Gerber's LMF II or, Cold Steels SRK?

Some notes on the LMF2 because I do believe it is an exceptionally well designed platform. -It is a beefy knife. Thick blade, full tang with a solid pommel that gives a feel of quality and durability, though this is false.
-I have yet to find a more comfortable, well balanced no bullshit survival knife.
-it is made from extraordinarily cheap and horrendously treated mystery steel that Gerber uses, which totally negates anything positive the LMF platform could have had going for it. for its near-100 dollar price tag, the edge on mine has chipped, fractured, dulled and cracked under normal bushcraft usage. To be honest I don't think I've ever seen steel fail so catastrophically in any knife I have owned.

As to the Beckers, Kabar is now producing Micarta scales that fit a majority of the Becker models. If you have a belt sander and are a DIY kind of person, you can spend 2 dollars on micarta blanks and make your own.
 
This is good to hear before, entering my credit card number for one of these knives.
Cold Steel it may be, just not sure may go big with the recon.
 
If you are looking for a bushcraft-survival knife more than a combat-survival knife I would choose none of the two mentioned knives. Why, warum, varför,?

Well, the CS Tanto looks "combat cool" and so does the LMF II.
None of the knives has a protruding tang. Yes the LMF II has a big lump as a pommel but it can not be used if you for some reason need to pound the knife into something.
Both knives has questionable steel quality.

Regarding that "military agencies" use CS knives and the LMF II. yes that might be right. Military also use the Glock knife, Fallkniven knives and Mora knives too.

During an evaluation for a new survival knife for the Swedish Airforce back in the old days the SRK was rejected and the Fallkniven F1 was chosen instead, that was when the SRK had good steel.

Cold Steel has funky marketing ideas but how often do you end up cutting a mile of cardboard?
The LMF II has too many "functions" that you dont need in a normal forest. If the LMF II were made of a good steel, like VG10, had no serrations and had a smaller pommel that were attached to the blade and a sheath that doesnt look that "combat", it might be a good bushcraft knife.

My choices for a good bushcraft-survival knife would be anything from Fallkniven (I use the F1 and H1), Bark River (any blade type/steel you like) or RAT/RC (however I dont like their huge ricasso). If you have to have a CS, then the Master Hunter or the Finn Bear/ SISU is perfect. I know the landscape is different in California and northern Scandinavia, but if you have a BIG knife you also need a smaller knife as well.

So in short:
Combat-survival: LMF II, SRK or Tanto = adequate but too heavy and bulky.
Bushcraft-survival: choose something else, something smaller, lighter, better.
 
What about the RAT RC-5? It's lighter then the RC-4, has plain edge (an advantage IMO over the LMF II) and can withstand a LOT of abuse.
 
It's all about the $$ you want to spend.

Based on everything you have said, I think a fallkniven A1 would make you smile. It can chop down a tree, baton the wood for a fire, cut your food for dinner, get left on the ground overnight, then be used to shave with the next morning. The stock sheath sort of sucks though and your looking at about $170, which I think is beyond what your wanting to spend. You could go for the slightly smaller S1, but it's not much cheaper.

The Recon Scout and Trail Master have a full guard that just get's in the way in most outdoor situations and makes any sort of delicate work impossible and just overall you can do better for the $$, so I would say avoid those all together. Plus they have once again jacked up the prices and their new SK-5 carbon steel seems to perform more like a cheap stainless in my use - no rust when there probably should be and it chips if it get's within a foot of a tiny pebble.

The old Carbon V SRK's are a great cheaper alternative to the Fallknivens, but I wouldn't go near the new AUS8 version with the tapered tip SRK's have, unless you just want to see how quickly you can snap it off. There is actually a Carbon V SRK on eBay right now, but no sheath. Still, if it stay's around $60 It could be a good deal assuming you can still buy the old style kydex sheath seperately.

Then there's RAT. The RC-5 is going to be close to the Fallkniven A1 in price, but comes with a much better sheath. However, you can get a RC-4 complete with an awesome kydex sheath system shipped to your door for a little over $90 from KSF.com, or for about $35 more, the RC-6 - again with an awesome sheath included. If your ever going to do any chopping or delimbing branches, that's going to be a tall order for a RC-4. It can do it, just not nearly as efficiently as A1, RC-5, or RC-6 probably in that order.

If the sheath is important to you and you are O.K. with carbon steels, I would go RAT, it's just a matter of how much you want to spend. The RC-4 IMHO is the most knife for the $$ in their line.

Or if you want to go even cheaper and can find one, go Carbon V SRK.
 
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I would recommend going for the old Carbon V SRK.
I have one of those and have used it hard. The coating is still intact, only needs minimal touch-ups for the edge, and the handle is very comfortable.

If the prices of the older Carbon V SRK is too high, I would recommend the Fallkniven S1 instead.
Beckers are great knives, but unless you have a very large hand, you won't find the handle comfortable. Plus, I find the handles a bit slippery when wet...

Regards,
Mike
 
Glock26 said:
Any suggestions on dealers to purchase these knives from?
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Oddly enough, I have found Amazon.com to be a pretty good place to buy Gerber (if you are buying the LMFII). I bought mine there and will be taking it to the sand box here in a few weeks. Not sure it is the "best" knife, but I figure I could do a bunch worse for a fixed blade knife with this intended use at the price I paid ($67 with free shipping).
 
Gault said:
Oddly enough, I have found Amazon.com to be a pretty good place to buy Gerber (if you are buying the LMFII). I bought mine there and will be taking it to the sand box here in a few weeks. Not sure it is the "best" knife, but I figure I could do a bunch worse for a fixed blade knife with this intended use at the price I paid ($67 with free shipping).
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I think it will serve you well. By sand box I take it you mean one of those unpleasant foreign places with people trying to kill you.:eek: Thanks for your service. :thumbup:
 
cgmblade said:
I think it will serve you well. By sand box I take it you mean one of those unpleasant foreign places with people trying to kill you.:eek: Thanks for your service. :thumbup:
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Correct, since our normal method of movement in country will be by helo, I want to carry a decent ASEK blade, which this seems to fit the bill.

Thank you for the kind thought. :)
 
Gault said:
Correct, since our normal method of movement in country will be by helo, I want to carry a decent ASEK blade, which this seems to fit the bill.

Thank you for the kind thought. :)
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I've read that military members who have tested the LMF really liked it. It was designed to meet your specific needs. It may not meet the specific needs of us civilians who want a backpacking/camping knife, but I'm sure you'll be pleased with it. Stay safe over there and stay in touch with us as best you can.
 
cgmblade said:
I've read that military members who have tested the LMF really liked it. It was designed to meet your specific needs. It may not meet the specific needs of us civilians who want a backpacking/camping knife, but I'm sure you'll be pleased with it. Stay safe over there and stay in touch with us as best you can.
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:tangent warning:

I think that is a good comment, many people talk about one blade being "better" than another. I think that many times people try and evaluate a blade against a use for which it wasn't intended.

My purpose is exactly what it was designed for, and hope I never have to use it...
 
remmmm said:
It's all about the $$ you want to spend.

Based on everything you have said, I think a fallkniven A1 would make you smile. It can chop down a tree, baton the wood for a fire, cut your food for dinner, get left on the ground overnight, then be used to shave with the next morning. The stock sheath sort of sucks though and your looking at about $170, which I think is beyond what your wanting to spend. You could go for the slightly smaller S1, but it's not much cheaper.

The Recon Scout and Trail Master have a full guard that just get's in the way in most outdoor situations and makes any sort of delicate work impossible and just overall you can do better for the $$, so I would say avoid those all together. Plus they have once again jacked up the prices and their new SK-5 carbon steel seems to perform more like a cheap stainless in my use - no rust when there probably should be and it chips if it get's within a foot of a tiny pebble.

The old Carbon V SRK's are a great cheaper alternative to the Fallknivens, but I wouldn't go near the new AUS8 version with the tapered tip SRK's have, unless you just want to see how quickly you can snap it off. There is actually a Carbon V SRK on eBay right now, but no sheath. Still, if it stay's around $60 It could be a good deal assuming you can still buy the old style kydex sheath seperately.

Then there's RAT. The RC-5 is going to be close to the Fallkniven A1 in price, but comes with a much better sheath. However, you can get a RC-4 complete with an awesome kydex sheath system shipped to your door for a little over $90 from KSF.com, or for about $35 more, the RC-6 - again with an awesome sheath included. If your ever going to do any chopping or delimbing branches, that's going to be a tall order for a RC-4. It can do it, just not nearly as efficiently as A1, RC-5, or RC-6 probably in that order.

If the sheath is important to you and you are O.K. with carbon steels, I would go RAT, it's just a matter of how much you want to spend. The RC-4 IMHO is the most knife for the $$ in their line.

Or if you want to go even cheaper and can find one, go Carbon V SRK.
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Please forgive me for hijacking this thread but I would very much like to know how to purchase the RC-4 for around $90.00

RC-4 for a liitle more than $90.00 at KSF.com What is KSF short for? I can't locate it online.

Thanks.
 
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