Help me pick my first fixed blade!

[EK20]

You'll have trouble finding the ESEE6 around $100 but if you do, grab that instead!

I picked mine up for $120 shipped. :thumbup:

 

[chiral.grolim]

Im basically looking for a good all around knife that would be used for survival, camping, and maybe a SHTF tactical roll. I am looking mainly at the ESEE 6 or the Becker BK7 and between the two probably leaning more toward the ESEE. I am also hearing alot about Busee and Ontario but they dont attract me quite as much. Id like to keep it around the $100 range but a little more or less is fine. So... any suggestions?

Yea I would like to stay away from custom knives just because I want something I can thump on and still have a warranty that I can count on.

"SHTF tactical roll" - that is one bakesale to avoid!!!

But your other descriptions sound like Scrapyard (SYKCO) or Swamp Rat (SRKW), the less expensive siblings of Busse - great quality of materials & workmanship for the price, no-questions-asked warranty, no "you're a moron for doing that to your knife!" fan-culture. :thumbup: The Swamp Rat RatManDu is my favorite in the roles you describe, but other models are currently available as well, including...

The Scrap Yard 711 is a great knife and when they released the knife it was wrongly priced (they priced it made with SR-77 , but then made them with SR-101) . They have announced that the price will go up , but they have allowed them to continue at the $119 price untill this Sunday afternoon . The price will then be increased by $20 . This is a great oppertunity to buy the knife with no risk . If you decide to sell it later you'll get more than you paid if you order it before Sunday.

That'll give you the size you've targetted (unless you want to go smaller) with better materials & workmanship than the two you listed, but you pay for that advance and don't get a sheath free with the knife (something that makes the ESEE package so tempting).

But to throw another item in the mix, my goto camping blade prior to the RatManDu is an old Cattaraugus 225Q inherited from a grandfather-in-law that i never met who must have hardly used the thing as it was near perfect when i got it. Look up the knife, you can often find them for <$50 though most aren't in the best condition and there's no warranty (no company anymore).

 

[Rurouni]

I have an A1, S1, BK7, BK2, ESEE 4 and 6 ...

Thanks for the excellent anecdotes!

The Fallknivens look like they'd be fun to chop with. I definitely got the sense that A2 steel is a mixed bag. ... I'll probably get a Gunny in A2 just to have a classic BRKT knife but then eventually get a Bravo1 in CPM-3V.

 

[jnphares]

Thanks for the excellent anecdotes!

The Fallknivens look like they'd be fun to chop with. I definitely got the sense that A2 steel is a mixed bag. ... I'll probably get a Gunny in A2 just to have a classic BRKT knife but then eventually get a Bravo1 in CPM-3V.

I have a rampless Gunny, and like it, but it's smaller than I expected. I bought several rampless Bravo-1s, a couple in A2, a few in 3V, and one in S35VN; I obviously like them and they fit my hand better than the Gunny, but the blade is on the thick side. However, as a combat/survival knife, the rampless Bravo-1 is hard to beat. Bravo-1s in 3v are already getting hard to find in the rampless version, which was the only one that interested me.

The last BRKT I bought (it arrived about a week ago) was an Aurora in 3V; I'm very impressed with it -- it fits my hand quite well and has a much thinner blade than the Bravo-1, although the blade is plenty thick for the field and in 3V should stand up to hard use. I own a lot of bushcraft knives, and can't think of any (including customs) that I think are superior to that Aurora in 3V. The only complaint I've heard about them is that Auroras are longer than many folks like in a bushcrafter, but I think it's fine.

 

[Hadji Flip Me Over]

The Scrapyard 511 sounds like it would fit your bill. The only downside is that it doesn't come with a sheath.

 

[connorr93]

Thanks for all the responses guys. I decided to go with a Becker BK 7.

 

[Pilot1]

As much as I like and own offerings from BRKT, Swamp Rat, and Scrap Yard, you are hard pressed to find them WITH a sheath at the $100 price point. Maybe some of the very basic Swamps or Scraps though.

The ESEE-6 is probably your best bet for value, and performance, AND it comes with a nice sheath. Nothing wrong with the BK-2, but I have had much more expereince with the ESEE line.

 

[Ultraman]

One thing to note about getting the BK7 is its mediocre nylon sheath. It'll rattle around in its sheath, so if that bothers you, you might end up looking for a separate kydex sheath that'll cost about half the price of the knife unless it's DIY. I have both and ended up getting an ESEE6 for that reason and for its warranty and finger choil.

 

[GingivitisKahn]

I imagine it's just a typo, but what's a "SHTF tactical ROLL?" You've got my imagination going, are there other tactical pastries that I'm not aware of?

Sounds pretty high fiber to me.

To the OP - You won't go wrong with either the BK7 or the ESEE 6 though as has been mentioned, you may have trouble finding the ESEE for $100 or less.

Why not wait and spend a little more and have Randall knives make you something custom made to your specifications?
Buy cheap and you'll only end up having to buy it again when it breaks or wears out quickly.
Buy quality like Randall and it'll last you a lifetime you can pass down.
Just a suggestion.

Randalls are beautiful knives with wonderful fit and finish but the suggestion that ESEE or Becker as mentioned by the OP are "cheap" or that they will wear out quickly is preposterous. If my Beckers don't outlast me, my kids and grandkids - I want my money back.

The more likely danger is that you will buy Becker or ESEE and then decide you need another... and another...
---

Beckerhead #42

 

[wjswiger]

Busse is probably way out of your price-range.....unless you find someone who is drunk and willing to sell or trade!! I'd look at Mineral Mountain Hatchet Works as they have a lot of great .25" thickness blades for around your price range(plus just a bit) but you get a blade made by someone with 25-30 years of experience and they are no-nonsense choppers/users that never give up......yes I have one and love them. If you are ever in the market for a more expensive, custom-made blade check out David at Ozark Traditions Knives(OTK) in Arkansas as he will make you a blade that can only be considered to be knife porn when viewed!!