Affordable small fixed blade for small survival kit

You cant go wrong with a Mora or a SAK.

I agree with everyone you said pay the few bucks more and get the Izula.
 
Maybe cold steel line in Krupp ss. Canadian belt knife, finn bear and the like. Good blades for around $13
 
rpn said:
Good call...or the rodan...that looks like a tough beater...

Like all the mora ideas too

Like someone else said, with a SAK...nice package!
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The Rodan IS tough, until you leave it on your stove with the wrong burner on (oops)... Melted the handle. Cutting the rest of it off tonight with a hobby saw and giving it a jute-and-leather wrap. The steel is kinda soft but very easy to get shaving sharp again. Allaround a good belt/survival knife, very ergonomic.
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jonnyt16 said:
I too would like to see that test. And you can put my money on the Izula.
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Everyone owns a box cutter or utility knife. Grab it find a scrap piece of 2x4 or even 4x4 and start cutting the corners down. Hold it just like in the video. Downward swipes, use gloves so you can get a better grip and use your body weight. A sharp utility blade would amaze you just how far it will go...and in pine..lumbar might I add..it cuts pretty easy. Honestly try it yourselves. I'm not knocking the Izula but that test proves very little to me. That blade size and handle limit that knife's abilities. As a sole survival knife I would look at a longer blade, this is just my opinion take it or leave it. Someone mentioned a Condor Rodan...very nice as well! The blade length not to mention the handle opens up way more ability/capability than the izula. Once again I like it in fact I want one badly but honestly not as a sole knife for a survival kit. I guess for a micro-survival kit maybe...I dont know. Once again just my opinion and please...seriously try the utility knife on a pine 2x4 or even a 4x4. Utility knife + 2x4 = Spoon - Bowl. I couldnt cut the bowl in the spoon with a utility knife..that didnt work at all!!!
 
That Condor Rodan looks pretty good. Anyone know anything about its 1075 steel? I still am not quite sure what steel goes into the Moras. How does the mora steel compare to the Rodan 1075? For reference, how do they both compare to something like ESEE's 1095?
 
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Kirk_Ferentz said:
That Condor Rodan looks pretty good? Anyone know anything about its 1075 steel? I still am not quite sure what steel goes into the Moras. How does the mora steel compare to the Rodan 1075? For reference, how do they both compare to something like ESEE's 1095?
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Mora carbon steel is 1095, their stainless is 12C27 Sandvik. I have never had any problems with Mora steel, but people here will probably tell you that ESEE has a better heat treat on their blades. 1075 is similar to 1095, but with less carbon.
 
So I'm guessing the mora steel should be expected to have better edge retention but the condor easier to re-sharpen?
 
soapboxpreacher said:
Everyone owns a box cutter or utility knife. Grab it find a scrap piece of 2x4 or even 4x4 and start cutting the corners down. Hold it just like in the video. Downward swipes, use gloves so you can get a better grip and use your body weight. A sharp utility blade would amaze you just how far it will go...and in pine..lumbar might I add..it cuts pretty easy. Honestly try it yourselves. I'm not knocking the Izula but that test proves very little to me. That blade size and handle limit that knife's abilities. As a sole survival knife I would look at a longer blade, this is just my opinion take it or leave it. Someone mentioned a Condor Rodan...very nice as well! The blade length not to mention the handle opens up way more ability/capability than the izula. Once again I like it in fact I want one badly but honestly not as a sole knife for a survival kit. I guess for a micro-survival kit maybe...I dont know. Once again just my opinion and please...seriously try the utility knife on a pine 2x4 or even a 4x4. Utility knife + 2x4 = Spoon - Bowl. I couldnt cut the bowl in the spoon with a utility knife..that didnt work at all!!!
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You make very good points and I agree with you on most of them. I also don't doubt for a second that a utility blade could cut its way through a 4X4. However, could a utility blade do it in 5 minutes like the Izula? And then could it shave hair right afterward as effortlesssly as the Izula did??
 
Kirk_Ferentz said:
So I'm guessing the mora steel should be expected to have better edge retention but the condor easier to re-sharpen?
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Actually, no knives, reagrdless of steel, are going to be easier to re-sharp than Scandi grinds IMHO and from my experience. Moras (and other various scandi grind knives, have only one bezel that generally goes about half way up the blade. You simply hold that large bezel flat against your sharpening stone (or whatever you are sharpening with) and that basically ensures you are sharpening at the right angle. It is more or less dummy-proof. Other knives with a standard bezel it is much easier to get the angle wrong which can actually make your knife duller than before you started.

As far as 1075 vs 1095, I have no experience with 1075, but my guess is that most people couldn't even tell the difference between 1095 and 1075.
 
Kirk_Ferentz said:
That Condor Rodan looks pretty good. Anyone know anything about its 1075 steel? I still am not quite sure what steel goes into the Moras. How does the mora steel compare to the Rodan 1075? For reference, how do they both compare to something like ESEE's 1095?
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I'm 90% sure the Mora stainless is 12C27-as for its high carbon steel, I'm not sure, but they reliably HT it to RC59 and it holds a VERY nice edge. The Condor 1075 is a bit softer-but that's OK- two passes with 2000 grit wet and dry after a days' worth of use and it's shaving again. My estimate would be around RC55, which some people may automatically dismiss as useless but I would highly disagree. I'd rather have a softer blade like this that's easier to get slicing sharp than have a hard blade that micro fractures and takes 3-4 hours of hand sharpening to get usable after a good working over. I'd buy a Condor knife again. Compared to ESEE's steel... well, a scandi and a convex is hard to compare to a full flat grind. Really not much of a hardness difference between the Moras and ESEE. Condor is softer. An offcentered chop or something like that may roll the edge, but it will shape right back up. It really is a quality HT. It may be entirely different to something you've used before but don't dismiss it as a capable tool. It's 20 bucks :/
The Woodlore is really callin' to me...

Oguruma, I agree-Scandis are the way to go. And you can EASILY reprofile condor's full convex into a zero-ish grind.
 
One thing that bothers me about the moras is the stick tang. I'm actually pretty surprised that it gets so many recommendations as a survival knife ... one of the most fundamental criteria that I think of is a tang that can be re-handled if necessary, but it looks like those would be pretty hard to use if the blade came loose from the handle... Maybe I'm missing something.
 
Kirk_Ferentz said:
One thing that bothers me about the moras is the stick tang. I'm actually pretty surprised that it gets so many recommendations as a survival knife ... one of the most fundamental criteria that I think of is a tang that can be re-handled if necessary, but it looks like those would be pretty hard to use if the blade came loose from the handle... Maybe I'm missing something.
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Someone did a thread on re-handling a mora with only survival tools and did a very professional job. You just carve out a rough imprint on one of the scales, use pitch to glue the two halves together and lash it with cordage. It gets so many recommendations because for the most part it's used as a slicer in addition to a capable beater blade, like a machete, which would take care of all the rough use tasks. In which case you wouldn't be breaking that molded handle ANY time soon. As long as you keep it away from the fire so it doesn't melt off... (woops-melted my Rodan handle, it's getting burlap and leather wrapped tonight)
 
rctk1 said:
The sheath on the Ritter sucks, after taking the knife out several times the knife wont stay in if you hold it upside down.
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Agreed. Even after heating, and compressing... it will hold for a bit, then falls out again. Nice little blade though.
 
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