Help choosing camp/backpacking fixed blade- need comparisons

rswanson

rswanson

Joined
Jun 10, 2011
Messages
719
Hello Bladeforums!

First off, I owe the community a note of thanks. Although this is maybe my first post on the boards, I’ve been a lurker for more than a few years and have always appreciated the knowledgeable community here. I’ve been able to research and find answers to most any question regarding bladed tools but this go-round I have a few questions that could be best answered by folks with comparative experience between a few specific knives.

To start, the primary uses for the blade will be woods utility. I don’t really think the term bushcraft applies as I won’t be building camp furniture or erecting shelters. I’m a backpacker/hiker/camper so a tent or tarp is always at hand. My backpacking philosophy is in the ultralight realm and I’ve taken many trips carrying a miniature SAK (or nothing!) but I’ve always wanted a nice fixed blade that will tackle any camp task I put it to. I know a small folder is all you really need for any of the above but the fixed blade aesthetic is appealing to me so I recently picked up an ESEE JG-3 but I soon found out that the 3.25” blade isn’t quite enough knife for me. I love the feel and ergos of the micarta scales and I appreciate the ease of maintenance of the 1095 however it’s great a knife making a tent peg but is a little too short to dice a fat onion.

My pack weight is so low that I can often carry a 19” Wetterlings axe as a luxury on backpacking trips so chopping is not really a job for my knife. It would be nice to have the capacity to baton wrist-thick material from time to time and preform quick de-limbing jobs. It would be carried on both backpacking trips and car camping and the work will be wood processing, food prep, basic cutting tasks such as cordage and packaging, and producing tarp poles or the occasional spoon. I’m in the Mid-Atlantic region so it gets wet and humid but I’m not opposed to carbon blades. Many of you are already thinking Mora but I’d rather get something a little beefier and with more cache. My budget is $200-ish and I’d rather by high quality so I can do this once and have it forever. I’d prefer a sabre/flat/convex grind over a scandi grind.

The models I’ve narrowed it down to are the Benchmade Bushcrafter, Survive! GSO 4.1 or 4.7, and Bark River Aurora/Bravo 1 LT. I’m really hoping someone with experience with several of these can tell me how you think your favorite would fit my needs. Truth be told, I’d probably buy a GSO if I could get ahold of one as it seems to be a great solution but I don’t know if it’s so much the superior choice to warrant the potentially long delay or high demand secondary market pricing. I like the Benchmade due to the new-meets-old design and it’s the only one of the listed blades I’ve handled. It fits my large hands well.

To close, I’d consider other options not mentioned above and have looked at custom makers such as Battlehorse, LT Wright and Koster. For one reason or another, I keep coming back to models I listed but I’m always open to suggestions. Thanks in advance for any advice guys!
 
One word: SKELETONIZED

The number 1 choice of the sensible backpacking gentelman.

I always spam my answers with this knife because it's the one I always use when backpacking


IMG_0772.JPG


Check out Swamp Rat, Ka-bar, TOPS, ESEE, Pohl Force, Spartan etc... Or just look for custom made ones.

From your two options I'd go GSO all the way, even when I dont own either one of them. GSO has a very good reputation and Bark River has a controversial one. They also seem way tougher and are prettier.
 
Thanks, DPC. I've considered skeletonized models but shaving a few ounces off at the expense of full handle isn't needed. My base pack weight is always under 10lbs and 20+ mile days are very rare. So 12 ounces of knife is workable for me. Also, I want the knife to pull double duty for car camping trips. I've looked into a lot of those manufacturers you mention.

Question, what makes BRKT controversial? I've generally read very positive things about their products.
 
Have you looked into the S1 Fallkniven?
some specs:
Total Length: 9.7" (247mm)
Blade Length: 5.1" (130 mm)
Blade Thickness: 0.2" (5 mm)
Weight (Knife): 6.7 oz. (190 g)
Steel: Laminate VG10
convex grind
 
I'm obsessive about weight, or rather, performance for weight on knives.

12 oz of knife equates to a decent 7 inch knife of around 5mm of thickness, or a very thick shorter blade. If you want to be able to de-limb 5 or 6 inches is great too, but I bet you can do that with any 4 inch blade too.


Maybe look into Busse if you dont mind that much about weight. Beefy, short blades like the SAR-4 and the Swatmandu just to name a few would perfectly fit your need.

BusseSAR-4_1_web.jpg~original



I'd also look intlo the Scrap Yard War Dog if you can find one.

WarDog2.jpg~original



Bark River is controversial because they pull off some stuff you can read about here on the forums

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/585934-Bark-River-has-taken-16-000-of-My-Money

http://www.cliffstamp.com/knives/forum/read.php?5,419

These are just a few examples, you can find plenty of info on these forums, Youtube and other forums like Cliff Stamp's.

I just personally wouldnt touch them. And they look very generic to me.
 
What about a custom?

Dalibor (Daado) is making me a knife for this very purpose.
52100, vintage micarta, 4 3/4" blade with a similar finish to this but different liner color and blade shape.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...LD-Ball-bearing-Bird-amp-trout-knife-(repost)

Below is his WIP thread
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1312508-Hellcats
-------
Great guy and one hell of a knife for his pricing, under $150 in most circumstances.


If you want production, look for a skinny or anorexic Busse.
 
Last edited:
Fallkniven is my suggestion as well. Also, Lam CoS steel models. This steel is truly phenomenal. Easy to sharpen n holds edge well thru all tasks, and it strops up to laser like sharpness. Good luck with search
 
DPC- Thanks for the info on Bark River. That's a lot of drama. I threw 12oz out there with some amount of hyperbole. I'll have to look at those Busse's more closely. It doesn't need to be a thick blade though. What other Busse models should I consider in the 4-5" blade range?

To others recommending the Fallkniven, I looked hard at that brand and nearly picked up the F1 instead of my ESEE but I kept reading about the short handle. As for the S1, I don't dig the swedge. I won't be stabbing anything so it doesn't have a functional application for me and the aesthetic is unappealing as well. If they offered a 4..5" drop point micarta or G10 handled model I might already own it and be done with my search! Thanks for the suggestion, though.
 
rswanson,

I like using fixed blades at home. Who doesn't. And, I'll stash on in my pack for hunting sometimes. (Usually use a 110.) I put a fixed blade or two in my car camping kit. That's a no brainer but the knife stays with the cooking gear.

But I've not been able to integrate a fixed blade into my backpacking set up. I find a folder is much easier to carry and doesn't interfere with pack straps. It's also enough blade for me, as I rely on stoves for backpacking, not fires.

Follow your heart within the confines of your budget. Worse case, you end up with a pretty fixed blade.

But I should ask... are you sure it fits into your style of backpacking? If you're not sure, a $20 Mora might be a good experiment.
 
I personally switched to Busse precisely because I was underwhelmed with my Fällknivens. I dont recommend them in the long run.

I'm no expert on Busse but you could always ask on the Busse forum. Top guesses are SAR-4, Swatmandu, Scrap Yard War Dog (INFI steel), Boss Street, Badger Attack, Mean Street, Meaner Street, Basic 3, Basic 5.... There are a ton of Busse knives. Pay close attention at what exactly you're buying, because many Busse models have a ton of variations, including grind and thickness variations. If you think a model is too thick look around for a thinner one with the same name.
 
I love my GSO 4.1, but don't own any of the others. I have handled the benchmade, and thought it was great until the GSO came along. I do own a Falkniven F1 and really like it, handle is good for me. My only complaint there is the sheath.
 
Check out the Enzo Badger. 4.5" of D2 steel, full tang, convexed edge, and micarta scales. Nice leather dangler sheath.
 
Last edited:
I've been happy with the ZT0180



vanadis 4 extra steel, it's one hell of a tough knife. The sheath is came with wasn't great, upgraded the sheath and it just made it that much better in my opinion. Its an outstanding blade for the money.

Edit to clarify: that isn't a chip in the blade, just some wood residue from the last camping trip I went on last weekend. :)
 
Or you could go with the Beckers and spend the rest of the money towards customizing.

M-BK15-16-17.jpg
 
Some great suggestions popping up here. I'll be sure to consider them, especially the Enzo and the Fiddleback knives. I love the Fiddlebacks on paper and they're great looking. As for Becker- I'd considered that route but I really want to minimize my tinkering. I have enough projects in the works.

@pinnah-This is a luxury carry that would be fun to have and pleasing to carry as much as functional. My gear is pretty spartan to begin with so this is a total splurge in terms of weight and necessity. I've hiked many many miles with safety razor blades as my cutting tool so I certainly don't need a 5" fixed blade but I want something nice that has a personality which speaks to me if that makes sense. Hence, I want more than a run of the mill Mora.
 
I can't be of much help with any of the specific blades you are interested i, but I can fully support a desicion to make a luxury purchase (or 12) on a good blade.

So here is a gratuitous pic of some of the 3-5ish inch blades I was compelled to buy by some mysterious force :D Hope the size comparison is interesting or useful in some way:

16to2v.jpg


Ratmandu
BK15
South Fork
ESEE-4 (old logo)
Rodent Trail
Mora
Rodent Solution

I have been buying a bunch of Bussekin lately to check out what they're all about. Pretty cool stuff, especially the larger blades, but not stuff you would typically associate with ultralight-anything though, lol. They do have some slicers out there if you can find them though. The elmax versions of the Mad Dog style sound really good, but I haven't handled one.
 
rswanson said:
@pinnah-This is a luxury carry that would be fun to have and pleasing to carry as much as functional. My gear is pretty spartan to begin with so this is a total splurge in terms of weight and necessity. I've hiked many many miles with safety razor blades as my cutting tool so I certainly don't need a 5" fixed blade but I want something nice that has a personality which speaks to me if that makes sense. Hence, I want more than a run of the mill Mora.
Click to expand...

rswanson... Not suggesting a Mora, per se.

Just noting that I've tried, stuggled and continue struggle and have mostly given up on integrating a fixed blade into my backpacking routine. If it's addition to a pocket knife as a total weight luxury, I can see that.

My problem is that I found out that I hate having a fixed blade on me, even around camp. And definitely not when on the trail. So, the thing just ends up on the pack and then I don't have it on me when I want a knife. Feels like having a 3rd hand on my arms or like having a little annoying puppy under foot. Nice to use and look at, to be sure but I just get so frustrated with it. I'm not suggesting a run of the mill Mora as the fixed blade of choice. Not at all.

Just testifying that I can't make peace with fixed blades on the trail, and for me, nice or not nice has nothing to do with it.

Beyond this... I would suggest that selecting any one of these knives will be like buying good boot (or a pack) sight unseen. You can get some basic ideas of how they handle from reviews and you can get an initial impression holding them all new and shiny and unused.

But I find that I don't get to "know" a knife and how it works in my hands until I've used it for a while. Often I'll get to know a new knife by doing some woodworking with it like this:
image by Pinnah, on Flickr

That's where I find out if the handle is just as comfortable after a couple of hours and if it really works in a variety of hand holds.

What I'm saying is there's no way to know which of the knives on your short list will work best for you until you and you alone spend time with them. Just like boots, what fits your hand and your style may not be what fits my hand and my style.

I say, just pick the one that moves you the most and just go for it. If you don't take to it, sell it and try another.






And if you go that route, definitely don't keep a generic Mora around because the comparison may drive you nutty.
Virtuovice's thoughts on the Bark River Aurora compared to the Mora Companion HD
[video=youtube;sLlxWbce4iE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLlxWbce4iE&list=FLByelOYNpINNJtbaLpAfh0Q&index=9[/video]
 
I would go with the GSO, but....

Before you buy take a few minutes to check out Scandinavian style leuku's if you are not familiar w/ them.

IMO, they are the very best general outdoor knives. Often sold or matched with puuko's for smaller, detailed work...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top