decent knife for the money

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the elton

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im contemplating getting a new fixed blade knife to add to my hunting pack/outdoors pack

i buy knives to use for things like splitting wood, cleaning game, camp chores...really anything under the sun and before anyone claims that a knife isnt the best for wood splitting, i must say that i believe knives were invented produced and sold to be used as a tool, so wearing a blade out like this is okay for me especially if it means i can leave a heavy axe out of my pack

until recently the only knives ive owned have been buck 119 specials, ka-bar bowies, and a SOG seal team elite....i really think that any sheath knife should be at least 6 inches long and more along the lines of 7 or 8 inches

anyone have any opinions on the blackhawk tatang, cold steel recon scout, cold steel SRK, or a becker bowie in either 7 or 9 inch interation.....would one of these be a nice knife to add to the pack or should i stick with what i know
 
i don't have a Recon Scout (which should be remedied, shortly). however, i do have an AMERICAN MADE Recon Tanto (Carbon V) and judgin by what i've seen of it, i would be quick to stick with Cold Steel for larger chop/work/camp knives go.

last camping trip, i carried a Gerber Austalian Bowie (hasn't been produced for years). i found that a Bowie blade is very handy and don't feel much would be lost (in effectiveness) from the 2" loss of the Recon Scout. the Recon Scout is still 5/16" (IIRC) the same as the Aussie.

i really feel you couldn't go wrong with the Recon Scout (mine has to be San Mai III tho). other's will say ESEE and they're right, that'd be an awesome choice. some will say Ranger and i'd have to agree, a buddy of mine is stuck on Ontario and i have nothing bad to say about them. so - ESSE, Ranger, Ontario, Cold Steel. all in the same lot, really, but i'm going with the RS :D
 
If you have a knife that works then why do you want something else?

BTW, what's your price ceiling?
 
You might want to hunt around for a nice full out knife store. Handle as much as you can. I'm looking to get one of the Becker BK9 sometime this summer myself. I want it for coolness and for doing light brush and wood work. The BK7 is supposed to be excellent too, and will do a lot of brush work too. However, I have a nice Benchmade 151 fixed for doing utility tasks. Hit up youtube, there are some great video reviews for most of the knives you mentioned.
 
another one you might wanna look at is the Benchmade Presidio (fixed blade not the folder with the same name). it's a pretty decent camp/utility knife..... and i have one for sale :D
 
the elton said:
I buy knives to use for things like splitting wood, cleaning game, camp chores... really, anything under the sun. Before anyone claims that a knife isn't the best for wood splitting, I must say that I believe knives were invented, produced, and sold to be used as a tool, so wearing a blade out like this is okay for me, especially if it means I can leave a heavy axe out of my pack.

Until recently, the only knives I've owned have been Buck 119 Specials, Ka-Bar Bowies, and a SOG Seal Team Elite...
Click to expand...
How well have the 119s held up to the tasks you've used them for? I've had one now for a few years, but all it's really done is sit. I'd sure like to know how capable it might be...
 
If you have a knife that works then why do you want something else?
Click to expand...

oa048.jpg
 
dionysusigma: the 119s have held up plenty fine, being so cheap they were my first choice for this stuff back in high school and college, if it broke 30 bucks would get me a new one though i only had one break and only 2 or 3 bend and this is out of probably close to 15 of them suckers...buck makes a tough knife at a great price

as for my price ceiling really 100 dollars is the most i would spend on a knife like this, although i buy knives to thrash in the woods like a tool i dont feel comfortable dropping a large sum when really over $100 your paying for a name and slightly better steel and handles....

and although i have knives that work that doesnt mean that there arent better knives out there. all of my knives are 3/16'' thick which is fine but a 1/4'' or 5/16'' blade thickness would allow more wedge shape to bust through wood and prevent mild bending

ive never seen a knife store around here, the larger gun shops have large selections of knives though most all are folders....

i believe ill be looking into a cold steel, im sure there videos on the website are slightly exagerated but most online reviews of CS are good
 
Elton - no knife shops, what about Gun Shows? gun shows are a great place to go fondling :)

with a 100 cap, i would definately go with the Recon Scout. if you look around, you should be able to find one for about 65bux.

Cold Steel is a strange animal. most people have a lot of negative things to say about them due to their goofy marketing approach. i have seen NOTHING but solid performance out of the CS's i've been in contact with. HOWEVER, Cold Steel's customer service is TOTAL CRAP. the upside is - you will probably NEVER need their customer service cuz their products are tanks.

another thing to consider - you never gain something without giving something up. i've been itching to start carryin a thicker/longer knife for the ease of chopping and the green light for a little prying, but then i had to "jimmy" a door lock, a couple weeks ago. if i had anything thicker than my little Nimravus, it wouldn't have happened. there is no one knife that fits every sitch.
 
You could always take a different approach and go with something like a CS Kukri Machete for under $15 and throw the rest at a nice skinner or something. The CS machete will run circles around pretty much any knife when it comes to chopping, and if you somehow manage to break it (or lose it) you're out pretty much nothing. I wouldn't want to dress an animal with an 8" blade. Perhaps something like one of these:

http://www.fallkniven.com/en/shop/category/23/fixed-blades/hunting-knives
 
...or you could get a real kukri from Himalayan Imports for about $70. It will outperform the CS on everything except for light brush, and will have to be seriously abused to break.

Any machete's not going to stand up to batoning, they're just too thin. An HI could be batoned, but most have enough chopping potential that there should be no need, in any case.
 
I've batoned the hell out of my machete and it still keeps on chugging. Would I rather have an HI? Absolutely. I just think he would be benefited by a quality small fixed blade. Like an Izula in a neck rig. Do all HI kukris come with the small blade set?
 
Thanks for the additional information.

Considering what you're wanting I'd recommend the Beckers from KaBar. They can be easily had within your ceiling.
 
...or you could get a real kukri from Himalayan Imports for about $70.
Click to expand...

What model do they sell for $70? I just checked their site and everything looks to be well over $100. I remember looking at their stuff a long time ago and I remember it being pretty darn cheap. It's still a good deal but I don't see much for under $100.
 
Join BladeForums.com. If you check out the Himalayan Imports Forum, there are "deal of the day"s posted most days. There are usually three or more knives in each DOTD post. Sometimes they have minor cosmetic issues, but they're usually at least 30% off the listed prices.
 
I just got a 19" 24 oz chitlangi from DOTD. It is good for light work IMO but not quite what the OP wants...still, it was $80 shipped and the OP can find something comparably priced and more suitable I am sure.
 
The Chitlangi is a lighter-bodied kuk, until you get into the longer sizes.

Sturdy, useful 15-18" kukuris include:

AK
(B)GRS
WWII
BAS
BDC

With lighter-bodied kukuris, you have to have a longer kuk to get the same chopping potential. I used my 19" Chitlangi to cut hundreds of small trees, and even one mid-size tree (though I only did that once- no damage, but it took a while!).

Such kuks include:

Chitlangi
Chainpurri
GS

The Sirupati and Kobra, IMO, are too light-bodied to be useful for chopping. I'm not a big fan of batoning, but the first kuks I mention are all up to it.

Here's a kuk FAQ.
 
JShirley, now that I finally got a kuk we should have a contest to see who can hijack the most threads here and make them about kukris.

t_threadjack_831.jpg


Seriously, I lucked out w/ the chitlangi I got. Mine is pictured all the way on the left (Yangdu's pic - not mine).

5-13-10%20001.jpg


It is awesome for light brush duty, can't beat the price, and I really don't foresee myself needing any of the hardcore uses people describe having an Ang Khola for. I would like to test drive an M43 or WWII but I don't see the extra weight being worth the tradeoff if I only get one kuk.

On the other hand it sounds fun to have something you can abuse just for fun, but like I said this one is a great balance for me. Oh...the pointy point is awesome too ;). Very versatile.
 
Yeah, there can be variance even in the same model. Yours looks like it screams "fighter!" My Chit was a bit heavier.
 
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