Best full tang stainless bowie <$300?

[Cobalt]

Thanks for the advice. I'm admittedly a little lax of cleaning my firearms, but I do eventually do it. I just don't do it after every range trip, like I did when I was younger. The guy I spoke with, had the same experience as you with a stainless steel knife. He didn't think he would have to oil AUS-8 or AUS-10 steel, and his knife rusted badly on him, because he lived near the ocean. My AUS-10A knife has a tiny rust spot on it, because I thought the same thing. I forgot I was sweating on it daily. And the rust spot did occur directly where the knife was close to my waistband, where we tend to sweat the most. I'm going to buy one of those rust eraser things. The rust is in a difficult spot to remove. I do want to mess up the stone washed finish, by spraying it with harsh chemicals.

I'd like to know how you maintained that non-stainless steel blade for 24 years, despite living near the ocean.

I think there is a big difference between folders and fixed blades, just because of all the inaccessible spots on a folder. I would prefer stainless steel in a folder for sure. As for maintaining my fixed blades, I spray them with canola oil, which has the property of mild bond to the surface and keeps rust off. I also use gun oils and greases. Now that knife in the pic did not belong to me, it belong to an old time member from way back, Cliff Stamp. I own it now. That knife has been thru hell and back. He used it a lot on Newfoundland, where he lived. When I mean a lot, I mean like processing small forests with it yearly. It took me almost 3 days to clean it and get the smell out of it and it's sheath. It is INFI, an 8% Cr steel.

This is what it looked like when I got it, which is what it looked like for most of it's life.

This is what it looks like now. Took me about 4 days to get the finish like this, by hand. It's not perfect, but it is much better. As you can see, I left the marks on the handle by the first bolt as an ID.

My point, besides showing knife pics, is that if this knife survived hard work on Newfoundland for 24 years, any knife can, with proper care.
So if you see a knife you like that is not stainless, but has some alloy content in it, don't shy away fro it. cpm3V isn't stainless but it resists rust very well, so does K329, modA8. Even my S7 blades resist rust well. L6 and 5160 isn't to bad either.

 

[VorpelSword]

I would go with a Randall Special ; the off catalog Sasquatch. The large one looks unwieldy top me. The "small" one however looks to be a really effective massive knife.

Unfortunately, both are only available on e-Bay at well over a grand or two.

Nearly identical knock-offs are also available, but quality is questionable.

 

[DDDYLN]

I would go with a Randall Special ; the off catalog Sasquatch. The large one looks unwieldy top me. The "small" one however looks to be a really effective massive knife.

Unfortunately, both are only available on e-Bay at well over a grand or two.

Nearly identical knock-offs are also available, but quality is questionable.

Yeah, I don't have a grand to spend on a knife, unless I sell on of my 1911 pistols.

 

[DDDYLN]

I think there is a big difference between folders and fixed blades, just because of all the inaccessible spots on a folder. I would prefer stainless steel in a folder for sure. As for maintaining my fixed blades, I spray them with canola oil, which has the property of mild bond to the surface and keeps rust off. I also use gun oils and greases. Now that knife in the pic did not belong to me, it belong to an old time member from way back, Cliff Stamp. I own it now. That knife has been thru hell and back. He used it a lot on Newfoundland, where he lived. When I mean a lot, I mean like processing small forests with it yearly. It took me almost 3 days to clean it and get the smell out of it and it's sheath. It is INFI, an 8% Cr steel.

This is what it looked like when I got it, which is what it looked like for most of it's life.

This is what it looks like now. Took me about 4 days to get the finish like this, by hand. It's not perfect, but it is much better. As you can see, I left the marks on the handle by the first bolt as an ID.

My point, besides showing knife pics, is that if this knife survived hard work on Newfoundland for 24 years, any knife can, with proper care.
So if you see a knife you like that is not stainless, but has some alloy content in it, don't shy away fro it. cpm3V isn't stainless but it resists rust very well, so does K329, modA8. Even my S7 blades resist rust well. L6 and 5160 isn't to bad either.

Busse's INFI steel is a proprietary blend that's partially stainless, much like CPM-3V or D2 (I never trust knives listed as D2). From reading Busse's website, INFI has excellent corrosion resistance in harsh environments. I don't think a high carbon steel blade (1075-1095, 5160, 52100) would resist rust like that INFI steel. That said, my carbon steel blades are all coated. It's just the edge that's exposed. I don't have $1K+ to spend on a Busse INFI steel knife, unless they have a model that's reasonably priced.

 

[DDDYLN]

I think there is a big difference between folders and fixed blades, just because of all the inaccessible spots on a folder. I would prefer stainless steel in a folder for sure. As for maintaining my fixed blades, I spray them with canola oil, which has the property of mild bond to the surface and keeps rust off. I also use gun oils and greases. Now that knife in the pic did not belong to me, it belong to an old time member from way back, Cliff Stamp. I own it now. That knife has been thru hell and back. He used it a lot on Newfoundland, where he lived. When I mean a lot, I mean like processing small forests with it yearly. It took me almost 3 days to clean it and get the smell out of it and it's sheath. It is INFI, an 8% Cr steel.

This is what it looked like when I got it, which is what it looked like for most of it's life.

This is what it looks like now. Took me about 4 days to get the finish like this, by hand. It's not perfect, but it is much better. As you can see, I left the marks on the handle by the first bolt as an ID.

My point, besides showing knife pics, is that if this knife survived hard work on Newfoundland for 24 years, any knife can, with proper care.
So if you see a knife you like that is not stainless, but has some alloy content in it, don't shy away fro it. cpm3V isn't stainless but it resists rust very well, so does K329, modA8. Even my S7 blades resist rust well. L6 and 5160 isn't to bad either.

I would ask to buy your knife, but I suspect you would never part with it!

 

[Cobalt]

Busse's INFI steel is a proprietary blend that's partially stainless, much like CPM-3V or D2 (I never trust knives listed as D2). From reading Busse's website, INFI has excellent corrosion resistance in harsh environments. I don't think a high carbon steel blade (1075-1095, 5160, 52100) would resist rust like that INFI steel. That said, my carbon steel blades are all coated. It's just the edge that's exposed. I don't have $1K+ to spend on a Busse INFI steel knife, unless they have a model that's reasonably priced.

So INFI isn't stainless but it does have good stainless qualities. So do the other steels I mentioned. I know that busse knife is above of your price range, but a work tuff knife would not be. So for example the work tuff puzon bowie in k329 sold for just under $300 and it would be at the top of the performance list at that price

 

[Cobalt]

I would ask to buy your knife, but I suspect you would never part with it!

Pretty much. I will eventually pass it on to someone who was both a fan of Cliff and Busse. I knife like this needs to go out working. I didn't clean it up to make it a safe queen, it will get used this year.

 

[DDDYLN]

So INFI isn't stainless but it does have good stainless qualities. So do the other steels I mentioned. I know that busse knife is above of your price range, but a work tuff knife would not be. So for example the work tuff puzon bowie in k329 sold for just under $300 and it would be at the top of the performance list at that price

I do like Work Tuff fixed blades a lot. I've been thinking about buying one for a few years now. I always tell myself I don't need one, considering I have an Ontario SP10 Marine Raider Bowie in 1075 high carbon steel. Work Tuff knives are damn near indestructible, and they come with nice Kydex sheaths. That said, they are uncoated high carbon steel. I do think they sell one black coated Bowie knife, but it's not the style of knife I'm looking for. That Busse knife you have, is the style of knife I'm looking for. The other problem with Work Tuff, is that they are almost ALWAYS out of stock. I've tried to find a Puzon Bowie to buy several times, and I couldn't find one. They seem to do limited runs, and their knives sell out almost immediately.

 

[DDDYLN]

So INFI isn't stainless but it does have good stainless qualities. So do the other steels I mentioned. I know that busse knife is above of your price range, but a work tuff knife would not be. So for example the work tuff puzon bowie in k329 sold for just under $300 and it would be at the top of the performance list at that price

I'll probably just lube my Ontario SP10 Marine Raider Bowie, and use that. The sheaths aren't great, but they're not terrible either. Hopefully the black coating on the tang won't rust. There's no way to get to it, unless I remove the Kraton over-mould handle, and creat custom handle scales for it. I actually like the Kraton handles quite a bit. You can get a good grip without gloves, and there's less impact on the hands.

 

[adluginb]

With Magncut being what I like best in the Stainless, "high stain resistance", under that would be 14C28N or Aeb-L. Both of these are just as tough as 3V, tougher than Magnacut and a lot more stainless resistance over 3V according to knifesteelnerds.

 

[VorpelSword]

Yeah, I don't have a grand to spend on a knife, unless I sell on of my 1911 pistols.

Check out the Sasquatch special offerings anyway. You might want to give up a nice pistol for one. They are not available from Randll Made directly, so a bartr-swap might be possible with the dealer.

Lots of folks have more than one "really nice" 1911. Not that many have a unique knife like that.

 

[Ebbtide]

……fixed blade in my vehicle, and not worry about it rusting, assuming it is slathered in petroleum jelly…..

How about a dry bag like kayakers use?
Put all your water sensitive RLSS gear in there and not worry.
Or even a waterproof hard container.

I mean, I get it, DDD wants a new knife. That’s why we’re all here lol.
But after 8 pages it seems pretty clear to me that we are chasing a unicorn.
Bowie & stainless don’t seem to go together. Less than $300, even more so.
So, what to do?
First let’s decide priorities (no wrong answers here, think of it as a fork in the road).
New knife or well prepared RLSS truck tailgate kit?
If the choice is new knife, then Bubba’s your cuzzin & the choices are many (with the caveats above).
Once one lets go of the stainless requirement the options open up.
As for rust, if you can maintain your firearm and tools, you can maintain a camp knife. I saltwater boat fished for years before the internet with a Schrade Sharpfinger. It looked like an old hammer & got used plenty for cutting bait and cleaning piles of 5-8 lb bluefish. The only time it got orange rust was after a day of too much sun and beer. That powdery coat of orange came off with some 000 steel wool and WD 40. It’s a tool after all.

Look at what the Vikings accomplished with carbon steel and open boats

If the choice is RLSS ready truck, then DDD is half way there with his Ontario machete. Add a 18” camp axe and call it done.* In another thread I suggested a GB Small Forest Axe without realizing how stupid the prices have become. I’m sure similar exists.

*Throw in a saw as well. SvenSaws don’t take up much room. Better a 24” bow saw but I don’t know how much space there is.

 

[Cobalt]

I'll probably just lube my Ontario SP10 Marine Raider Bowie, and use that. The sheaths aren't great, but they're not terrible either. Hopefully the black coating on the tang won't rust. There's no way to get to it, unless I remove the Kraton over-mould handle, and creat custom handle scales for it. I actually like the Kraton handles quite a bit. You can get a good grip without gloves, and there's less impact on the hands.

Marine raider is a classic and tough blade. With it's coating, you won't have any issues. I navigated through Virginia deep woods with one for a week and it did everything well.

 

[TC]

I'm not sure I'm aloud to say the name of the knife reseller company, but I know where you can get the Joker Nomad 6.5" for about $105 with free shipping.

IIRC you are allowed to name any company, but not to post live links unless they are a sponsor here.

 

[Cobalt]

So again down the road when you do feel like picking up something else, I just got these two customs out of forged 5160 steel. They are the style you like and custom made. 5160 spends it's life under a mercedes in all conditions, so I think it suits your needs and they look beautiful Best of all the smaller one is just under 300. hellize made these and they are stunning in person. The smaller one is an 8.5" blade, the larger one is 10.5"

 

[DDDYLN]

IIRC you are allowed to name any company, but not to post live links unless they are a sponsor here.

Thank you.

 

[DDDYLN]

So again down the road when you do feel like picking up something else, I just got these two customs out of forged 5160 steel. They are the style you like and custom made. 5160 spends it's life under a mercedes in all conditions, so I think it suits your needs and they look beautiful Best of all the smaller one is just under 300. hellize made these and they are stunning in person. The smaller one is an 8.5" blade, the larger one is 10.5"

Thank you. I'll take a look. And yes, that's the blade profile I'm looking for, provided they have a flat or convex edge (convex preferred).

 

[DDDYLN]

How about a dry bag like kayakers use?
Put all your water sensitive RLSS gear in there and not worry.
Or even a waterproof hard container.

I mean, I get it, DDD wants a new knife. That’s why we’re all here lol.
But after 8 pages it seems pretty clear to me that we are chasing a unicorn.
Bowie & stainless don’t seem to go together. Less than $300, even more so.
So, what to do?
First let’s decide priorities (no wrong answers here, think of it as a fork in the road).
New knife or well prepared RLSS truck tailgate kit?
If the choice is new knife, then Bubba’s your cuzzin & the choices are many (with the caveats above).
Once one lets go of the stainless requirement the options open up.
As for rust, if you can maintain your firearm and tools, you can maintain a camp knife. I saltwater boat fished for years before the internet with a Schrade Sharpfinger. It looked like an old hammer & got used plenty for cutting bait and cleaning piles of 5-8 lb bluefish. The only time it got orange rust was after a day of too much sun and beer. That powdery coat of orange came off with some 000 steel wool and WD 40. It’s a tool after all.

Look at what the Vikings accomplished with carbon steel and open boats

If the choice is RLSS ready truck, then DDD is half way there with his Ontario machete. Add a 18” camp axe and call it done.* In another thread I suggested a GB Small Forest Axe without realizing how stupid the prices have become. I’m sure similar exists.

*Throw in a saw as well. SvenSaws don’t take up much room. Better a 24” bow saw but I don’t know how much space there is.

Firstly, this post was hilarious! I certainly hope it was meant to be funny. I had to look up "RLSS ready truck". I'm still not 100% sure what it means. It seems to have something to do with towing an RV with a pickup truck, or putting a camper in the bed of a pickup truck. I don't drive a pickup truck, and I don't have any plans for an RV of any sorts. I drive a 2011 Nissan Xterra Pro-4X w/ a 2" lift & 33" mud tires. I want a new Xterra, but the dummies at Nissan won't make one, despite the fact that they made an awesome new Frontier pickup truck (the Xterra is just a Frontier with a tailgate, instead of a pickup bed). I'll probably have to buy a Nissan Frontier Pro-4X when I finally get a new vehicle, because the real 4x4 SUVs available are overpriced garbage. But, I'm straying WAY off topic, so I'll stop.

I would like to point out, that I am not the person who started this thread! This was someone else's post. I realize I commented a ton on it, but it wasn't my question.

And yes, I'll probably just put my Ontario SP10 Marine Raider Bowie, my Ontario 18" Military Machete, and my Corona 7" folding saw, in a waterproof container with a desiccant pack, and a HUGE jar of petroleum jelly! I'll throw a hand axe in there as well, but definitely not a Gerber. I never buy Gerber products on principle. It's a long explanation, so I'm not even going to bring it up!

 

[Ebbtide]

RLSS = Real Life Survival Situation.
It was common here ages ago.
Usually said with a hint of cynicism….

The OP mix up was an easy one to make after 8 pages. My post has been updated.

While it was an honest attempt to be helpful,
I’m glad I could make your day brighter.

Who knows, maybe someone else will find a bit of value in it and my day will be brighter as well

 

[Cobalt]

RLSS = Real Life Survival Situation.
It was common here ages ago.
Usually said with a hint of cynicism….

The OP mix up was an easy one to make after 8 pages. My post has been updated.

While it was an honest attempt to be helpful,
I’m glad I could make your day brighter.

Who knows, maybe someone else will find a bit of value in it and my day will be brighter as well

Remember the Tacticlol guy. gotta be one of the funniest videos ever.

so now we have the tacticknifethrower