A lurker with a general use question

I

i_like_cereal

Joined
Jul 14, 2011
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4
I have read and searched for a good general purpose fix blade knife. One that I can take backpacking, split small wood with, occasionally dress game, defend myself if the need arises. I have looked at Tops, Busse, Esee, Ka-Bar, Cold Steel, and a host of others.

At this point my head is awash in "this will work" scenarios, but I cannot settle on one.

Tops seems to have a knife for everyone. However, they appear to me at least to be almost movie props. Some of the designs just appear like really bad ideas and advertising.
Busse looks good on all three lines. I am not sure about the steel though.
Esee I like and I like the HEST line, but I do not think that is being sold anymore.
Ka-Bars are classic.
Cold Steel has some offerings.
Benchmade and Kershaw have good offerings as well.

I would like to stay "Made in America" if I can.

As far as price I would like to keep it under $200 and weight I like heavy knives. I carry a Boker Orca Gen1 now. I think it is darn near 16 ounces.

Thanks
 
I think the Bark River Bravo 1 would fit the bill. Nice stout knife that does all that you would be looking for. Busse INFI is great steel but your not going to get one under 200 bucks :).
 
The best out of your lists are the esee and kabar beckers. either of those will give terrific performance, with the edge for me going to esee for the micarta handles and much more versitile sheath systems.

take it easy
cricket
 
ESEE 6. Well under 200. Made in the USA and very capable of everything you got listed there. I love mine.
 
Busse - and Bussekin (Swamp Rat & Scrapyard) use good steel and have excellent heat treats, but are only produced in limited runs.
Becker has some excellent designs and more coming out in January (Tweeners)
Kabar Navy Mk1 is a great GP blade that would work well for hunting/bushcraft.
ESEE 6 is a great all around blade, as is the ESEE4 (made even better if you buy the aftermarket extended G10 scales)
 
Have you looked at the cheaper than dirt rough use knife? There is a video on knifetests.com that shows just how much of a beating that knife can take. And for only $9.95 you really are not risking anything if you buy it and try it out.
 
Thalestin said:
I think the Bark River Bravo 1 would fit the bill. Nice stout knife that does all that you would be looking for. Busse INFI is great steel but your not going to get one under 200 bucks :).
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+1 I was just gonna say the same thing. You're not gonna find many knives more solidly built than the Bravo 1 and having the convex edge, not only are they more durable than v edges, being able to sharpen them quickly on a stop is very nice and makes them very useful in any situation. A 1/4 inch thick blades make them sturdy wood processing machines. The scales are glued and bolted down and then they smooth the bolts out until they look like pins. The one thing you have to think about is keeping the oxidation under control but A2 is known not to pit and once you get a nice patina on it, it's good to go.

Get a Bravo 1 and a double sided stop with both stropping compounds (green/black) and you'll be good to go for life. They're agile and sharp enough to dress game as well as being sturdy enough to process wood and baton on all day long. If you can't afford Busse, go with Bark River.
 
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I would say first don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good; you may well find that as you use the knife you wish it were shorter, or longer, or easier to sharpen, this will be good to know to make a more informed decision down the road if you get another/more knives--it's an addictive hobby.

Second, going to a store where you can handle them will give you a better sense of what you like and increase the chance of being happy with the purchase.

That said of the brands you mentioned the ones that get much respect for woodcraft/outdoor use that fit your budget are ESEE and Bark River. Kershaw and Benchmade are more known for folding blades. Though if you want a HEAVY folder check out Kershaw's zero tolerance line.
 
Thalestin said:
I think the Bark River Bravo 1 would fit the bill. Nice stout knife that does all that you would be looking for. Busse INFI is great steel but your not going to get one under 200 bucks :).
Click to expand...

Knifetests destroyed that blade and had problems with the edge rolling. I admit I will not be abusing it as he does, but it may be a requirement if I am out in the backcountry and I have spend an unplanned night or two.

I will look at the ESEE 6 and 4.

I am a novice sharpener. I am a novice at sharpening and honing straight razors, but am not that good with setting angles on knives. So ease of sharpening and edge retention would be good.

I am not in the habit of finding "perfect" things. I am looking for a tool that will work. Period. I understand the tradeoffs and I want to try to minimize them. I live in the PAC NW so I know that 1095 needs to be taken care of regularly.

Thanks for the replies.
 
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:thumbup:
If you don,t mine a little waiting Check out SHADOW KNIVES the maker is a real nice guy to deal with, makes a great KNIFE & his prices are very good.
Take it from me let EDDIE WHITE make you a Knife.
 
i_like_cereal said:
Knifetests destroyed that blade and had problems with the edge rolling. I admit I will not be abusing it as he does, but it may be a requirement if I am out in the backcountry and I have spend an unplanned night or two.
Click to expand...

Bark River is a great company. You can destroy any blade, no matter how tough it is advertised, with force.

As for suggestions, my BK2 (Made By Kabar) and Fallkniven are great outdoor knives. The Fallkniven is Swedish....
The cheaper than dirt knife is a bunch of crap. Don't even waste ten dollars on it. Put that towards a better quality knife.
 
xjzhx said:
ESEE 6. Well under 200. Made in the USA and very capable of everything you got listed there. I love mine.
Click to expand...

EESE six is a great knife. If you want something with more weight you could consider a Cold Steel SRK or even a Recon Scout (might be too big)

Happy Hunting!
 
i_like_cereal said:
I am not in the habit of finding "perfect" things. I am looking for a tool that will work. Period. I understand the tradeoffs and I want to try to minimize them. I live in the PAC NW so I know that 1095 needs to be taken care of regularly.
Click to expand...

I've had to do surprisingly little extra maintenance on my 1095 here in the rainy PNW. :thumbup:
 
The Bravo-1 is great, don't pay attention to that video. The edge is fabulous, it cuts so well you don't have to work the knife so hard. Those destruction tests are just that, an attempt to destroy the knife, not just use it.
ESEE, Becker, Bussekin are great, but it just gets down to having the knife that just for you. Size, thickness, handle, edge geometry is akin to buying shoes. How can we recommend a specific pair of shoes, you'll just have to try them one.
 
~When it comes down to it some of the best knife makers in the world are on Bladeforums; you knew that right?
Find the right one and ask him to make your life knife.
 
I would get the ESEE now and watch for the right Busse/Bussekin knife.

Bark River will be releasing a 3V Bravo 1 in the future as well (should be tougher than A2).
 
I would not put much stock in those destruction tests personally. As far as edge rolling is concerned, I would rather have a rolled edge than one that gets chipped out. One final thought on the self defense aspect. Smaller knives make better SD weapons, but only with the proper and adequate training and practice. Carry a handgun if you are concerned about safety.
 
I was in your spot last year...I got the Swamp Rat Ratmandu. It's perfect and fits your budget. Get one now while they are in stock.
 
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