Best 5" fixed knife for hard work without a convex edge

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evert67

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Oct 22, 2011
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For work in the woods I am looking for a fixed blade knife I'll be using for splitting wood, battoning and other hard work. I'll be taking a 3.4" folder for the lighter work. The fixed blade should be 5-6 inch long and be made of steenless steel. (It's quite wet where I live.)

My absolute favorite for this used to be the Fallkniven S1. It is very stong, holds an edge well and... it has a convex edge. That's even an advantage when you try to split the wood. Unfortunately, it is very hard to sharpen for me. (I am a bad sharpener anyway, but I can get good results with a Sharpmaker.) I'm fed up with bringing it to a professional sharpener again, so I am looking for an alternative.

What, according to you is the best knife for my purposes that doesn't have a convex adge? (And some people might say: learn the mouse-pad and sandpaper method. Yes, tried so, didn't work.)
 
That edge can be changed to a standard V edge without much problem then you would have your knife.
 
I'm pretty partial to the Ontario Ranger RD series....the RD6 should suit you.

Cue the Becker fans! (They are excellent knives also.)
 
Well, I'm going to go ahead and suggest a Becker; BK2, BK7, BK10. I bet I'm not the only one to suggest these either. They are not stainless, but they are coated. They are easy to sharpen flat grinds, and they are pretty much indestructible. The BK2 might be the best of these for splitting stuff.
 
Ankerson said:
That edge can be changed to a standard V edge without much problem then you would have your knife.
Click to expand...

Yep, though I'm not sure why you can't just sharpen it on your sharpmaker. Is the edge too obtuse for the sharpener?
 
I have a selection of 4" - 6" knives to woods use. I even have an ESEE RC-5 with the original sheath - great combo. But - the bargain in the 5" range is the KaBar/Becker BK2. I have one - bought last summer with the aftermarket Micarta grips. As it comes - with the plastic-like grips - it is super - and all you need in the woods. The beauty is that a cursory search will find it in the $60 range - shipped. One heck of a bargain - and it's slick coat makes it a better chopper/slicer than the RC-5, while protecting it from the elements. Here is the BK2 (top) and the RC-5 (bottom):

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You can always add the Micarta grips, should you wish, at a later date. I bought my son a BK2 for Christmas - with the standard grips - showed him mine above. He thanked me for leaving his original - he likes them better. Great product.

Stainz

PS Today, the RC-5 is over twice the price of a BK2.
 
You could try an Ontario RAT-5 in D2. Chestnut ridge has them in your price range. Even though D2 is technically not stainless, it's close and the blade is well coated with a flat grind. I have a RAT-7 in D2 for a woods knife, and it is stout. The D2 doesn't come razor sharp out of the box, but one good sharpening and it has stayed sharp through quite a bit of chopping and batoning. You can buy it with either a nylon sheath or kydex.
 
Bk2. Coating makes corrosion a non issue. A little oil on the edge when storing is at it will need even in the most damp environments
 
If all you are going to do is split wood why not use an ax? If you are set on a knife I think you would be best off with a tough steel like 1095. On a coated blade edge rust is not a big deal if you wipe the blade down after use. It shouldn't rust much or at all and you can sharpen it away.
 
don't forget Scrap Yard Dumpster Mutt or 511, blackbird sk5, buck 119, and schrade has a nice one thats 440 stainless, very inexpensive and good quality. Here's a pic and a link to one of the site you can get it. Also if you have a bigger budget check out the Al Mar SERE w/ 5" blade, or Spyderco's Temperance II or Woodlander(pics of both below)
http://www.knifecountryusa.com/stor...e-knife-with-black-brown-micarta-handles.html
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FB05P2_M.jpgFB18P_M.jpg
 
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Ankerson said:
That edge can be changed to a standard V edge without much problem then you would have your knife.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a good idea! Only... how? As I said, stones are not an option for me, and there is quite a bit of material to be removed. That 'd probably take me days on my Sharpmaker.
 
evert67 said:
That sounds like a good idea! Only... how? As I said, stones are not an option for me, and there is quite a bit of material to be removed. That 'd probably take me days on my Sharpmaker.
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According to your opening post, you know a professional knife sharpener. It would be easy work for him.
 
Raymond1000 said:
According to your opening post, you know a professional knife sharpener. It would be easy work for him.
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:) Yes, and according to my opening post I don't prefer that method. Actually, the guy has ruined one of my knives. It was said it was easy to make a convex edge into a V edge, so I wondered how.
 
evert67 said:
That sounds like a good idea! Only... how? As I said, stones are not an option for me, and there is quite a bit of material to be removed. That 'd probably take me days on my Sharpmaker.
Click to expand...

Thats an exaggeration. It does not take days on the Sharpmaker. Assuming you have the VG-10 version, then 10 mins and you'll start to see the V-edge. I have an F1 myself that i sharpen on the Sharpmaker, so im talking out of experience. Use the grey rods mounted, so you are sharpening with the corner of the stone.

Give it a go on the Sharpmaker and use it. Repeat. Before you know it, you'll have V-edged S1.
 
PropThePolecat said:
Thats an exaggeration. It does not take days on the Sharpmaker. Assuming you have the VG-10 version, then 10 mins and you'll start to see the V-edge. I have an F1 myself that i sharpen on the Sharpmaker, so im talking out of experience. Use the grey rods mounted, so you are sharpening with the corner of the stone.
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Really? Are you talking about the standard Sharpmaker stones, not the diamond ones sold separately?
 
The Swamp Rat Ratmandu is a great blade. The Scrap Yard 511 or a S5 as well. While they aren't stainless, just a little care keeps them in good condition in my experience.
 
evert67 said:
Really? Are you talking about the standard Sharpmaker stones, not the diamond ones sold separately?
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Yeah, the standard grey ones. Try it out, and you will see a micro v-edge take form relatively fast. It'll only get bigger with each sharpening session.
 
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