Input on a fixed do-all knife.

S

Soilarch

Joined
Oct 15, 2007
Messages
297
I'll likely pick a knife up soon to keep in my truck. (Since carrying a fixed-blade knife in public isn't really an option for me.) I keep a folder in pocket all the time...but anyways...


Looking at kabar "hunter" and "skinner" (sorry, that seems to be about as specific as a name that I can find for them. Leather sheath, leather handle...kinda a "pretty" knife. Roughly 4" blades) and their "warthog" (the round-handled one not the exposed tang. It's aptly named 'cause "pretty" is the last thing that comes to mind.) Ones stainless, ones 1095(wart). The hunter and skinner are good general size and shapes but I don't know about Ka-bar's stainless. The warthog is much more utility...but I know my weaknesses and it will be kept to a razor's edge. I think maintenance will be about the same. You trade leather for 1095 in that department. The warthog has a much more "mountable" sheath...yet the hunter/skinner will be easier to tuck away unnoticed. Should I run into "sheeple" as we call them here the hunter is likely to take a lot less explaining...and they're nearly half the cost.


Should I say heck with it and just keep trying to get my 119 to have/keep an edge I feel is acceptable. It's the only other "heavy" fixed I have. (I was surprised by out-of-box edge...but that is one THICK edge and I've yet to get it anywhere near the level I keep my other fixed blade. Some of them are the same 420 buck steel.)

Won't do heavy chopping as I keep a general store hatchet in my toolbox. But light chopping, skinning deer/coyotes, cutting rope, head-chopping after a nice day of fishing, and various camp-cooking chores are what it's likely to see.

Any advice? Any experience?
 
I would suggest something from Ranger's RD series. I keep a custom RD 4 in my truck.
 
Well a great knife for this type of stuff is one of those short Ka-Bars. They're the exact design as the original usmc Ka-bar, only scaled down. There about 9 inches long. You can get them in the leather handle or the Kraton G handle.(I'd recommend teh Kraton G) There crazy sharp out of the factory, and you can get different blade styles too. You can get the original clip point blade, a tanto, or this weird looking blade called a recurve(Which I don't know much about) I have the tanto. You can also get them with serrations (Which I think is always handy) It's also got a nice hammering butt cap. Not quite as usefull as the full sized Ka-bar, but it still does it's job nicely. It keeps a great edge, and it's fairly easy to touch up on a stone. I know a guy who's had his for about a year now and he's never sharpened it. It's dulled quite a bit, but still cuts great. This seems like the kind of knife that you're looking for. If you look around online you can get them for about 45$ or so. They come with a leather sheath, but you can also get a synthetic sheath with them, which is really nice.
 
Though I've never personally handled them, the warthogs you describe also have a finger guard on top and on bottom. Several online accounts/reviews I've read all wish it did not have the top guard (where the thumb would rest) to allow for more grip options.

I just recently purchased the full tang version of the warthog (without the guard), and its an odd piece. Though it is a good knife, I'm not sure it would be a good "do-all" knife. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with it (i'll probably keep it in the trunk of the car). The RAT RC-3 I got in the same order is a much better all around knife.
 
Soilarch said:
I'll likely pick a knife up soon to keep in my truck. (Since carrying a fixed-blade knife in public isn't really an option for me.) I keep a folder in pocket all the time...but anyways...


Looking at kabar "hunter" and "skinner" (sorry, that seems to be about as specific as a name that I can find for them. Leather sheath, leather handle...kinda a "pretty" knife. Roughly 4" blades) and their "warthog" (the round-handled one not the exposed tang. It's aptly named 'cause "pretty" is the last thing that comes to mind.) Ones stainless, ones 1095(wart). The hunter and skinner are good general size and shapes but I don't know about Ka-bar's stainless. The warthog is much more utility...but I know my weaknesses and it will be kept to a razor's edge. I think maintenance will be about the same. You trade leather for 1095 in that department. The warthog has a much more "mountable" sheath...yet the hunter/skinner will be easier to tuck away unnoticed. Should I run into "sheeple" as we call them here the hunter is likely to take a lot less explaining...and they're nearly half the cost.


Should I say heck with it and just keep trying to get my 119 to have/keep an edge I feel is acceptable. It's the only other "heavy" fixed I have. (I was surprised by out-of-box edge...but that is one THICK edge and I've yet to get it anywhere near the level I keep my other fixed blade. Some of them are the same 420 buck steel.)

Won't do heavy chopping as I keep a general store hatchet in my toolbox. But light chopping, skinning deer/coyotes, cutting rope, head-chopping after a nice day of fishing, and various camp-cooking chores are what it's likely to see.

Any advice? Any experience?
Click to expand...

You are talking about a 4" blade, right? :D

Anyway, I recommend spending a little more and acquiring a handmade knife from one of several excellent makers who maintain a presence on bladeforums:

Examples:

Michael Morris:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=539121

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=535298

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=535265


And for a little more money:

Robert Dark:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=542498

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=540019


Fantastic knife quality and there are also many other fine makers here...check out the For Sale: Fixed Blades area of the forums.

Ray :)
 
You guys are making good points. I'd read about the guard...I've already taken the top guard off my 119. I was surprised by how much better it felt, looked...and the fact that it was much easier than I anticipated. Good point about my expectations from a 4" blade. I was thinking more of batoning...but still, I was trying to had to come up with all the possible uses. I LIVE in the fixed-blade for sale forum!!! lol I've looked at the Ranger Shive. No sheath is a hit there. (I thought Kydex sheaths were much cheaper than I've found so far.) ...and I've had my digital camera stolen from my truck about 6 months ago, cry wasn't the word...:mad: I think I was more frustrated by the fact that if they had wanted valuables...they passed up on several. Maybe they just wanted to take pictures:D

Ah well, I may just keep holding out until an impulse buy gets the best of me.

Keep bringing suggestions though, and I do apologize if you all think this is a little too close to the 10,000 other threads asking about a 4-6" fixed recommendation.
 
The 119 is a fine performer. If your problem is the 6" blade length, get a Buck 192 Vanguard - they are a great handful and have a 4" blade. The 692 variant has a rubber handle and nylon sheath. Of course, for ~$100 delivered, the 'Alaskan Guide' #192 Vanguard, with it's black Al-Ti-N coated S30V blade, from Cabela's is a winner, too. If the problem is re-edging your 119, get a Spydie Sharpmaker - it works great on mine - or buy a spare 119 ($34 at Wally World). They are great in the kitchen, too - or as a 'bushcraft/survival' knife - checkout Les Stroud, aka 'Survivorman'.

Stainz
 
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