Best 4" to 6" fixed-blade hiking/camping knife for under $100?

Originally posted by Hoodoo
I have the Marbles Special Hunter II and it has two things going against it. A) It's very thick and not a very good slicer at all and B) the deeply grooved horn handles are not comfortable to use. . . . I've handled one with horn handles and I'm really glad I didn't get it. This is a blade that would have benefited greatly from being made of 3/16 or smaller stock. But on the plus side, it's a convex edge that goes all the way out so that helps it bite into things. It will make a nice bite into wood but it will not peel off a large chip. It does not cut as well as a Woodcraft or a Sport 99 for that matter.
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Thanks Hoodoo--just the kind of info I'm looking for. I cancelled my Special Hunter order. Too bad, the other marbles just don't grab me.

Like Architect, I'll also be carrying a folder (in my case a Victorinos Outrider and/or Benchmade 806D2), so I'm leaning toward the longer end of my 4" to 6" range. The Talon and Ka-Bar Impact are a little too small for my taste.

The Yari looks veryinteresting--particularly at Wholesale Hunter's $65 price. I'll have to take another look at the Yari and the M2 Nimravus (assuming it can be had for under $100). I'll also take a look at Ragweed Forge's offerings. Right now I'm thinking a Cold Steel second--Master Hunter or SRK--might be the way to go--lots of bang for the buck. I'm not in a huge hurry, though, so maybe I'll still be in the market when Swamprat releases their smaller knives.
 
What about a Sissipuukko M.95? The only US vendor I've found wants $150, but you can get one at various european sites for $65 plus shipping. I'm still leaning toward a Cold Steel second or a $65 Yari, but the Sissipuuko looks interesting.

Hoodoo, what do you think of your Mora 2000? Looks like a great knife for under $30!
 
The Mora 2000 is a great knife. Another good Mora is the Swedish Army Knife. You can buy it at Smokey Mt Knifeworks for 7 or 8 bucks. Either of these knives will whittle like demons. Both are stainless but you will be hard pressed to find fault with Swedish stainless, imo. These knives well slice through rope and carve wood effortlessly. And one of the very cool things I love about Nordic knives in general is the single-beveled V grind which makes for easy sharpening in the field. Just lay the bevel FLAT on a good stone and sharpen. No guessing at the angle. Just drag across the stone and then strop. Then go slice and carve your heart out. Or someone else's heart, whatever you prefer. ;) Perhaps the only drawback is the lack of full tang. But you can carry TWO Swedish Army knives, and still weigh less that your sharpened prybar, and you will have a nice backup. And while I'm not usually a fan of "rubber" or "plastic" handled knives, I don't know why but I feel fairly confident with the Moras. They are comfy and have a nice, solid feel. If you don't abuse them, they should last a lifetime.
 
Will, I never noticed those before. Full-tang Nordic knives are about as scarce as hens teeth. I know of a couple hand-made models that are pricey (Bison Bushcraft and Ray Mears) but I've never seen a Frosts model. If you find anything else about them, I'd be really interested in a source. It looks like they even have bolsters!
 
Hoodoo, I know what you mean, I was suprised to find them. I have found a UK company that say they can order me one.

I'm also trying to make a similar knife at the moment, pretty much a copy of the woodlore knife out of 01.

Will
 
Get a Cold Steel Mini-Bushman or Bushman. Spend a few extra bucks on a better sheath. I have the Bushman and can't kill it. Wrapped the handle with gaffers tape.

Cheap, lightweight and effective. Sharpen it on a rock.

A knife made to use, not look at and think about how it would be too bad to scratch up. I feel knida like a caveman when I use it. UURRRGGHHHHHEEEYYAAAA!!!! GRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!
 
IMO the best blade for the money is the Ontario Spec-Plus line.Great knives in 1095 carbon with great handles and sheaths for under $40.00 seems a no brainer for the cash.Look at the quartermaster and the marine combat.
 
Will, please let us know how your knife project turns out. I found out from Jimbo that they also carry Lapplander blanks. I'd love to get a hold of one or two of those.
 
jefroman,
Justy curious of how you can say that the Swamp Rat 4.5 in. fixed blade would be the "perfect choice" since they haven't even been released yet. If you were lucky enough to get one early, please review it, because it does look good for the money. However, since it hasn't yet been released, it is probably a bit premature to call it a "perfect choice" based on looks alone (even with Busse's great reputation).
 
Originally posted by Hoodoo
Another good Mora is the Swedish Army Knife. You can buy it at Smokey Mt Knifeworks for 7 or 8 bucks. Either of these knives will whittle like demons. Both are stainless but you will be hard pressed to find fault with Swedish stainless, imo. These knives well slice through rope and carve wood effortlessly. And one of the very cool things I love about Nordic knives in general is the single-beveled V grind which makes for easy sharpening in the field. Just lay the bevel FLAT on a good stone and sharpen. No guessing at the angle. Just drag across the stone and then strop. Then go slice and carve your heart out. Or someone else's heart, whatever you prefer. ;) If you don't abuse them, they should last a lifetime.
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I just wanted to repeat Hoodoo's recommendation and add my own. I just love these $8 'Swedish Army' knives from Frosts! I've got 2 or 3 scattered around, and just finished sharpening a new one, it took maybe a minute to get it 'hair popping' sharp. The sheath for these looks funky...but they work well. A bugout kit without one of these isn't complete, a car without one stashed in the toolkit is a cry for help.

Any time I order from SMKW, I just add one or two of these to the order. Buy six and you've got most of your Christmas shopping done for the year!:)
 
I think the TAK knife that Jeff Randall has designed will be just what you are looking for. Check out this link and scroll to the very bottom to see a photo of what I believe will be a truly awesome knife and fits the description of what you seek: http://www.jungletraining.com/new_knives.htm

Can't wait 'till these come out!:D
 
Dh Russel sells lots of good knifes. All are under $60CDN, unles you want wierd stuf for the handle. All work well for everyday bush stuff. I would go for the Candadian Military one since the sheath sits low on the belt so it dont afect you with a back pack.

The steel isnt so good, but there is no pob sharpining one of a good flat rock.
 
I got a Yari to try on Hoodoo's recommendation. I might also pick up some Moras for our vehicles, tool and camping boxes, etc.
 
Diletante et al.:

here's another vote for the Scandinavian knives. For $100 you could order two or maybe three of Ragnar's best, already made up.

I've put together a few using Helle & Karesuando blades; they aren't fancy at all but are working hard. For a pic see
<http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~bonamici/misc/hobbies/knifepics/kniven.html>

I use the maple handled knife regularly for yardwork, camping, fishing, etc. BTW the Scandinavian-style "swing" type sheath is extremely comfortable even when driving a car.
Hope this is helpful feedback,

Andrew
 
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