Fixed blade for a girl

L

lifereinspired

Joined
Jun 26, 2015
Messages
6
Hello,

I'm in need of some advice. I'm trying to find a mid length fixed blade for a girl. I only mention this as relative due to hand size...which is small to medium in *women's* gloves. I believe this will affect the options. We're looking for a stainless blade, 5-6" blade length and fairly nimble, again trying to ensure safe and easy use with smaller hands and somewhat less strength/brute force. Usage will be fairly straightforward outdoor activities, camping, bushcraft, feather sticks, and batoning for firewood. We live in a high humidity area with many months of sm

Designs like the Cold Steel SRK, Fallkniven A1/S1, and SOG Force are top of the list. If money were no object, we'd likely try the Fallkniven but were concerned reading about warranty issues and people having knives chip. I don't know how much of a problem either of these are and I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts. The SOG Force is a good option but the handle proved larger than expected which prompted concern about safely being able to handle it. The SRK may be a good in between option but I'm not sure about the 1" ricasso. Does that make the knife safer, stronger? The same overall length blade on both the A1 and the Force gives a full 6" cutting length which seems more useful. Do people use it as a finger choir? Or are there other benefits? Or do you hate it?

If you have advice or thoughts on these or other similar designs, I'd really appreciate it. Unfortunately, we're working with a budget but we'd love to know what your thoughts are and if any of these is just head and shoulders above the rest. Thanks so much!
 
There is quite a difference in budget between a CS/SOG and Falkniven, What is the actual budget? That would help narrow options significantly.

Böker Plus Hunter Killer is a good tough stainless (440c) 5.75" blade with a thin ergonomic handle.

Couple that with a light weight stainless 4" Mora (Companion Clipper) in a color of your/her choosing, which will be much more adequate due to size/weight for daily use on most lighter duty chores. Very user friendly grip, even with small hands.
 
I will second the recommendation of Mora. Mora knives are awesome. It needs a good sharpening now, but I have a Companion Clipper and I just love it.
 
The kabar/becker bk16 is a sweet knife and the handle is probably a nice size. My wife uses a bk15( same handle) and like it.

For about $35 the condor kephart is nice also. You can re- shape the handle on that with little trouble and a few coats of tung oil and you are in business.

A mora of some sort is also gonna be a safe bet also.
 
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Get a Mora my nine year old brother can use it and his hands are probably around the size you stated
 
My wife has a pink stainless Mora in the knife drawer that she uses a lot. And when she handled the SRK I was a little surprised at her positive response to it. But then a lot of my fixed blades run toward the larger end overall. You really can't go wrong with a Mora.
 
jkwithawave said:
Bk15.
Click to expand...
Angus McGunnigle said:
The kabar/becker bk16 is a sweet knife and the handle is probably a nice size. My wife uses a bk15( same handle) and like it.
Click to expand...


Bingo! Any of the tweeners actually.

I have a 15 and my gf uses it in the kitchen and while camping quite often.

They dress up nicely with pin stock or bolts and some wood or micarta scales.
Grab some micarta slabs from shade tree customs and drill your holes, sand the back of the scale material and epoxy the slabs on, sand to shape.

She will have a new fixed blade that will be custom fit for her hand, able to stand up to plenty of use and abuse, as well as being Very nice looking.
(On top of that you will get Plenty of bonus points for putting your time and thought into it and making it "Her" knife.)
 
Moras are great! Lots of different models to choose from and the price cant be beat. The are light and easy to hold. My wife carries a SAK and a Mora when we are out camping! And both the stainless or carbon version are super easy to sharpen and get very sharp. I also find a scandi grind easiest to sharpen, especially if your new to knives and sharpening. But the majority of the Mora's are in the 4" blade length range.

Aside from the Mora's, I do like the Buck Selkirk. Its just under 5" though. But a nice all around stainless knife.
 
smoky mtn knife works is closing out some buck brand knives i have the haley heath ergohunter gut hook it was designed toward females or persons with small hands. i love it being that i have small hands for a guy just for thought if you want that style and buck forever warranty
 
I have small hands, and the Becker Tweeners fit them perfectly.
My sister in law rocks the BK16 and her hands are also small.
For bushcraft, def go with the bk16.
 
Depending on what you allow for your budget there are lots of options. Myself, I am a Fallkniven guy. The new Pro series S1 would be my suggestion. The laminated cobalt steel used in this model is phenomenal stuff. Relatively easy to sharpen compared with the current super steel phenomenon and holds it laser like edge for a long, long time. The pro series has a lifetime warranty too!
As far as the VG-10models & chipping, although it happens occasionally (1 out of every few thousand), it is an excellent steel and knife as well.
My second choice would be Dpx Gear. Niolox and sleipner are 2 good steels that are tough n pretty easy to sharpen and they keep an edge well too
Some of Cold Steel' s offerings are good as well. Some models are made by the same gentleman who makes Fallkniven knives. You could check out his custom offerings at Japanese knife direct website. His name is Ichiro Hattori. Good.luck with the search
 
I agree with the Tweeners posts--the handles are a great size. I have two 15s and the handle fits my hand perfectly. Also have a Buck 102 and a Mora Clipper which has basically the same handle as the Companion. Any of those will fit smaller hands just fine.
 
Though I don't have a Mora, yet, they have a price that is hard to beat and everything I have read about them makes them high on my list of knives to buy. I do have an ESEE 3 that is a nice knife though the blade is shorter than what you mentioned. The grip is about 0.5" thick and is almost too small for my medium to large hands. The ESEE 4 has a 4.5" blade with almost the same grip and both are in the $100 range. The ESEE has a more robust blade than the Mora but is still fairly light at under 8 oz. compared to the Mora at under 4 oz. There are so many good choices it makes it really hard to decide.
 
lifereinspired said:
Hello,

I'm in need of some advice. I'm trying to find a mid length fixed blade for a girl. I only mention this as relative due to hand size...which is small to medium in *women's* gloves. I believe this will affect the options. We're looking for a stainless blade, 5-6" blade length and fairly nimble, again trying to ensure safe and easy use with smaller hands and somewhat less strength/brute force. Usage will be fairly straightforward outdoor activities, camping, bushcraft, feather sticks, and batoning for firewood. We live in a high humidity area with many months of sm

Designs like the Cold Steel SRK, Fallkniven A1/S1, and SOG Force are top of the list. If money were no object, we'd likely try the Fallkniven but were concerned reading about warranty issues and people having knives chip. I don't know how much of a problem either of these are and I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts. The SOG Force is a good option but the handle proved larger than expected which prompted concern about safely being able to handle it. The SRK may be a good in between option but I'm not sure about the 1" ricasso. Does that make the knife safer, stronger? The same overall length blade on both the A1 and the Force gives a full 6" cutting length which seems more useful. Do people use it as a finger choir? Or are there other benefits? Or do you hate it?

If you have advice or thoughts on these or other similar designs, I'd really appreciate it. Unfortunately, we're working with a budget but we'd love to know what your thoughts are and if any of these is just head and shoulders above the rest. Thanks so much!
Click to expand...

Ok, I'll bite on this and give my thoughts on Fällkniven regarding chip and warranty.
I have the S1 and the NL4 in this size and with laminated VG-10 steel.
I have carried the S1, camping & fishing in the mountains here in Sweden.
It has been used in batoning & splitting firewood, cutting walkingsticks, cleaning Trouts and preparing food.
No damages whatsoever and the edge has never needed a touch-up in the field.
Today the blade and edge is polished to a glossy finish, but the original edge is still there.

The NL4 has been used around the summerhouse in batoning and splitting firewood + allaround cutting tasks around the house.
It did this work without any effects on the knife for years.
Two years ago I carried the NL4 as a working knife at my job as an interior carpenter, making kitchens.
This meant the knife frequently came in contact with nails, ceramic tiles and concrete.
This is where the edge started to show microchipping.
I did 4-5 resharpenings wich removed the factoryedge and put my own edge on the knife.
That's where the microchipping stopped and the knife has stayed sharp ever since.

Microchipping, rolling or denting on a factoryedges aren't uncommon in the knifebusiness and we see it on the forums every now and then.
Not only on Fällkniven knives but also on several other wellknown brands.
It happens regardless of steeltypes, stainless or carbonsteels, cheap simple or advanced powdermetals.

I have spoken about the subject with several peoples like knifemakers, metallurgists, brandowners and customers alike.
My Q has been why a new edge can fail under low pressure and the answers seems to be two.
Primarily, the edge is ground too thin.
Secondary, the edge has been overheated in the final stages of sharpening.
The cure is to resharpen past the factory edge.
Unfortunately this cure is left to us, the customers to do, altenatively send the knife back for resharpening services.

About Fällkniven warranty, it isn't the same as the warranty from many US brands.
It is of European standards and that's the way it is.
I have talked about this with the owner and CEO at Fällkniven many times and I have also told about their view on this site.
The fact is they have a failure rate of 1/1000 and this is mostly on mechanical issues with the folders.
I know that they have a longterm idea on how their policy will develop, but I have no clue on any details.
Time will tell.


I will not recommend any special knife or brand for Your daughter, but I personally use fixed knives from Bark River, Hess, Fällkniven and Mora.
They are all keepers and they all do their job well!


Regards
Mikael
 
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Wow! Fantastic information. Super awesome. We've already followed the advice given here and both have puukko/Mora style knives which we've had since late summer. I'm really glad we went that way first as it seems to be the consensus here! I actually switched a Mora Companion HD for the very similar Marttiini Condor Timberjack as it was a better and more secure fit in the hand and even then, there's a significant overhang of more than 1.5" beyond hand grip. You're right that this is a fantastic style knife and an amazing deal. At some point, I'll add a stainless Mora. :)

The knife is actually for me, a gift from my husband. Sorry I didn't make that clearer; I read an extremely derogatory post last night towards a forum member someone thought was female and I just didn't want to deal with that experience right now. I should have thought more positively of the community and I'm sorry about that. To answer a couple of the questions, budget is ideally under $100. I've actually become disabled at a young age and really wanting to attempt some camping and bushcraft activities despite this. Fortunately, my doctors and husband are incredibly supportive. But I'm mentioning this because income is small and medical expenses high, so it makes the budget tight. If I could dream, I would love, love a Fallkniven. I'm rather in love with convex grinds, uncoated stainless, their lines and design, etc. But it would likely mean pushing back purchasing the knife if I were to try to get a Fallkniven which is why I was also looking at the SRK (even considered the San Mai III), as an alternative. It's easy to creep up the prices though. In an attempt to keep a low bidget, I've tried several of the Schrade series (SCH-F36, SCH-F37M, SCH-F38, SCH-F3N). I had difficulty controlling them and didn't love the large choil and eventually we kept the SCH-F38 for both my husband and I to use together. We recently purchased some stripper to remove the coating. So, that gives a basic high carbon steel model that can strike a ferro rod or flint but it's not *my* personal fixed blade. It's really more "his" because the size and shape isn't ideal for me. One of the things that I battle are hands that are weak, extremely hypermobile, and prone to frequent dislocation...for instance, many gloves will cause my fingers to dislocate just wearing them and attempting to close my fingers into the shape of a fist. So, good handle size and knife weight is more of a requirement for me than maybe most others. My head wants a 6" actual cutting edge (again making the Fallkniven A1 an absolute dream) as it seems that many people agree that it's the most versatile for good reach without getting unwieldy. But maybe could be OK with 5". I'm conficted about the 1" ricasso on the SRK...does it make it safer to use? Or is it "wasted" reach? I've tried to read up about ricassos but most information seems to be personal preference rather than actual numbers or testing of which performs better. Maybe there really isn't much info one way or the other and it is just preference?? In some ways, if I were only going to have a 5" cutting surface, the S1 would be amazing as I'd end up with a lighter overall knife with the same reach making it easier for me to handle. But we're back to the price issue. :/ What I like about all of these designs is the narrower profile of the blade giving me good reach without a lot of weight.

Thank you so much for the information about the Fallkniven (and subsequently other models of similar materials) and the reality of what can happen with chipping - rather than the myths - and also how to fix it. Knowing my challenges with my hands, I've been worried I may sometime drop my knife and chip it. Hearing that if it happens it can be sharpened out and the non-factory edge will be extremely durable was really encouraging...even in thinking about other models like the SRK ( as it's now in VG1). Fortunately, my husband is great at knife sharpening and is proficient at working with multiple grinds. I'm just starting to learn and hope that I'll develop this skill as well.

I'll definitely look at each of the knives mentioned so far. If I remember correctly, the Becker series and Condor series are both high carbon rather than stainless, is that correct? If so, it may not be my next knife but I'll definitely add them to the wish list. I can already see how easy it is to want a couple of different knife options. Any other suggestions, advice, information would be fantastic as I'm keen to learn more. Thanks so very much!! Looking forward to reading your replies!
 
I can't emphasize this enough - please look at the Fixed Blade Exchange here on BF....cool to see a woman (not a girl) here btw! I've purchased a bunch of custom fixed blades right from there, plenty of them below the $100 mark, & they all run circles around any similar-ish production blades in overall design/style/heart/creativity/uniqueness/materials/craftsmanship/ba-dassness.
 
So correct me if i'm wrong after reading thst post, small hands aside, you're actually looking for a larger handle that will fit small hands, as opposed to an actual smaller handle to fit small hands (the whole fist issue?)

If that is the case, budget considered, I would strongly suggest a bk15... 5.5", solid ergonomics, and great weight; definitely a camp worthy "tweener". Non stainless, but seriously, as serious as you sound with your passion for knives, keep it clean, clean it/wipe it after use, you'll be fine. And last time I checked you can still find them at great prices...
 
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Thanks so much for the encouragement! It's a really cool forum and I'm definitely enjoying learning about knives. :) And dreaming about them. Haha. I can definitely see how people end up collecting them. From a purely practical perspective, I can see how having a few different models and styles make sense as each one has its strengths that will work best in particularly ssituation.

@VanDammet, I'll definitely check out the Fixed Blade Exchange. Thank you for letting me know about it. Have your experiences been relative good (safe) transactions? Is there anything I should look out for?

@strategy9, I'm actually looking for smaller handled knives for my small hands. I've tried the SOG Force which I really like the design of (6" blade w/ 6" cutting edge, narrow blade profile, strong spine, full tang) but my hand doesn't even close around it and in addition to not being very secure, seeing nearly three inches of handle sticking out of the back of my hand is rather comical. Even some of the Mora handles were less secure that ideal, which is why I ended up with the Marttiini. Had the newer design Mora Craftline Robust (rather than the handle on the High Robust or Companion style) that I tried not had finishing flaws, it may have been my choice over the Marttiini. Both of those have a more pronounced finger guard that helps make my hand more secure.

Any additional thoughts, advice or ideas would be fantastic. I'm really enjoying learning from you all! Thanks so much!
 
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