cheap fixed blade?

unky_gumbi said:
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
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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.
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Interesting, looks very similar to the Gerber Profile in the 2nd post. Similar in shape, steel and price except not coated, different handle material with a leather sheath. Both Chinese origin. :eek:
 
Lots of good suggestions here. I saw a couple custom knives within your price range at our local Custom Knife Show over the weekend.
 
With your budget you could get a couple of Mora Clippers. Maybe 1 in stainless & 1 carbon, & still have enough left for supper at McDonalds!
 
My son-in-law took a 10 day survival course in the Rockies, and his instructor specified Mora knife for the trip. It worked great for all his purposes, cutting, batoning, etc, and while a little discolored, is ready to go again. My recommendation.
 
The Moras that I have came with terrible sheaths, perhaps the Gerber would be a good choice if it comes with a better sheath.
 
Another suggestion: if you look around, you can find the Zytel handle Beretta Loveless Hunter for about $35.00.
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This!

I have been using one for 5-6 years. I have approximately a dozen custom knives of this same design, and I still use this "cheap" blade regularly.
 
LWLew said:
Interesting, looks very similar to the Gerber Profile in the 2nd post. Similar in shape, steel and price except not coated, different handle material with a leather sheath. Both Chinese origin. :eek:
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Good eye on that spot.

No wonder it performs like the Gerber!

I was busy looking at the sheath, myself.

Robert
 
ChapmanPreferred said:
The Moras that I have came with terrible sheaths, perhaps the Gerber would be a good choice if it comes with a better sheath.
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Yes they do. That is their major weak point.

But with less than $10 of materials and a little time that can be solved.

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It isn't pretty, and its my first sheath, but it is functional. Just like the 840 MG it was made for.
 
Guitar_mike25 said:
I was thinking either the cold steel Canadian belt knife or the kershaw bear hunter 2. any thoughts?
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Cold steel does have some excellent knives in the "not much money" category. Solid values for the price.

you might also consider the Bushman series. Either the original or the bowie bushman.

Nothing you could not do with one. Can be made into a spear, hold stuff in the handle. Comes with a cheap sheath with a pouch on the front, and it is functional.

Also, their GI tanto, while "tactical" in look does come sharp, and is just about breakage proof (I have been throwing one for years and years now, bounced it off of concrete, stone, and hardened hammer polls on my throwing hawks).
 
midnight flyer said:
Good eye on that spot.

No wonder it performs like the Gerber!

I was busy looking at the sheath, myself.

Robert
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I went back and checked out the gerber, they are similar, but I think mine may be a cheap knock off of the gerber:o, that or the subcontractor that makes them just changes the profile a bit.
My only requirement when I bought the knife was that it had to take and edge, be reasonable to sharpen, and last 36hrs. After that it could fall apart, yet the darn thing keeps going
 
Absolutely check out Ragweed Forge:
http://www.ragweedforge.com/SwedishKnifeCatalog.html

Quite frankly I feel that these knives are more than the equal of any the Buck, Schrade, Case, Kershaw or CRKT that I've carried over the years.

If you like the natural color Birchwood handle styles with either a single or double guard you have your choice of four Sandvik stainless steel knives each .098 thick, Rockwell 58, with blade lengths from 3 7/8 to 4 7/8. I have the 4 7/8 and I just love it. Prices run from $24-$33.

If you like the Clipper style handle Ragnar has the #11201 Craftline Allaround with 3 7/8 Sandvik Stainless .098 blades at 57 Rockwell at $14 There is also a partially serrated version #11392 for $17.25, I have two of each of these and I would have no issues trusting the Allaround out in the woods.

I also have several of the soft Grip Mora's and love their feel. They have the standard shape blades of carbon and stainless .098 thick with lengths ranging from 4" to 5 3/4 prices ranging from $11 to $18.

One of my absolute favorites is the #780 Triflex blade. It's a 4 1/8 .098 carbon steel blade with a differential heat treatment. And it's only $15. They even offer a less expensive model with a hollow plastic handle 3 7/8 blade for only $9.

In my opinion these are the ultimate user knives; far higher quality than the prices indicate and easily maintained and sharpened.

Do yourself a favor and check them out.
 
None of the knives recommended above would be a mistake; any of them will serve you well. I would just add that you should not dismiss the ugly old Kabar. I have a five incher that I have used in the woods for years. Like I said, it is ugly as sin, and bulkier than some of the more modern knives mentioned by others, but it is cheap, and S T R O N G! No matter what you do to it, it just laughs at you and asks for more. Takes a fine edge, too.
 
Guitar_mike25 said:
yeah i would love to get a kabar, but i dont have the money, how much is the short one?
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Sorry, GuitarMike, I haven't priced one in years, and I did not realize how much the price has gone up. The traditional military style knives start in the low forties, and go up from there. Kabar has a hunting knife that sells in the mid-twenties range. I have not had any experience with those.
 
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