Cheap, beater fixed blades. Heavy users.

[NoviceWoodsman]

I don't see many of those Hultafors around these days. A great bang for the buck. I had one just like it and lent it to fellow camper a couple years ago, another reason to have a "cheap beater blade" around.

 

[EChoil]

$10 Hultafors GK. Came in handy during a trip to the mountains and the firewood was quartered with no twigs around. Indestructible, great steel, and has a customizable handle.

Very sobering in this age of $500 knives.

 

[EChoil]

Ontario Spec Plus SP01. For many years it was the only real knife that me and my family had. (beside butter knives, steak knives)........It's got character in spades, that's for sure.

Great knife; better story.

 

[SALTY]

Truth be told, I have gotten pleasure from removing a $300 fixed blade from the safe, admiring it, re-coating it with mineral oil and then tucking it back in; anymore, using the snot out of inexpensive (sorry I used the word cheap earlier) beater fixed blades gives me more pleasure. Perhaps it has something to with getting them outdoors. This thought was in my head when I first posted - but only having <$50 for a fixed blade and then using the snot out of it lends a different yet complimentary component to this thread - thank you so much for sharing. :thumbup:

 

[AntDog]

Thank you gentlemen! :thumbup:

 

[leghog]

Truth be told, I have gotten pleasure from removing a $300 fixed blade from the safe, admiring it, re-coating it with mineral oil and then tucking it back in; anymore, using the snot out of inexpensive (sorry I used the word cheap earlier) beater fixed blades gives me more pleasure. Perhaps it has something to with getting them outdoors. This thought was in my head when I first posted - but only having <$50 for a fixed blade and then using the snot out of it lends a different yet complimentary component to this thread - thank you so much for sharing. :thumbup:

Tools are meant to be used, and a tool is not a tool if you won't use it. That's likely why you gain more pleasure from actually using an inexpensive knife than you do from fondling but never using a safe queen.

 

[wazu013]

My wife found this Paki Bowie on her job in an abandoned trailer. I keep it out in the garage for hacking anything and everything that come up in the yard.

 

[ebidis]

I have an Ontario TAK 1, that has lots of use. It's similar to an Esee 4 but has a larger handle. I think it was the first knife Jeff Randle designed with Ontario. I have a Schrade schf 9 which has seen some use, but I'm not crazy about the handle ergo's, so I replaced it with a BK7.Also have a Mora which gets used a lot. I don't know what is considered cheap, but my BK9 has lots of use.

My favorite combo when camping is BK9, Esee 3, and Mora.

 

[22-rimfire]

Cheap is in the eyes of the beholder. When I was a kid, a $20 knife was expensive and I treated it well. Of course, those same knives have more than doubled in price now.

IDCAI knives... had to think about that really. I guess I consider Kabar Beckers semi-cheap (certainly value priced).... I don't know. But my BK-15 is likely to get used for most any task since I like the size and more likely to have it with me. Been using the Condor Kumunga as a yard knife and I would certainly take it to the woods as it does pretty well. It was "cheap", but I like it and really don't abuse it. Don't really abuse any knife I own regardless of the price in general although I have been known to play a bit and the playing is certainly a harder use than normal for me. I have been known to use my Condors hard and they have done well which is why I keep buying new ones. Really don't get much cheaper.... but I do own a couple Moras.

As a kid, my Dad used what we kids called a "buffalo skinner" which was a fairly large bowie knife that we found camping in the woods. It was used for years chopping corn stalks and other semi hard use things around the "homestead". But one could say that this use was "normal" for a chopper sized fixed blade.

Hard use.... another general term subject to much opinion. I guess anything other than simple cutting would be considered hard use. Normal use has become blurred over the years as more people are using knives to split wood and so forth.

 

[ebidis]

Cheap is in the eyes of the beholder. When I was a kid, a $20 knife was expensive and I treated it well. Of course, those same knives have more than doubled in price now.

IDCAI knives... had to think about that really. I guess I consider Kabar Beckers semi-cheap (certainly value priced).... I don't know. But my BK-15 is likely to get used for most any task since I like the size and more likely to have it with me. Been using the Condor Kumunga as a yard knife and I would certainly take it to the woods as it does pretty well. It was "cheap", but I like it and really don't abuse it. Don't really abuse any knife I own regardless of the price in general although I have been known to play a bit and the playing is certainly a harder use than normal for me. I have been known to use my Condors hard and they have done well which is why I keep buying new ones. Really don't get much cheaper.... but I do own a couple Moras.

As a kid, my Dad used what we kids called a "buffalo skinner" which was a fairly large bowie knife that we found camping in the woods. It was used for years chopping corn stalks and other semi hard use things around the "homestead". But one could say that this use was "normal" for a chopper sized fixed blade.

Hard use.... another general term subject to much opinion. I guess anything other than simple cutting would be considered hard use. Normal use has become blurred over the years as more people are using knives to split wood and so forth.

I really should try out some Condor's. What would you suggest in the medium to large sizes?

 

[bflying]

I think one of my favorite cheap fixed blades is the Shrade 14. I like the looks of it, and it's thin enough to both wear on the belt, or just simply slip in blade sleeve and drop in back jeans pocket. But the shape of the handle still allows good purchase and effective grip. Certainly not a super steel, but every sample I've had (my own, my son's, and a half dozen gifts), have been super hardened. If over hardened, problems could occur, but none so far. They are a pain to sharpen because they're so hard, but seem to really hold an edge. My little boy has his with him right now on a week long scout camp.

 

[22-rimfire]

I certainly don't have all of them and I lean away from their stainless steel blades. Have a couple of their machetes in stainless and they're okay.

I think the handle on the Hudson Bay is too small for harder use. I have it and really don't use it much at all. Mostly fondle.
I like this Kumunga with the 10" blade. It is like a thin stiff machete and sharpens up relatively easy. Handle is plastic and seems to work although I tend to lean toward Condor's wood handles.
Have fondled the Moonshiner and I will probably pick one up. It is just a matter of time.
Not a fan of the Rodan. Handle is too light and blade stock too thick.

The complaint about Condors is the inconsistent edge geometry and 1085 is not real hard, so you can have edge rolls. Also they of course rust if you don't pay attention to them.

For a pure chopper, the Pack Golok and the various Parangs are good. I like the Village Parang, but those are the only two of the shorter choppers I own and have used. 42 Blades is the one to ask suggestions. He will certainly make sure what ever you buy has a good edge (for a small fee of course).

 

[Boris74]

I think one of my favorite cheap fixed blades is the Shrade 14. I like the looks of it, and it's thin enough to both wear on the belt, or just simply slip in blade sleeve and drop in back jeans pocket. But the shape of the handle still allows good purchase and effective grip. Certainly not a super steel, but every sample I've had (my own, my son's, and a half dozen gifts), have been super hardened. If over hardened, problems could occur, but none so far. They are a pain to sharpen because they're so hard, but seem to really hold an edge. My little boy has his with him right now on a week long scout camp.

After I got a folder in 8cr13mov and how its performance impressed me I decided to get a Schrade large fixed blade in the steel. They do that steel at 58-60 HRC and like you said, it shows up in performance. Most of the big name 1095 blade makers heat treat in the mid 50s and that shows also in performance in the field. They know how to do that steel in their blades and do a great job of it. My F26 easily has twice the edge life of 1095 in large blades. It is also just as tough with no edge chipping bending or cracking. Impressed me after a month of constant beating on it so far. As of right now it's the only stainless I'd consider for a large beater blade. I sharpen on diamond stones and don't notice it being any harder to sharpen though. I finish with stropping on some sand paper and it brings out just popping anything I touch with it.

I wasn't expecting that kind of performance being the cheap wannabe crappy no good China steel everyone who never used it says it is. IMO it's not fair to compare it to AUS8 either, so far it has out performed that steel by a long shot by any manufacturer. It's good to see I'm not the only one with the same observations on the steel as you see as well. They do have one smaller fixed blade in 9cr18mov that I bet performs real good too, I might give it a try some day, their folders in that steel are worth way more than what you pay for them.

Back on topic, I just sharpened my original beater, the Glock field knife, to hair popping sharp and put it through a tough oak log and did some feathers to make sure it won't roll on this sharpening. Still shaves, as expected, one log and a feathered stick is no match for that blade lol. Great beater blade.

 

[Sharp Knives 86]

My wife found this Paki Bowie on her job in an abandoned trailer. I keep it out in the garage for hacking anything and everything that come up in the yard.

I had a bowie exactly like that as a teen. Damn thing didnt take much of an edge (though my sharpening skills have never been great) but I did beat that knife to hell and back and then some with no real damage other than some edge rolls. Mine was either stolen or misplaced during a move. Gotta admit I miss that knife despite it being a "junk" blade.

 

[Samon]

How about the Marbles bowie machete?

£10 well spent and full of modding potential! (only reason I bought it tbf)



A bit more costly but still a bargain, the Cold Steel bushman. Again, modding potential is pretty decent.



Of course, the Mora classic. Modding potential again very high.




And oh yeah! That Hultafors heavy duty knife at £5 is just bargain central, even my brother bought one, and he loves to tease my knife collecting. Moddable? Oh yeah, loads of tang, and thick as a snake.




I mostly buy stuff that I can tamper with, and cheap beaters are always my go to!

 

[bdmicarta]

I have these 2. I thought I needed a few so I ended up with these. As you can tell the SRK has been used very little and I've owned it for a long time. I've taken it on very many camping trips and never needed to kill a forest with it so it is mostly unused. The GI Tanto I bought used but I did use it once to chop insulation out of a building that we were surveying for renovations.

 

[Hacked]

I've come to the point were my folder is a SAK and my fixed blade is a Mora. Both are inexpensive, but not cheap. The Mora I picked up about 5 years back or so to see what all the talk about these cheap looking ugly blades was. Once I forced myself to start using it I just couldn't stop. And because I only paid $10 for the thing I wasn't exactly polite to it. I've beat the living snot out of this knife. Here's a couple of pictures of it from the last couple of years. It's still my go to fixed blade and gets used in the kitchen, garden, garage, and woods.

 

[Czechmate]

I don't have any pictures; one of mine is a Mora 2000... What an excellent woods/camp blade. :thumbup:

Most of my knives in my collection get used hard regardless of price, especially fixed blades.

 

[ebidis]

I have these 2. I thought I needed a few so I ended up with these. As you can tell the SRK has been used very little and I've owned it for a long time. I've taken it on very many camping trips and never needed to kill a forest with it so it is mostly unused. The GI Tanto I bought used but I did use it once to chop insulation out of a building that we were surveying for renovations.

I have a GI Tanto. I haven't used it much, but it is definitely a quintessential beater blade.

 

[fsatsil]

Surprised I haven't seen Svord mentioned yet. If you don't mind the ugly orange handles the Svord Kiwi series is an excellent value and they are made from super tough Sandvik L6 steel which is perfect for a knife that's going to take a beating.