Advice for an adventurer

D

DannyJ

Joined
Dec 10, 2007
Messages
5
Hey guys,

I'm new in here. so HEY! My name is Danny. I am a new outdoor enthusiast, and I need some equipment. I've read some recent posts and you guys seem crazy helpful, so I'll ask your advice.

For my fixed blade, I am looking at either:
1. The coldsteel SRK

2. The benchmade/NRA 10505B-50 http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_detail.aspx?model=10505B-50

3. or the short ka-bar fighting-utility knife

Any other suggestions would be great within that price range, but those are the ones that I have my eyes on, especially the benchmade.

And I'm also having trouble finding a decent folder under $50. So if any of you guys could help me out, that would be awesome.

Thanks to all!!
 
Danny, check out the RAT knives, a division of Ontario knives. Affordable, good quality, and the 5" model/ 7" model will fit after market sheaths like Spec. Ops Sheaths. The sheath is usually where a affordable knife is lacking. My two cents. Let us know what you get!
 
Hi Danny,

Welcome to Blade Forums and to the W&SS community.

I am no expert, but it seems to me that any of the knives you listed will do fine. I think knife selection depends on what works best for YOU. There are so many variables that it is hard to say what is the best knife for your activities and your preferences. Everyone is going to chime in with his or her own favorites and after awhile you will see certain brands come up more frequently than others. Out of those brands, one of them might be a good one to start.

I have not yet laid down some good cold cash for a high quality fixed blade yet, but the Falknivven F1 looks like my next purchase. I have a Buck 119 that I use now. It's great, but I think the blade length is too long for me.

I think the best advice I can give for now is make a selection and then go out to the field and start learning what you like best and what you hate in the knives you have.

Let us know what you ultimately decide.

:thumbup:
 
Hiya Danny, out of your pick I would go with the Cold Steel SRK...very tough knife and will serve you well !
The Ka-Bars are also very tough knives and have a good reputation but I don't think their tang would be as strong as the SRK ( but I might be wrong !).
Now to the Benchmade, these make great quality knives and I own their NRA Snody ( great little blade ) however I don't trust their BILT system, I once read a post complete with pics showing how someones CSK had failed on the BILT Tang. If you search these forums you may find it. I cannot understand why they use this system on some of their knives, it can't be any cheaper than having a full tang ? When you see the tang with the BILT system stripped down you can see how it is a very weak method !!!
 
I think you'd do really well to search about Mora's in this forum, and look at pics and see what people have to say. You get a great quality woods knife for around $10. They are great tools to learn on. After that you may find specific features that you specifically want on your outdoors knives, and won't have blown large sums of cash on a knife that doesn't suit your needs.

The mora's are great carvers, very light weight, easy to sharpen and maintain, and feel good in the hand. The 510 is a specifically great one.

Try: http://www.ragweedforge.com/SwedishKnifeCatalog.html

For folders, any Swiss Army knife that tickles your fancy would be a great woods companion. I use the Victorinox Farmer model, others love the Soldier or One Hand Trekker or Rucksack, etc. The Opinels make another very lightweight, very easily sharpened pocket blade (and cost about what a Mora does, or less).

These more inexpensive blades will be ones you won't be afraid to use and that you can learn how to maintain well. I highly recommend them! :thumbup:
 
There are many excellent choices out there, and the three you mentioned will cut. However, the Fallkniven F-1 is a purpose-built wilderness survival knife (issue to the U.S. Airforce and Swedish Airforce). If you buy one, you "may" be drawn by the siren-call of another knife (Accumulating more knives than a neighborhood could use is a real danger ["My name's Tom, . . . . ."]), but you will not wear it out or find many tasks it cannot do that a 4" knife can reasonably be called upon to do -- and some not so reasonable.

I would also, on grounds of resistance to edge damage, generally question a hollow-ground knife as a first, main wilderness knife.

Welcome.
 
Danny, all three of those knifes would work and all are affordable. Choose the one you like best and I'm sure you'l make do just fine with it.

Folder under $50. hmm, traditional style I recommend the buck 110. it's $30at walmart, kmart, etc. It's a really good knife.
For non traditional but usefull tool, something like this victorinox spirit tool http://www.amazon.com/Swiss-Army-Sw...1090631-4252450?ie=UTF8&qid=1197263502&sr=8-1 and it's also very affordable. That price is actually really low for that thing!

C
 
Wabajack said:
Check out the Fallkniven F1, you won't be dissapointed in this knife. :)

http://www.knifeworks.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1064&strVarSel=&strCompare=

Also there is the Fallkniven A1 which is similar in length to the SRK.

http://www.knifeworks.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=778&strVarSel=&strCompare=

Fallkniven is a good company, you should check em' out.
Click to expand...


The S1 is also a good choice. Same blade style as the A1 but a bit shorter.

Price is going to be twice the cold steel but worth it.

New production SRK's will be AUS 8, which is a decent steel, but the older Carbon V version were much better IMHO.
 
Skip the Mora and go straight to the PRO shop and get a Javenpaa Puuko from Ragner..they start at about $39 and they are 1000% better than a mora.....and Moras are a pretty good knife for the money. They don't have a tactical or survival look, but that can be a good thing around Sheeple.
EDIT: If you can scrape up the extra money, I agree with some previous posts...The Falkniven F1 is a fantastic knife if you can find one for under $100..very tough and functional.
 
Maybe for a folder I would chip out a little more money for a griptillian. Mora 780 or 510 for a fixed. Maybe even a fiskars hatchet for a chopper.
 
Danny, These guys know their stuff. I post very little...read alot. I have had an SRK for at least 15 years...it's tough. I bought an F1 a few months ago. It's way nicer. It does everything I want it to and is very easy to carry.
 
I was expecting just a few replies. I'm amazed. You are all very helpful. While the Mora knives don't strike my fancy, I think I'm going to look highly into getting that fallkniven f1 as my top choice. That is a sweet knife, and I only hear good reviews about it time and time again. If not that, then I think it will be the Ka-bar, only because of its great value and legendary history; this knife is certainly tried and true.
As for a folder, the buck 110 seems a solid choice, but I might look into the leatherman skeletool: lightweight and practical.
When I get my knife, I will let you all know my choice!

Thank you all so much for your advice! and keep it coming. I'm still deciding!!
 
Try and handle the KaBar model you want before purchasing it. Their USMC model (the iconic one) is a nice enough knife, but there are many woods duties to which it does not lend itself well. The size can be quite cumbersome (too small for big stuff, too big for fine work).
 
For an everyday folder, I like the Swiss Army Knife "Adventurer" model. It has the larger size, but has a modest set of tools that you get on a Tinker. It is the one knife I almost always have with me. http://www.newgraham.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=86
I would have had the link show the actual knife, but for some reason the picture is not coming up.

I like the SOG Seal Pup elite for a general woods knife. Not what I would choose for cleaning game, but a good all around blade.
 
With the knives listed the SRK is a good one,my son has a carbon V version and he loves it.great field blade...but I suggest also the RAT line-up or the newer version RAT CUTLERY (RC)...Welcome to the BF TTD !
 
I Have the first 2 knives you listed--the SRK is hands down better as a survival knife you could depend on no matter what.

The Benchmade is more for light cutting--A Hiking type knife if you will.

http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7122856
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http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=4952513

Pitdog,Rescue,and Gunknifenut are all correct(as are the others)

FORGET THE IDEA THAT YOU WILL FIND "ONE" KNIFE TO DO IT ALL

NO SUCH ANIMAL!!!!
 
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