General outdoors knife

6

62tc

Joined
Nov 1, 2016
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6
Hey guys, first post. Looking for some advice on a first good knife. I'll mainly be carrying it around my wooded family property - making fires, maybe some small shelters, a little batoning, whittling, etc.

I'm looking in the $50 range, and have come up with the Ka-Bar Mark I, Condor Primitive Bush, Buck 119, and maybe even the USMC Ka bar. I'd like something classic looking and feeling. I already have a SAK I carry with me every day so no need for a small folder.

Thanks!
 
Kabar's 1312 Dog's Head utility is just like the USMC with just a few changes that make it more of "woods friendly"... certainly worth a look. I have one and like it very much.
 
Condor Hudson Bay Knife.
Big enough without being huge.
$50 here:

http://www.baryonyxknife.com/hudsonbayknife.html

He is an approved dealer here. :)

You might find it cheaper elsewhere, but he will make sure you get a knife inspected to be good.

Condor makes a good product that comes with a good leather sheath.
 
Eh, those are all garbage, get an Opinel and a Squirt instead! HAYOOOOOO!!!!

But seriously, from your list, I've always been partial to the Buck 119. I carried one many times when I was younger on hikes and campint trips. These days, I tend to carry heavier fixed blades for camping and general outdoorsman stuff, but you can't grow wrong with a nice 119.
 
62tc said:
Hey guys, first post. Looking for some advice on a first good knife. I'll mainly be carrying it around my wooded family property - making fires, maybe some small shelters, a little batoning, whittling, etc.

I'm looking in the $50 range, and have come up with the Ka-Bar Mark I, Condor Primitive Bush, Buck 119, and maybe even the USMC Ka bar. I'd like something classic looking and feeling. I already have a SAK I carry with me every day so no need for a small folder.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

For what you describe, I would recommend a 4"-5" blade with a convex or saber/v-flat/scandi grind. I would steer clear of full flat as they tend to bind when splitting wood. I don't care for hollow grinds for your purposes much either but some folks have good luck with them.

How much you looking to spend. On the low end, a Mora Companion or 2000 will work just fine. Or you could easily spend hundreds.

You might consider a saw too.

Plenty of ideas here.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/708156-Post-up-your-4-5-quot-Bushcraft-blades
 
Welcome!

I'd stay away from the Buck 119 as a woods knife. Its one of the more hunting specialized fixed blades, and has a hollow grind (less metal behind the edge to make it thinner and cut meat better). That leads it to being a bit less durable for that type of work.

For this price point, I think you'll have a hard time doing better than some of Condors products.

Look at the Condor Woodlore. It comes in a nice thick leather sheath with good retention and has wood handles for that nice classic feel. Its also a 1/8in thick blade, which should be more than enough for batoning small kindling with its blade length.

The Kabar MK1 is a good knife though. I gifted one to a friend, and used it for a while first. It would make you happy as well I'd suspect. A leather handled/leather sheathed version is available, but a bit over your price range. Also, I found the handle to be a touch on the short side. Nothing bad, but if I were the designer, it would have been 1/4in longer or so.

A folding saw is a great idea. And potentially you might also look into a short machete (12-14in) depending on what types of "woods" you have on your property. They make quick work of most shelter building/batoning needs :).

Good luck finding something you like :).
 
Quiet said:
Eh, those are all garbage, get an Opinel and a Squirt instead! HAYOOOOOO!!!!

But seriously, from your list, I've always been partial to the Buck 119. I carried one many times when I was younger on hikes and campint trips. These days, I tend to carry heavier fixed blades for camping and general outdoorsman stuff, but you can't grow wrong with a nice 119.
Click to expand...

+10....been carrying one in one form or other for over 50 years. There are plenty of other good knives, but its hard to go wrong with this venerable Buck model 119. ....must add....big fan of Condor as well.
 
Mora Bushcraft Black or Forest wold be my choice in that price range.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I would get an old Shrade sharp finger in 1095. I got mine at a flea market a few years back, for maybe 5 to 10 bucks.
 
Under $50 - A Mora #1 and a Cold Steel Trail Hawk, a great 24 oz slicing, carving and heavy chopping combo.
 
becker bk2 if you can find one used it will be within your price range no problem! They are tanks too :)
 
Wow! Thanks everybody for the replies! I'm surprised there's no love for the primitive bush knife.

I've read great things about the Mora, and it's definitely cheap. But is it bad if I don't think it looks great? I know it's not all about looks but.....

I thought about a used BK2, just can't find them around anywhere. What's the consensus on the BK16?
 
62tc said:
Wow! Thanks everybody for the replies! I'm surprised there's no love for the primitive bush knife.

I've read great things about the Mora, and it's definitely cheap. But is it bad if I don't think it looks great? I know it's not all about looks but.....

I thought about a used BK2, just can't find them around anywhere. What's the consensus on the BK16?
Click to expand...

I love my BK16. I think it strikes more or less the perfect balance between "robust" and "lightweight". Its 5/32in thick, and a full flat grind, so it slices pretty well. Better than many of its peers (Tops B.O.B., ESEE 4, etc). You'll still be able to baton things within reason (1-3in) quite confidently. Although, I wouldn't personally be attacking as large of bolts with the BK16 as I would with those others. Then again, I've found that personally I don't have that need often, so for me the BK16 is quite nice as an all around general outdoors knife.

The other thing that Becker knives are known for, is having very good ergonomics. The handle is comfortable in many grips, and just in general. Although for me personally, I do find it a bit thin. I like to add liners under them to give the handle a bit more girth to fit my handle better.

I didn't mention it before, but I've been really surprised with how well my Mora (companion) works. I bought it because I heard so many great things about them, and it really has been one of my most used knives in the outdoors (for reference, I've had that mora for 4 years longer than the BK16, which is a more recent purchase, so less dirt time). Pretty much any model of theirs will work well, so maybe check a few more of them out to see if one looks better to you? No need to do that now of course, but sometime when it strikes your fancy, maybe try one out. I know I was pleasantly surprised with mine :).

And I like Condor knives quite a bit. But their primitive bush knife isn't my favorite. Maybe its just me, but I find the looks strange, and that blade length isn't my favorite. I find it a bit of an akward middle ground between a normal belt knife, and a chopping style knife. I did like the Bushlore I had for a while though. I gifted it to my parents to keep at their cabin.

Good luck finding something that works for you :thumbup:.
 
Condor Moonshiner... amazing knife for the money though may be just a few bucks outside your 50.00 range
 
A used Becker like the ones mentioned would probably be better suited than the KA-BAR or 119. I don't own one but the 16 in particular looks to be an outstanding general use knife with a strong "bushcrafty" reputation. The Mark I from KA-BAR would probably be a bit more useful than the full size USMC.

That said: I have the full size KA-BAR 1219 and the Buck 119. They are classics that are pleasures to own. Simple but elegant designs that are useful. The USMC and 119 sort of defined their genre's in a way. Both have reasonable and serviceable steel. Both made in the USA if that's important to you. Pretty sure both are in or reasonably close to your budget. I do not hesitate to use either in the ways you describe. In fact, owning those is part of the reason I keep putting off another fixed blade purchase. If you really plan on baton'ing through cinder blocks because someone told you it's the measure of a good knife (and let's face it, it's fun), then neither is a good choice and you should look at the BK2 or another chopper / pry-bar. But for general home and yard duty including light baton'ing, I don't hesitate to use the 119 or my KA-BAR.

Good Luck!
 
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Under $50, a Mora Bushcraft Black, Kansbol or your choice of companion (can even throw in a Kydex sheath and still be way under budget) is tough to beat and a good platform for learning how you want to use a knife outdoors and how (if at all) the Mora falls short for your needs before you splurge on a more expensive knife that suits you better. Also consider the Real Steel Bushcraft II in the same price range.
 
62tc said:
Wow! Thanks everybody for the replies! I'm surprised there's no love for the primitive bush knife.
Click to expand...

The Primitive Bush Knife is money well spent if you're looking for that one tool option and don't mind dealing with the larger blade. I've found the handle very comfortable and the sharpened short swedge useful. The sheath is beautiful but quirky. There are simple ways to add a traditional belt loop.

It's also stainess, which is a nice feature depending on your environment. I do wish the handle and blade design allowed for a more forward grip. A finger choil area would have been a welcome feature.

The activities you are describing might be better served by two tools, not one. Consider a pocket folder for finer tasks and an axe or machete or folding saw for the larger stuff.
 
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