Help choosing a fixed-blade camping/survival knife?

S

ShooterMcgavin

Joined
Jan 20, 2008
Messages
609
I need help choosing a quality fixed-blade knife. The main purpose of this knife is for camping/outdoor-survival. It needs to be tough and should be well suited to dinner-prep, wood working (batoning, whittling, etc.), cleaning a kill, and other duties. I think I have settled on a plain edge blade and, because weight is of some concern, I would like a blade less than 1/4 inch thick and less than 5 inches long. I want to keep the price roughly under $130.

Before listing what I have been looking at, I will ask those who have the hands-on experience. What knives should be on my short list?

Many thanks.
 
I would suggest doing a search on the General Knife Discussion forums because this question is asked very frequently. You'll find many threads with many excellent recommendations.

In the meantime, check out the products from Fallkniven and R.A.T. Cutlery to start.

Regards,
Mike
 
Last edited:
Bark River knives, if you can find a good deal on one under $130, Fallknivens as well are very well made knives
 
At your price range, few can beat the RAT Cutlery RC-3 or RC-4. But you if could spend a wee bit more, then you really should consider something from Bark River Knife & Tool. Those blades were born for the wilderness.
 
All the knives suggested thus far are great.

Personally, I have a RC-4 and love it. It's my best friend in the woods :D
 
This is what I bought for camping/survival.

Gerber LMFII Infantry

4 5/8" blade

Sheath has built in sharpener

eBay $70.00

lmfII.jpg
 
Fallkniven f1 may be too thick but is an excellent knife, David Farmer makes excellent knives. Get one of each!
 
Look at knives from Fallkniven, Bark River or RAT Cutlery.
I am a Fallkniven fanatic but would like to test BR and RAT too.

I do have problems with the LMF II though, especially the force needed to get the knife out of the sheath. It has already sent one guy to the hospital. It might be a good combat survival knife or egress knife, however it is not a perfect outdoor survival knife. The main function of the LMF II is to cut straps, cut fuselage and smash windows. For example, you can not hammer ON the knife since the huge butt is disconnected from the blade. You will just destroy the handle from inside. An LMF II with a flat connected buttcap, no serrations and a "smaller" sheath might make it a great knife.
But that is just me. I do not really like big knives either.

So, following your "wishlist" I would suggest the Fallkniven F1, RAT-3, Rat-4, Bark River Northstar or Woodland Special.
 
TheFlash said:
I would suggest doing a search on the General Knife Discussion forums because this question is asked very frequently. You'll find many threads with many excellent recommendations.
Click to expand...
It's good advice. However, searching with the words "survival" turns up every page in the Wilderness & Survival forum, and searching on "fixed" brings up every knife in the For Sale section :) I will have to go through it manually.

Ok, I am about to sound really picky here. You have been warned....
I have considered many of the knives suggested and:
-Fallkniven - These seem like very good knives, however... the blades are not as wide as others and I wonder how that might reduce the ability to take abuse (specifically batoning and prying). Also, I am not crazy about the handle material, although I don't really know what it feels like. Seems a cross between plastic and rubber.
-Bark River - Most have the narrow blade, like the Fallks. Also, like the Fallks, they do not have very contoured handles. I want a knife with a little bit of "something" to keep my hand from sliding forward. The Bravo-1 really caught my eye. However, they are just TOO NICE :) They are gorgeous knives, and I could definitely see myself owning one, but not for a "kick it, throw it, smash it, drop it, lose it" survival knife. I need a knife that I don't really care about.
-The Foster J. Wayne Fears Survival knife is one that I have not come across yet. I will look into it more.
-Gerber LMFII Infantry - No. The first time I read about the disconnect pommel, as nodh explained, I was not interested.
-RAT Cutlery - Yes. The RC-4 is the knife I have had my eye on for a while now. I am just trying to figure out if there is a better option that I have not seen yet. If I could take the RC-4 and make it "perfect" for my tastes, I would remove the choil and have the edge continue closer to the grip. I am pretty convinced to far that this is an excellent knife. Plus, it's not too nice and pretty to get it a little dirty and scratched up.

I had not considered knives made by Bryan Breeden or David Farmer, but I will now. Thanks for those ideas Sharp Eye.

Knives that have not been mentioned yet:
-Entrek (Cobra or Companion) -I haven't heard anybody talk about these knives on forums, but I haven't searched for them.
-Ranger Knives (RD-4 specifically) -Any thoughts?

...and thanks to everyone so far for the ideas. Any other suggestions are certainly welcome.
 
The Fallkniven knives are made for that specific purpose. The F1 was initially a military contract for the Swedish AF, just like the JPSK and the modern variations Ontario ASEK and Gerber LMF II. The difference being that the F1 is more "outdoor" survival than the other ones. After all, when you have pulled the handle in your fancy JAS39 Gripen fighter jet and and landed out in nowhere, you will probably have more trouble with the elements than other things. However no Swedish jet has ever landed in "hostile" country so the pilot can just sit down, make a nice fire, crack open his ten year old survival tin cans and put on some tea... or he can walk up to the nearest road or house for help.
Last time a plane crashed the pilot hitch hiked back to the base and met the rescue units on their way out.

The A1 was to be an army model of the same thing and the S1 was an idea for a knife for the swedish amphibious/marine units. However the orders never came so it was slightly modofied to be a "forest knife" the S stands for "skog" which is forest in Swedish. F is Flygvapnet (Airforce) and A is Armé (army). So even if the blades look thin, the lamination compensates more than enough. I have pounded my F1 and my H1 through quite big chunks of wood so that works. If you are out in the middle of the winther north of the polar circle your knife can not break on you.

I have heard of just a handful Fallknivens break. Most were broken on purpose by geardo army/homeguard/reserve guys, just for fun, like the one shoved in the tracks of a tank. The Leopard II tank didnt stop :). I have not heard of any break because of batoning or bending. I have over forty different ones, some are rare prototypes.

Yes, the Fallknivens are not that wide, compared to RAT4 or LMF II, but that is a leverage thing. If you want to split wood it is the first "split" that needs force. A wider knife needs more force to split than a thinner blade. The distance from the turning axis to the edge that presses on the wood is shorter, hence less force needed, on a thinner knife.
I am a bit allergic to the choil on the RAT knives too, but they might work. It is a traditional thing. European knives - small and thin. North American knives - big and wide.

Also get a folding saw, like Bahco Laplander and a multitool, then you are all set for your trip. here is my setup: http://hem.passagen.se/nodh/trio.jpg
Bahco 396JT (same as Laplander but sold in the gardening isle instead of the hunting isle), Fallkniven F1 and Leatherman Fuse. I nowadays use a H1 instead. No guard at all but I am not press cutting anyway. The H1 is a hunting knife.

Anyway, good luck with your choice.
 
Last edited:
Check out Doug Ritter's fixed blade while you're at it.... Its called the RSK Mk 3.

I believe that would meet your requirements... although its about $30 more than you want to pay.
 
Last edited:
I am going to defend Gerbers good name here

If you are doubting the LMF II's durability, just watch the destruction videos

This guy repeatedly pounds the knife through wood, concrete, and even plate steel:eek:

There was no handle malfunction at all during the beatings and he eventually decided to cut the handle open to figure out why it was so strong.

And remember this is a sub $100 knife, even in the rare event that you break it, it's $70 to replace

http://knifetests.com/GerberLMFIIASEK.html





.
 
Last edited:
Question; when you speak of the blades of some of the knives mentioned being "narrow", what do you mean? Are you talking about thickness? Or are you talking about the dimension of the blade from spine to edge?

Andy
 
There was a pile of Marble's Dall Deweese knives available from the Fred Trost estate. I guess there are still many left:
http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/824828/post/last/

They are of a thinner stock that was the norm until the "modern" thick blade was introduced. A fantastic knife for camp chores, a great allrounder with a classical blade design. And at $ 55 the price is ridiculously low for such a knife. They are from the Mike Stewart era at Marble's.

The sheath is of terribly flimsy quality, however. I had a slip sheath made for me by JRE that is perfect.

There still should be some available from the seller, the e-mail address is joann@joesportsman.com. I had no problems getting a second one some two months ago.

Michael
 
Last edited:
Andrew Colglazier said:
Question; when you speak of the blades of some of the knives mentioned being "narrow", what do you mean? Are you talking about thickness? Or are you talking about the dimension of the blade from spine to edge?

Andy
Click to expand...

Good point, and one that I was going to bring up.

"narrow/wide" - I am talking about the distance from edge to spine, near the grip. Around 1" to 1.5" on most of these knives.

"thin/thick" - I am talking about the stock. Typically it's 1/8" to 1/4" on the knives we are looking at.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top