Decisons, decisions: SRKW Howling Rat or BK&T Companion?

I've got both. I like both alot, but I give the nod to the Rat. Here's my breakdown on both :

Howling Rat : ergos fit my hand better. I like the Respirene C better than the harder Becker handles. CHOIL, makes a huge difference for fine work (at the cost of effective blade edge, however). SR101 is tough. I don't like field sharpening a full convex edge (do you travel with mousepad?). Epoxy coat on both is well done. I wasn't impressed by the stock sheath on the Rat (OST fixed that problem perfectly, however adds to cost).


Campanion : BIG little knife. Heavy. Solid. Good epoxy coat. Great stock kydex sheath. Easier to field sharpen. Also very tough. Cheaper (no need for a replacement sheath). 0170-6C is fairly tough, and holds a good edge (not as well as SR101 though). Did I mention HEAVY? (14.6 oz) Could use as a pry bar if necessary (.230" thick I believe).

The rat is a better slicer, convex edge is a pleasure to use, but a pain to sharpen.

Note that of my friends that have used/handled both of these knives there seems to be a 50/50 preference for handle shape/material. Half like the Rat, half like the Becker. Most do not like both. I prefer the Rat's handle. YMMV.

Hope this helps. Both are excellent blades, I do not forsee you being disappointed with either.

Regards,

Shaun.
 
I prefer the Campanion. I'm a big guy with big hands. The Becker fits my hands better and its apparent unbreakability is very confidence inspiring.
 
Well, here's what happened:

I had planned on ordering a war overrun Recon Tanto from CS for $45. I had convinced my wife that that would make the perfect Father's Day gift. Based on what I read here, looking at the BK&T and SRKW sites, I saw the Crewman Desert Tan knife. It was only $51 vs $88 for the Howling Rat. The Desert Tan and cost were the deciding factors. I was successful in convincing my wife to order the Desert Crewman.

Now here's the cool part:

My wife ordered the knife at o'dark thirty on Monday, 1 Stop had a confirmation e-mail within an hour and a shipping confirmation within 30 minutes of ordering! I kid you not: the shipping confirmation e-mail is timed at 5:51 AM! This is Monday, June 30, BTW. The really cool part is that the knife arrived yesterday afternoon around 1:40 PM (Tuesday, July 1)!

My first reaction on seeing the knife was WOW!. It's a BIG knife. Even though I have the DT Crewman as my desktop picture, it just does not convey how big this knife is. The size of the handle is no problem for me, I have fairly large hands. The size of the blade is pretty big also especially the width. Very sharp edge, very good construction, design and materials. It is very definitly my favorite knife now and I haven't even used it yet!

I want to thank everyone for their suggestions and comments. Just because I did not pick out your suggestion does not mean I didn't hear you: The Desert Tan color really sings to me as a wannabe desert rat (its hard being a desert rat living in North Alabama!).

I appreciate learning about the Swamp Rat series of knives. When funds allow (read: I can sneak it past the wifey poo) I will definitely be ordering the Howling Rat.

One other thing: I prefer "pouch" type sheaths. Anyone know of a source that could make me a "pouch" type sheath for my Desert Tan Crewman. Requirements are that it securely fit and hold the Crewman, be tan in color and fit on a GI pistol belt.

Thanks for all the help!

Albin
 
Go howling rat. Why?

1.) Handles. The Becker handle is nice on large choppers....but not IMHO on smaller knives. The HR handle, on the other hand, is fantastic and well-suited to its intended (utility) uses.

2.) Steel. SR-101 is tough, has high wear resistance, and is VERY fine-grained. It is also the easiest steel I have yet found to sharpen (at least to get that super-fine edge on.

3.) Design. The Campanion, IMHO, is similar to a stunted big knife. It doesn't look purposely designed for light duty. What you end up with is a knife that's not great at either big nor small work. Go Howling Rat.
 
Andrew,

Thanks for the post. As soon as funds permit, I plan to get a Howling Rat. I just have to plan ahead so the knife does not cost me +$35K ($90 for knife, $34,920 for the divorce). :)

Thanks

Albin
 
I am sure that the Companion is a fine knife, but you passed up the deal of the decade on the Recon Tanto. That is an awesome blade...
 
Swede,

The deal's supposed to be the July Special at CS. What do you know about the Recon Tanto?

Thanks,

Albin
 
No secret insider-type info here. :) That's just one of the best prices for a (non factory second) that I've seen in a looooong time.

This is one of my favorite Carbon V blades. It's thin enough to be extremely lightweight for carrying, I don't even notice it. Still thick enough for strength, could make a wicked self defense fighter if that is what folks want, yet still enough belly to be practical in the field. The tip on this baby is very strong, thanks to the geometry of the blade, and the steel is quite similar to the Beckers, from what I've heard. I also think the grip is more comfortable than most, but that could very well be a hand size issue on my part.

I just really like this knife, and for that price, hmmmm, maybe you need another knife....
 
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