I need help from serious knife people only

Look at a KaBar Becker BK-2, it's a little longer than what you asked, but that's as small as I would go for a chopper.
 
Keep in mind that pretty much all of us have some degree of preference (some have an amazingly high degree of preference) regarding steel, makers, grind, etc. Don't let anyone fool you into thinking that there's one "best" of anything out there. It's highly individual. For a while just listen to a bunch of opinions and absorb. If you can eventually narrow your needs down to something manageable (like three types of steel, two grinds, OAL between x & x) it will be much easier for us to give you good solid advice.
 
learnme said:
Looks and price are irrelevant.
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FlaMtnbkr kindly pointed out my lack of reading comprehension skills. :) If price was not an issue for me I'd contact one of the many fine knife makers here on bladeforums and have something one of a kind made for me. Either that or figure out which INFI Busse I liked the best and pay the price.
If you're looking for a great value, you can't go wrong with Bark river, RAT cutlery, Scrapyard, or Becker.
 
Since you said that price is no object, I can't believe that nobody has said get a Busse. They are considered by most to be the top of the line both for quality and high dollar.

IMO a Good place to start for a bigger knife is the BK-7 now made by Kabar. It is both a quality knife and also has a pretty darn good price. Also check out Rat Cutlery and Ontario.
 
We were all just about to ask you the same question, because some of us have been looking for many years now for the knife that you described. Welcome to BF by the way. I think the Fallkniven F1 is a good place to start.
 
Since this was the original poster's first post on BFC, he may not be aware of some of the acronyms that are being thrown around.

WSS= Wilderness and Survival Skills, one of the sub-forums here. BRKT = Bark River Knife and Tool

Several people have mentioned Busse knives, but the knife Busse is currently shipping is the Tank Buster, which is certainly 8"OAL like the OP desires. So we need to tell him that knives like Scrapyard and Busse are best procured by buying from the sale forums here or on Ebay.

For my advice- given your description I think you would be best served by either a Fallkniven F1 or a Rat Cutlery RC3. One is stainless, one is carbon steel. One has smaller grips for smaller hands, one has giant chunky grips for giant bear paws.

Pick one, or better yet buy both and sell the one you like least. You can get both for < $250 including shipping from a whole host of different sellers.
 
WOW! First of, thank you for the great welcome to the forum. I had no idea I would get so much feedback so fast. To clarify further, I have carried with me a machete in all my outings and use that as my main chopper. Therefor, the chopping capabilities of the knife in question is not something I feel would be too much to look into. I just would like to know that its not going to dull out after chopping into hard wood or cutting against bone.

I know that my query is very general. The reason for that being I am looking for a very well rounded knife. I will be taking it on dives and in the snow. I want to use it for everything from gutting fish to sparking flares off a firesteel. I know that I will have to sharpen it/have it sharpened eventually, my concern is how sharp it is. I suppose it comes down to the balance of steel strength and flexibility. For a general purpose survival knife, I leave the answer to you, the experts. Thank you again for the friendly welcome and for taking the time to help me with this.

EDIT:
The 8" spec i suppose is not ideal anymore based on the feedback. Im going to go with 12" as the absolute max. Should be interesting diving with that XD
 
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Well, the dive knife requirement is a real curveball.

Would you consider having one knife just for diving -aside from the one you pick after this thread?
 
The point of me starting this was to see if it were possible if at all to find such a knife. Naturally i would consider a specific knife just for diving if I had no other choice, but that would defeat the purpose of what I aim to find here. Im sure everyone here would agree that going out knowing that the tools they take with them are reliable and something they can trust to get the job done and that it is a nightmare to have your gear fail on you...and always at the worst time. Now i need a knife I know I can count on getting the job done regardless of the terrain or temperature. However, if it comes to me having to have a separate dive knife then I guess I have no choice but to comply.
 
From what you just added, I suggest a few basics:
4" to no more than 6" flat rground, stainless steel blade.
G-10 or Micarta or even Zytel handle.

If you are going to take some care in maintenance, cleaning it after heavy use or immersion in salt water, you can go for some of the not-quite-stainless steels like D2.
 
I know you stated you wanted steel but if you want the very best, strongest etc why not consider an 8 inch "MBK-Ti Titanium Knife
Starting at: $198.99
The MBK was designed with a 4” spear point blade (partial serrations are available) as a more aggressive boot or neck knife for the Special Operations, SWAT, and tactical communities. A skeletonized handle has attachment holes and offers a lighter (less than 3 oz) & slimmer utility knife that is easily concealed or out of the way for most offensive and cutting chords. . Military and law enforcement personnel all like it because it will not rust or corrode from perspiration when carried around the neck or close to the body .. The knife is offered in 100% specialized titanium construction. A Kydex sheath and Tek-Lok attachment system is included... " This knife will beat any other knife out there except it is not made of steel but rather the much tougher and lighter titanium.
I found the knife under Mission Knives.
 
x-10, have you ever handled one of them? I have the MBK (Mission Boot Knife) and the MPU (Mission Personal Utility. Great little utility knives but not great slicers. For most survival purposes, not good. For specialized harsh environment and covert tactical use, OK. Mission does use the best titanium alloy in general use.
 
Adding in the diving requirement, maybe you should look at David Boye knives. He sells knive that are actually not quite steel, but dendritic cobalt. It is supposed to be non rusting, non magnetic, and due to the structure of the metal, has tiny microscopic serrations, so that it is supposed to cut well for a long time. They are a bit pricey, but might fit your needs. Also, the type 3 is exactly 8" long, with a 4" blade.

I just re-read this, and it sounds like I'm a shill for Mr. Boye. I'm not, but the first book I ever read on knifemaking was written by him, and I like his designs. I've never handled one of these, though.
 
learnme said:
Hi all, I am quite new to knives but am quite serious to purchase the best survival knife FOR ME. I know there are many great knives out there but the defining factor is its functionality with the user. I am a person that tends to buy once but buy right. That is why I am here looking for help as I am swamped with google links and every other tom dick and harry saying his word is fact and not opinion. What I am looking for are facts.

The knife I want above all has to have the hardest steel in the market. I need it to be durable and strong and last through years of abuse but still be sharp. Naturally the second factor is its sharpness. IT HAS TO BE SHARP. Third is the functionality. Since this is to be used as a survival knife, it has to be portable so I am thinking a maximum of 8" tip to butt. It should chop, carve, skin, stab, etc etc etc. Looks and price are irrelevant. PLEAS HELP ME FIND A KNIFE.
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Every noobs first survival knife should be the falkniven s-1, until you learn more about steel and how to maintain it. Real life is not like the movies or drunk buddies.
 
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