buck/strider solution vs. bk&t campanion...is this a dumb question?

A

anewguy

Joined
May 8, 2003
Messages
165
Hello all,
I may have a rather stupid question for you guys. But I hope that you may have suspected such coming from one who betrays his ignorance by his handle. Anyway, I am looking to perchase a camp/hiking/backpacking knife and two have recently caught my eye. So here is it is again, the proverbial “which of these two should I get” question—the buck/strider solution or the bk&t campanion. I realize that I may be comparing apples to oranges here (I know that to be the case already as far as price is concerned) but I still think it is a bit of a toss up (perhaps again betraying my ignorance of knives). As always, your input will be appreciated and I am also open to other ideas as well. (I like the drop point, the blade length, and the durability that these knives seem to share).

Oh yes, and in case it helps, I also bring along a sere 2000, powerlock, and typically a small gerber ax.

Thanks for your help!
 
I've never used either of these knives, but I know that you'll never see a poor knife coming out of the Buck factory.
 
nic-

why do you say that/what advantages does the howling rat have over the other two?

-thanks
 
I will take a stab at that....

The HR has a great warranty. It is pretty much unconditional and left up to the user to determine what should be covered. They also use a version of 52100, the SR101. It is a great cutter/chopper in my Camp Tramp and is still going strong. It is a great one to consider since it falls in the mid-range of the other two.


Cerberus


Also, you will be hard pressed to find a better group of people to deal with.
 
I've got one of the Solutions in the limited BG-42 run. Last July and August I used it on two Alaska river runs of a couple weeks each (with a Busse Basic 9 for heavier work). It performed very well for edge holding, useful size, strength, ease of cleaning, comfortable carry, corrosion resistance, etc. I liked it. However, I also have some BK & Ts that I think are just fine---and I've heard good things about the Swamp Rats (I have a full set of the Busse Basics that inspired them).

One advantage that the Solution has over the BK & Ts is the very good grip afforded by the rough G10 handle slabs. You can hold on to the knife even with fish slime on them. Of course, some people will undoubtedly prefer the shape of the BK & T grips, even though they are slicker.
 
Similar as to what was noted by Cerberus, the Howling Rat is a much tougher blade than the stainless Buck/Strider, with a much higher cutting ability than the Becker Companion. It is also much cheaper than the Buck/Strider, costing about half or less. If you don't want any prying or extensive hammering ability, you would be better off with something much thinner to optomize the cutting ability, something like the Deerhunter from A. G. Russell. For shallow cutting like hardwood whittling you won't notice much of a difference, but when you start deep cuts the much slimmer Deerhunter does the work a lot easier.

-Cliff
 
I really think those Swamp Rats are worth the hype(price). The handle is coated so it's better for insulation from cold/freezing weather. SR101 is a great edge holder and it's tough as a galvanized nail. Great traction when fishy/bloody/oily.

Also there is something to be noted about the coatings from Busse and Swamp Rat. They are some of the best coatings on the market IMHO. They protect the knife from the elements and can even shrug off lighter fluid(for cleaning off pitch).

No question if you can afford it, go for a Dozier. But for a no nonsense companion for life, I'd trust a howler.

Cheers
;)
 
For the size knife you specify, I'll add my vote for the Swamp Rat Howling Rat for the following reasons:
1. Especially good value, lots of performance bang for about $90 bucks.
2. Blade geometry that makes the blade both a cutting demon and beefy enough to easily handle getting whacked around and beat on.
3. Handles of the Rat models seems to fit the hands of most folks well and, as noted, maintain pretty good grip when wet.
4. SR101 steel responds well to realignment with a steel and sharpening.
5. Unbeatable "you kill it, we'll replace it" warranty as long as you are doing a job that YOU think a knife should be able to handle, not some restricted job definition deemed by the manufacturer as appropriate for your knife to do.

If I may muddy the water a bit more by throwing out another possibility from the Becker Knife & Tool line, have you considered the BK10 Crewman Utility Knife? It has the same handles as the Campanion you mentioned and a 5.5" blade. That's a little longer blade than the other knives mentioned so far, but still short enough to be a handy carrying knife. Its blade geometry will also make it a better cutter than the Campanion, which is thicker in the edge and built more for beefiness than cutting efficiency. See picture of BK10 Crewman here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=241731

Plus, the BK-10 internet price is around $45 so it's $110 cheaper than the Buck-Strider Solution (onestopknifeshop.com prices for both knives). You can use that money saved to buy other stuff for your kit. ;) But if the money is NOT an issue, I'd say get the Howling Rat.
 
I like my Solution a lot; it's what I grab when my Busses are away. The new Solutions are ground sharp all the way to the choil (Buck listens to user feedback), edge angle is lower, and the included SOE sheath is hands down the best original sheath I have ever received with a knife. BTW you can find the Solution for much less than $155 if you look around, or post in the WTB forum. You really can't go wrong with the Solution, HR, or the BK&T. See if you can handle them in person.
 
I have the Solution, as well.
Brought it into the bush a few times. chopped down a fresh 4" diameter birch tree in a few minutes. Almost no effort. It's excellent for chopping and hacking... and probably skull-splitting. I keep a Leatherman Wave in the sheath's pouch and I'm good to go. My only minor complaint about the Solution... I wish the handle was slightly thicker.( Apparently, I've got big hands.) It doesn't take away from anything... Still a terrific knife.
(Sadly, I live in Canada and had to pay almost $300.00 CDN to get it here.... I don't regret it. I just wish I could have bought 2!)
 
It might be 3 years old... but I just got here. greetings, by the way.
Yeah... chops really well for me.
 
Unlike the BG 42 protos, the production Solution I got was hollow ground. The combination of ATS 34 and HG is hardly optimal for chopping or "hard use."

The handle fits a hand that makes a rectangular hole when clenched, so . . . .
 
I watched a Solution come apart chopping, large pieces of the edge just cracked off and stayed in the wood, coin sized. The handle is typical of Strider grips ergonomic wise.

-Cliff
 
Size of a silver dollar, essentially the blade that went into the wood stayed in the wood. I was doing some work and handed my brother the Solution and first chop and twist to clear the wood and the edge cracked off. Did it a few more times while I watched and each time the same result.

-Cliff
 
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