best all around knife and why.

Thank you for all your answers. As far as a price range i don't have one, I'm looking for a primary knife.
 
The BK7 and the ESEE 6 that were mentioned are great choices I've owned both, but preferred the ESEE. For me the geometry was better suited for wilderness use. If you can swing the price, a Busse TGLB is a great option as well. INFI is an awesome steel and probably one of the toughest steels available
 
malmais said:
best all around knife and why.
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For YOU it's likely the one YOU find in YOUR pocket or on YOUR belt all the time. Each one of us must determine for ourselves what that knife is.

For me if would be a scout pattern, a Victorinox Farmer to be specific.
 
Most decent Damascus is made with 1095 or 52100 or 1084 or whatever combined with some other carbon steel so if you're ok with 1095 then a Damascus blade will perform pretty much the same. Just make sure you know what the steels are in the Damascus. I don't get why people think Damascus made out of 1095 will perform less than a blade made of solid 1095.
 
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And if price is no object and you're looking for a solid knife, a Winkler knife is one that I'd recommend. Comfortable, extremely well made, and can handle abuse like no other.
 
I do have one. More simple question. What is your favorite blade i see a lot of bushma?ster blades . Buti can'tsay i like the look if them to much are they a stronger blade
 
You could always buy two Condor Bushlore knives. 1075 Carbon steel with a full tang and 4 inch blade. They are cheap enough that you can get two. Abuse the crap out of one, and see how far you can push it. After you learn the limits on the one, you will know how far you can push the second.
 
malmais said:
I do have one. More simple question. What is your favorite blade i see a lot of bushma?ster blades . Buti can'tsay i like the look if them to much are they a stronger blade
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At some point, this becomes like recommending shoes. What I like may not be what you like.

Two main choices: shape and grind.

Major shapes: clip, drop & spear.
Major grinds: flat, hollow, Scandi.

I recommend getting a few cheap learning knives to form an opinion on what works best for you. A Mora Companion and a Buck Bucklite Max will introduce you to different tip and grind types.

FWIW: I think thinner is more versatile than thick, drop point is most versatile, thin convexed Scandi or flat are versatile.
 
The Micarta Bullnose that's in my pocket right now because it's tough and looks good to me. Tomorrow might be something different. :D
 
I have a BK7, and it is great... But, since I got my Busse TGLB, it has not been used. Given your desired specs, intended use, and no budgetary limits, check out the TGLB. It does not disappoint.
 
I have a Becker BK-16 and it was the best knife I've ever had until the blade chipped out. I believe it was the cold weather because i didn't use for anything but opening a few mountain houses. the last night we were there it got below 20 degrees and when i pulled it out in the morning there was a chunk missing.

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EChoil said:
The Wildsteer WX folder is the best all-round knife and the best knife in the world.

If you don't want one of those, one of the DPx HEST II's sounds exactly like what you might want.
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The OP only has 4 posts, lets not jerk him around just yet.
 
There are many factors to be calculated here. Though some may not apply. You need to do all of this on your own. It's your knife.
Most important of all. The laws of the land where ever you carry your knife. A no brainer I know, but.
The environmental conditions you use your knife in. And of everywhere you take your knife. Then study your steels.
P.O.U. Everything you are going to do with the knife. Dressing deer, fishing, splitting wood, SHTF etc.
Be realistic about the size & weight you can carry. The best knife is the one you have on you. Not the one at home.
There is not one perfect knife, buy two. I carry a pocket clip SS folder & a 1095 fix blade. Unless it's frowned on.
Price isn't an issue for you. But I still suggest going for most bang for the buck. Loosing or breaking a knife becomes expensive.
Find company's that have good products and excellent customer service.
Personal style is different for everyone. And we can't tell you what you like. Just the best options for a certain task.
I'm sure I missed a few points. But once you have all of that hammered down. Bring us your options and we can guide you a little bit.
 
I've used a kabar USMC for camping/bushcraft for a long time and it's held up great for me. And like everyone else posted esee, beckers, scrapyard knives would make good camping knives too. IMO I prefer clip and drop points and if you feel a 7" blade is too long I would recommend around a 5" blade (not too big, not too small). And if the question is if I have to pick 1 knife only for some reason, it would be a 5-6" clip point with s30v, San Mai III, or VG-10 laminate. (good rust resistance/edge retention etc...) just my 2¢
 
There's something to be said for the survival by numbers. For the price of a single higher end of mid-range knife (let's say $100 - 150), I can buy 10 opinel 8's in stainless. Or a bunch of smaller and bigger ones in various steels. If I'm not edc-ing it, that would actually be a viable option, and probably preferable if I'd go camping, so when one knife gets potato all over it, I can still slice meat with another, and saw off a tree branch with even another.

More realistically though, there's really no possible way to point out a best knife. Different blade and handle shapes, sizes and steels / materials have different characteristics.
A light and slim knife that might be perfect to edc, could be your worst choice for actually using an hour long. The flat and open handles can dig into your skin and cause blisters, and the blade might be too small.
In opposite, a bigger and comfortable knife like a Buck Alpha Hunter 277 if useless to edc and weighs a ton.
A blade with a supersteel might be too hard to sharpen quickly in the field if that's something you might need to do.

All that said, there's a balance. Something between too small to use and too big to carry, too easily blunt and too hard to sharpen. For some reason I'd probably pick a Cold Steel Code 4 if I had to balance everything out and could only pick one knife, but I don't edc it because it's a bit on the large side. It is a very handsome knife though, and extremely rugged. Handle is not as comfortable as some others but holds amazingly well when wearing gloves (try this for all your knives by the way, for some it's a massive difference).

Like we say in photography: the best knife is the one you have with you (although we use "camera"). For that reason, ability to carry is always high on the list for me. What use is a knife if it's sitting in a drawer at home, except to occasionally fondle and admire it.
 
I agree that it's hard to come up with the best all-around knife but after many years of purchasing users, trying to find the "best", I'll throw out: Folder-ZT350ST, and FixedBlade-Swamprat RMD, or Howling RAT, or Busse Mean Street, or Benchmade 210 Activator, or.....yeah, I'm still shopping. I wouldn't part with any of them. They rotate quite nicely. :)
 
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