I've Narrowed Down My Choices-Advice Needed

D

Dart368

Joined
Jan 10, 2006
Messages
38
Here is the list of which knives I am considering buying. Of course, I am only going to purchase one and want one that will last me a long time, is all black and which will be used for SWAT/SRT/Tactical situations. This will include prying, cutting, stabbing, hammering and some chopping.

I listed them by price but the other specifications I listed are more important to me and I am leaning towards the thicker one's with .20 blade thickness or higher. Although, I saw a video online somewhere in which a Swamp Rat Howling Rat was pounded about a 1/2" to 1" into a log and then leaned on until the top layer of the log gave in and broke off, leaving the knife tip undamaged. That blade was only .18" thick so what do I know. :p

Any input is highly appreciated including handle and blade material experiences as well as brand experiences.

Thanks,
Rick


BuckSrider Solution .18 Thick Overall Length is 9 3/4" Blade Length is 4 3/4 $155 Handle is G-10 Blade is AST34
Limited Lifetime Warranty

Fallkniven SI .20 Thick Overall Length is 9 3/4" Blade Length is 5 1/8 $143 Handle is Kraton Blade is VG-10 Stainless
Limited 2 year warranty

Camp Tramp .25 Thick Overall Length is ? Blade Length is 7 1/2 $129 Handle is Resiprene C Blade is SR-101
Full Lifetime Warranty

Ontario Rat 7 .18 Thick Overall Length is 12" Blade Length is 6 1/2 $95 Handle is Micarta Blade is D2 Stainless
Limited Lifetime Warranty

Bandicoot .18 Thick Overall Length is 9" Blade Length is 4 1/2 $89 Handle is Resiprene C Blade is SR-101
Full Lifetime Warranty

Howling Rat .18 Thick Overall Length is 9" Blade Length is 4 1/2 $89 Handle is Resiprene C Blade is SR-101
Full Lifetime Warranty

Becker Campanion .23 Thick Overall Length is 10 1/2" Blade Length is 5 1/4
$67 Handle is GV-6H Blade is High Carbon 0170-6C
Limited Lifetime Warranty

Becker Crewman .18 Thick Overall Length is 11" Blade Length is 5 1/2 $45 Handle is GV-6H Blade is High Carbon 0170-6C
Limited Lifetime Warranty
 
The Becker knives are unbeatable for the money, IMO the best deal in hard use knives. Now, you said that money is secondary to you, in which case I would look at the Swamp Rat offerings. I have no personal experence with them, But I have never heard a bad word spoken about them and I know them to be one of the strongest outdoor knives available.

If I were in your position, I would look for the advice of Cliff Stamp on the knives you narrow it down to. He has done the most extensive strengh testing I have ever seen. He leans to the outdoor survival side more than the Tactical, but they overlap in the things your looking at.
 
The Falkniven is Stainless which will add a measure of corrosion resistance for those times when cleaning or wiping off isn't an option.

The Howling Rat and the Campanion are two good alternatives. Small and stout. However, the howling rat will not be easy to get and you might be waiting some time before it arrives, like in Months. The Campanion and the Falkniven would be immediate shipping.

If it where me, I would go wit the Campanion. It has the stoutness of a large blade with the compactness of a smaller blade.

I would always opt for Rats but the delivery time would be too long, unless you can wait.

You should have added, Ranger Knives RD6 to the list. That one would be my choice out of all the listed ones with reasonable wait times.
 
Yeah, I saw the wait time was estimated to be 8-12 weeks for the Swamp Rat's which is a long time. I DO love the warranty of them though which is unbelievable.

Maybe I will go with the least expensive Becker and order a Camp Tramp for later. I don't know...I'm sooo confused..... :-/
 
You can't order a Camp Tramp from Swamp Rat right now anyway. They've discontinued them and they're coming back with some changes.

I'm personally waiting to see what the changes will be. I could use a nice large fixed blade.
 
Buy any of the Swamp Rats: they are made out of excellent material, the designs are all very nice to use, and the warranty can’t be beaten.
 
You can still buy one on the secondary market of course. See the Exchange section. The Bandicoot and Howling Rat are still for sale by Swamp Rat.

The warranty really is the best. This really makes them stand out above the others in my opinion.
 
Me recommendation is always the Ontario in D-2. It's great steel! Ontario (and a number of other makers) really leave it too thick at the edge, but it took me only about an hour to thin down the edge on my RAT-3. It cuts like nobody's business now, and the ergos are just incredible on it. Maybe not for everybody, but it fits my hand like a glove, and arm hairs jump off in fear of its incredible edge. And value for the money? I just don't think you can beat the Ontario RAT series. Just my $.02 I've had the Beckers, and although they are good knives (and a good value) they handle is just too bulky and uncomfortable. The handles just feel cheap to me, and they'll take up more room on your duty belt, which will already be overly laden. Believe me, when you have to chase a suspect toting all that gear, you'll feel every ounce, and every bit of bulkiness. That's the reason I prefer the Ontarios over the Beckers.
 
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