5-7" Fixed Blade Backpacking Knife Recommendation

Gundy, the kabar's are rising to the top of the list of all the knives I've been looking at.

I prefer plastic sheaths because they are usually lighter in weight and require less maintenance than leather. The sheaths you have pictured look great!
 
gundy said:
You will not beat the small Kabar...

1172825015-shorty_kabars_2.jpg


Minus the Leather sheath of course...why dont you like leather?
Click to expand...

Want! Where do I get one!?!
 
Vince Peloza, ebay until he gets his website up and running...

Say Guy sent you and get me some borwnie points! :D

Search for 'custom sheath'
 
Fonly, due to their low grind and general geometry, they are probably best regarded as "all rounders"...they excel at neither, but I never met a salami or vegetable, fruit etc that they did not meet their demise from my Ka-bar...as a general camp/kitchen prep knife for $50, I do not beleive they can be beaten...
 
good stuff, I've wanted another ka-bar for a bit, but here in canada its more expensive, like $90 for a short, compared to $70 for a 7" one, so I know which one ill be goin for.
 
Schrade 165OT Woodsman
Budget: Under $100 on eBay
Blade Length: 5 1/8"
Blade Material: 1095HC Carbon Steel, full tang, sabre ground trailing point
Handle Material: Sawcut textured Delrin, nickle silver rivets
Sheath: flat stitched leather with snap keeper strap
Weight: Under 8.8 oz. + 4.1 oz sheath, 12.9 oz. ttl.


I've carried this pattern for well over thirty years and it has served me well. I processed twelve deer with it this past season alone. It isn't glitzy, or Mall Ninja approved, but it is a "get-r-done" knife. And nylon web sheaths can be had for less than ten bucks if you must.

Codger
 
I can certainly see why. I must have over five hundred knives (never really counted them all), and these are my favorites. I have about twenty of them spanning production from circa 1967 thru 1991, and still have the first one I bought and use. There are times when I prefer something a bit smaller, but still a fixed blade, and I carry a 152OT Sharpfinger, also designed by Henry Baer.

Schrade 152OT Sharpfinger
Budget: Under $50 on eBay
Blade Length: 3 1/2"
Blade Material: 1095HC Carbon Steel, full tang, flat ground modified skinner
Handle Material: Sawcut textured Delrin, nickle silver rivets
Sheath: formed flat stitched leather with snap keeper strap
Weight: 4.1 oz. + 2 oz. sheath, 6.1 oz. ttl.


Both of these, by the way, also came in stainless versions. And although discontinued due to the demise of the manufacturer in 2004, are still quite plentiful on the secondary market in mint NIB, as well as used condition. And if you are the creative sort, they are easily customized with figured burl wood, mammoth ivory, sambar stag, or any number of other handle materials. Oupa is one whose work on these I admire.

Codger
 
Sorry I haven't posted in a while...I just moved from MI to CO. Me and a buddy had a epic road trip driving a 26' Penske towing a car on I-80. I went ahead and ordered a Glock field knife to try. If I'm not in love with it, then I'll probably get a Kabar next or I might get a custom sheath for my Mora.

I like the looks of that Schrade Woodsman.

Thanks for all the help. I'll keep you posted.
 
I just recently saw that Grohmann is offering a kydex type sheath for some of the models. The boat knife(#3) or Survival(#4) in flat grind cabon would be good choices.
For another $10, you could get a Fallkniven S1....

BTW, plastic may be a bit lighter, but if it's cold out, it will break easier than leather. Plus every lace, buckle, strap, etc. that hits a plastic sheath makes a bunch of noise.

Jim
 
Look into the Puukos. Helle, Brusletto and EKA have som great knives in the 100 dollar range.

First choice, EKA W11.
 
What are the emergencies I'm most likely to encounter while backpacking? I just moved from MI to CO and the risks I have to deal with have changed. The biggest risks seem to be the topography, wildlife, and exposure to the elements. A knife won't keep me from tripping and falling, but could be used to make a crutch or splint. A knife could greatly help in an animal attack, thus the reason for a blade longer than my Mora. Lastly, if I happen to be below the treeline than a knife could be used to build a shelter.

For those of you who live/hike/backpack in areas with similar risks is there a knife you've found that excels in animal defence and wood working? It seems I've almost talked myself back into sticking with my Mora.:rolleyes:[/QUOTE]



Well, I am also originally from Michigan and live in Colorado. I'm an ultralight backpacking freak but I still carry a decent blade with me in the mountains. I use a Ontario Rat-7 or a Tops ATC Rover which is a discontinued model. As far as the mountain lions go I've never seen one. But I have seen the signs of them, scat, scrapings, kills, etc. You probably wont ever see one, might just feel the teeth on the back of your neck. This is another reason I carry a big blade. I strap mine blade down on the side of my pack where I can grab it easily. At least I have one really sharp claw in my arsenal.

A big blade had a lot of uses. I forgot my tent poles this weekend and fabricated some using my knife. I use the back of the blade to pound tent stakes. The knife allows you to make everything else you need in the woods. Having a sheath that can hold a firesteel and a sharpener is nice also.

Where are you from in MI? Where do you live now?
 
I like Cold Steel's knives, and their 7" Bushman is probably the most knife for the money you can get anywhere, with the exception of the small Mora knives. About a week ago I received my Cold Steel Fourth of July sale flyer. They have (or had) the last of their Carbon V "seconds" on sale. I've always been pleased with the several seconds I've bought from Cold Steel over the past decade plus. Their SRK (6") and their Recon Tanto (7" and not a bad outdoors blade at all) are both on sale for $49.99 apiece. If I didn't already have some I would have jumped on them instantly! Back before last Christmas they ran their Bushman on sale at two for $30, so naturally I bought myself two of 'em. :D I like them a lot, too.
 
depends on what you want to do with it. For a simple 2-3 day trip in fairly well travelled terrain (yes, we do have some of that in CO), you should have no need for a 7" FB, unless you plan on playing around at camp. I carry a SAK or LM Wave, and a Becker Necker, and that is all the knife you need for backpacking IMHO. If you were hiking out 20 miles to set up a backcountry camp, maybe more blade would be a good idea, but you would be better served in that instance by carrying a 20" axe in addition to a small FB, and a folder/SAK/multitool/blade-du-jour. In a survival situation, a 7" FB like the Bushman might come in handy, if you had a PSK in the handle, and also needed to make a spear for game hunting, but let's get serious, this situation is not going to come up very often in this part of the country. Northern Canada, Alaska maybe, but not Colorado. You'd be better off saving your weight on the knife, assembling a small but thorough PSK, and carrying a small FB for your needs (I like the Becker Necker, but I also have used the AG Russell Woodswalker with good success). It will carve, slice, baton, and do pretty much everything you ask except cut down trees.
 
You guys who want a knife for "animal defense," out in the boonies might consider a better defense tool than a knife, in my opinion. It's called a "handgun." .41 Magnum, .44 Magnum, .45 Colt, etc. Any of those might come in handy... for more than just "defense" against animals. :thumbup:

FWIW.

L.W.
 
I carry a 10mm (Glock 29), and it supposedly has ballistics coming in between a .41 mag and a .44 mag. Not too shabby for a 25 oz. pistol. Can take care of a black bear or mountain lion, but maybe not a griz. Sorry to get off topic with firearms, but Leanwolf started it!
 
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