Cold Steel GI Tanto

F

Funindasun13

Joined
Feb 10, 2009
Messages
11
What does everyone think should I get
1) CS GI tanto this inexpensive knife for camping hiking etc

2) or look at a gerber LMF II
3) ka Bar USMC fighting
4) Sog Seal Pup
5) get a gerber big rock and be done with it?
 
Seal Pup or the LMF II. You can literally beat the hell out of the LMF II. Seal Pup is very resistant to rust. Both have good coatings and steals. Sheaths are well made. And if you don't mind serrations (they have their benefits as well). I have had no problems sharpening either of them. Seal Pup is available w/o serrations as well. Kabar is great too. Can't lose on any of those three. Don't forget about the Buck 119.
 
LMF 2. Definitely. There aren't much ergos on the GI Tanto to speak of. It's not too nice to use for extended work periods. Haven't owned the Big Rock.
 
The G.I. Tanto is a good backup knife. For everyday field use, however, spend a little money and get a decent outdoor knife with a comfortable, durable sheath. You might also consider a Rajah II folding knife. It's easy to carry in the field and is exceptionally robust. It' more like those shovels that close than it is a folder. It's big, beefy, can chop and do anything a good field knife would do.

There are all sorts of other knives you can buy. The Kershaw Outcast is a good outdoor knife; so are the Ka-Bars.
 
+1 to the outcast and I'll throw in the suggestion for a glock field knife.
 
Funindasun13 said:
What does everyone think should I get
1) CS GI tanto this inexpensive knife for camping hiking etc

2) or look at a gerber LMF II
3) ka Bar USMC fighting
4) Sog Seal Pup
5) get a gerber big rock and be done with it?
Click to expand...

So, you implied, but did not say, that the knife is for camping. If so, what kind of camping do you do?
Extended wilderness? car camping? day hiking? Backpacking?

What kind of chores do you expect your camp knife to do?

- I don't consider the tanto a useful shape for camping, but YMMV.

- The Ka-Bar is called a "fighting knife" for a reason. The shape is optimized for fighting, not camping.

- The SOG Seal Pup also has a shape that is optimized for fighting, not camping.

- The LMF is a robust knife. Don't care for serrations though. And it's a bit big unless you are going to be doing a lot of wilderness camping.

- The Gerber Big Rock is shaped and sized so as to be a useful camp knife. It is not so big as to scare the neighbors in camp. And it is less expensive than anything short of the GI Tanto.

Of the knives you have listed, if it were I, I would choose the Gerber Big Rock, although there are other knives out there that I might put first.
 
I can tell you one thing, the GI tanto is cheap, and super tough. It is definitely worth the money. That said, I only use mine for throwing and fun. I have Busse that I use for actual use.

Watch Noss's destruction test of the GI tanto, it is amazing how much that 20-30 dollar knife holds up to.
Knifetests.com

What others said holds true, however, the blade shape while strong, is not quite as useful for general chores. It will do, but other styles will be better.

I took my GI tanto and modded it. Convexed the edge, and ground off the top guard.
 
I got a GI tanto just the other day and Im pretty happy with it.
like bigfattyhog did, I also ground off the top guard, this makes it easy to do more precise work.
it chops well because it's long and heavy. and I find the shape useful and very easy to sharpen, a big plus for me.
for 20 dollars? I don't think there's a better deal for a super tough knife.
get it, and if you don't like it, sell it to me cheap! haha I want to get another one to make more mods!
 
knarfeng said:
- The Ka-Bar is called a "fighting knife" for a reason. The shape is optimized for fighting, not camping.
Click to expand...

Sorry to disagree with you, Frank, but the Ka-Bar you guys are referring to is actually called the "KA-BAR Fighting/Utility Knife", and is generally considered quite decent as general purpose/camp knife.;)

I'll certainly agree that it is not an optimal camp knife, but I definitely feel it is adequate to serve in that capacity. Though it would not be my first choice for a camp knife, I'd take it over a tanto bladed knife for camp use any day! BTW, Ka-Bar lists it in both their "Hunting/Sporting" and "Utility" categories: https://www.kabar.com/product_detail.jsp?productNumber=5012&mode=category&categoryId=1,2,3,7&categoryName=Hunting/Sporting

Regards,
3G
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top