Good All around fixed

B

bleiz

Joined
Oct 19, 2015
Messages
22
Hi All

I see a lot of requests for suggestions for a best fighter or camp or ... And I was looking that way

I am now looking for a good fixed blade knife that will do a lot of things well: light camping, hunting, bushcraft, fighting if needs be etc
The one knife worth carrying around if the SHTF for example or just plain old hiking

Blade around 5-6 inches. I am not fond of the round handles (Ka-Bar style) A good solid, sharp steel.

I have a WinklerII spike which is great but a bit light at 5.5 oz. I checked TOPS knives which are really heavy at 15-18 oz
Spartan Blades seem like good fighters and light but not really utility knives but have interesting shapes

Price range ? Up to $350/400
So what would you suggest?

Thank you in advance for any advice
 
I like the Survive! knives 4 or 5 series. The one on the top with the yellow handle is the GSO 4 the GSO 5 is similar to the Ambush knife on the bottom
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I was looking at this one since I don't have a good all around fixed.

Spartan Blades Harsey Difensa

Edit: just saw your comment on Spartan
 
Fiddleback Forge has some production knives that fit your budget and specs:

The Duke in S35vn w/ 5.25" blade:

FB_Duke_2365__08964.1448491007.1280.1280.jpg


the Camp Knife in 3V w/ 6.5" blade:

FBF_Camplore_2571__34939.1435601263.1280.1280.jpg
 
chiral.grolim said:
My first recommendations would be the Swamp Rat Ratmandu (RMD) and the Survive! GSO-5.1

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I've written reviews on both:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...1-compared-with-Swamp-Rat-Ratmandu-and-ESEE-6
older GSO-5.1 review
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...n-to-SYKCO-511-SRKW-RatManDu-Cattaraugus-225Q

and here's a video of the 2016 GSO-5.1

[video=youtube;gYWafo6EoTM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYWafo6EoTM[/video]

They are the top two knives in this pic:

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Click to expand...

What is the second one from bottom. I really like it.
 
At that price you could get one hell of a great custom fixed blade!! There are so many good makers out there. When I bought my first custom 3V machete, it took a while longer than antisipated, so for the trouble the knife maker sent a free a 5 inch 3v fixed blade. Never thought I would use that knife much, but I use it a ton! Right now I am waiting for another custom 3v machete to be finished, from a different maker. I use my machetes the most out of all my knives, even folders, and they hold up to so much use, so does that 5 inch fixed blade.
If you are going to spend over 250, I would absolutely buy custom!
 
Ooooor, you could save yourself a pissload of money and get something like the Becker BK12 a.k.a. Perseverence MkII. A knife collaboration between two Gods of knife making, Doug Ritter and Ethan Becker. 1095CV steel, 6in long (approx.) and made at the ESEE plant so it's HT is the pucker. Great handle ergos, great workable steel and after you buy it you'll have some coin left over to get something else. Is it super steel? Nope. Can you beat the living $#!+ out of it all day long and still have a sweet sweet blade? Yerp.
 
It's a little smaller then your requirement but a very very capable knife with incredible performance. Hard part is obtaining one. One of our local knife makers. :thumbup:

Nathan Carothers Field Knife

3V, tested 62 HRC, .188” thick at ricasso
This 3V is a fully optimized 3V for this hardness and application
Total length 9.75”
Blade length 4.625”
Weight 8.0 oz

 
In that price range I suggest something in Vanadis 4E.... Like the ZT 180 or the Knife Research Enki. The Enki is the best knife in that size that I own. Oddly, I cannot say anything bad about other options presented but consider looking into something high end instead of something hard to get.
 
I'll just throw my personal pick to add a very unique and singular option: I'd say try the Aqua Salt from Spyderco

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+ Not too big to scare people, not too small to be unable to accomplish any task (minor chopping, SD, food prep, rope cutting, cardboard slicing, wood carving, light batoning)

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+ Nice strong tang, great handle with lanyard hole. Excellent traction and superb ergos, those that make Spyderco knives so nice to use.

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+ Non reflectivo to avoid drawing unwanted attention. H1 steel cannot rust, serrated cuts like a friggin chainsaw and holds a very sharp edge for long periods of time.

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Almost impossible to chip, easy to sharpen and repair.

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+ Thick enough to withstand light prying and thin enough not to be a "sharpened prybar". Pointy end for easy piercing, yet strong to hold up to heavy use and unwanted hits/misses.

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+ Usual Spyderco F&F and quality. Sheath is multi position, excellent retention at any angle, unobtrusive and IMO one of the easiest to carry and comfortable in any fixed blade on the market today

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Not the best at anything (except corrosion resistance) but really good at almost everything

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And it won't break the bank, you'll even have money left to try out other options, and leave the knife as a backup. It will be like the day you left it there, requiring no maintenance at all :thumbup:
 
Tops Tex Creek. All around good knife, big enough for big chores small enough for small chores. And for defensive purposes...let's say I wouldn't want to be on the pointy end!
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bleiz said:
I am now looking for a good fixed blade knife that will do a lot of things well: light camping, hunting, bushcraft, fighting if needs be etc
The one knife worth carrying around if the SHTF for example or just plain old hiking
Click to expand...

There have been some great suggestions, but one thing really sticks out to me here. One of your considerations is SHTF. If this means it's going to be a knife that could have to bug out with you in an emergency situation, I'd have to ask which sharpening equipment you'll bring with you.
In your budget, my first thought is something light and strong in something like M4 or 3V made by Big Chris. But even the hardiest of steels go dull eventually and it's not like you're going to pack a set of diamond stones and a strop with some green compound in your go-bag right?

For something to be used in a survival, emergency, on the run type scenario (regardless of how realistic those scenarios are), I'd want something that could be quickly and easily touched up on a smooth river rock, or bottom of a bowl.coffee cup, edge of car window, etc... and just stropped on my pants leg or something.
I'm thinking my first choices would be carbon steels like 1095, 5160 or similar. Remember that mountain men with carbon steel blades got by in some damn rough situations.

The nice thing is, it'll save you enough money that you could buy one for a SHTF type situation, and perhaps a second knife in some "super steel" for your everyday hunting, hiking camping type needs, were you'll never be more than a couple days away from a sharpening system.

With that in mind, for the super steel options, i think the guys here have nailed it. For the carbon steel options that will come in way under budget, I'd go for something like an ESEE 6 (personally I prefer the 4, but the 6 fits better in your blade length range), or as mentioned above, the Becker/Ritter MK2 is tops.
 
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With a half tang construction this knife is very light and comfortable to carry all day everyday.

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This one made from 3/16" 3V was built to be a camp knife but is lean and mean like a fighter.
 
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