Recommendation? Camp knife?

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Bh2019

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Dec 16, 2021
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Hi everybody, I'm new here and looking for a knife for camping, making fires, nothing too crazy. I bought into the Gerber Strongarm hype a few years ago, but it seems far too thick to really be a good cutting tool, and I really don't like the rubber handle. The Lionsteel B41 has caught my interest, but I haven't found many reviews of it, and I'm not very familiar with Sleipner steel or how it compares to well executed CPM 3V that seems to be the de facto standard. What do you guys think? And what would you recommend under about $150 or $200? Or maybe a little more if you really think it's worth it. Thank you so much for reading, and I really appreciate your input!

Ben
 
If you're set on a 3V knife, I'd point you to the benchmade 200 puukko and 202 Leuku, both spectacular knives that can cut but also withstand abuse and fall in your budget.

If you dont mind paying a little more, Bark River makes very good (and pretty) knives out of 3V as well, although they use other steels too. Try the perennial favorite Bravo 1.

Hope this helps getting you started!
 
Welcome to our campfire!
A camp knife... Are you partial to fixed-blades, or folders?
hacking-up wood to make kindling probably calls for a different knife; than cutting up the evening meals.
For a fixed blade: I like Buck or Cold Steel.
For a folder: find something that is built solid and will take some abuse. Full length liners should be mandatory...
Happy shopping!
 
Dergyll said:
If you're set on a 3V knife, I'd point you to the benchmade 200 puukko and 202 Leuku, both spectacular knives that can cut but also withstand abuse and fall in your budget.

If you dont mind paying a little more, Bark River makes very good (and pretty) knives out of 3V as well, although they use other steels too. Try the perennial favorite Bravo 1.

Hope this helps getting you started!
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Thanks! I'm not set on any particular steel. As long as it holds an edge well enough that I don't have to worry about actually using it, I'm happy. I'll check those guys out though!
 
Bh2019 said:
Hi everybody, I'm new here and looking for a knife for camping, making fires, nothing too crazy. I bought into the Gerber Strongarm hype a few years ago, but it seems far too thick to really be a good cutting tool, and I really don't like the rubber handle. The Lionsteel B41 has caught my interest, but I haven't found many reviews of it, and I'm not very familiar with Sleipner steel or how it compares to well executed CPM 3V that seems to be the de facto standard. What do you guys think? And what would you recommend under about $150 or $200? Or maybe a little more if you really think it's worth it. Thank you so much for reading, and I really appreciate your input!

Ben
Click to expand...

For fire building tasks (i.e. wood processing), in addition to the previously mentioned Benchmade duo and some outstanding Bark River products, here are some good choices:

o Mora Garberg - in my experience it works equally well for carving and moderate splitting tasks. I've made several one stick fires with one and it's an efficient tool and durable enough to outlast you.
o ESEE 4 or ESEE 6 - both great tools. The 4 is a bit easier for carving tasks and the 6 is what I have at home as a dedicated wood splitter, but both can handle either.
o LT Wright Genesis in 3V - one of the best wood processing tools on the market. I prefer the flat or convex, but the Scandi or saber grinds will be better for splitting.
 
Large enough to be a chopper and small enough to use as a large knife. Honestly, it feels more like a large knife than it does a chopper. Great control with the BK9.

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The Bark River Bravo 1.25, Bravo 1.25LT and Bravo 1.5 are what I consider the be awesome camp knives. Too expensive for your budget, however. And you may prefer something thinner, less robust.
 
Bh2019 said:
Hi everybody, I'm new here and looking for a knife for camping, making fires, nothing too crazy. I bought into the Gerber Strongarm hype a few years ago, but it seems far too thick to really be a good cutting tool, and I really don't like the rubber handle. The Lionsteel B41 has caught my interest, but I haven't found many reviews of it, and I'm not very familiar with Sleipner steel or how it compares to well executed CPM 3V that seems to be the de facto standard. What do you guys think? And what would you recommend under about $150 or $200? Or maybe a little more if you really think it's worth it. Thank you so much for reading, and I really appreciate your input!

Ben
Click to expand...
There is a wide range of good choices available. Perhaps, if you can tell us a little about what you intend to use it for; we can help to narrow the field down.

n2s
 
My go to "camp" fixed blades are:
BM 151
BHK Bushcrafter
ESEE 3/4

Now the BM is discontinued so even though I would recommend that one above the others you will have trouble finding a decent one. Current BM production I would go with the Puukko. Great knife. Blind Horse Knives (BHK) is no longer but LT Wright made his own company with same designs so those are top notch. ESEE is just great in general. I like the 3 personally.

In The end though I rely more on my folder than my fixed blade. My ZT 0350 or 562 are always on me. Not to mention a good old SAK.
 
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Becker and Ontario make great campfire knives. I like the SP5 for camp fire duty, they just work and have less handle components to rust if left out, compared to the Becker handles.
 
For a folder: I'd suggest taking a look at Benchmade's North Fork.
It's got a full liner, a 3" S30V blade, and feels pretty good in my paws...
 

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One nice thing about fixed blades in that price range is that customs cost almost the same as reputable manufactured ones. There are many features that people look for/what qualifies as a camp knife. It’s helpful to narrow down the features you want and those that you don’t. Such as OAL, blade length, desired thickness, steel preferences, etc.

There are a lot of great suggestions here so far, but I’d also recommend taking a look at the exchange on this sight. You can look at fixed blades for sale by makers, or you can also look at ones for sale by individuals. If you find one by a maker that you like, you can reach out to them to see if they are taking orders. But if you’d like to go with a reputable manufacturer that has a good reputation, I’ve had nothing but great experiences from/heard great things about LT wright, White River Knives, and Bradford Knives. Maybe take a peak at their sights and see if anything stands out to you. All three have a variety of options that fall into your price range.
 
Bh2019 said:
Hi everybody, I'm new here and looking for a knife for camping, making fires, nothing too crazy. I bought into the Gerber Strongarm hype a few years ago, but it seems far too thick to really be a good cutting tool, and I really don't like the rubber handle. The Lionsteel B41 has caught my interest, but I haven't found many reviews of it, and I'm not very familiar with Sleipner steel or how it compares to well executed CPM 3V that seems to be the de facto standard. What do you guys think? And what would you recommend under about $150 or $200? Or maybe a little more if you really think it's worth it. Thank you so much for reading, and I really appreciate your input!

Ben
Click to expand...
I really like using the Skrama by Varusteleka. It comes in both 240mm and 200mm length blades in carbon and stainless. The grip is rubber, but I have not had any slipping or twisting. It processes wood well, is near indestructible, can do food prep (albeit a tad roughly), and can be purchased with a terrific leather dangler sheath. It is terrific at carving Thanksgiving turkeys and notches poles easily. Paired with a Swiss Army Knife, you will survive Ragnarok.

Zieg
 
There's a ton of great knives out there. The Bark River Bravo 1 or Aurora in 3v, Grohmann #4 Survival Knife, Joker Puukko or Ember S in sandvik steel (or the Joker Nomad if you want something beefy), Esee 4 HM, or Ka-Bar BK18 Harpoon all come to mind. It really comes down to intended use, portability, and the environment it's being used in what the best choice is. I might toss a Ka-Bar Bk-2 into my trunk to go car camping (of course at that point I'm packing an axe anyways), but there's no way I'm hauling it around in my backpack for a week long hike if there are better options that weigh less than a brick.
 
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