advice for small fixed blade knife...

B

boogeyman

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that will be used on light hiking trips and the occassional camp out. I would like for it to be made of relatively durable steel... and preferably stainless. If cost is around 100 bucks that would be great! Blade length no greater than 3.5 inches.
 
Spyderco has their Swick out, it's pretty nifty. Benchmade Snody 210 is cool. I think they're both in S30V stainless, so there ya go!
 
BM -

Since you won't be cleaning game, if I were you I'd forget about getting a fixed blade and go with something like a Spyderco Atlantic Salt sheepsfoot blade which you can easily jam in a pocket or backpack. The Atlantic Salt has plenty of guts yet will be very easy to carry and won't ever rust and doesn't cost $100. You can get it in bright yellow so if you drop it you can find it easily. It has a 3.75 inch flat sheepsfoot serrated blade which equates to about over 4.5 inches of plain blade length as far as the size of the cutting edge. This is a ton of cutting edge. The folded length is only 4.5 inches which is smaller than almost all fixed blades.

http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=172

If you are set on small fixed blades look for one called "bird and trout". Bark River makes some nice small knives. However they are not for the newbie as they are super-sharp and will bite you big time if you are careless with them. They hold a great edge the way they are heat treated. They are good/fun people to deal with who have great customer service.

http://www.barkriverknives.com/
 
I already have a tasman salt w/ yellow frn handle.

I just like the idea of a small fixed blade for both outdoor and tactical reasons.

First off is strength, second is ease of cleaning, third is looks.

anyone know about topsknives? specifically their bird and trout model?
 
benchmade outbounder ,buck 102, the small bark rivers are nice also.
you've got a lot to choose from.
 
If you're looking for something 'tactical,' then you're going to want a folder (since fixed blade carry in public is iffy in most places).

For outdoor use, get a nice fixed blade, not a tactical beast. It'll serve you better and you won't get tired of it once the "i want a big, black blade that I can take with me when I jump out of airplanes into the jungle" phase wears off.

Benchmade 210. Pretty little thing. You can carry it on your belt, or in your pocket, or tossed into your pack.

Anything from Bark River. They have a wide assortment of shapes and sizes, so you're sure to find something you like. The knives are made with excellent materials (tool steel, usually A2 if I'm not mistaken, and a huge variety of handle materials), and are extremely well-crafted. And, their prices are in your ballpark, if you shop around online for a minute.
You could get a Becker or a Busse and you might be able to chop through a concrete bunker and 'covertly deanimate' its residents, but a Bark River will be a reliable tool to cover all your outdoor needs. It'll take care of any task you can throw at it, and it'll look damn good to boot. :D

Peace.
Alex.

(edited for punctuation.....)
 
Try looking into the new Ontario Knife Company Rat 3 or the CRKT Companion, both are pretty good and are the size you are looking for. For a camping type knife I would try the Rat 3, the Ontario TAK Bush/Survival knife has a 4.25 inch blade but is a damn good knife.
 
I carry an AG Russell Hunter's Scalpel. It's much less than you want to spend, but a good knife nevertheless. I especially like the hard locking sheath. The same design is also available in two larger sizes with a choice of steel materials. The middle-sized Bird and Trout has a 3" blade and is available in D2, AUS8, or VG10.

You should check out the AG Russell WoodsWalker.

I'm also an admirer of the Grohmann hunting knives from Canada. The ergonomics are the catch; some people love the handle shape while it doesn't appeal to others.

If you find a Bark River that meets your size specs, you won't be sorry. And it should be in your price range. The Woodland Special has a 3-1/8" blade. The discontinued Huntsman and Fieldsman blades are 3-1/4". The Mountaineer has a blade length of 3-3/8", but is a hair higher than your budget.

Happy shopping,
Bob
 
How about a Becker Necker? It's small, durable (!), and relatively unobtrusive. I find it to be a good size for a general purpose fixed blade.

Alternatively, you could go with a Scandi blade by Frosts; they make some nice stainless models, and a small, wood-handled Scandi is hard to mistake for anything other than a camping / hunting tool.

A Grohmann #1 Flat Grind would be nice as well.

All the best,

- Mike
 
Bob Lum Light Bird & Trout. 3 in. plain edged VG10 stainless steel blade. Lightweight bolsterless black micarta handle and a full tang with 8 pins. 7 in. overall?

I really like the TOPS sea wolfe and their BTK as well.
any advice on these two?
 
You may like this one. They are on ebay.
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The Mini-Canadian from Bark-River is my favorite very small fixed blade. Especially with an aftermarked Kydex sheeth its a great little knife (you can get both for unter $100), but since you are looking for something a little bigger (3.5" bladelength, the Mini-Canadian is just over 2") I would suggest the Ontario RAT 3. www.knifeworks.com got them for about $75.
 
The little Benchmade Outbounder is a great light to medium duty fixed blade hiking/camping knife. I bought one a while back to use for kayak fishing/camping and I'm extremely happy with it. Stabilized rosewood handles, 440C, 7.5" OAL. $74.25 @ knifeworks.com. (note:The knife is quite a bit smaller than it appears in most pictures)
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i had a camillus cuda arclite at one point, and i liked it very much. nice and small, but very usefull. i ended up getting a benchmade tether knife as a gift, so i sold the arclite off on eBay. i would prefer to have another sheath for it though, as i did not think the included one did it justice. plastic and did not feel secure enough hang upside down around my neck.

good luck!
 
Give or take a bit of cash, how about a Gene Ingram knife.

D2. Great grind and craftsmanship. I carry mine when enjoying the outdoors.
 
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