i want to buy me a 7in fixed blade knife. first timer here.

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baseballman74

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Nov 8, 2013
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Looking to buy me a 7 inch fixed blade for my backpacking trips. i've study a bit yet i cannot make the decision. i'm hoping to spend around 100 ~ 150 for my blade. i have picked several blades. i'm hoping you could help me to choose one or suggest another.

  1. Buck thug
  2. Kabar bk 7
  3. rat 7
  4. Schrade SCHF10
could please help me to choose one. your opinion is more than welcome here about these blades. and please, if you think other blades are more suitable, please let me know.

thanks for your help.

Randy
 
I would go with the Becker bk7, it was was my second fixed blade right after I bought my kabar usmc combat utility knife. The bk7 is a very capable knife it is also easily customized by the owner so you
Can make it your own, perhaps by getting some micarta handle scales which I would highly recommend also the knives are darn near bullet proof and it's a great company thy stands behind their products. Just my two cents...
 
I think you should go for an ESEE 6. Already has micarta handles and a great sheath. Best warranty in the business IMO. However the BK7 is pretty sweet too. Warranty isn't as extensive, doesn't come with micarta, but is cheaper. I prefer the heat treat on ESEE.

At 6-7" you're not going to have a chopper or a really good detail oriented knife, but rather a jack of all trades. If that is the case, I would, and did go with the ESEE 6 because the choil lets me choke up on the blade to put some power behind close cuts. Just my opinion.

Here's mine beside my BK16 with ipe scales. (Yes, I love Becker also!)
20131014_210441.jpg

Here it's in the OD green kydex from Godspeed Tactical. You can see the difference between kydex and the sheaths Becker uses (the Becker is to the right), so that may help you decide which you prefer. Although some Beckers also come with kydex, I don't believe the BK7 is one of them.
20131014_210253.jpg
 
Last edited:
Baseballman,

Shoot me an message, me an email at mcsqe@tx.rr.com with your contact # if interested, I may have a "Camillus BK 7" an original with Micarta Handles, for your price matrix? I am traveling and will get back to you this weekend and have time to pull one out. There knives have not been used, only handled to look at and put in sheaths, so they are new but not mint(defined be never being handled and wrapped up) and I have the original Camillus box it came in.

Take Care,

Manitoba.

QUOTE=baseballman74;12832932]Looking to buy me a 7 inch fixed blade for my backpacking trips. i've study a bit yet i cannot make the decision. i'm hoping to spend around 100 ~ 150 for my blade. i have picked several blades. i'm hoping you could help me to choose one or suggest another.

  1. Buck thug
  2. Kabar bk 7
  3. rat 7
  4. Schrade SCHF10
could please help me to choose one. your opinion is more than welcome here about these blades. and please, if you think other blades are more suitable, please let me know.

thanks for your help.

Randy[/QUOTE]
 
BK7. I like the idea of the ESEE 6, but think the BK7 is a better entry-level value. You don't have to upgrade to the micarta if you find the grivory to your liking (which many do), and the sheath, while nothing special, is certainly functional.
 
For a 7" blade, I vote BK7. You can always upgrade to micarta and a nicer sheath if you feel like it and still stay close to $150, but the grivory and stock sheath are fine IMO. Do you do a lot of wood processing when you backpack? A 7" blade is really more of a survival/combat/utility knife. I've been doing long distance backpacking for a while and my SAK Huntsman is all I ever really need, and honestly, I find it much more useful than something with just a blade on it. Sometimes I carry a BK11, BK24, or Mora for cleaning fish and processing smaller pieces of wood, but usually I can get a fire going just fine without a knife. Leaving a big knife at home is probably the easiest way to lighten your pack, just something to think about.
 
You could get a Falliknivien knive for just a tad bit more, under $200 I'm guessing.

I have handled all the knives listed except the Schrade - Buck Hood Thug for a few days (never did any cutting with it though), and it isn't as impressive as I thought it would be. It has a thin red liner, which isn't apparent in most pictures I've seen, and the handles and design just doesn't look like they do in pictures. It just didn't represent the cost to me, I would think the Schrade would have the same problem. I would probably go with the Rat myself if you limit your options to those 4.
 
So, I like playing devil's advocate... to the OP: what are you planning on using the knife for? That's a pretty hefty chunk of steel to take backpacking. What kind of distance you planning on?
 
I don't own one yet but the Becker BK7 is on my list. Everything I have read about them has been good. Schrade isn't what it use to be since the Baers sold the name to Taylor in 2004. Taylor makes the cheap S&W knives too.
 
I'd go with an ESEE 6 over the BK7. The 7 ain't bad, but ESEE is way better when it comes to sheath quality, fit&finish and it already has micarta handles.
Seriously, the handle scales on my Laser Strike are fitting PERFECT. Not a single gap or anything, thats pretty damn awesome for a production knife.

ESEE 6 is FFG which makes it a better slicer, while the saber-ground BK7 is probably better for splitting wood. ESEE 6 has a choil, BK7 does not, I like choils, others hate them.
From the quality of the blade, you cannot go wrong with either one.

Do you have a local knife store where you could handle a couple of knives ? That really helps finding out what you like in a knife and what not.

That said, for my backpacking I use a Laser Strike. Despite the somewhat cheesy name, its a great blade. And 4,75" is enough for most tasks, at least for me.
Coupled with an SAK it'll do anything I need. I ordered the MOLLE back and the little pouch with it and that makes it the complete package IMHO.
 
I have several Ka-Bar knives including many from the Becker line and they are great. I have some experience with Ontario and they are pretty good too. Never owned an ESEE but they have a stellar reputation and I have no doubt an ESEE6 would serve you well and I think it's a better value. It comes with a better sheath and micharta scales already. The schrade knives are good for the price but heavy. The 1/4" thickness is comforting but I haven't seen many 3/16ths full tang knives break.

Other recomendations
Ka-Bar Potbelly
Ka-Bar Heavy Warthog
Ontario RD7 (1/4" thick)
Ontario RBS7 (same as the RD7 but 3/16th")
 
FoxholeAtheist said:
So, I like playing devil's advocate... to the OP: what are you planning on using the knife for? That's a pretty hefty chunk of steel to take backpacking. What kind of distance you planning on?
Click to expand...

Same thing I was thinking. I'd take a slab like that "having a blast bashing the bejeebus outta trees car camping," but probably not backpacking. Seems like a folding saw would be more than enough.
 
Take a look in the Exchange. There are always a few in that price range in there made by BF Contributors.
 
I have read good things about the Schrade you listed (for the price), but have no experience with them. Watched a video on it and was fairly impressed for a Chinese made knife.

I have experience with the KaBar BK-7. I like the knife. It may be a in between sized knife, but for me it's pretty big. Sharpens up nicely and easy to maintain the edge. I personally like the handles that come with the knife. I recommend you get the BK-7.

If you want something a bit fancier(?), consider the Blackjack 1-7. But I frankly like the smaller Blackjack 125 model from their classic line. Good steel.

I think you'll have to become comfortable with a 7" fixed blade. I do suggest you carry a folder for detailed tasks; perhaps a SAK. My guess is that you will use the folder 3x as much as the fixed blade.

For me, the KaBar Becker BK-16 is all you need. You can still baton/split wood with it and it is lighter to carry. Not as good a chopper however. But bigger knives are certainly cool and probably more fun to play with. The using part is where I fall short with large knives.
 
22-rimfire said:
If you want something a bit fancier(?), consider the Blackjack 1-7.
Click to expand...



The BlackJack Model 1-7 is a savage knife.

p1014573.jpg


I little more then your looking to spend, but they can be had in your price range in the after market.




Big Mike
 
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