7in. Combat/Utility/Outdoor/Multipurpose.. HELP!

Originally posted by EricJ
Thanks for all the great incite, I'm looking into every suggestion made. So far i really like the Busse Steel Heart E, and Simonich Mid-Tech Raven. The Strider line also really appeals to me but i do not understand how they have a smaller blade, and made of a not-as-good (in my opinion) ATS-34 (as compared to the S30V Raven) and it costs more..?

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If you consider the Busse Steel Heart, I suggest you handle it first. - You might not like the feel of the knife.

The Simonich Raven is less expensive than the Striders because it's semi-manufactured as compared to custom-made.
Also S30V is definitly superior to ATS-34. You can find an MT-L in S30V for $25 more than a regular MT in ATS-34. Contact Vinnie Pulucci, he has a MT-L in S30V in stock.


And smaller blade doesn't mean less knife. It depends on how you use it.
But if a larger blade snaps in half you still have lots of knife to use, as compared to a smaller blade snapping in half.
 
It might be a good idea to avoid ATS-34 for a chopping knife. I read a test report by Cliff Stamp where he tested the durability of some knives by chopping concrete blocks. One was a Strider made from ATS-34, and it suffered serious edge damage, with sizeable chunks chipped out of the edge. A forged 52100 bowie held up much better.

While one isn't likely to use a knife to chop concrete, such tests are useful because it is possible to hit hard materials such as rocks and nails while chopping wood.
 
I'm with Not2sharp. You can get a Nice Randall model 14. It'll take all you can dish out, and it's a Randall.

Jason
 
Originally posted by W.T. Beck
It might be a good idea to avoid ATS-34 for a chopping knife. I read a test report by Cliff Stamp where he tested the durability of some knives by chopping concrete blocks. One was a Strider made from ATS-34, and it suffered serious edge damage, with sizeable chunks chipped out of the edge. A forged 52100 bowie held up much better.

While one isn't likely to use a knife to chop concrete, such tests are useful because it is possible to hit hard materials such as rocks and nails while chopping wood.
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Generally, it's true that you should avoid using a stainless steel for chopping tasks. But I own a Strider MT in ATS-34, and I've had no chipping problems while doing most chopping tasks. I hit pieces of metal while chopping, and not even that caused the edge to chip much.
My chopping tasks included chopping down small trees that had a diameter of 2"-3", chopping inch-thick sticks to the right lengths, and chopping at plywood furniture for fun.

Blades made of S30V stainless steel should be 100% fine for chopping. (But S30V is expensive!)
 
Hello Schtik,

Take a look at the following link for a picture of the Strider WB that Cliff tested by chopping on concrete blocks:

http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sstamp/knives/bowie_ray_kirk.html

He said it got through light chopping OK, but heavier chopping did serious damage:
After 25 chops the entire bevel was lost in several places which was damage about 0.035" in depth. As well the blade it suffered fractures of the primary grind.
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Also, I came across a link to a comparision test by Mike Thurber of several 7 inch blade knives. The Busse Basic # 7 came out on top, although this knife is no longer made. The Camp Tramp would be the successor, I guess. The first runner up was the Cold Steel Recon Scout, though the Krayton handle was strongly criticized. Also, the Fallkniven A1 did well in the tests, but suffered some edge chipping.

I have the Randall Model 14 myself, and it is by far the best knife I own. I haven't mentioned it previously because it costs more than the $300 limit. Mine was $320 plus tax at a gun shop.
 
Hey there, W.T. Beck.

I used to be a big fan of Cliff's reviews... But he doesn't respect how some knives are specialized for certain tasks, and not all knives are designed to chop. (Cliff is also bias towards Busse.)

The WB vs Cinder Block test was absolutely successful.
Cliff concentrated the majority of the chops on a ~1-inch portion of the blade. When you accidently chop into a hard object, you won't hit that object with the same part of the knife more then a few times. But Cliff hit the exact same spot almost every time.

That part of the edge is destroyed, but the cinder block took much more damage.
The front portion of the blade snapped off when Cliff tried to pry with it, if I remember correctly.
 
Ok, I'm back with a couple more questions for you knife nuts :D

From what ive been reading the 'new' Busses are made with the new ergonomic handle and the blade thickness has been reduced. Have any other changes been made, and how do the new/old models compare to each other now?

Now for the Swamp Rat line, on their site it says that the SR-101 Steel is- "Think of it as 52-100 tool steel with added Kryptonite". Since i have no experience with 52-100 tool steel either, can anyone tell me how it would compare to say D2?

thanks in advance.
 
Hey EricJ,

Yes, the new Busse's have an Ergonomic(E) or Straight(SH) handle. But I don't think they reduced the blade thickness.
The other major change was that the Battle Mistress and Steel Heart used to have a clip point blade, now they're drop point.

Swamp Rat knives have very little or no rust resistance.
When they say "Kryptonite", I think they mean Nitrogen. :eek:

Basically, Swamp Rat knives are Busse knives but without the rust resistance.
 
I don't think Busse changed the blade thickness on older models, but they have some new ones with thinner blades.

There is no doubt the Busse knives are excellent cutters. What has kept me from buy one is the lack of a traditional cross guard. I went with the Randall Model 14 for a combat/utility over a Busse, because the Randall has an excellent guard. I like a knife that under no circumstances can slide through my hand leading to contact with the blade. Only a traditional cross guard can guarantee that this can't happen. No matter how ergonomic and tacky a handle is, it can still slide if one relaxes one's grip and there is no guard to catch on one's hand.
 
W.T. Beck,

Could you post a link or two where i might be able to purchase a Randall Knife without the long wait from ordering directly from Randall?
 
Hello EricJ,

All I can remember for online sources is that A.G. Russell has sold some Randalls in the past. I bought my Model 14 from a gun shop in Atlanta. That would be a fairly long drive from Omaha.

You will pay at least $50 more to get a Randall from a store, but that is your only choice other than waiting two years.

I would check the local gun shops or knife stores in Omaha and surrounding towns. Also, check gun and knife shows in your area. Otherwise you can do a search on the net and see what turns up. I believe I have seen some stores advertising them on the internet, but prices were pretty high.
 
Ok, I just checked the A.G. Russell website. Here is the link:A.G. Russell Randalls

They are charging $395 for stainless or O-1 7 inch Model Ones. I would check the local gun shops before I paid that price. They were running $320 in Atlanta about a year ago when I bought mine.
 
I was going to say "Tops Anaconda 9" but it's made from 1095 which is in no way stainless.

There was an article on the Raven in the Oct 2002 issue of Blade. Simonich did succeed in breaking it, but only by very deliberate abuse that probably never arises in practice.

The model that has the "bandbreaker" on the upper edge is available at extra cost, $325 vs. $299.
 
The Rob Simonich Raven is certainly a fabulous knife isn't it.
We can't get into a knife conversation without someone bringing it up. But I love hearing the guys talk about it.

The Raven is 2nd on my November To-Buy list right now.
 
EricJ, your original post indicated you wanted to do some field dressing with your blade, in addition to some light chopping and rope cutting. I don't recommend any of the blade mentioned above for field dressing. I wouldn't field dress a moose with a seven inch blade made for something else! Yes, you could do it but it would be like killing your moose with your truck instead of your rifle.

The Scott Cook Owyhee Hunter you talked about is perfect for field dressing anything from rabbits to elk.

Your requirements really point to a need for two knives, not one.

Bruce
 
Hi EricJ,
Seems like you have gotten a lot of good advice, never having handled a Busse yet, I can't speak to their durability. However, I recently purchased a Chris Reeve Project One, which I love. Have used it in the field several times, and it performed quite well. If you're not familiar with his product line Chris' company cuts these from a single bar of D2 tool steel so it has no joints or welds. 7" blade, partially serrated, with a small compartment in the handle for storing things. I think a project one from the factory costs about $320, but worth the cost in my opinion.
Lagarto
 
Bruce, I hear ya, most likely i would be carrying 2 knives anyway. Maybe i should have stated the question like- "If you only had one 7in fixed blade on you, what makers design would be most useful if you did have to use it to field dress?"
 
Skinning comes down to blade shape. A Busse Natural Outlaw is basically a 6" drop point and should be a great skinner, if a little thick. Most professional processors use commercial knives like F Dick, or Vic, and the blades are usually seven inches or more in length, but swept up with alot of belly, and not great for camp work. I think a fair compromise would be a "green river" style like the one on Idaho Knifeworks site.
Any seven inch drop point should be fine as long as it has sufficient belly for skinning, is fairly wide, and is thinner than the "indestructible" types. 3/16 is thick enough to be very strong for choppin, pounding through firewood, etc., yet thin enough that, on a wide flat ground blade, is capable of awesome slicing.
I would still prefer a GB Forrester axe and a Dozier hunter, but that's just me. Or, you could get a Dozier and a Becker, Ontario, S&W, or a swamp rat for around $300.


Regards

Jim
 
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