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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
fixed blades
- Thread starter ezzekial
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2007
- Messages
- 1,925
Scrapyard, Swamp Rat, and Busse are all fine choices for hard use.... tough as nails. Well, actually, tougher!
:thumbup:
:thumbup:
I have a trio of my users depicted below, in ascending cost from L-R. For less than $40, you can pick up a Buck 119, in 'just' 420HC steel, at Wally World or Academy chains. Great classic - you'll even see 'Survivorman', Les Stroud, with one on some episodes. Middle is a knife I originally wasn't quite so fond of - but it grew on me - a Benchmade 201 Activator+ in D2 tool steel - cost me $82 shipped last December. The right hand is the best - a Bark River Gameskeeper - the thickest at .215" - and of A2 tool steel. Expect to drop $155+ on this one.
You know, I love the Gameskeeper - it's convex grind makes it a deceptively fine cutting blade. It's a fantastic knife - great quality, even better hand fit. Of course, they can all produce fine shavings of various soft & hard woods. The Buck has seen more duty, as it has been here a lot longer. In fact, it has become my main kitchen butcher knife, despite my wife's chagrin. None have seen a strop - yet. The Buck and Bark River are still hair popping sharp, while the BM was never quite as sharp, yet hasn't dulled, either. The BM also has the least comfortable, though quite adaptable, grip, while the Buck's is nearly as good as the Bark River (Actually, the Buck 192 Vanguard is my long time favorite Buck grip.).
I guess the point of this is simple; you can spend as little as $37 for a Buck 119 and have a great fixed blade. You could spend twice as much and have, once stropped, a fine knife. You could double your investment again and have a fantastic piece of a near custom production knife. At the end of the day, neither the tent stakes nor the dinner steaks you trimmed will care which was used.
The natural sheath goes with the natural Micarta Gameskeeper.
I forgot to add - the above three knives were made in the USA - except for the Buck 119's leather sheath - it came from Mexico.
Stainz
You know, I love the Gameskeeper - it's convex grind makes it a deceptively fine cutting blade. It's a fantastic knife - great quality, even better hand fit. Of course, they can all produce fine shavings of various soft & hard woods. The Buck has seen more duty, as it has been here a lot longer. In fact, it has become my main kitchen butcher knife, despite my wife's chagrin. None have seen a strop - yet. The Buck and Bark River are still hair popping sharp, while the BM was never quite as sharp, yet hasn't dulled, either. The BM also has the least comfortable, though quite adaptable, grip, while the Buck's is nearly as good as the Bark River (Actually, the Buck 192 Vanguard is my long time favorite Buck grip.).
I guess the point of this is simple; you can spend as little as $37 for a Buck 119 and have a great fixed blade. You could spend twice as much and have, once stropped, a fine knife. You could double your investment again and have a fantastic piece of a near custom production knife. At the end of the day, neither the tent stakes nor the dinner steaks you trimmed will care which was used.
The natural sheath goes with the natural Micarta Gameskeeper.
I forgot to add - the above three knives were made in the USA - except for the Buck 119's leather sheath - it came from Mexico.
Stainz
- Joined
- May 20, 2007
- Messages
- 1,800
I don't think you can go wrong with either a Bark River or a Fallkniven.
Check out Bark River's Bravo-1 and Fallkniven's F1 or S1.
Check out Bark River's Bravo-1 and Fallkniven's F1 or S1.
There's a lot of 'em. If you want stuff from the toughest end, then some of the following would be worth looking into: Busse, Swamp Rat, Scrapyard, Ranger Knives, Fehrman, Fällkniven and a whole number of customs.
Personally, I really fancy Busses, Fällknivens and Ranger Knives for hard use blades. Out of those three, Busse has the toughest knives with their INFI steel, but also the steepest prices and worst availability. Fällknivens use stainless steel, but are still plenty tough, and they sport convex grinds and cut like hell. Ranger Knives are real tough, typically using 5160 spring steel which is some tough stuff no matter what you're doing with it. And out of those three, if you're looking for a large knife, then Ranger Knives makes the most affordable one, while the knives themselves, in my experience, are tougher than Fällknivens. Justin, the man at Ranger Knives, can do some custom stuff, too, and he's a real pleasure to deal with. I should think that you'd be able to get the right "hard use knife" for you from one of these three brands. I'll say that Busse and Ranger Knives have the best warranty going for them, as well as the toughest materials.
Personally, I really fancy Busses, Fällknivens and Ranger Knives for hard use blades. Out of those three, Busse has the toughest knives with their INFI steel, but also the steepest prices and worst availability. Fällknivens use stainless steel, but are still plenty tough, and they sport convex grinds and cut like hell. Ranger Knives are real tough, typically using 5160 spring steel which is some tough stuff no matter what you're doing with it. And out of those three, if you're looking for a large knife, then Ranger Knives makes the most affordable one, while the knives themselves, in my experience, are tougher than Fällknivens. Justin, the man at Ranger Knives, can do some custom stuff, too, and he's a real pleasure to deal with. I should think that you'd be able to get the right "hard use knife" for you from one of these three brands. I'll say that Busse and Ranger Knives have the best warranty going for them, as well as the toughest materials.
- Joined
- May 7, 2005
- Messages
- 20,928
My sage green/ green linen Game Warden!
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2007
- Messages
- 2,684
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2002
- Messages
- 3,179
Don't rule out the smaller straight blades by HI. Look at the R-10 (any of the R series, actually) or the Kumar Karda.
Frank
Frank
I have a trio of my users depicted below, in ascending cost from L-R. For less than $40, you can pick up a Buck 119, in 'just' 420HC steel, at Wally World or Academy chains. Great classic - you'll even see 'Survivorman', Les Stroud, with one on some episodes. Middle is a knife I originally wasn't quite so fond of - but it grew on me - a Benchmade 201 Activator+ in D2 tool steel - cost me $82 shipped last December. The right hand is the best - a Bark River Gameskeeper - the thickest at .215" - and of A2 tool steel. Expect to drop $155+ on this one.
You know, I love the Gameskeeper - it's convex grind makes it a deceptively fine cutting blade. It's a fantastic knife - great quality, even better hand fit. Of course, they can all produce fine shavings of various soft & hard woods. The Buck has seen more duty, as it has been here a lot longer. In fact, it has become my main kitchen butcher knife, despite my wife's chagrin. None have seen a strop - yet. The Buck and Bark River are still hair popping sharp, while the BM was never quite as sharp, yet hasn't dulled, either. The BM also has the least comfortable, though quite adaptable, grip, while the Buck's is nearly as good as the Bark River (Actually, the Buck 192 Vanguard is my long time favorite Buck grip.).
I guess the point of this is simple; you can spend as little as $37 for a Buck 119 and have a great fixed blade. You could spend twice as much and have, once stropped, a fine knife. You could double your investment again and have a fantastic piece of a near custom production knife. At the end of the day, neither the tent stakes nor the dinner steaks you trimmed will care which was used.
The natural sheath goes with the natural Micarta Gameskeeper.
I forgot to add - the above three knives were made in the USA - except for the Buck 119's leather sheath - it came from Mexico.
Stainz
Nice and sensible review
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2006
- Messages
- 627
You didn't mention what the blade is to be used for, how large or any other criteria. How can one make a suggestion?
