I need a truck knife

B

Bali Fly

Joined
Feb 1, 2005
Messages
17
The background
I drive a 1992 Hummer, serial #158 (Arnold got #1). This is not a "Street Queen," it goes offroad and gets dirty (and scratched, and dented).

The incident
I was driving home from my shirt & tie job recently and the truck threw a belt. First to go was the power steering, then the brakes, then the alternator (all accompanied by snapping sounds from under the hood).

Aside: driving a 6,500 lb truck at 60mph with no steering or brakes is NOT recommended.

I managed to get home okay and my buddy came running over as soon as he saw me opening the hood. Like a true friend, he climbed up into the engine compartment and started fishing around for shreds of belts. They were all snarled up together and around everything in sight.

He looked at me and said, "Got a knife?"

Well, of course I did, but there was NO WAY I was going to pull out my Rainbow Chive to hack through the fanbelts. I was afraid he'd start laughing, fall in and hurt himself. It's my sheeple-friendly, cute, at-work knife.

Naturally, about 35 milliseconds later I had decided that I need a "truck knife" -- something that can take on anything that comes its way without looking back: hacking belts, slicing fuel lines, prying nails, opening oil cans (does oil still come in cans?), yada-yada. I don't need a hatchet since I could probably drive over anything I'd be likely to chop down with a knife.

I'm looking for something in the $100-$150 range: I don't want to cry if I break off the tip or drive off and leave it lying on a rock in the woods.

The current candidates
  1. Benchmade 710
  2. Buck Strider Tarani 882SBTG CMT
  3. Benchmade 806
  4. Spyderco Military
  5. Spyderco Manix
  6. Al Mar SERE 2000
  7. Emerson CQC-7

These are all folders, but I'll give due consideration to fixed blades that are "equivalent." What knives am I overlooking? Which do you feel is best suited to the task?

Thanks!
Tom.
 
Sounds like you want a fixed blade. I'd check out Swamp Rat, Camillus's Becker line, Ka-Bar and Ontario. They'll fit right in with the Hummer image and they really are very tough knives.
 
you need a really tough knife, serrated, & cheap...
how about a spyderco native in SE S30V? it's a very reliable knife, a real workhorse & you can get it for $50-$60
 
Cold Steel Bushman ~$15. Even if you get another truck knife get a Bushman too -- for the jobs you don't want to use even your truck knife for.
 
For a tough knife to take on any and all nasty or tough cutting jobs that come up, and that is going to stay in the truck, I don't see any reason to buy a folder. I like a blade ~4-4.5" better than anything else for a "heavy utility" knife. Big enough to have good heft while small enough to control and have good leverage, and knives in that range of blade length typically have full-sized handles for a more secure and comfortable grip in hard use.
I'd get a carbon steel fixed blade like a Becker Crewman, Ontario TAK, or even a Camillus Pilot Survival Knife unless you want something bigger with the option of using as a chopper. Around $30 for the Camillus, $45 for the Becker, $60 for the TAK.
Of the folders you list, I'd go with the 710HS, since I think it will stand up to hard use better than any of the others, due to its combination of a strong and secure lock, along with a relatively strong tip.
 
How bout a toolbox with wrenches, pliers, a hacksaw, a hammer, prybar, etc? I don't mean to be stupid but how many mechanics do you see under the hood of a truck with a bowie knife?
 
Cougar Allen said:
-- for the jobs you don't want to use even your truck knife for.
Click to expand...

I agree with Cougar. Get a good cheap knife you won't mind abusing and don't care if it gets a little rust.

As much of a nut as I am about knives, my "stored in the back" knife for the truck (SUV actually) is an old fixed blade I got when I was a kid. Durable as heck and I look at it about once every year or so. It has a nice edge and will serve the purpose if I ever got in a bind. I'm also never tempted to take it out for other purposes (why bother) so it will always be there if I need it.

With that said I like the suggestion of good quality for low price like the Cold Steel. I would also go with a fixed blade because you never know what you'll actually need the knife for and it's going to be more fail proof than a folder.

The knives you mention are great for the most part but you may be too tempted to get some use out of them and then you'll forget it in your pants and end up needing it. At least that's my dumb luck anyway.

You can get good quality inexensive fixed blades from Becker, Cold Steel, Ontario and SOG along with probably a dozen other companies so the sky is almost the limit.

With the money you save you can get one of the folders to carry instead of that weenie Rainbow Chive ;) :p
 
I'm of Cougar's mindset. Buy a quality cheapie (no that's not an oxymoron) , this way if you break it or lose it it can be easily replaced and you wont feel like going.... "D'OH!!!!". :D
 
UnixDork said:
How bout a toolbox with wrenches, pliers, a hacksaw, a hammer, prybar, etc? I don't mean to be stupid but how many mechanics do you see under the hood of a truck with a bowie knife?
Click to expand...
I have a pretty complete toolbox...but there's no knife in it! In this particular instance, we used a large diagonal cutter to remove the belt-snarl.

It's just that empty feeling I got when he asked for a knife and I drew a blank instead that bugs me.
 
Cougar Allen said:
Cold Steel Bushman ~$15. Even if you get another truck knife get a Bushman too -- for the jobs you don't want to use even your truck knife for.
Click to expand...
Wow. I never knew about the Bushman. I agree: I'll buy one "just because." Great tip, thanks.

Stow it under a seat somewhere and it's always at the ready. Nifty.
 
As soon as I read the story, I thought of a fixed blade. Bushman's good, Becker Crewman is a good idea, too. Rub them down with mineral oil before you put them away in the back of the Hummer.
 
OwenM said:
I'd get a carbon steel fixed blade like a Becker Crewman, Ontario TAK, or even a Camillus Pilot Survival Knife unless you want something bigger with the option of using as a chopper. Around $30 for the Camillus, $45 for the Becker, $60 for the TAK.
Click to expand...
Golly. You guys are rocking my world! I hadn't investigated fixed blades at all, and these (and all the others) are really great recommendations. Save money? Who'da thunk it?

I've got lots of homework to do!
 
I just ordered a Spyderco ATR Titanium (yesterday).
I've heard it's a workhorse type knife. We'll see.
 
If ya want a truck/tank knife, spend some more $$, get you Strider BN-SS and be through with it. It's a big and bad mo fo and you will never think of buying anything else after... :)

If you break a tip - Strider Co. will replace it - no questions asked. But personally, I seriously doubt that you'll be able to break a tip on this extraordinary tough and well made monster.

My $0.02.

ivan
 
How about a Super Leatherman? small enough to reach hard places, serrated blade, along with other miscellaneous screwdrivers, pliers, and other niceties when it comes to vehicle maintenance.

Of course, I think UnixDork has the right idea with assembling at least a small toolbox, but, that's not as fun as suggesting captain kicka$$ Super Commando Knives, so to keep in the spirit of fun, I'll suggest Himalayan Imports Kumar Karda, JKM, or a Sarge. (Darn...you'd think I could make a more Commando-ish suggestion than that...maybe a Buck Strider of some sort?) :D
 
Add a pair of cutting pliers of Fiskars heavy duty shears... it will probably go further than the knife. I once tried to cut a belt and accidentally severed a hose as well.
 
Side cutters, an Al Mar SERE 2K, and a very tough fixed blade—Swamp Rat Howling Rat or Bandicoot.
 
I'll second (or third) the recommendation for the Becker Crewman. I just got a deal on a Swamp Rat Camp Trap, so that Becker is going to be sitting in the trunk of my car. It's a great knife for the money.

But if you're planning on trashing it doing stuff like that, maybe spend even less on a Cold Steel Bushman.

Nitin
 
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