Fixed Blade to keep in my car trunk

Lord_Balkan

Lord_Balkan

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Aug 25, 2016
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I want to get a dedicated fixed blade to keep in my car to handle any emergency situation. I am not planning on using it for anything in particular, but I want something that should be able to handle anything reasonable.

If anyone remembers my threads, I originally had a Lionsteel M390 fixed blade with wood handles but I don't think the wood handles will hold up.

I want something 4" to 6" (prefer 5" to 6") non-leather sheath, stainless steel (since it gets humid here in the summer) and prefer micarta handles, though not too against G10 and under $200.

I have been doing some searching and these are some of the options I found

sog-pillar-1024x679.jpg

SOG Pillar- Normally I don't look at SOG at all, but this caught my eye. Great S25VN steel, micarta handles, not too thick or thin. I am just worried about the SOG brand, even though on paper this seems perfect.

benchmade-183-contego-fixed-blade__70301.1494626250.730.500.jpg

BM Fixed Contego- I love the blade shape. The BM Reverse Tanto is one of my favorites. The one thing I am worried about is S30V steel to beat on, and the handle shape is weird to me. It seems to look like it would fit larger hands well but I do not have large hands (I wear medium size gloves).

bm-119.jpg

BM Arvensis - This is one beast of a knife. I don't mind the 154CM steel, but what I do mind is I think it might be a bit too thick at .2" along with the grind not being too high.

What do you guys think? I'm open to more suggestions, I just prefer for it to come with a non-leather sheath since a custom sheath will put me over my budget in terms of what I am looking for. Oh, and I have a Lionsteel T5 on the way but that will have other uses, haha.
 
Of the 3 i would pick the benchmade arvensis.
It will be the sturdiest. I have considered one in the past myself but just have to many blades i'm after and decided against it.

I also own a TRC k1. They are available in m390 or elmax and plenty durable. And boy do they come sharp and ready to go. I recommend you at least check it out.
I'll post some pictures later if you're interested.
Good luck :thumbsup:

Edit to add:
I just realized you said under $200
In that case i'd go for the arvensis.

I spent some time looking for a solid stainless steel fixed and decided on the TRC k1 and Survive! 4.1
But both would run you just over $200.
If I were on a $200 budget my next pick would be the benchmade for sure. From my personal search, I never came across anything better in that price range and in a stainless steel.

Just to end the rambling, i'd spend the extra $20 and get the Survive 4.1
They are about as sturdy as any stainless steel fixed blade can be and are available as factory seconds at the moment.
Only downside is you could be waiting around 4 months for it to arrive.
 
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May I ask why the handle material matters so much on a knife you'll hopefully never have to use ?
I only ask because if you can forget about it being something fancy and having micarta , I think the sog seal pup is a pretty good 40$ knife and it's aus8 isn't bad at all.
Lots of people have beat on seal pups without issue over the years, and it has been a popular inexpensive private purchase fixed blade for deploying soldiers.
It's blade is just over 4" though so you may find it smaller than you want.
You seem to really like that SOG fixed blade you pictured, but I really think you'd be better off with a well known budget knife. this way you won't be tempted to take it out and start using it accidentally forgetting to put it back. You don't have to like the knife you just need to know you can rely on it and it's grip won't hurt your hand.
 
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For a trunk knife that you'll barely ever use? In stainless, with a good handle and sheath, beefy blade, made in the US?

Omigosh dude, save yourself some money. Gerber Strongarm.
 
maximus83 said:
For a trunk knife that you'll barely ever use? In stainless, with a good handle and sheath, beefy blade, made in the US?

Omigosh dude, save yourself some money. Gerber Strongarm.
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That would probably do the trick , again the key is the get something you wont have trouble forgetting about.
Forget what you like and just go with what works.
 
How about cold steel SRK?

Saves you money, has a proven track record for durability, and is made of stuff that requires no maintenance.
It's basically asking to get forgotten about and bounced around a trunk.
 
I second the glock knife. I have had one in my jeep for years. It's cheap, tough, proven and gets the job done with no frills.
 
Fallkniven S1 or A1 for that budget? Not that I would want to forget about it, but there and ready. But for just sheer utility, the glock knife as mentioned.
 
Survive 4.1 you could be waiting around 4 months for it to arrive.
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4 months or 4 years anything's possible.

Get the SOG. At $40 it's a disposable knife. Beat on it and see if it meets your needs. If so you could get another to put in the truck.

If your budget was $200- Get the SOG for $40 and with the remaining $160 kit out a real Bugout Bag / Emergency Response bag. First aid, small folder, flashlight, fire extinguisher etc........
 
I would go with the SOG myself. You likely won't be using it much stashed in the trunk of your car. Should work just fine. Why exactly are you concerned about SOG?
 
22-rimfire said:
I would go with the SOG myself. You likely won't be using it much stashed in the trunk of your car. Should work just fine. Why exactly are you concerned about SOG?
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I just don't see much talk about it on here. I probably shouldn't care about handle material and steel quality for this but I can't particularly help it.
 
Knife knuts generally don't buy SOGs any more. It is a bit of a snob thing, I think. But I can tell you that they make a good fixed blade product overall if you are comfortable with the steel they use and the pricing. I was a SOG guy 10 years ago and have quite a few of their different knives from that period. If you like the knife, I wouldn't concern myself with the brand concern.
 
22-rimfire said:
Knife knuts generally don't buy SOGs any more. It is a bit of a snob thing, I think. But I can tell you that they make a good fixed blade product overall if you are comfortable with the steel they use and the pricing. I was a SOG guy 10 years ago and have quite a few of their different knives from that period. If you like the knife, I wouldn't concern myself with the brand concern.
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Yeah, I understand that. I didn't expect an S35VN fixed blade with Micarta handles from SOG. The SOG Seal Pup seems like a good choice to for $60 bucks.
 
I have the Seal Pup Elite, good knife. Handle is plastic which never thrilled me. Sheath is plastic I think, kydex? It works. It used to be my go to woods knife. I moved on and the knife pile kept getting taller.
 
WadeWilson said:
Ka-Bar BK 9 :D
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You know the OP wanted stainless, right?

I'd vote for either of 2 options that fit his profile and are relatively cheap: SOG Seal Pup (as mentioned by others, and I've owned one too), or Gerber Strongarm (the one I'm using now for this role). You just can't get much better value for stainless knives in this price range.
 
Oh hey wait a minute. I just realized.

How about a Buck Mesa?

Way below budget, Buck's 420hc is awesome, fits your preferred blade length, and you get the micarta scales you want.

This actually checks off every one of your boxes and is made in USA and way below budget to boot. Win/win all around.
 
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