Best big knives for the money and for use? $60 or less.

K

kgriggs8

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I am getting into the bigger blades like Kukris and larger bowies and stuff. What is the best big blade not including a machete, ax, hachet or tomahawk for work? I mean camp knife duty or clearing brush and chopping small trees ect.

There are just so many that I don't know where to start. I like the looks of the Becker and Ontario stuff because it looks like it is well designed yet not too expensive. I am not going to take a $400 Busse into the woods and risk losing it. I want to stick to $60 or less give or take.
 
How are you going to lose your knife while in the woods? I have never even lost a pocketknife, much less a sheath knife.

I would probably check out the becker line if I was in your position, but I would probably want to spend a little more and get a Ranger RD 9 with a flat grind. They are pretty economical, and are supposed to be excellent.

Or keep an eye on the HI forum for deals of the day, snag a nice khukuri for under $100.
 
How are you going to lose your knife while in the woods? I have never even lost a pocketknife, much less a sheath knife.
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Beats me how it happens, but I've lost every carry knife I've ever owned. That's what started my neurotic knife obsession - I stopped carrying and losing knives, and before I knew it I had an "Accumulation".

$20 is the most I'll spend on a knife to carry outdoors.
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Anyway, back to Kgrigg8's dilema... Have you heard of Anza knives? Handmade, durable, and inexpensive. Not better or worse than the other suggestions, but something different for you to look at.

For clearing brish and small trees, a bowsaw and hatchet work great, along with a sharp machete or Swedish Brush Axe. Nothing beats a Brush Hog pulled behind a tractor.

For camp chores like cutting tent line and slicing food, an Opinel, Swiss Army Knife or any other inexpensive blade will do.

You might also check out some of the butcher/boning/chefs knives from Old Hickory. Carbon steel, made in the USA, and very traditional. The earliest mountain men and fronteersmen most often carried thin-bladed kitchen knives.

Just some alternative thoughts.

Best Wishes,
Bob
 
kgriggs8 said:
What is the best big blade
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I've seriously abused both the Ontario "Marine Fighter" and the "Taskforce". The Taskforce would be my favorite cheap camp knife except for that darn serrated edge. The Marine Raider is a little too big to be a serious consideration unless it is carried in the truck. I have done some serious chopping with both, they withstood it well and the only sign of my abuse was the wood marks on the edge, which seem to want to stay there.

Both.jpg
 
"Just some alternative thoughts."

Very alternative but actually good ideas. What I am thinking I would like is something like a really large butcher knife. Something with a thin flat ground blade and a length of at least 18" overall for leverage when chopping. That Ranger RD 9 looks very close to what I had in mind.

The thing is this, I have a US military issue machete now and it has been old reliable for over 15 years of work. It is one of the best $15 I ever spent in my life. I have used it more than just about any other blade with the exception of a few folders I have. What I am basically looking for is a large knife that can do 80-90 of what my machete can do. I want something that is a little easier to pack into a kayak or a backpack. The machete is not heavy but it is a little long for some things.
 
Another knife you might want to look at in the $60.00 price range is the Kershaw Outcast. Nice comfortable handle (for my hand anyway). Only had a chance to take a few swipes with one, so I can't say how well the D2 blade would stand up to heavy chopping.
 
thebladeguy said:
I would definetly consider the RD9, one of the best knives out there for there money IMO.

TBG
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Would you please point me to where I could see and buy one of these? I hear about them all the time, but my Google searches turn up nothing but more forum conversations about them. Not even so much as a picture.
 
depending on the brush or trees you're planning on clearing, a khukuri might be a good choice. If you check in the Himalayan Imports Forums around midafternoon EST, there are special deals offered two or three times a week.

You can pick up some serious users at half price for $70-95. :thumbup:
 
I have done the HI Kukri thing and they just preform as well as they should for the weight. For how big and heavy some of them are, I could carry a medium ax and a machete and be way ahead.
 
If you like the 18” Ontario, you might like one of the 12” Ontario machetes.

After comparing them side by side for brush clearing and chopping, I would take the 12” Ontario machete over the Becker BK9, CS LTC, Martindale Golok and Paratrooper that I tried.


Details Here.



- Frank
 
"After comparing them side by side for brush clearing and chopping, I would take the 12” Ontario machete over the Becker BK9, CS LTC, Martindale Golok and Paratrooper that I tried."

WOW! That is exactly the kind of info I was looking for. Thanks.
 
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