I need help from serious knife people only

Yes, no doubt specialty knives are better for what they are designed to do than any other. That's why I'm looking for a balanced all-rounder. I wont be specifically using it just for diving, I just want to know that IF i happen to be in a situation where I will be in salt water the knife can take it....
 
Any knife in any steel can handle saltwater as long as you wipe it down and oil it directly after use.

That being said theres a 100 knives that you could choose from and not go entirely wrong.

Fallkniven, RAT, Ontario knives, Busse, Spyderco's fixed blades, Cold steel, Bark river, Becker knives, Kabar and many more. It all comes down to what you like and what feels good in your hand.
 
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You don't need a knife, you need a Knife MAKER.

Why settle for mass produced or semi custom that may only be a 90% match to your needs?

Seriously. If cost is not holding you back, find a custom knife maker (or two or three) give them a call and they will make a knife that fits your needs EXACTLY.

I had the honor to meet Jeff Crowner and I am a big believer in his differential heat treating of the edge because I saw with my own eyes how sharp it stayed after several months of HARD use. After talking to him for a while I gained a lot of knowledge of what makes a blade "good" and what makes one "excellent". Besides, he is a really nice guy.

That being said,

There are plenty of makers on this forum, just research a little and talk to some of them. Some make good knives, some make excellent knives, all would be willing to help you I'm sure.

Carl-
 
learnme said:
OK. First off, when at the Busse or Rat (official) sites the knives they offered were limited. I figure if they cant produce consistent products to support their business then that speaks volumes with regards to the product itself. I am sure that they both produce excellent knives but what good are they if i cant even find them on their site? Moving on. I have been doing A LOT of reading and have come down to FIVE knives. The following sequence is RANDOM and has nothing to do with preference.

1. Mission MPK10-Ti
2. Diamond Blade PD1
3. Fallkniven A1z
4. Fallkniven F1/3g
5. Mission MDK-ti

As of now, I am leaning towards the PD1 by diamond blade and the F1/3g by Fallkniven.

I look forward to your comments and suggestions.
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Okay, now I'm not following what you're looking for. Of the five I have experience with both of the Fallknivens, and find them to be very different knives that serve very different purposes. Because they both show up in your list I suspect that you haven't defined your needs well yet.

Again, I suggest that you do a couple weeks of reading here to better define what you're looking for. It's unlikely that you'll get what you're looking for after a couple days of reading. You should also seriously consider one of the custom makers here on bladefourms.
 
learnme,

Be wellcome. My advice: read this:

http://www.edcknives.com/pdf-files/blade_geometry.pdf

And this:

http://www.edcknives.com/pdf-files/Steel_v2.pdf

And this:

http://www.edcknives.com/pdf-files/Sharpen_v2.pdf

Weigh each word, think twice about.

Begin with unexpensive but valuable knives (Mora, Opinel for instance), learn to use them, learn to sharpen them, be patient, keep on reading the posts of the experts who are members of this forum (i'm not one of them) and one of these days you will get a precise enough idea of what you need. Then you will buy a knife, later you will change your mind and will buy an other one and an other one and so on. Enjoy the search. I wish you the best.

dantzk.
 
Earlier I recommended the Fallkniven F1, but I'm going to suggest you also consider the Spyderco Aqua Salt. It's H1 steel, which is impervious to salt water corrosion, yet it still behaves like a 'regular' knife. I think you would ultimately be disappointed in a titanium blade. You seem to want a knife with good edge retention qualities---that's not titanium!
 
I was in the same boat last year, i know it feels over whelming to decide on just one blade, and im telling you this from experience, when you find that one blade and use it its like an addiction you will i promise you be addicted to anything sharp. That being said i would strongly reccomend looking at the R.A.T.line of knives, especially the rc 5 or rc 6 those two can be used as your choppers, if you had to in a survival situation get by with just that, but i would also reccomend you getting a small fixed blade along the lines of the izula,this knife can be used for all your every day tasks like prepping food etc, next i would also tell you to get a good pocket knive i personally like the spyderco line especially the tenasious, or the native i recently just bought both. here are some links to get you stared on your blade buying,
these folks have amazing prices
for your rats, and your spyderco native i would check out www.knivesshipfree.com
next for your spyderco tenasious check out www.yourcornerstore.com.
i recently just picked up the rc5 and the two spydercos for just under 250
hope this helps.

semper fi do or die
 
If you're willing to spend the money for a custom, get it made from S90V stainless tool steel!

S90V steel is one of the two or three very best cutlery steels in the world for holding an edge, and it's stainless, so it resists rust extremely well. :thumbup:

Also, since you're using a machete for chopping, you can keep the blade down to 4 inches and still have a great knife. :p

There's an old adage in my part of the country that says, " the longer the blade, the less experience the outdoorsman has." :p
 
I'd have to say do some reading on here under the different subforums to find out whats good for you. Like others have said there isn't one "do it all" knife out there. I like to carry a smaller knife 3" for fuzz sticks like a mora and a larger 10" Scrapyard Dogfather for chopping.

There are many different survival knives that you may like, RAT, Ontario, Busse, Scrapyard, Mora, Buck, Becker, and Bark River all all great companies that make some great survival knives.
 
learnme said:
OK. First off, when at the Busse or Rat (official) sites the knives they offered were limited. I figure if they cant produce consistent products to support their business then that speaks volumes with regards to the product itself.
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I almost threw up my lunch after reading that. Go spend some time in the Rat Cutlery forum here. Rat Cutlery has the best people, customer service, product quality, and warranty in the business.

RAT only has 6 knives in their current production line (Izula, HEST, RC3, RC4, RC5, RC6) and they have a 10" blade coming out soon. For survival knives (as these are supposed to be), their line up offers more than what anyone needs. Furthermore, RAT Cutlery is more than just a knife company. Actually firstly they are a jungle training/survival school. Other than knives they offer lots of other survival gear which can be found on their site.

I dont wish to jump down your throat, just get to know the company better before you overlook their products.
 
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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Any decent knife would stay sharp and last, so long as you sharpen it every once in a while. That said, the knife you are looking for would have to be a custom. Ask for CPM M4 65-66 rc. I know some custom makers who can do it, PM me if interested in their contact info. The production knives mentioned in this thread are run at 57 rc, they are good knives, but not "the hardest steel on the market".
 
The Fallkniven A-1 is probably more balanced in characteristics than just about anything else I can think of.
The thick VG-10 blade is reasonably durable, stainless, and has good edge retention.
 
+ 1 with the CPM M4 cotdt, problem is few custom makers work with it youd have to request it, and then it would be really expensive, b/c the M4 is hard to work with m4 is probablt the hardest, most wear resistant steel at 65 Rc with decent toughness (better than alot of stainless steels at 60 Rc), but it is not verry corosion resistant, better than o-1 and 195 though.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
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.
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I have the MPK12-Ti 12" Titanium Knife with a 7.125" blade. I just sliced a tomato and was able to get thin slices that I could see through.

I also cut off thin slices off a raw chuck roast.

Maybe the larger MPK12-Ti 12" Titanium Knife with a 7.125" blade is sharper, whatever, but I could not ask for a better knife slicer out side of a thin professional kitchen knife or my Dozier skinner knife.

I stand by my statement that the Titanium knife is a superior knife. :thumbup:
 
Hi all again, after considering the time factor and my location. I think I have settled on the Fallkniven F1 G3. If there are any reasons why i SHOULD NOT buy this knife, I would like to hear them before I buy it some time this week.
 
Dude, dont give in so easily........

There are many, many knives out there to consider.

Have you looked at this one for example?

Buck Simonich Raven Legacy. S-30V/G-10 gunner grip scales.....

Sweet baby! Personally I think if you are planning on jumping into the ocean with it, then G-10 and S-30V will be a better option.
 

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learnme said:
Hi all again, after considering the time factor and my location. I think I have settled on the Fallkniven F1 G3. If there are any reasons why i SHOULD NOT buy this knife, I would like to hear them before I buy it some time this week.
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one sweet blade! I've had it for around 4 years and have always liked it. great balance, well made, good fit in the hand.

the F1 is a very popular knife here, many threads about it and many that praise it.

it's an excellent well balanced blade, I think you'll like it ;) now your gonna have to learn to convex sharpen! (easy)

good luck and let us know what you think after some use.
 
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