I can't decide what knife to buy...

T

TheCanadian

Joined
Sep 11, 2012
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152
So I do a lot of camping and hiking and such and I'm looking to replace my Bear Grylls "ultimate survival knife"

The knife has served me well and has yet to break despite me beating the crap out of it any chance I get (Internet says they break easy but mine hasn't yet.) I'd like to replace it with a similar setup (knife, sheath, sharpener, Firesteel.) but I don't like the serrations on the blade. I loved the weight and feel of the knife.

The two knives I've seen so far that I liked are the Becker BK10 and Bear Grylls Ultimate Pro knife but I am very open to suggestions of other knives. My budget is between 100-150 dollars. Also the sheath features I listed above are not requirements, just something I really like.

I'm hesitant on the BG knife due to its made in China construction but MY BG knife was also Chinese made and tough as hell so I don't know...

Likes:
Somewhat rust resistant?
Thick blade
5-5.5" blade length
Full tang
Quality sheath
Non serrated blade

I hope you guys and gals can help, you're way more knowledgeable than I am. Thanks for your time :D
 
Lots of good stuff out there. But I wouldn't over do it on the "thick blade" part if it is really for camping/survival. You want something strong but still cuts well.

The firesteel you can get aftermarket.
Look at Bark River, ESEE, Fallkniven, Becker.. lots of good stuff out there.
Also check out the "Knife Makers" for sale section here. Lots of guys putting out amazing work at great prices.

Cheers.
 
If you can get over budget a little ,Survive knives are a great choice too.
 
I'd strongly suggest talking to Matt of Waterstoneblades; he's a paid knifemaker here on the forums and is from BC; Matt's knives are fantastic. :thumbup:

This one I got from Matt has 5" blade of 1084 steel, zebrawood handle:

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A 10 3/4" blade of 5160 with horse stall mat rubber handle slabs:

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Last is a 7" bladed beast with green fiber liners & black micarta

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All of Matt's knives are well thought and finished very nicely for the price IMO. All include nice kydex that is ready for teklock clips. His blades perform very well and each is designed for cutting performance over the sharpened prybars that you typically see. :thumbup::cool:

Check him out on Instagram to see more pictures of his work and he also posts blades for sale in the Customs section here.
 
If you are happy with the bg knife, get the plain edge pro version. It is all over the net for 70 bux. Take the extra $$ and buy gas for your next adventure or another piece of equipment.
 
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Watch for a "premium" custom made knife to come up for sale here on the forum . Dozier, Winston, Ingram, May, Laconico and many others come to mind. Find a pattern you like and grab it. Get yourself a nice knife that will last a lifetime. Most of these craftsman heat treat their own good steel and put their own unique touches to there knives. You might pay $20-$40 more but you are getting a knife that is 3-4 times as good.
 
Staying within your budget... Becker, ESEE, maybe Fallkniven (don't know if they're affordable for you), L T Wright (I believe), and quite a few custom makers here on BF can supply what you want. The custom makers will take a little longer than the prodco knives. One thing to consider if you're as hard on your FB as you say is the company's warranty. ESEE's is very good and very broad. Personally, I'd go with either Becker or ESEE if I were staying within your budget.

If you want to spend another $50 or so, Survive! and Bark River are good choices. Add $100 to your budget and you can get any one of several Dozier or Keith Murr models from A. G. Russell.
 
Becker bk10. But if you really want thick, get the BK2. It's 1/4" cro van steel (I may be wrong)
It would be perfect if it was a few inches longer.
 
Keep it simple. Ontario Rat 5 is under $100, available everywhere, and a huge upgrade from your current knife. It meets all of your specs and shares the same name as your Province :D If you want more stainless, get a Fallkniven S1 Forest Knife (top end of your budget). The Beckers are good options too (similar steel to the Ontario), but I like the forward finger choil on the Ontario, as it allows you to choke up for fine detailed work.

 
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Day to day I'm not all that hard on the knife but I like to torture them once in a while... also I kinda took gerbers warranty as a challenge and I lost, my knife is still intact.

I like the Becker BK10 but the cutouts in the handle I don't really like.
 
From the options that I own and use. Granfors Bruks small forest axe and a Mora Companion. This may be pushing the budget limit. Option 2., an ESEE6 or 4 (the 6 is light for its size). Option 3., A Fiskars X7 hatchet (or move up to the X17?) and a couple of Mora Companions. I also have the X25 but that is a dedicated heavy head splitter that rides in the trunk. The third option is the most economical and these cutting tools work perfectly well. The Fiskars axes have a lifetime warranty. Actually, if you go option 3 toss in a Lansky axe puck, and you will still be under or near your budget. They don't always have to be fancy or expensive to be reliable and work well. If you bring a hatchet or axe you wont need a thick spined knife anyway. I have the fancy stuff for its own merits, and the plain stuff for the car trunk camping, they both do the job and are satisfying in use.
 
Buying the right knives knives isn't as easy as it seems to be. It's so hard to decide between the different types, steels, handles and origins... I just wanna give you one advice: Never buy a knife, which you don't already know, in an online-shop. You really have to feel it in your hand at first: then you automatically know, if it's right for you.
 
I've got an Estwing camp axe already, works good enough. I am only really looking to replace and retire my Bear Grylls knife. I like the weight and feel of it but wouldn't mind sacrificing a LITTLE thickness for a 5- 5 1/2 inch blade. My current knife has a 4 1/2 or 4 3/4 blade (can't remember).
 
You posted in a knife forum, and I have decided this makes you a "knife person," at least somewhat. It is my humble opinion (since "50,000 Elvis fans can't be wrong") that "knife people" ought to have tried out some sort of Mora blade. There is no reason not to toss one in to your repertoire. Nice low-profile sheath, light weight, cheap as chips- these three attributes, paired up with the almost religious fanaticism people display for them at times, indicate to me that you might give one a crack. I succumbed to the peer pressure and now I find myself with about 5 of em in varying configs. Cheerz
 
TheCanadian. Contact\email me in about a week or so. I have a bunch of knives that I'm getting rid of. If they aren't gone by then I'll just send you my Becker BK-2 as a freebie.
 
Upnorth, that'd be freakin' great! From what I read it's a great knife and very similar to the BK10.

A nice thinner blade Mora is on the list but not as my go-to knife, more like a smaller replacement for the 7" filet knife and anything to do with something I'll be eating. I tend to bring three knives camping, my filet knife, my Kukri, my bear Grylls knife. Also my Gerber Diesel is part of my EDC and comes everywhere I can legally take it, the blade is razor sharp and doesn't get used. The axe gets tossed in if I'm going boat camping or car camping. Given my skill with an axe the Kukri is a safer alternative for the size of wood I would be processing.

I'd like to have my kukri, a mora and whatever replaces my BG at camp. When I leave camp to go on hikes and adventures I usually carry my two bigger knives and leave the filet knife at camp. Sometimes the kukri stays behind as well and I only have the BG knife on me. That is why the knife I replace the BG with needs to be of a similar style or type. I like the Swamp Rat Ratmandu in Antdog's post it's pretty. Could someone tell me the pros and cons of SR101 steel?
 
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