4'' full flat grind -what's available?

C

cyc79

Joined
Feb 5, 2005
Messages
187
I'm wanting a new fixed blade knife in the 4'' range, full flat grind, drop point and preferably in carbon steel, but might look at stainless. The blade must be 1/8'' max. I truly hate thick blades. This is to be a general purpose knife for just about everything, but not prying open car doors or batoning:p
Handle can be whatever material, as long as it's comfortable.
Price range....let's say under $200.

If there aren't any production knives out there that would suit me, I'd be happy to look at any of the great makers on this forum, but my money is burning a hole in my pocket so if I can buy something already made then that would be great.

Bottom line is I'm looking for a good user, a no frills working knife but of good quality.
Does such a stock knife exist or am I dreaming?
Help me out guys, please, and thank you for any ideas you can give. I value the input of the members here far more than random net surfing hoping to stumble onto something. Thanks again:)
 
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cyc79 said:
I'm wanting a new knife with a blade in the 4'' range, full flat grind, drop point and preferably in carbon steel, but might look at stainless. The blade must be 1/8'' max. I truly hate thick blades. This is to be a general purpose knife for just about everything, but not prying open car doors or batoning:p
Handle can be whatever material, as long as it's comfortable.
Price range....let's say under $200.

If there aren't any production knives out there that would suit me, I'd be happy to look at any of the great makers on this forum, but my money is burning a hole in my pocket so if I can buy something already made then that would be great.

Bottom line is I'm looking for a good user, a no frills working knife but of good quality.
Does such a stock knife exist or am I dreaming?
Help me out guys, please, and thank you for any ideas you can give. I value the input of the members here far more than random net surfing hoping to stumble onto something. Thanks again:)
Click to expand...

How about the ESEE-3?

http://www.eseeknives.com/esee-3.htm

esee-3.png
 
Spyderco Military...unless it has to be fixed. I apologize if I missed that requirement.
 
Military, CRUWEAR version. Not less than an 1/8" thick, but a 4" knife with less than 1/8" stock will be the hardest part.
 
Yeah, sorry guys but fixed is what I'm looking for. I edited my op to add that.
I'm having a look at the above suggestions but nothing has really caught my eye yet.
Nothing in the exchange forum either.
Koster flat grind bushcraft is one I've just come across, but might be a long wait. Looks promising though with a blade not too much over 1/8''. Any others similar to this?
Thanks so far and please keep the ideas coming!
 
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Have a maker build exactly what you want.

It may cost a little more than your $200.00 with sheath, but you will have what you want.
 
I was gonna suggest the Koster full-flat grind. I really like mine in 3V and after thinning out the edge (a bit on the thick side behind the edge) it preforms great.

Does he have any dealers that might carry them? Great size, great steel and the contours of the scales work very well.
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
Have a maker build exactly what you want.
It may cost a little more than your $200.00 with sheath, but you will have what you want.
Click to expand...

That's one option, and possibly the best one. I may have to go that route if all else fails.

Sterculius said:
What about a budget option, like the Kershaw Echo? Should be able to find it in the $25 range.
Click to expand...

Toooo cheap, sorry.:) And not a fan of recurves. Also, I'd prefer to spend more rather than less to get something I'm more likely to be happy with.

PB Wilson said:
I was gonna suggest the Koster full-flat grind. I really like mine in 3V and after thinning out the edge (a bit on the thick side behind the edge) it preforms great.

Does he have any dealers that might carry them? Great size, great steel and the contours of the scales work very well.
Click to expand...

I haven't been able to find one anywhere so it might be out. Another possible may be one or two models from Fiddleback Forge, but again, they are hard to come by.:(

Edit to add that it looks as if I'll have to bump up my price range, but that's ok too.
 
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I've bought a few inexpensive customs on the forum lately and I'm very happy with them. You can pick up two of three and stay on your budget.
 
You might also look at the Spyderco Mule series. Spyderco has put out mules in a lot of different steels, from high-performance carbon and tool steels to ultra-high-performance powder steels, stainless and non-stainless. You can find them with or without handles on the secondary market, but you can add inexpensive bolt-on handles and get a simple sheath, or have a custom maker put high-quality handles of your choosing on them.

The blades are 3.5 inches long. The thickness at the start of the full flat grind is well less than one-eighth of an inch (0.115 inches), and the blade has a strong distal taper. At mid blade, the spine is just a tenth of an inch. Drop point and ground thin. These mules make high-quality, general purpose knives with thin, high performance grinds. And Spyderco does a good job with its heat treat.

So for your price, you can get the steel of your choice, the handle of your choice and the sheath of your choice, all with a high-quality, well heat treated blade with the geometry and size that you're seeking.
 
-ESEE 3 or 4.

-Spyderco Moran, Temperance 2 if you don't mind a slightly larger blade. A Mule would be perfect, but you'll need to hunt one down. Southern Fork (made in Taiwan, might or might not be an issue for you).

-LionSteel M3 or M2.

-Benchmade Saddle Mountain Hunter.
 
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