Help me pick my next ~5" woods bumming knife!

At some point I see stripping and adding a patina to a BK16 in my future. At least at this point though, I have trouble getting over the mental hurdle of dropping another $70 on a kydex sheath and micarta scales to get it to where I'd like to see it. That said, I'm sure I'd love it. Maybe I can't pull the trigger because it would most likely open the Becker floodgates--add in a bk10, a 2, and something slimming in a 7 :rolleyes:

So at this point we have Becker tweeners, the Ontario Ranger series, and ESEE well-represented. Great suggestions!--others of this ilk?

As much as I love some of the options from BHK (their Scout Platoon would be a great larger blade) and TOPS, I'm trying hard to stay around or under a hundo for a blade around 5".
 
Ka-Bar Becker Bk10 Crewman. My favorite knife for everything. Perfect size and damned near indestructible.

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The cow said:
How are the sheaths for them? I've had nothing but problems with Ontario sheaths. I loved their Khukuri but that sheath for it was muff cabbage
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They work. While not the best. But they work. Ontario is starting to pick up the quality on there sheaths
 
BK-16 or BK-17 are ideal woods knives. You don't have to change out the handles and sheath..... or you can do it slowly. The stock stuff is prefectly serviceable. My current woods knives are a Blackjack 125 (yes, over your budget) and a Dozier Pro Guide (also over your budget). Love these blades even though the Beckerheads wouldn't like it, I tend to only choose one of these two blades in the woods now for general use most of the time.... and I even just recently purchased a BK-15. I have taken the BK15 and BK16 out in the woods and they are just dandy knives.
 
I'll hop on board and throw in a vote for the BK16.
While the stock scales will treat you well, there are some different options available.
I had cocobolo scales from Tommythewho. Now I'm rocking some beautiful scales made by 710.

I really like Esee knives too. Great knives. I prefer the comfortable Becker handles though.
I was talking to a buddy about Esee and Beckers and he hit the nail on the head. He said, "Esee knives aren't uncomfortable, but they just don't fit like an old hat." Lol

The Tops BOB is also an outstanding knife. Much more comfortable than I thought it would be. But it is heavier. Not nesasarilly a bad heavy though.

Honestly you can't go wrong with any of these.
If you wanna pony up a few more bucks, the Swamp Rat RMD might be a good option too.







 
I wouldn't hesitate carrying a Billy Watson 5 inch version of his normally 4 inch "Eastern Hunter" if you can find one. (he's not real active right now is my understanding, and getting up in years now)

The top one in this picture is his 5 inch, with several versions of his 4 inch knives below it. All use 1095 hand forged steel,....



EVEN THE HILT is forged in! Pretty cool...... :cool:



......another view of the forged in hilt on one of my EDC (in rotation) 4 inch versions. I removed the flare in the rosewood scales at the butt area on this one, to lay closer to my waist under a loose T-shirt and much less noticeable. ;)



.....here's how the butt's usually come:

 
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I have other knives that outperform it, but my go-to general purpose knife right now is a Condor Kephart. I re-handled it with canvas micarta scales to fit my hands (and not all that badly except for the crooked tube rivet that acts as a lanyard hole) and tweaked the edge to make my corncrib sharpening efforts go smoother, but it was not horrible out of the box. Oddly enough, the sheath it came with puts a lot of other ones to shame.

It's as complicated and flashy as a brick, but I likes it.

toc
 
Jonny, those are some gorgeous scales. Very nice!

Gentleman, I don't know about you, but for me, I love the research almost as much as I like making the final decision. I'm still enjoying the hunt. The BK16 and esee LS are my top two choices at the moment, unless I come into a little more dosh, in which case it's a whole new game. Bump for more suggestions to toss into the mix.

By the way, love that Condor made it in. I have their Golok and wow, I like it. I don't think you can go wrong with a Condor. Orangecat--you should show off a pic of your Kephart!
 
I have "better" knives and knives that I want to like more, but this Enzo Nordic in O1 is the knife I grab anytime I am headed outdoors. :thumbup:

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Dogzovwar81 said:
Ka-Bar Becker Bk10 Crewman. My favorite knife for everything. Perfect size and damned near indestructible.
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what he said.
it's definitely a big 5" knife, as opposed to some of the other proposals, but it's lurvley.
 
I rely on a VG10 Ackerman Serrata and a Fallkniven TK1, usually, but for what you describe in 5", I like the Fallkniven S1

However, the BRKT rampless Bravo in A2, and Brian Goode's Father's Day Field Knife really appeal too :)
 
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