~ 4-5 inch fixed blade, carbon steel, no choil, micarta/g10 handles, <120$...

J

jfive

Joined
Feb 12, 2006
Messages
201
Hey folks,

Since I am looking for a new knife I would love to hear some of your recommendations ;).
The following features would be really great:

- fixed blade (blade lenght around 4-6 inches)
- carbon steel (stainless would be ok if the steel was tough enough for batoning)
- NO choil
- micarta or g10 handle scales
- a rather thin cutting edge
- price: my limit is around 120 bucks

thanks guys ;)
 
A Becker with the micarta scales would fit your requirements. They make micarta scales for the BK14, BK2, and the tweeners. The Ontario RAT-5 also just about perfectly fits your specifications.
 
Blind Horse Knives have a few models that fit your description. The Woodsman Pro is an awesome knife. If saber grinds arent your thing, the other models have ffg, hallow, or scandi. Check them out.
 
jfive said:
Hey folks,

Since I am looking for a new knife I would love to hear some of your recommendations ;).
The following features would be really great:

- fixed blade (blade lenght around 4-6 inches)
- carbon steel (stainless would be ok if the steel was tough enough for batoning)
Click to expand...

Any decent stainless is tough enough for batoning, but not every carbon knife is. Some makers are simply idiots and blow their heat treat or put features in blades like sharp notches or sharp width transitions that create stress hotspots, which is why people baton with tiny Mora 12c27 knives for year but Coldsteel say that you shouldn't baton with any of their knives. (Bark River are notorious for blowing their heat treatments too.)

BHK have an excellent reputation, although I'd have thought they were out of your stated price range. Enzo's knives are building an excellent reputation and you'd have a choice of FFG, Scandi, or Convex.

..Or you could settle for ultra-tough grippy thermoplastic and get an excellent Mora 2000 for $40:

http://www.oldjimbo.com/Outdoors-Magazine/Field-Comparison-Grohmann-1-vs.pdf
 
For that price if I were you I'd be watching the exchange forums for some of the handmade knives people post for sale here. Fixed blades like what you have described come up for sale all of the time in your price range.
 
Swamprat Rodent 4 $108.95 plus shipping from swampratknifeworks.com

Total would probably be $125 or a little less.
 
wildmike said:
Swamprat Rodent 4 $108.95 plus shipping from swampratknifeworks.com

Total would probably be $125 or a little less.
Click to expand...


The Rodent 4 is a great knife although it does have a choil, here is a pic of my buddies in hand and another one next to some of my Rats~

007-4.jpg


And a pic of it next to my M6 and SwampWarden ~

006-001-1.jpg
 
meanwhile said:
Any decent stainless is tough enough for batoning, but not every carbon knife is. Some makers are simply idiots and blow their heat treat or put features in blades like sharp notches or sharp width transitions that create stress hotspots, ....
Click to expand...

What does that even mean? Do you have evidence that every decent (whatever that means) stainless steel is tough enough for batonning? Even stainless steels with blown heat treats or stress risers?

Or are you saying that any decent carbon steel would be tough enough for batonning...if it weren't for blown heat treats and/or stress risers?

What are you talking about? :confused:
 
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If a choil is not an absolute dealbreaker, then you can consider the ESEE 4 or the Swamp Rat Rodent 4. If it is a dealbreaker, then I guess your best bet is a BRKT Bravo 1.
 
jfive said:
The following features would be really great:

- fixed blade (blade lenght around 4-6 inches)
- carbon steel (stainless would be ok if the steel was tough enough for batoning)
- NO choil
- micarta or g10 handle scales
- a rather thin cutting edge
- price: my limit is around 120 bucks
Click to expand...

MajorLonghorn said:
If a choil is ... a dealbreaker, then I guess your best bet is a BRKT Bravo 1.
Click to expand...
:thumbdn: BRKT Bravo 1 DOES have a choil and can rarely if ever be found for <$120.

To the OP, no-choil is most common in Finnish-style knives. Peruse ragweedforge for examples. Also, DH Russell and Grohmann knives lack choils, there are models meeting all of your requirements. Alternatively, check out the Knifemakers' Exchange on the forum, check out the custom makers' section, or you can also contact custom makers directly.
 
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Not sure if he's still making knives because I haven't seen any of his stuff up for sale recently; but John Landi in the makers section makes knives that fit this description and within that price range, professionally HT'd by Peters to boot.
 
chiral.grolim said:
:thumbdn: BRKT Bravo 1 DOES have a choil and can rarely if ever be found for <$120.

To the OP, no-choil is most common in Finnish-style knives. Peruse ragweedforge for examples. Also, DH Russell and Grohmann knives lack choils, there are models meeting all of your requirements. Alternatively, check out the Knifemakers' Exchange on the forum, check out the custom makers' section, or you can also contact custom makers directly.
Click to expand...

Pretty sure the OP is talking about a finger choil.
 
If a choil is not an absolute dealbreaker, then you can consider the ESEE 4 or the Swamp Rat Rodent 4. If it is a dealbreaker, then I guess your best bet is a BRKT Bravo 1.
Click to expand...

Yeah that . Those are what I'd say are your best choises .


............................................
HOLD MY BEER AND WATCH THIS !
 
The bravo 1 is quite a bit more than your top... beckers, esees, fallks, or customs seem to be your best bet. Why is a choil a deal breaker? I have an esee 3 and i enjoy using the choil, gives you the upmost precision.
 
chiral.grolim said:
:thumbdn: BRKT Bravo 1 DOES have a choil and can rarely if ever be found for <$120.

To the OP, no-choil is most common in Finnish-style knives. Peruse ragweedforge for examples. Also, DH Russell and Grohmann knives lack choils, there are models meeting all of your requirements. Alternatively, check out the Knifemakers' Exchange on the forum, check out the custom makers' section, or you can also contact custom makers directly.
Click to expand...

http://www.barkriverknifetool.com/SAR-Bravo-1.htm

There's a tiny notch that, I suppose, is technically a choil. I assumed he was referring to a real, functional, finger choil. Perhaps the OP can clarify what he meant.
 
marcinek said:
What does that even mean? Do you have evidence that every decent (whatever that means) stainless steel is tough enough for batonning? Even stainless steels with blown heat treats or stress risers?

Or are you saying that any decent carbon steel would be tough enough for batonning...if it weren't for blown heat treats and/or stress risers?

What are you talking about? :confused:
Click to expand...

+1. No idea what that post is saying...


http://www.blindhorseknives.com/scout.htm

Blind horse has various choiless styles, but some of their stuff pushes your budget.
 
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