Good, all-around design

[dogstar]

Based on your experience, what is a good all-around design? A knife that can do a little bit of everything: food prep, wood working, fire prep, EDC tasks, self defense, whatever you can imagine. Please limit to one folder and one fixed blade.

For fixed, I choose the Cold Steel Peace Maker II. 5.5" blade, not too thick, slices OK, carves OK, carries OK, big enough for SD, full tang construction, easy to sharpen.
The one on the bottom

Not sure about the folder, yet..

 

[dogstar]

The Buck 119 is the fixed blade. And a Case trapper is the folder. I own a good many knives, and can't think of a single thing I couldn't have done with one of those over the last 60 years. You could substitute the Buck 120 for the 119, and the Case large stockman for the trapper, I suppose.

 

[unwisefool]

This has worked pretty well for me. Busse SJTAC with a crazy sharp convexed blade

 

[coolbreezy37]

For me, it’s a huge toss up between the Busse Team Gemini Ultra Light Brigade and the SYKCO DB-421. Both have the blade length and thickness I’m accustomed to, and are tough enough to handle any task. I might give the nod to the SYKCO due to the Res-C handle is a little more comfortable and better suited to extreme environments. I would take either of these over any knife I own.

https://flic.kr/p/2mG6jiS

https://flic.kr/p/2n2BY1f

 

[coolbreezy37]

I won't weigh-in on the folder as I honestly have not found the perfect one for everything yet, after 30 years. But you really can't go wrong with a Becker BK7 (or two) for a versatile fixed blade:

Did you tighten the pommel up on the top one?

 

[shane45-1911]

Did you tighten the pommel up on the top one?

Nope, Becker changed dimensions of the pommel all by themselves.

The top one is the original version. Ethan then changed the design a few years later so it wasn't (paraphrased) "jabbing into my hip" .

 

[ferider]

Based on your experience, what is a good all-around design? A knife that can do a little bit of everything: food prep, wood working, fire prep, EDC tasks, self defense, whatever you can imagine. Please limit to one folder and one fixed blade.

Obviously, some of you don’t do food prep, which eliminates any fixed blade with a larger guard from the get go.

If I’m allowed to pick a folder and a fixed, as a good all around pair, I’ll go with 3 - 3.5” Wharnie folder and a robust but light 6” fixed, like CPK’s UF[2] (I found batoning easier with a > 6” blade).

Like this:

 

[scdub]

Folder is an easy choice for me - it’s my primary edc - first gen ZT 0560 in Elmax.

For fixed I wanted to pick my Scrap Yard AD-6 with a custom regrind by David Mary but I thought that might be cheating so instead I picked my Swamp Rat Taliwhacker (gen 2) because it came with a relatively thin edge from the factory. I’ve owned both for a decade or so and these are two of my most used/sharpened knives.

I thinned/convexed both edges and added a wave to the ZT, but otherwise these are both stock and both are great all-around knives in my experience.

 

[scdub]

D dogstar - just wanted to mention that I appreciate you posting pics of the knives that didn’t have them. Makes this thread much more interesting - good idea.

 

[dogstar]

Obviously, some of you don’t do food prep, which eliminates any fixed blade with a larger guard from the get go.

Are you referring to.... moi???
Luckily the handle on my Peacemaker II is just rubber, I can trim it down (like I did with the smaller one) if I want it to be less combat-y and more all-around-y. But it has not bothered me enough to do that yet.

 

[dogstar]

D dogstar - just wanted to mention that I appreciate you posting pics of the knives that didn’t have them. Makes this thread much more interesting - good idea.

Yessir, it's nice to see the "all around design"

 

[DocJD]

Obviously, some of you don’t do food prep, which eliminates any fixed blade with a larger guard from the get go.

If I’m allowed to pick a folder and a fixed, as a good all around pair, I’ll go with 3 - 3.5” Wharnie folder and a robust but light 6” fixed, like CPK’s UF[2] (I found batoning easier with a > 6” blade).

Like this:

Folder is an easy choice for me - it’s my primary edc - first gen ZT 0560 in Elmax.

For fixed I wanted to pick my Scrap Yard AD-6 with a custom regrind by David Mary but I thought that might be cheating so instead I picked my Swamp Rat Taliwhacker (gen 2) because it came with a relatively thin edge from the factory. I’ve owned both for a decade or so and these are two of my most used/sharpened knives.

I thinned/convexed both edges and added a wave to the ZT, but otherwise these are both stock and both are great all-around knives in my experience.

View attachment 1752680

Who makes your coffee tables ?

 

[ferider]

Are you referring to.... moi???
Luckily the handle on my Peacemaker II is just rubber, I can trim it down (like I did with the smaller one) if I want it to be less combat-y and more all-around-y. But it has not bothered me enough to do that yet.

No ... was more thinking of TGULB and 119, both outstanding knives, but not really useful in the kitchen.

 

[Rupestris]

I’m a bit partial to this one.

SAK shown for scale although it is a pretty good all-around folder.

 

[midnight flyer]

The Buck 119 is the fixed blade. And a Case trapper is the folder. I own a good many knives, and can't think of a single thing I couldn't have done with one of those over the last 60 years. You could substitute the Buck 120 for the 119, and the Case large stockman for the trapper, I suppose.

WOW!! My exact setup for years. Camping, hunting, fishing, hiking and any other reason I was outdoors. The Buck 119 and large Case Stockman (carbon) did it all for me for about 35 years.

I found I used the Case more than the Buck as I could fillet a fish, cut fishing line, make tinder for the fire, do the finer cuts when skinning or gutting an animal and later on open food pouches if I had them.

Still, I loved that Buck up so much I never left without it! I remember when I bought it back around '74 I was afraid that the phenolic handle and the aluminum butt cap would not last. Although it has decades of use and a lot of road miles on it some quality time with a polishing wheel and some compound and it would look brand new.

Great combo. Although I will always sneak a folder in my pocket because of the utility value to size, if I wanted a fixed blade these days I would have to take into consideration I don't do much hunting anymore. I would probably get a Morakniv Kansbol, a 2000 or Garbeg.

I bought my brother-in-law a 2000 many years ago as the only outdoors knife he owns. With his son going for his Eagle Scout and both dad and son being very active that knife has thousands of miles of hiking and camping on it. He loves it and even though the sheath is a little worse for wear the knife looks perfect. He loves it so much and it has been so dependable he just takes it for granted that it goes where he goes.