Good knife for camping, general use

I'll cast another vote for a Walmart Buck 119. Hard to beat for the price, quality, and it's American made.
 
calvinw said:
If I were to pick one of my folders for camping and hunting and self defense and general use, I'd take my Ontario Rat 1. It's big and solid for camp. It's got belly and pillar construction for hunting. It flicks out fast for SD.

It may be too big to carry everyday. The G10 is slick, but the handle shape provides plenty of purchase.
Click to expand...

i second this! i own a ontario rat 1 and its great for what your describing! although no matter how great a folder can be i would want a fixed blade for camping. the reason i would want a fixed blade is cause if you buy a good one it will be more solid than a folder. but if you really want a folder a rat 1 is a good choice!
 
People post this all the time and for good reason. Save up only $30-$40 more and get yourself something nice that is exactly what you want. If that is out of the question.. look at the ESEE Izula if you want something small, light and very capable. If you want something bigger/longer/heavier, I'd go for a KA-BAR Mark I over the bigger versions.
 
Still thinking about which folder. As for a fixed blade, I started out wanting something cool looking thinking I could find find a high quality one. Then I realized I'd rather have a hard working quality knife for camping, hunting, ect. Needs to be sharp, be able to pry on things and be up to rough use. I'm going to start with good folder and then save up for a really nice fixed blade like the fallkniven f1.
 
Bear Grylls ultimate survial knife. It is 30 bucks at Walmart. I've had this knife for a year and a half great with hunting camping or anything you need. It has a fire starter and sharpener.
 
Last edited:
There are lots of knives to choose from.

I think a good camping knife is the Condor Hudson Bay. I am not particularly used to using big knives, but it is right at the border line of being too big, but still small enough for a general purpose outdoor knife.

I would avoid knives with names like Bear Grylls, and the other outdoor survival TV guys in general.

Many of the Mora knives are very cost effective, but I am generally not a fan of using "kitchen" knives outdoors.

Hard to beat a Victorinox swiss army knife SAK) for general use. I have lots of knives, but I still carry a SAK everyday.

The Buck 110 (folder) is always a good choice for general purpose belt knife outdoors.

Many Case folders are under $50 or slightly above. They are good choices for EDC.

The RAT1 folder is an okay choice as mentioned above.

I am a fan of the Spyderco Delica folder for EDC, but it runs a bit over $50. The Spyderco Byrd line are much cheaper, but I assume they are Chinese made.

There are lots of choices.
 
I would say pick up a fixed and a folder. A Mora of your choice paired with an Ontario Rat-1 or basic S.A.K. will come in under or at your $50 budget and cover just about any need you are likely to face. You could also substitute one of the Marttiini Condor line if you don't like the Moras. They are both way more knife than you pay for.
 
I'd suggest an Opinel #8 Outdoor knife. These are new on the market, tough as nails and properly heat treated. The 12C27 holds a super keen edge. This knife will run you about 35$. If you've never seen how sharp an Opinel can get you are missing the boat in a massive way. Be sure to always activate the barrel lock while using any Opinel.

Second choice would be a Mora Robust knife. These are very strong, ultra sharp blades that are almost bullet proof. This new configuration has a slightly thicker blade than previous Mora designs including the well known Mora 2000. I have used this new Robust knife and am truly amazed at how strong it is.

The old standard Buck 119 would rank high on my list for the dollar amount that you wish to invest. This is a good, well balanced knife with a thin bevel that cuts delightfully well for most camping/hunting applications.
 
Stay away from the Gerber Bear Grylls. You are paying for a name, and that is all. Any of the Mora's mentioned would be far far superior. You also can't go wrong with the Becker or the Rat-1.
 
Last edited:
Buck makes some great all around use, fixed blade knives that would work well (their 192 or 119 offer high value). Condor offers some fine, general purpose camp knives as well; the Hudson Bay being my favorite, heavy blade.

Mora! I own a half dozen of them and they are great slicers and wood carvers and punch way above their price point.

Finnish Puuko syle knives are a great choice, too.
 
I'm going to suggest a larger and smaller folder and I'm guessing we are still at the $50 range.

The large folder would be a Kershaw Tremor. There is a large center that sells knives online and they have this knife in the combo blade on sale for $20. Regular price is $30. It has gotten a lot of good reviews! You can also picke up a small folder such as a Swiss Army knife and get both for under the $50 you quote. A SAK that has two blades, can-opener, screw driver, bottle lifter can be had in the form of a Recruit and for around $15!

So a Kershaw Tremor @ either $20 or $30, plus a SAK Recruit @$15 gives yo a $35/$45 total. Add shipping and you are still right at that $50 total.
 
I have been playing with my new Kabar Becker BK-2 for the last couple of days. It is strong and heavy. It would make a good knife but it runs a bit over $50. When I bought the Condor Hudson Bay, I felt is might be too big for me as I am more used to 4 > 6" bladed fixed blades of average weight. Well, when I compare it to the BK-2, I think I can pretty much do anything with it. I would rather not do a lot of skinning or field dressing of say a deer, but it could easily be done. So, my suggestion is to get the Condor Hudson Bay which is a great value for under $50. You can slice and dice as well as chop with it.

I sort of approached this thread topic as being two knives with a $50 budget each rather than trying to fit two knives within that budget.

Something along the line of the RAT-1 would make a good carry blade. I prefer the Spyderco Delica which runs a little more than $50. But it is a great EDC knife! There are quite a few great choices made by Spyderco. Some people like a smaller knife than the Delica for EDC.

I put down the Mora blades in my first post, but probably mis-represented them. They are a good value and very inexpensive. If you are looking for a new watch for $50, you certainly won't end up with a Rollex.
 
Buck 119. Plenty of camp knife and they bad guys will crap themselves when they see it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top