High quality steel knives at a low price ($200)?

[AXwFS0OIUDoE]

Hi, first post

I have been looking to buy a high quality and durable knife to be my primary survival/EDC/camping knife for a very long time. I still have not found the knife that I am looking for.

What I am looking for is a drop point knife, made of a very good steel like N690, CPM steels, VG10, A2, M2, L6 or any other great steel that is selling at a price I can afford (not more than $200).

What I am looking for in a knife is the following: extremely durable steel that is fairly corrosion resistant (not stainless) and holds an edge very well so I don't have to sharpen too often. It also has to be hard but not brittle so no chance of the blade it breaking. I know that no knife is indestructible but I want something that is reliable and will last for as long as possible.

I don't really care about where the knife is manufactured. If it is a Chinese knife made of A2 steel and is a great knife, then I am ok with that as long as I can afford it.

I found a knife called Hogue EX-F01 7" and it seems too good to be true. It has a nice size, shape and handle and it is made of A2 steel. I haven't found much information or review about it so hopefully you guys know anything about it. It costs slightly over $200 but if it is a good knife, then I am willing to spend that extra little bit.
Here it is on knifecenter.

Only problem I have with this knife is that A2 isn't as wear resistant as D2/M2/L6.

The question is: Is there a knife that strikes a perfect balance between price, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, edge retention and general durability?

I hope you guys can share your experience and help me out.

 

[ocnLogan]

Welcome!

Fixed or folder? I didn't see a reference to a preference, and that will change the responses a LOT. The hogue you linked to is fixed, so I'm going to guess you want a fixed blade. You also made no reference to blade length, which makes things interesting again.

Some observations. L6 isn't really corrosion resistant at all. It is also not as wear resistant as A2 or D2 (not sure on M2). It is a great and VERY tough steel, but those two things are't things it is known for, just so you understand. Also VG10 IS a stainless steel, as are most/many CPM steels. VG10 is also known for being a good steel, but is not known for being especially "tough". It is on the "more brittle" side of steels generally speaking.

But, some random recommendations.

Survive! knives has cpm-3v blades with drop points for under $200 (at least they were under $200 last time I looked).
Cold Steel Master Hunter in 3v (~$100)
Svord Economy drop point hunter (L6, ~$50. Also, almost all svords come in L6 steel (or a very close equivalent). Most are well under your budget.)
Bark River Bravo (A2 and CPM-3V, ~$160-220ish... and honestly, many, many more bark river models that I don't know very well. I just know they are in your price range, and usually come with A2 or CPM-3v)

If I had your budget, and your "requirements", I'd be looking for a CPM-3v blade. Its not quite stainless, but is pretty close. Its VERY tough, and has good wear resistance. You may also be able to get a custom made in your budget as well, there are plenty of makers here that use 3v.

Good luck on your search .

 

[M1GarandGuy]

Thats a good price range with MANY good options. I would recommend the Fallkniven S1. I have one and it is my favorite fixed blade. It is definitely the sharpest also:thumbup: if that is to big for you though, then I would recommend the tops knives baja 4.5.

 

[AXwFS0OIUDoE]

Welcome!

Fixed or folder? I didn't see a reference to a preference, and that will change the responses a LOT. The hogue you linked to is fixed, so I'm going to guess you want a fixed blade. You also made no reference to blade length, which makes things interesting again.

Some observations. L6 isn't really corrosion resistant at all. It is also not as wear resistant as A2 or D2 (not sure on M2). It is a great and VERY tough steel, but those two things are't things it is known for, just so you understand. Also VG10 IS a stainless steel, as are most/many CPM steels. VG10 is also known for being a good steel, but is not known for being especially "tough". It is on the "more brittle" side of steels generally speaking.

But, some random recommendations.

Survive! knives has cpm-3v blades with drop points for under $200 (at least they were under $200 last time I looked).
Cold Steel Master Hunter in 3v (~$100)
Svord Economy drop point hunter (L6, ~$50. Also, almost all svords come in L6 steel (or a very close equivalent). Most are well under your budget.)
Bark River Bravo (A2 and CPM-3V, ~$160-220ish... and honestly, many, many more bark river models that I don't know very well. I just know they are in your price range, and usually come with A2 or CPM-3v)

If I had your budget, and your "requirements", I'd be looking for a CPM-3v blade. Its not quite stainless, but is pretty close. Its VERY tough, and has good wear resistance. You may also be able to get a custom made in your budget as well, there are plenty of makers here that use 3v.

Good luck on your search .

Hi, thank you very much for the reply, very helpful.

I only started to get into steels recently so I am still learning. Just before I read your post, I read here that L6 isn't corrosive resistant and that CPM 3V is probably the closest steel to what I am looking for. Also, from what I read, D2 also seems like a good option either because it is cheap, wear resistant, corrosion resistant and relatively tough.

I am definitely looking for a fixed blade because I believe that it is more durable with no moving parts. I am looking for blade length of 5 inch to 7 inch. I also want the blade to be either powder coated or duracoat or some other durable coating.

If I can get a knife that satisfies my needs and does the job for $150 then I would be very happy with that.

 

[marthinus]

Just buy a Paramilitary or Manix 2. Meets most of your requirements. Then a machete.

Or a ESSEE or a Becker and a multitool.

Hogue is a fine company.

Quite honestly a quick search on knifecenter will give you numerous options. Stuck to a reputable company and you should be happy.

 

[AXwFS0OIUDoE]

Just buy a Paramilitary or Manix 2. Meets most of your requirements. Then a machete.

Or a ESSEE or a Becker and a multitool.

Hogue is a fine company.

Quite honestly a quick search on knifecenter will give you numerous options. Stuck to a reputable company and you should be happy.

I just read this [spammy web site] and there is so much that I need to learn! This will be fun.
I will take my time until I find that perfect, indestructible knife that will hold the edge forever

 

[AXwFS0OIUDoE]

Just buy a Paramilitary or Manix 2. Meets most of your requirements. Then a machete.

Or a ESSEE or a Becker and a multitool.

Hogue is a fine company.

Quite honestly a quick search on knifecenter will give you numerous options. Stuck to a reputable company and you should be happy.

I just started reading and there is so much stuff I have to learn before I can make a good decision! This will be fun.
I will take my time to find that perfect knife that is indestructible and holds an edge forever because I'm not buying a sharpener haha

 

[Sulaco]

I'd look hard at SURVIVE! Knives' GSO series in CPM-3V. Just do some searches on this forum and on Youtube for reviews and you'll see lots of good feedback. I actually have two for sale. If you are interested shoot me an email (click my user ID).

 

[Comeuppance]

3V is the only steel that you mentioned that I've had experience with in a fixed blade, and it's a hell of a steel.




- My picture, from when I quit smoking a couple years ago. After everything I did with that knife, chopping up branches, stabbing it into things, and just generally beating the hell out of it, it all wiped off and looked brand new afterwards. I couldn't hurt the damned thing.

Cold Steel dominates production 3V in the lower price ranges without sacrificing quality or design.

Cold Steel Master Hunter in 3V (Runs about $100):

Overall Length 9.25"
Blade Length 4.50"
Sharpened Length 4.37"
Blade Thickness 0.187"
Blade Material CPM-3V Powder Steel
Steel Type Carbon
Handle Material Kray-Ex
Weight 6.00 oz.
Sheath Secure-Ex
Sheath Weight 2.85 oz.

Cold Steel AK-47 Field Knife (Runs about $150-170):

Overall Length 10.37"
Blade Length 5.50"
Sharpened Length 5.25"
Blade Thickness 0.197"
Blade Material CPM-3V Powder Steel
Steel Type Carbon
Handle Material Green G10
Weight 10.85 oz.
Sheath Secure-Ex®
Sheath Weight 3.30 oz

(Images and info shamelessly hotlinked / copied from GPknives)

Another option is the Cold Steel Warcraft Tanto (Prices range widely; I've seen $125-200):

Blade Length: 7 1/2"
Overall Length: 12 3/4"
Steel: U.S. CPM 3-V High Carbon
Weight: 13 oz
Blade Thickness: 5 mm
Handle: 4 3/4" Long G-10
Sheath: Secure-Ex® Sheath

(image and info shamelessly hotlinked/copied from Knifecenter)

 

[bdmicarta]

I think A2 is a good choice, and the Bark River Bravo 1 can be found used for under $200.

For a lot less you can find a Becker or ESEE in a variety of sizes. Right at the $200 limit and a little hard to find, but very tough, is the Swamprat Ratmandu.

 

[Eric@DLT]

Brand new Bravo 1s in A2 are under $200 with a synthetic handle. Our Ambush Alphas are a little over $200 and have a 5 1/8" blade and use 3v steel. Neither of those knives have a coated option but I think it's more of a visual thing. Keep them clean and they'll be fine.

 

[AXwFS0OIUDoE]

3V is the only steel that you mentioned that I've had experience with in a fixed blade, and it's a hell of a steel.

- My picture, from when I quit smoking a couple years ago. After everything I did with that knife, chopping up branches, stabbing it into things, and just generally beating the hell out of it, it all wiped off and looked brand new afterwards. I couldn't hurt the damned thing.

Cold Steel dominates production 3V in the lower price ranges without sacrificing quality or design.

Hi,

I did a lot of research yesterday and I found out that CPM 3V is exactly the type of steel that I am looking for.
I also found out that all the other steels (D2, A2, VG10, 1095, N690 etc) are not nearly as good at CPM 3V, S30V, S35VN, S90V, Elmax, etc. I was under the impression that D2 and A2 were premium steels but I was wrong.
3V has high toughness, high wear resistance/edge retention, relatively high corrosion resistance, and it is relatively affordable.
I have come to the conclusion that any the following knives satisfy my needs.

• Cold Steel Warcraft Tanto 3V
• Ambush Knives Alpha 3V
• Bark River Fox River Recurve 3V
• Bark River Bravo 1 3V

I am very interested in the Cold Steel Warcraft Tanto 3V because it is well within my budget. It is a tanto which is not ideal for survival/EDC/general use but at this price, I think it is my best option.

I have one question though. Why is the Cold Steel Warcraft Tanto 3V so cheap considering that it has 7inch 3V blade and G10 handles? Is it only because it is made in Taiwan?
Is there a catch here because this seems almost too good to be true or is it actually a super high quality knife?
Is the steel used in the Warcraft Tanto of the same quality as more expensive 3V knives?
I am very impressed by this knife.

 

[Eric@DLT]

I'm seeing that CS warcraft for $166 on amazon, about $200 at another larger knife dealer, and we have one in for $210. Unless you're finding it elsewhere for much cheaper I don't think it's that great of a deal to sacrifice a more useable blade design and even a more reasonable size knife.

It is cheaper because it's made overseas. They don't need to worry about paying people a fair wage like in the US.