Help! I need help choosing a new knife

K

KJB

BANNED
Joined
Jan 10, 2002
Messages
35
All my life I have been a fan of knives, and I figure now is the time to upgrade. I currently have a buck 119 special :) (its the only cheap knife that takes a knocking and keeps on rocking)and various other small knives. I have been looking at Ontario knive's Bill Bagwell's Hell's Bell or would I be better of to go with the stealth/midnight? Is the bowie a good utility knife? Can it be thrown? I have also been looking at tops knives: Steel eagle and firestrike, Some Benchmade folders with thier new lock (forget the name but its a small metal post and it allows you to flick the knife open) and some cheap butterflies (I've heared they can be fun :D ).
Please help me I would appreciate any help, weather its a totally different knife, any input is good input!!
 
I'm new here too but what little I've learned is that knives are like any other tool...they are specific to the need/use. If you get a jack of all trades it's the master of none. If you want a thrower get a thrower. If you want a utility knife get a utility knife, etc. I have ordered many knives but so far have received only two: a Benchmade 710 and a Gerber Applegate-Fairbarin. As far as folders go I cannot imagine a better knife than the BM. To me its like a Walter PPK or a Browning HP. By that I mean that while there may be other knives/guns/tools that are better for other purposes it fits me like no other for my intended use. I'm learning that some knives just take to your hand naturally like the PPK and HP. I suggest getting to gun/knife shows/stores and handling every knife that strikes your fancy. I wish I had that luxury but in Kuwait I'm limited to the internet. In the meantime read and listen to everything on this board and others. These guys have been there done that and are not as arrogant and opinionated as the gun board guys.
 
I would not consider a Bagwell Bowie as a throwing knife. First off, it's over 15" OAL and probably fairly heavy. Secondly, it's a > $150 knife at the best of retail prices (I thought it was even more, but found a "Hell's Belle" on 1SKS for $183), and has nice appointments. Not something you really want to throw at a hard target. What if you blow the throw and it lands on those sticky-outy finger guards? It'll bend 'em or snap 'em right off.

You can get little throwing knives for $10-20. And you shouldn't pay more than that for something you're going to toss at a plank of wood, IMO. (I'd like to try one of those Cold Steel Torpedos, myself...)

Yes, Bowies are good all-around knives. If you want a really nice production Bowie, look at the SOG S1/S2/SRB80. If you want a custom, look at Ted Frizzell's knives (still under $200). If you want a hard use beater, look at Ontario, where you can get all sorts of knives from 5" to > 10" for less than $50 in many cases. These latter can be thrown with impunity, as long as you can heft it. :)

-- PG
 
Hello KJB,

I have the Ontario Stealth Bagwell Bowie, and I would not group it with other bowie knives as being a jack of all trades. It is designed purely as a fighting knife. The steel, which is stainless and not hardened as high as on most good knives, is tailored to the fighting roll rather than utility.

Probably the closest you can get to a jack of all trades is one of the knives that is often chosen as a survival knife. One alot of people like is the Fallkniven A1. The Swedish Air Force uses the small F1, and there is the S1 Forest Knife that is in between those two in size. My only complaint about the Fallkniven line is the small to tiny guards.

I tend to think of the 7 inch bladed military knives as the closest thing to an all purpose knife, because they were designed for both fighting and utility. My favorite of these are the Randalls, although others prefer Busse, Strider, Chris Reeve, etc. Also, these knives cost $300 and up, and that may be more of an upgrade than you had in mind.

There are some less expensive factory alternatives to the $300+ military knives. Cold Steel makes the Military Classic, which looks like a Randall Model 1, and the Recon Scout, which is a smaller version of their Trailmaster Bowie. I paid less than $100 for a Spanish Aitor Nato Bowie, which seems to be of slightly better than average factory quality.
 
Originally posted by W.T. Beck
Hello KJB,

There are some less expensive factory alternatives to the $300+ military knives. Cold Steel makes the Military Classic, which looks like a Randall Model 1, and the Recon Scout, which is a smaller version of their Trailmaster Bowie. I paid less than $100 for a Spanish Aitor Nato Bowie, which seems to be of slightly better than average factory quality.
Click to expand...

Don't forget the Becker Utilty Combat from Camillus. I got mine last week and have to say that it offers a lot of bang for the buck. It is a great buy in the 7" military knife genre.
 
KJB,

You might also want to take a good look at our "Knives For Sale" Forums here at BladeForums to get some good ideas.:).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top