade. You can do most anything with it (eventually), although it's small for chopping and big for real precise work.
In that price range you can get many options, but my current favorite is the TOPS Pasayten.
http://store.yahoo.com/topsknivesstore/pasayten.html
Coupled with a SAK Soldier or Tinker you'd have a good range of applications covered.
http://store.yahoo.com/topsknivesstore/pasayten.html
Coupled with a SAK Soldier or Tinker you'd have a good range of applications covered.
Last edited:
Skofnung had a good answer.
$300 could give you three excellent blades to cover different circumstances. I'd
say, a good, midsize FB like several made by Greco, or a Swamp Rat, or many others in the $100 price range. Add a big honkin' blade for large chores- I'm partial to HI kukuris (but Becker, EDMF and others are great, too). Add a small blade, perhaps a small skinner.
John
$300 could give you three excellent blades to cover different circumstances. I'd
say, a good, midsize FB like several made by Greco, or a Swamp Rat, or many others in the $100 price range. Add a big honkin' blade for large chores- I'm partial to HI kukuris (but Becker, EDMF and others are great, too). Add a small blade, perhaps a small skinner.
John
With your price range, I'd urge you not to go production at all. Take a look here:http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=789
The for sale forums there have listings from a bunch of great custom knifemakers and there are all all kinds of stuff in your price range. I talk to these guys every day and they are a great group of people and make great knives. You should be able to find something thats just your style, and maybe for a lot less than you think.
For production knives, take a look at either Swamp Rat, or Ferhman knives. I haven't personally handled either but they receive nothing but good reviews over on bladeforums. And as a knife maker I can tell you they are using good materials and have done their homework on heat treat and all that. You should be able to find a knife that serves very nicely for survival purposes, that also comes with a good enough sheath to be carried for self defense. You'll want to check out your local laws with regard to the legality of carrying a fixed blade.
The for sale forums there have listings from a bunch of great custom knifemakers and there are all all kinds of stuff in your price range. I talk to these guys every day and they are a great group of people and make great knives. You should be able to find something thats just your style, and maybe for a lot less than you think.
For production knives, take a look at either Swamp Rat, or Ferhman knives. I haven't personally handled either but they receive nothing but good reviews over on bladeforums. And as a knife maker I can tell you they are using good materials and have done their homework on heat treat and all that. You should be able to find a knife that serves very nicely for survival purposes, that also comes with a good enough sheath to be carried for self defense. You'll want to check out your local laws with regard to the legality of carrying a fixed blade.
Rupestris
Member
I'll second the Swamprat.
I do like the Blackjack A.W.A.C. as well. Check ebay. They gor for under $100.
I do like the Blackjack A.W.A.C. as well. Check ebay. They gor for under $100.
carpettbaggerr
Member
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2003
- Messages
- 1,676
Best all around:
It's hard to beat a good machete for an all-around knife. And you can buy 40 of these for your budget.
http://www.quickknife.com/cold-steel.html
It's hard to beat a good machete for an all-around knife. And you can buy 40 of these for your budget.
http://www.quickknife.com/cold-steel.html
Attachments
http://www.barkriverknives.com/curprokn.htm
Several good choices here as well. Look at the EDC and General categories.
Several good choices here as well. Look at the EDC and General categories.
Texian Pistolero
member
I agree with those who say that you need an assortment of tools.
I'd go with :
Cammilius K-Bar
Swiss Army (Victoronix or Wenger) with your personal choice of goodies. Lock on big blade and can opener at a minimum.
machete: Goods machetes are cheap, but most machete sheaths suck. Machete is your best choice if you can only have one.
A lightweight Gerber or Buck folder as general whip out tool.
Actually, your most useful tool is your cheapest, one you are willing to use and abuse.
Add a small cheap kitchen knife if you can find a safe way to carry. My granddad carried a three inch Woolsworth paring knife in his overalls. It was his way of making a statement.
I'd go with :
Cammilius K-Bar
Swiss Army (Victoronix or Wenger) with your personal choice of goodies. Lock on big blade and can opener at a minimum.
machete: Goods machetes are cheap, but most machete sheaths suck. Machete is your best choice if you can only have one.
A lightweight Gerber or Buck folder as general whip out tool.
Actually, your most useful tool is your cheapest, one you are willing to use and abuse.
Add a small cheap kitchen knife if you can find a safe way to carry. My granddad carried a three inch Woolsworth paring knife in his overalls. It was his way of making a statement.
Burt Blade
Member
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2004
- Messages
- 477
Randall #1, 7 inch.
Burt Blade
Member
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2004
- Messages
- 477
Now, if you want _custom_, Raymond C. Johnson II is the man to see.
crawfordew
Member
My knife loadout in my BOB is a 12" machete, Frosts Mora SWAK & a Vic Rucksack. They pretty much cover anything I would need a knife for and the total cost ran about $50. If I was restricted to one knife it would be a Ka-Bar. Just MHO.
Gene
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