Best Edge Retention Bush Craft Knife for the Money?

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Mark Becker

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Dec 18, 2018
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Ok, I watch a lot of knife reviews, but none talk about (or compare) edge retention. If you have the experience, what are the best bush craft knives with long edge retention and easy of sharpening for the money? Under $100, Under $200 and under $400?

If you could add the type of steel is your choice for the price range, that would be helpful.

Cheers!
 
Just keep it simple. You can't go wrong with a simple carbon steel for bushcraft. Easy to sharpen and hold an edge forever, usually don't go together in the same sentence. Unless you're talking about D3V of course. For the budget, for what you are looking for, I would go with a Becker of some flavor.
 
Thanks jdm61, I understand that, but what is your "sweet spot" for whatever price range you have experience?
 
The Winkler Woodsman is about $350.00, and comes with a blade that is 80CrV2, a tough high carbon tool steel with excellent edge holding capabilities.
 
1084 at 60-61, W2 at 61 or so, 3V at 60-61. If I want more abrasion resistance from a simple carbon/low alloy steel and still have it be relatively easy to sharpen, I still have a pile of about 250 pounds of CruForgeV, but that is not readily avalible on the market these days. Price depends on the maker. I know that this is sacrilege, but I would avoid some of the "tough" 1095 knives where the hardness levels are down in the mid 50's. I have seen video of one of those manufacturers alleged super duper heat treatment process and if that is how they actually do it, I am not impressed to say the least.
Mark Becker said:
Thanks jdm61, I understand that, but what is your "sweet spot" for whatever price range you have experience?
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From my most bushcrafty ones.

Under 100$ - Ontario RD6 - 5160 steel - Good edge but not really lasting, tough steel, Piece of cake to sharpen.
Under 100$ - Ontario Rat-5 - 1095 steel - same as above.
Under 100$ - Mora Kansbol - 12C27 steel - Great edge and good edge retention, piece of cake to sharpen.
Under 200$ - Fallkniven F1 - Lam VG10 - Excellent edge and good edge retention, Harder steel but still easy to sharpen.
Under 200$ - Mora Garberg - 14C28N - Excellent edge and better edge retention, a bit Harder steel but still easy to sharpen.
Under 300$ - Bark River Gunny Hunter - A2 - Good edge and good edge retention, tough steel, Piece of cake to sharpen.
Under 300$ - Tops Fieldcraft - 154cm - Excellent edge and great edge retention, Harder but still tough and relatively easy to sharpen.
Under 300$ - Bark River Aurora - CPM3v - Excellent edge and great edge retention, hard and tough, Harder to sharpen but not that much.
 
SteelJunkee said:
From my most bushcrafty ones.

Under 100$ - Ontario RD6 - 5160 steel - Good edge but not really lasting, tough steel, Piece of cake to sharpen.
Under 100$ - Ontario Rat-5 - 1095 steel - same as above.
Under 100$ - Mora Kansbol - 12C27 steel - Great edge and good edge retention, piece of cake to sharpen.
Under 200$ - Fallkniven F1 - Lam VG10 - Excellent edge and good edge retention, Harder steel but still easy to sharpen.
Under 200$ - Mora Garberg - 14C28N - Excellent edge and better edge retention, a bit Harder steel but still easy to sharpen.
Under 300$ - Bark River Gunny Hunter - A2 - Good edge and good edge retention, tough steel, Piece of cake to sharpen.
Under 300$ - Tops Fieldcraft - 154cm - Excellent edge and great edge retention, Harder but still tough and relatively easy to sharpen.
Under 300$ - Bark River Aurora - CPM3v - Excellent edge and great edge retention, hard and tough, Harder to sharpen but not that much.
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The Mora Garberg is an under $100 knife!
 
I'd probably recommend the Cold Steel Master Hunter in 3V. You can typically find it for about $100 if you shop around a bit. FFG 4.5" blade weighing in at about 6oz, so you should have good control of the blade without fatiguing too quickly, the handle is textured in such a manner that you are not going to lose your grip, and the 3V steel will likely take whatever you could throw at it in a bushcraft situation.
 
The best I have found is D3V. The HDFK by Carothers is at the top of the range you have listed but if you want a top quality knife with edge retention, toughness, and ergonomics that will excel at bushcraft chores and be easy to sharpen, you can’t go wrong. They make some amazing knives!
 
TOPS Fieldcraft is listed as being made from 1095 at 56-58 and can be had for $140. Makes me wary. No reason IMO to have a knife made from steel like that any softer than 60Rc. At .190 thick with a scandi/saber grind, "toughness" would not be a not an big issue as the spine is not going to get that hard anyway even with best methods because the steel is so shallow hardening. If it is not tough enough, then you are using the wrong steel.
SteelJunkee said:
From my most bushcrafty ones.

Under 100$ - Ontario RD6 - 5160 steel - Good edge but not really lasting, tough steel, Piece of cake to sharpen.
Under 100$ - Ontario Rat-5 - 1095 steel - same as above.
Under 100$ - Mora Kansbol - 12C27 steel - Great edge and good edge retention, piece of cake to sharpen.
Under 200$ - Fallkniven F1 - Lam VG10 - Excellent edge and good edge retention, Harder steel but still easy to sharpen.
Under 200$ - Mora Garberg - 14C28N - Excellent edge and better edge retention, a bit Harder steel but still easy to sharpen.
Under 300$ - Bark River Gunny Hunter - A2 - Good edge and good edge retention, tough steel, Piece of cake to sharpen.
Under 300$ - Tops Fieldcraft - 154cm - Excellent edge and great edge retention, Harder but still tough and relatively easy to sharpen.
Under 300$ - Bark River Aurora - CPM3v - Excellent edge and great edge retention, hard and tough, Harder to sharpen but not that much.
Click to expand...
 
Yes, but Nate's blades are darn close to unobatinium.
Ryan Thompson said:
The best I have found is D3V. The HDFK by Carothers is at the top of the range you have listed but if you want a top quality knife with edge retention, toughness, and ergonomics that will excel at bushcraft chores and be easy to sharpen, you can’t go wrong. They make some amazing knives!
Click to expand...
 
In terms of materials/price ratio I have no experience with, but have been sorely tempted by the recently released Benchmade Puuko. A blade just under 3” in 3v for about $120 is a pretty solid punch in the face to Fallkniven who offers the F1 in VG10 laminate at that same price point.
 
I have a very old CS Master Hunter in the original Carbon V which was, by all accounts, Sharon 0170-6 aka 50-100B aka 1095 CroVan. Not bad but the edge was quite thick. Have they thinned it down on the new 3V version?
Comeuppance said:
I'd probably recommend the Cold Steel Master Hunter in 3V. You can typically find it for about $100 if you shop around a bit. FFG 4.5" blade weighing in at about 6oz, so you should have good control of the blade without fatiguing too quickly, the handle is textured in such a manner that you are not going to lose your grip, and the 3V steel will likely take whatever you could throw at it in a bushcraft situation.
Click to expand...
 
jdm61 said:
I have a very old CS Master Hunter in the original Carbon V which was, by all accounts, Sharon 0170-6 aka 50-100B aka 1095 CroVan. Not bad but the edge was quite thick. Have they thinned it down on the new 3V version?
Click to expand...
IIRC I read that they are thinner and have more belly to the blade . I have an older model San Mai . Great knife !
 
I dont do bushcraft type of stuff, I just beat the crap out of my knives at work. If you end up using it hard it's not too difficult to ruin the edge no matter what steel you use. So I would keep a small stone handy, if your not comfortable with that than look into the worksharp pocket sharpener to help keep an edge on your blades.

This is actually where the simpler low wear resistant steels shine. If you damage the edge you can repair it very quickly and put and edge on it.
 
The new Becker bk62 looks like a pretty solid contender in the 150$ range. If I was going higher priced than that, it would be worth jumping to something in the LT Wright or Fiddleback class, especially if you can get something in 3V. When it comes to price, what are you buying, heat treat, steel and design or a lot of polishing belts and time?

The hard thing with edge retention is that it can be very subjective, and depends a lot on type of use as well as geometry, and that's before we talk materials, edge finish, even surface finish and technique can matter. For example some steels will handle abrasion really well, but won't handle the stresses that batoning old knotty timber bring. And many steels that can handle that old knotted stuff just fine won't handle the abrasion or point pressure on the edge. Many times its along the lines of all jobs are quick, cheap and good, pick two.
 
jdm61 said:
I have a very old CS Master Hunter in the original Carbon V which was, by all accounts, Sharon 0170-6 aka 50-100B aka 1095 CroVan. Not bad but the edge was quite thick. Have they thinned it down on the new 3V version?
Click to expand...
The Carbon V master hunters came in two different grinds, one was a thin distal taper. The other was thicker overall, and was similar to the aus-8 and San Mai MH grinds. The thicker ones came with a single snap sheath, the thinner ones came with the double snap sheath.

The new 3V master hunters have the favorable thin distal taper. Quite nice knives for the price.
 
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