Advice for an adventurer

The SRK is a good knife. If you like the F1, check out the CS Master Hunter, pretty much the same geometry, and half the price. If you can find one in Carbon V, then THAT would be a screaming deal!
 
Fallkniven or a Bark River if you are looking for a knife designed to cut stuff and not be in an advert on camo jackets with bullets sprinkled around it ;)
 
For a general purpose knife used for camping tasks (ie.: widdling, field dressing, wood splitting, and the various tasks that might face a survivor) would you recommend a full plain edge, or a blade with a partial serration? I feel that a straight plain edge would be more versatile, but I would like to hear all of your opinions. Thanks!
 
I have never needed serration in a camping or outdoor adventure & if I did I have one on my LM wave ,IMO, not need on your main fixed blade knife..
 
Ka-bars are really not a great choice for a wilderness knife. If you get one you'll pretty soon find out its limitations, and you'll just end up going out and getting another knife.

Although there are different schools of thought on this, my feeling is that the best approach is to go with a three edged tool setup. The first is a chopping tool, either an axe/hatchet or a machete with at least a 12" blade. The second is a general purpose fixed blade knife, with a plain edged blade between 4" and 6". The third is a folding knife with a blade less than 4".

You'll notice that this setup has no place for a blade between 6" and 12" ie. it excludes the big Busses, Beckers, traditional bowies etc. My honest opinion is that no matter how well made these big knives are, they are inevitably far inferior as choppers to axes/hatchets and blades over 12", as well as being extremely unwieldy compared to blades of less than 6".
 
A real adventurer would make it a point to buy and test his knives and equipment thouroughly before heading away from civilization. There is no best choice per se, rather you are looking for something that can reliably meet your needs. The best full-tilt/rough-tough custom knife, would still make a lousy replacement for a cheap can opener. Pull your kit together first, then decide which kinds of knives may work best to fill in the gaps/meet weight requirements/carry comfortably. Then learn to use it correctly, so as to get the most out of it without putting your limbs, or your key tools at risk.

It is all in the planning. Do it right and you will have plenty of time to kick back and enjoy the scenery; do it wrong and you might be in crisis mode before you manage to get very far from your car. The adventure is out there; and, sitting in a police or ranger station, or worse an emergecy room, is something that can be easily done in your home town; and, certainly not part of any reasonable person's sense of grand adventure. Adventure is not about survival; it is about traveling in comfort and style through experiences both rare and novel.

n2s
 
jh205 said:
Ka-bars are really not a great choice for a wilderness knife. If you get one you'll pretty soon find out its limitations...
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I think this is very true.

Don't get me wrong: the Ka-bar is a solid, proven knife design. However, it is ultimately intended to be the best possible knife in all likely situations... which means it's not as good as dedicated knives. In other words, because it's a fighting knife, it's not always perfect for survival situations; similarly, because it's a survival knife, it's not always perfect for fighting situations.

I had a Ka-Bar for many years and it served well. But Jh205's observation became true for me: it wasn't as perfect as others. (Note I used that in the plural!)

I purchased an SRK in 1995. It's been a very good knife for a lot of purposes. I really like it. Is it as good as others on the market? No, as several folks have posted many good alternatives. Would you be happy with it? Absolutely, especially for the price. It's a knife you'd be sorry to lose, but not because of the cost.
 
For a folder I like to carry 2 :D In you price range ($50.00) I'd get a Spyderco Delica or Kershaw JYDII also I like any SAK . As for fixed blade, w/ your choices the SRK is my choice:thumbup: I carry a BK-7 or BK-10 . but for the money Check out Ranger knives , Justin makes some awsome blades for the money :thumbup: Also check out Cold Steel Kuki machete, you will need a good chopper .
 
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