esee 3 or 4 or ontario rat3 or something else for camp/bushcraft use.

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Lockup1109

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Jun 1, 2014
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Hey folks,
Im looking to get a compact to mid sized fixed blade for camping and shelter making, fire starting/prep ect.. i only own a full sized Kabar usmc with serrations and its a pain to use and too big to really make it easy to tag along.
What are some of your favorites that see a lot of use in the 3.5"-4.5" blade length category? Id like to keep the OAL 10" or less and it must come with a quality sheath or molle system.
Thanks for the help.
 
If your blade is only going to be used on wood scandi grind is the way to go. If you haven't used a scandi spend 10$ on a Mora number 1 or 2 to try it. I don't like a choil so you may want to try a knife with one before you commit.The BK16 is popular, and you may want to look at the basic bushcraft knife from condor. They have other knives that may fit your needs as well. Tops makes a brothers of bushcraft knife. Mora has a crap ton of knives that are great in the field. The blackbird is 5 inches of blade a little longer than you requested but was designed for bushcraft. I personally carry a Bk 16 and a Mora 1 at the moment when I head out for an overnight in the woods.
 
Good choices so far. I like the Esee 3 and Ontario Rat 3. If you wanted something a little bigger, I like the ka-bar bk16 more than the Esee 4 (more comfortable handle IMHO).
 
pinecraft said:
No, not most of them. They make a full tang. Most are stick, some are partial tang.
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Helle, and a hand full of other companies I am not going to try to spell make a full tang as well. Just type full tang Scandinavian knives into your search engine. Ragnar's ragweed forge is a good place for info, and knives.
 
Thanks pinecraft. Will do. Leaving in a couple of weeks for an appalacian trail hike with my fiance. Trying to scrounge up a few last minute essentials. And the kabar i have is just not gonna cut it, too heavy to trek for 100's of miles And not the right type of knife.
 
Lockup1109 said:
Thanks pinecraft. Will do. Leaving in a couple of weeks for an appalacian trail hike with my fiance. Trying to scrounge up a few last minute essentials. And the kabar i have is just not gonna cut it, too heavy to trek for 100's of miles And not the right type of knife.
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Have fun. I have done my end of the trail. A pocket knife and a BK 16 will solve your issues. Really a Gerber or leatherman multi tool will be better than a pocket knife. Oh and socks. And more socks. And some more socks.
 
+1 on the socks!! I've spent my share of time on the A.T.

If price is no object, the Spyderco Bushcraft knife gets great reviews. If you are being thrifty then I highly recommend the Mora Bushcraft Black. It is a very robust knife. My preferred choice out in the woods.

Jason
 
Thanks, ill bring lots of extra socks haha. So far ive got my victorinox swisstool and CRK Sebenza, still hunting for the perfect fixed blade. Mainly for battoning wood and cutting branches ect..
 
I just got a BK15. It is PERFECT for camp duty. The sheath is outstanding. Great buy.
 
Disclaimer: I know several of the guys who make the knives that I am about to recommend. However, my recommendations are based upon a ton of real world hands-on use and abuse rather than these affiliations - but I don't want to piss anyone off so please consider the following to simply be my opinions.

If you want a totally bulletproof general purpose knife in that size range my first choice would be a Bark River Bravo 1. My second choice(s) (if size and weight are a concern) would be a Bravo Gunny or Aurora LT. My next choice would be a Battlehorse Bushcrafter or Essiac (or one of the similar models made by LT Wright) in Full Flat Grind.

If these knives are out of your price range, then try a TOPS BOB (a bit heavy but absolutely bulletproof and way cheaper than the Bravos.) If this is too heavy, an Esee 3 or 4 (uncoated stonewashed blade version) would also serve you quite well, but I hate choils and find their handles to be too short. Another good choice would a stripped BK 16 - although I would be a little concerned that the 16 could be destroyed doing things that a Bravo or BOB would simply yawn at. (Don't get me wrong - the 16 is an excellent all purpose camp and trail knife and will handle any reasonable task asked of it with ease - but if you are one of these guys who is really rough on knives, the Bravo or BOB will take much more abuse imo.) The BK-16 has one of the best handle designs and overall ergonomics of any knife I've ever used. When stripped and reprofiled at 17 degrees, they can be made scary sharp.

I've heard much discussion of scandi ground blades and after a bunch of experimentation, have decided that I hate 'em for general purpose knives. One area in which they truly excel, however, is working with wood. For that reason, I'd also suggest buying a Mora for those times in which you might want to do that sort of thing and put it in your fiance's pack. That way she has a knife if you get separated and you have a back-up blade if you lose your primary. (For that matter, since they only weigh a few ounces and cost practically nothing, you should probably have one in your pack as well.)

A lightweight saw will make your life much simpler as well. A Silky Pocketboy or a Svensaw is worth it's weight in gold when playing in the woods.
 
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Brommeland said:
Disclaimer: I know several of the guys who make the knives that I am about to recommend. However, my recommendations are based upon a ton of real world hands-on use and abuse rather than these affiliations - but I don't want to piss anyone off so please consider the following to simply be my opinions.

If you want a totally bulletproof general purpose knife in that size range my first choice would be a Bark River Bravo 1. My second choice(s) (if size and weight are a concern) would be a Bravo Gunny or Aurora LT. My next choice would be a Battlehorse Bushcrafter or Essiac (or one of the similar models made by LT Wright) in Full Flat Grind.

If these knives are out of your price range, then try a TOPS BOB (a bit heavy but absolutely bulletproof and way cheaper than the Bravos.) If this is too heavy, an Esee 3 or 4 (uncoated stonewashed blade version) would also serve you quite well, but I hate choils and find their handles to be too short. Another good choice would a stripped BK 16 - although I would be a little concerned that the 16 could be destroyed doing things that a Bravo or BOB would simply yawn at. (Don't get me wrong - the 16 is an excellent all purpose camp and trail knife and will handle any reasonable task asked of it with ease - but if you are one of these guys who is really rough on knives, the Bravo or BOB will take much more abuse imo.) The BK-16 has one of the best handle designs and overall ergonomics of any knife I've ever used. When stripped and reprofiled at 17 degrees, they can be made scary sharp.

I've heard much discussion of scandi ground blades and after a bunch of experimentation, have decided that I hate 'em for general purpose knives. One area in which they truly excel, however, is working with wood. For that reason, I'd also suggest buying a Mora for those times in which you might want to do that sort of thing and put it in your fiance's pack. That way she has a knife if you get separated and you have a back-up blade if you lose your primary. (For that matter, since they only weigh a few ounces and cost practically nothing, you should probably have one in your pack as well.)

A lightweight saw will make your life much simpler as well. A Silky Pocketboy or a Svensaw is worth it's weight in gold when playing in the woods.
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Thanks for the great reply, now i have many more options to browse through before i order whichever i decide upon. I like the more for both packs idea, i am going to ditch my military as a backup and order a mora (which one i dont know yet), but thats a good idea. We will be on foot from west virginia/virginia all the way down to fontana dam NC. So weight is absolutely an issue, price not so much, but within reason. I dont cheap out on my gear, thats for sure. Again, thank you.
 
All of the knives named in this thread are great suggestions and will most certainly do the job. I would like to say though, don't over think it. A knife is just a cutting tool. Throughout the course of human history how many cutting tools used for extended survival in harsh environments were made from obsidian?
Pick one that's comfortable in your hand and is sturdy. Use it properly, keep it sharp and clean, and it will serve you well.
Best of luck on your hike. I've hiked the Virginia and Maryland portions of the AT. It was a blast!!

Jason
 
JasonECornu said:
All of the knives named in this thread are great suggestions and will most certainly do the job. I would like to say though, don't over think it. A knife is just a cutting tool. Throughout the course of human history how many cutting tools used for extended survival in harsh environments were made from obsidian?
Pick one that's comfortable in your hand and is sturdy. Use it properly, keep it sharp and clean, and it will serve you well.
Best of luck on your hike. I've hiked the Virginia and Maryland portions of the AT. It was a blast!!

Jason
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Thanks Jason, and youre 100% correct. Wish i could hanlde them locally, unfortunately around here theres no knife shops worth a damn. Im ordering an esse4 with the molle sheath to mount to my pack and calling it a night. Been searching all these reccomendations and reading reviews for hours. Was really overthinking it, i carry a folder 99% of the time so its now starting the hunt for the "perfect knife" all over again. I got the uncoated version and hope it serves me well. Im sure it will, its a knife and just about perfect in size, weight and carry options.
Thanks again
 
I love my bk 16. I would go with a 16 and a Mora as a back up. I pair mine with a Mora companion. Mora for whittling and food, 16 for everything else. I have been enjoying my izula lately. It does a suprising job at more than you'd think it would. Probably not the best option Unless you are going semi ultra light though.
 
pinecraft said:
If your blade is only going to be used on wood scandi grind is the way to go. If you haven't used a scandi spend 10$ on a Mora number 1 or 2 to try it. I don't like a choil so you may want to try a knife with one before you commit.The BK16 is popular, and you may want to look at the basic bushcraft knife from condor. They have other knives that may fit your needs as well. Tops makes a brothers of bushcraft knife. Mora has a crap ton of knives that are great in the field. The blackbird is 5 inches of blade a little longer than you requested but was designed for bushcraft. I personally carry a Bk 16 and a Mora 1 at the moment when I head out for an overnight in the woods.
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I bought most of the ESEE line before trying the BK16 and can't say enough good things about it. The sheath can be easily fixed if you don't like it and the handle isn't slippery. I love it.
 
Lockup1109 said:
Thanks pinecraft. Will do. Leaving in a couple of weeks for an appalacian trail hike with my fiance. Trying to scrounge up a few last minute essentials. And the kabar i have is just not gonna cut it, too heavy to trek for 100's of miles And not the right type of knife.
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I do a lot of hiking along the AT in NH and see no need for the weight of a fixed blade. This is my prefered carry for backpacking.

Outdoor Carry by Pinnah, on Flickrb

If I had to replace the Opinel w a fixed blade, I would choose on weight. But even my Mora Companion is too much.
 
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