cheap fixed blade?

[Guitar_mike25]

hey, I'm looking for a fixed blade i can use for hiking or camping. I'm pretty short of cash and I'm not looking to spend more than 30 bucks. thanks

 

[DrOpPoInT1110]

gerber profile, nutnfancy has a review on it. its a truly awesome knife for the cash. perfect for camping.

 

[Foilist]

Let me be the first of what will be many to recommend a Mora.
I have the 510, and it is surpisingly good for the price

 

[KeithAM]

Get a Mora. My favories are the 711 (carbon) and 746 (stainless) -- excellent grips on those models. They will cost about $12-14.

 

[Bob W]

As mentioned, Mora knives are excellent for hiking. Lots of different models to choose from. My favorite is the #137 that has carbon steel and a leather sheath. $28 for the #137, other Moras available for $10.
http://www.ragweedforge.com/SwedishKnifeCatalog.html

My favorite fixed blade for hiking is the Hunters Scalpel from AG Russell. Very lightweight. Easy to carry in a pocket. The hard locking sheath makes it safer than most. Decent steel and very durable handle. And the lanyard makes it difficult to lose. Can't beat it for $20.
http://www.agrussell.com/ag-russell-hunter-scalpel/p/RUhhhT914hhh10A/

 

[LWLew]

Like everyone says, the Moras are terrific knives for the money. However, if what you have in mind is something heftier, check out the Gerber Big Rock Camp Knife. It's been getting decent reviews both here and elsewhere. If you look around, you can definitely get it in your price range or under.

 

[luvsogknives]

Gerber Big Rock camp knife

 

[Guitar_mike25]

I was thinking either the cold steel Canadian belt knife or the kershaw bear hunter 2. any thoughts?

 

[luvsogknives]

^both great and affordable choices

 

[cybrok]

I'm not familiar with the knives you mentionned.

But I handled a few Moras. Ugly as hell, but tough little knives. I recommend them.

 

[zignal_zero]

Gerber Big Rock camp knife

i bought one for a friend, he loves it :thumbup:

 

[Tostig]

All of the suggestions are good. I do not own the pictured Gerber but the review speaks pretty high for the price you are paying.

Mora's are great in their own right , every knife guy should own a few , they make excellent light duty camp knives , great kitchen knives , garden , shop , garage. If you plan on using your knife for anything above medium duty camp chores I would go for something a bit more heftier than the wonderful Mora.

Tostig

 

[Jake Bauer]

Buck Bucklite Max http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=BU679BKS

-USA Made
-420HC Blade (Buck does the best 420 in the biz)
-Less than $30

There's also a 3.25in version if you want shorter blade length

 

[lk3331]

i recommend a mora clipper, though all of the choices mentioned would work

 

[Javelin]

I was thinking either the cold steel Canadian belt knife or the kershaw bear hunter 2. any thoughts?

The Canadian Belt Knife's design by Grohmann has been around for decades, it used to be the staple during the 50s or something. Anyway, that knife is pretty good for the money. The steel won't hold an edge the longest but it's fairly above average, tough and a breeze to sharpen back up.

Me personally? I'm not the biggest fan of the handle shape, I prefer a wooden handled mora:

http://www.ragweedforge.com/SwedishKnifeCatalog.html

 

[dberry]

Mora or the Gerber Profile is ok. You may get a Buck 119 if you look around.

 

[goodeyesniper]

I'd recommend the Mora #711 (can be found at Ragweed's forge, linked above). Very similar to the Clipper, yet the handle is thicker and gripper, a very comfortable knife for me. I have average sized hands, but long fingers. The top knife in the picture is the #711, middle is the clipper, bottom is the RC-3 MIL

Top two knives cost $11 and $10, bottom knife cost almost one hundred... All were pretty much unused in the picture. I believe the reason I first wanted the #711 is because I saw a picture online of someone who x-rayed the handles. the #711 has a tang that goes about 3/4 of the way down the handle, the clipper only goes halfway or less.

 

[rifon2]

The Mora knives are classic and proven value. No doubt.

Another suggestion: if you look around, you can find the Zytel handle Beretta Loveless Hunter for about $35.00.
It's a high quality knife made in Seki, Japan. 3-3/4 inch blade of 3/16" thick AUS8 stainless. Classic Bob Loveless drop point design.
You can put this knife through its paces and it won't wince.

It's a real bargain - and a standout - in today's market where most similar knives are made in mainland China,
and are pretty much indistinguishable from each other as far as "quality" is concerned.

It's a knife you'll feel good to own and to use.

 

[fishiker]

Another vote for a Mora. My favorite and most used is the 2000.

 

[unky_gumbi]

Everyone is mentioning good,not expensive blades, that are a little bit better known. I was in the same boat as you, sort of. I had just started making my first knife and didn't want to spend the extra cash on a fixed blade that would just get tossed into a corner, but needed a 4" fixed blade for the weekend so I went to Cabelas and bought this

Chinese made Trekker, the packaging said 420 stainless but I suspect that either it was a end of run that they up graded the steel to 420HC, or they just left the HC off of the packaging. If I remember right it was all of $20 Cnd and it has held up great to batoning and just plain abuse, even used it to dig a hole through a floor. It keeps an edge it should, in fact I have only sharpened it 4 times, hasn't chipped or bent, despite the digging a hole in the floor or the many other times I have used it to pry with.
I put the jimping in myself with a file and that took some work to do, but all in all a great inexpensive throw away knife that wont give me a reason to throw it away. Probably the best $20 I have spent on a knife.