Hey Folks, I need some help on a knife buy.

E

Ethan_Hardy

Joined
Sep 10, 2011
Messages
350
I posted in the main knife discussion a while back that I am looking for a new blade. I already own a Esee 4 and love it. I am looking for something a bit bigger but still relatively light for backpacking and canoeing (stainless not necessary). I am lookng for something with a blade from 4.5-6.5" but under about 11-12ish oz. I am looking into the Fallkniven S1, Ratmandu and a SYKCO 511. How are the weight on the Ratmandu and 511? What do you guys think?
 
The 511 is a good knife, but the handle is a bit small for my thick hands. The ratmandu has a superb handle. 5.5" blade, and if you have the extra couple bucks the custom shop versions are a cut above, especially for food prep. The pork shank is also a great choice in your size range.
 
The ratmandu is a great blade that I would highly recommend. The guys over at Swamp Rat do a great job.

Garth
 
Dang Ethan a few months ago I could have met you and showed you a couple:)

I was just a mile or so south of Gilberts corner.

I would look for a flat ground rmd for the best cutter, or the saber grounds if you want a little more strength
 
Yeah I'm definitely leaving toward the RMD. I'll for sure check out the custom store when I get a chance. I am more privy to g10 than micarta. How do the FFG versions compare to the stock in terms of price? Does anyone know the weight of a saber RMD?
 
The Combat Grade RMD should weigh about 10 oz. with micarta handles, a little more with G-10 handles.

The 511 weighs about 6.75 oz, and as mentioned previously the handle is not ideal for those with large hands.

The 511 will be more forward weighted/balanced than the RMD, which will be more handle heavy.

I would however recommend the Scrap Yard War Dog over both the RMD and 511. It weighs about 6.2 oz. and has a 5" INFI blade with a great res-c handle and balance. I just sold mine recently and do have a touch of regret for letting it go, but I just wished it was a touch longer and choilless.

The Pork Shank is also a great knife, and should be of similar weight as the War Dog/511.

The Scrapper 5 is another lightweight option at 5.25" of blade, along with the Basic 6 LE if you wanted 6.5" blade.
 
Word. I would rather not go to the second hand market. I dont have a forum membership yet and things tend to get expensive but ill keep it in mind. I am a big fan of the 511 and i'm surprised how light it is. The blade weight would help with chopping. Do you know the weight of the 711 offhand? I am trying to get enough bang for the weight.
 
I have large hands and both a RMD and 511. The RMD is a fantastic all-rounder and the handle is superb. That being said the 511 handle isn't bad, but if it were any smaller though I'd have a problem.

As an aside my 511 saved our superbowl celebration. We dug the firepit out of about 5 feet of snow, and dug out some wood to have a fire during the game. The first time I tried to use the axe to split some of the logs for kindling, the head snapped right off. Luckily the 511 was in my backpack and did a great job splitting the logs down to size. I didn't have gloves on and was glad for the res-c handle, didn't feel cold on my hands and absorbs shock very well (which hurts like hell with cold hands.. trust me!) For the money its a great knife. If your hands are in the XL range though you might have an issue.
 
I lean more toward the SJT if weight is an issue. If you can go a little heavier, you can't beat the SFNO or the skinny ASH.
 
I dont have super large hands so I dont think a SYKCO would be a problem, I wear a size large glove. I dont doubt the strength of SYKCO but I am not sure how I feel about the small tangs. I am more for full tangs like the RMD. Cool story! If I had a Busse or Kin I would be apt to have it close by as well. My price range is >200 so unfortunately bussee combat blades are out as much as it pains me to say. The SJTAC and Skinny Ash are some of my 'grail' blades though. Maybe one day.

Edit: How big is the choil section on the 511? From the pictures I have seen it looks extremely small even for med sized hands. Is it usable?
 
"I dont have super large hands so I dont think a SYKCO would be a problem, I wear a size large glove."

My statement about the 511 not being ideal for large hands only applies to the 511/311, the 711/911/1311 handles are scaled up version which are a 1/2" longer compared to the 311/511.


"I dont doubt the strength of SYKCO but I am not sure how I feel about the small tangs. I am more for full tangs like the RMD."

The full tang vs. hidden tang will ultimately not make any difference in strength as the blade will likely break at the ricasso area if it was to break.


"My price range is >200 so unfortunately bussee combat blades are out as much as it pains me to say. The SJTAC and Skinny Ash are some of my 'grail' blades though. Maybe one day."

The Scrap Yard War Dog can be had for under $200 on the secondary market, whilst still being INFI. Best value in 5" INFI, bar none.

"How big is the choil section on the 511? From the pictures I have seen it looks extremely small even for med sized hands. Is it usable?"

The choil should be roughly 1/2" long, and you should be able to put at the very least the tip of your index finger in it. You won't have as much flexibility in how you choke up though, as you will likely be limited to only the tip of your finger unless you modified the choil.


"I am a big fan of the 511 and i'm surprised how light it is. The blade weight would help with chopping. Do you know the weight of the 711 offhand? I am trying to get enough bang for the weight."

The 511 won't be much of a chopper even with the forward balance because it is very light. If you wanted a blade that was a competent chopper while still being good at the finer tasks, the 711 would be your best value. It weighs in at roughly 14.6 oz and chops very well for it's weight/length. I don't particularly care for choils, but I don't really hate the choil on the 711 as it's one of the better ones I've experienced. I would likely go straight for the 911 over the 711, as it only weighs a couple oz. more, should be more capable while still being good for the finer tasks and still retails for less than your price limit.


BTW, Here's a link for a compilation of specifications of MOST of the Busse & Kin blades that have been released.......;):)

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...ghts-of-Swamp-Rat-Busse-amp-Scrap-Yard-Knives
 
The scrapper 5 is the best 5" knife with res-c IMO. But the 511 is a really sweet knife to. But I would get the RMD over it
 
Yeah they all seem pretty sweet. I'll probably get the RMD eventually over the 511, probably over the summer when I have some more dough. I'm probably going to get a 711 sometime soon hopefully. It's just oh so sexy.
 
Another RMD vote. Once you hold one you'll know why it always gets so many votes. The 711 is a great feeling knife also when you need something a bit bigger. Two of my favorites.
 
If I was choosing only one, between the 511 and the 711 I would go for the 711. I can't understand the smaller handle on the 511.
 
dman62 said:
Another RMD vote. Once you hold one you'll know why it always gets so many votes. The 711 is a great feeling knife also when you need something a bit bigger. Two of my favorites.
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My experience with the RMD was contrary to everything I'd heard about them. My first Busse-Kin blade was a RMD and it just didn't do anything for me, not that I felt it was a bad knife. I think the Rodent 5 will be an awesome blade once it is released though, if only they had a no choil option.....:grumpy:

The 711 does feel great, it's got a nice heft to it without feeling like too much of a tank. The grind on it makes for one VERY sharp piece of steel and the large res-c handle feels awesome on a knife this size.

Bigfattyt said:
If I was choosing only one, between the 511 and the 711 I would go for the 711. I can't understand the smaller handle on the 511.
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I'm also pretty confused with the handle on the 511, although the same handle seemed to work OK for me with the smaller 311. I believe it is a combination of the forward weight PLUS the small handle that causes the 511 to want to fall out of your hand unless you're gripping it tight.
 
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