Recommendation? Cant seem to find what I am looking for.

R

Ronin94

Joined
Jun 2, 2019
Messages
16
I have spent over an hour looking around the internet trying to find a camping knife to my taste but can't seem to find anything decent for under $100 so I figured I would come ask here as last time I was looking for something I was having a hard time finding you guys helped me out. What I am looking for is an 7-8-inch (12-inch overall length) fixed-blade camping knife with a saw back, textured rubber grip (Like the kind on SOG knives) and a Bowie or similar shape. For some reason despite this not being a very long or unusual list of requirements finding all of these things in a mid-priced knife around $50 or so has proved impossible. I found a few that seem to meet the requirements but are overly cheap and not made of good steel. The closest thing I have found is the link below but I am not sure there is enough texture to the grip and am not sure if it is decent quality as I don't know much about knife brands. Any help is appreciated.

link to Amazon removed per forum guidelines
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sort by date Sort by votes
Aitor do a functional sawback.


There are ways to rubberise grips. Tomy tape(silicon tape) is my fave. But apparently there are dips as well.

They do some different shapes.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 1 Downvote
That SOG might not be too bad if you could get it without the saw back. You are going to have slim pickings if you really need an 8” blade. If that’s a priority, then Skrama 200, from Varusteleka. Eight-inch blade, very comfortable and grippy rubberized handle. If the full blade length is not essential, Jäkääripuukko, also from Varusteleka, in 110 or 140 cm sizes. All the knives from Varusteleka use 80 CRV 2 steel. As an alternative, you might look into the Peltonen Sissipuuko, Also in 80cr V2.
If you are really stuck on the sawback idea, I don’t know of any that actually works, athough you might be able to find one.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Like everyone else has said, the saw back is more of a novelty on most knives imo. Just get a Silky. If you could go without the saw you got way more possibilities.

Despite their overall reputation, the Schrade "Extreme Survival" series of fixed blades by Brian Griffin were great beaters for cheap in 1095. Also, for a pure, no frills workhorse, the Terava Skrama 200 is always a solid bet..
1000008169.jpg
1000008171.jpg
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
If you’re dead set on a sawback, the Glock Field Knife 81 checks most of your boxes minus a rubber handle. They aren’t a true Bowie, but they are a clip point. 6.5” blade, so a little shorter than ideal.

Available in different colors with sheath for around $40. They tend to get ridiculed because they’re silly and cheap, but I’ve got one that’s knocked around the bottom of a tool box for over 10 years. That blade has done some hard, dirty duty and it’s not dead yet.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
"It is far better to do a few things well than trying to do many things poorly."

You don't know me from Adam's housecat. With that said, I've been working with edged implements in the outdoors since about 1958. I have tried more than a few knife/saw combinations and have always been disappointed. You will do far better with two separate tools.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
Drop bear said:
Aitor do a functional sawback.


There are ways to rubberise grips. Tomy tape(silicon tape) is my fave. But apparently there are dips as well.

They do some different shapes.
Click to expand...
This was one I looked at and kind of liked. The problem is its like $150 so pushing my price range.
Hackenslash said:
If you’re dead set on a sawback, the Glock Field Knife 81 checks most of your boxes minus a rubber handle. They aren’t a true Bowie, but they are a clip point. 6.5” blade, so a little shorter than ideal.

Available in different colors with sheath for around $40. They tend to get ridiculed because they’re silly and cheap, but I’ve got one that’s knocked around the bottom of a tool box for over 10 years. That blade has done some hard, dirty duty and it’s not dead yet.
Click to expand...
Definitely one of the closer contenders. My only concern looking at it is the grip looks like it can get very slick very easy.
 
Upvote 1 Downvote
Ronin94 said:
7-8-inch (12-inch overall length) fixed-blade camping knife with a saw back, textured rubber grip
Bowie or similar shape. For some reason despite this not being a very long or unusual list of requirements finding all of these things in a mid-priced knife around $50 or so has proved impossible. I found a few that seem to meet the requirements but are overly cheap and not made of good steel.
enough texture to the grip
Click to expand...

There is a bot/agent on GPT that can help you narrow down needs vs wants on a knife. It's not up to date, but it doesn't have sponsors, so it's supposedly bias-free. It's kind of like a wall to throw ideas around and get feedback. You might also want to consider corrosion resistance if it's a camping knife. Alright, with the confession of me not being an expert, I put in your criteria and received these:

Schrade SCHF9 12.1-inch Fixed Blade Knife

Blade Steel: 1095 High Carbon Steel
Blade Length: 6.4 inches
Handle: Textured TPE rubber
Features: Full tang, drop point blade with a lanyard hole
Price: Around $50

Mossy Oak 14-inch Bowie Knife

Blade Steel: Stainless Steel
Blade Length: 8.5 inches
Handle: Rubberized grip for comfort and non-slip handling
Features: Saw back spine, full tang, comes with a nylon sheath
Price: Around $25

Smith & Wesson SWHRT9B 9in High Carbon S.S. Fixed Blade Knife

Blade Steel: 7Cr17MoV High Carbon Stainless Steel
Blade Length: 4.7 inches
Handle: Textured rubber grip
Features: Full tang, dual-edged spear point blade, lanyard hole
Price: Around $25

Gerber Prodigy Survival Knife

Blade Steel: 420HC Stainless Steel
Blade Length: 4.75 inches
Handle: TacHide rubber grip
Features: Full tang, partially serrated edge, comes with a MOLLE-compatible sheath
Price: Around $45
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
These haven't been made in a few years but you can probably find a excellent one on the second hand market without looking very hard.



Btw, Gerber still makes a similar line of knives: check out the LMF II, Prodigy, or Strongarm.

n2s
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
Yes, Aitor has done a sawback for years. In fact, their Cuchillo del Monte was the Spanish Army's knife for quite a while. I have one, and have put it to the test. Yup, they're still sadly deficient in truly sawing stuff.

And FWIW, I would not trust anything Bear Grylls says. I've seen him do too much stupid (read as life-endangering) stuff in his videos.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
Not sure your intentions for the saw back but they are not used as an alternative to a wood saw. It is typically used to put notches in wood to lash to, weaken branches for snapping, cut through bone, scaling fish and so on. Also, you will rip through sheathes if you’re not careful.
With that said, Aitor makes a very good saw back because it cuts in both directions. They’ve been making knives since WWII
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Ronin94 said:
This was one I looked at and kind of liked. The problem is its like $150 so pushing my price range.

Definitely one of the closer contenders. My only concern looking at it is the grip looks like it can get very slick very easy.
Click to expand...
Yeah. I saw one called the shark or something with a rubber handle that looked the part. But it was expensive. I have an osso grandeur. Which is a silver version of that knife. And it works fine.

I normally carry this opinel 12 saw with my knives. That might fill the same role as a saw back. This cuts amazingly well for the size.

 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
Tafkaag said:
Even Canterbury no longer carries or recommends these (in part because he went to in-house knife production). Better off with a Bushcraft Black, which is cheaper, more widely available, has a better sheath, and is less unwieldy.
Click to expand...
I bow to your obviously greater knowledge of sub-$100 knives.

Unless I am incorrect the Bushcraft Black has a 4" blade. The OP wanted a 6-7" blade.

I agree that a 4-5" blade is more practical but I always try and suggest what people ask for, not what I think they need, and that one seemed to fit the bill.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Steven65 said:
I bow to your obviously greater knowledge of sub-$100 knives.

Unless I am incorrect the Bushcraft Black has a 4" blade. The OP wanted a 6-7" blade.

I agree that a 4-5" blade is more practical but I always try and suggest what people ask for, not what I think they need, and that one seemed to fit the bill.
Click to expand...
A look at Canterbury's site shows not only does he not carry the Pathfinder, he also doesn't offer anything in its size range. The largest blades he sells are 6".

Given OP's predilection for unwieldy and impractical blades, the aim was to interject some realism into the discussion. Wasting $100 on a Pathfinder, much less any piece of junk with a saw back, will in short order become too hard for an obvious novice to use. Best to readjust expectations and spend money more wisely, particularly at a time when it's scarce and constantly decreasing in value, and prices are rising accordingly.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Tafkaag said:
A look at Canterbury's site shows not only does he not carry the Pathfinder, he also doesn't offer anything in its size range. The largest blades he sells are 6".

Given OP's predilection for unwieldy and impractical blades, the aim was to interject some realism into the discussion. Wasting $100 on a Pathfinder, much less any piece of junk with a saw back, will in short order become too hard for an obvious novice to use. Best to readjust expectations and spend money more wisely, particularly at a time when it's scarce and constantly decreasing in value, and prices are rising accordingly.
Click to expand...
I understand I am looking for a larger blade because I already have a Leatherman and a smaller knife that I would not trust with anything more than more precision work. I am looking for a larger knife because I want something capable of doing the tasks of something like an axe or machete in a pinch while being able to be carried on a belt without drawing eyes. That said I did not know about the thing with sawbacks generally not being worth it. I still find myself drawn to the SOG Jungle Primitive despite the sawback because I like the handles on SOGs and they dont sell one without it.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Ronin94 said:
I understand I am looking for a larger blade because I already have a Leatherman and a smaller knife that I would not trust with anything more than more precision work. I am looking for a larger knife because I want something capable of doing the tasks of something like an axe or machete in a pinch while being able to be carried on a belt without drawing eyes. That said I did not know about the thing with sawbacks generally not being worth it. I still find myself drawn to the SOG Jungle Primitive despite the sawback because I like the handles on SOGs and they dont sell one without it.
Click to expand...
Understood. I wish you luck in your search.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Ronin94 said:
I understand I am looking for a larger blade because I already have a Leatherman and a smaller knife that I would not trust with anything more than more precision work. I am looking for a larger knife because I want something capable of doing the tasks of something like an axe or machete in a pinch while being able to be carried on a belt without drawing eyes. That said I did not know about the thing with sawbacks generally not being worth it. I still find myself drawn to the SOG Jungle Primitive despite the sawback because I like the handles on SOGs and they dont sell one without it.
Click to expand...
Cold steel would have to do something cheap. If you have given up on the sawback.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top