Knife Battle Royale! Or, Choosing a Good Knife

S

Sienthal

Joined
Feb 5, 2009
Messages
7
Hi there, I'm new here, but I figured this would be a good place to get my question answered.

Alright, so, after lending my old Kabar marine knife to a friend, and never seeing that knife again, I am in need of a new piece of kit. I thought that it might be a good chance to do some research, and look at what's available, as Kabar's USMC knife was great, but for me at least, felt a bit too thick for some of the tasks I needed it for. I primarily use my knife for camping/outdoors/survival, and so don't exactly need a combat knife.

After looking about for a bit, I found a few good selections, but I wanted some more opinions on it first. The knives I'm considering right now are Cold Steel's SRK, and the Becker BK7 or BK3 tac tool. I've always heard good things about Becker, and Cold Steel seems pretty good as well.

Here are my current thoughts:

SRK: Seems like a really good, simple and effective knife. The finger guard is a nice addition for me, as I'm always a bit leery about non-leather handles and slippage. Other than that, it seems straightforward, but as I know little about Cold Steel, I need some comparison, to make sure I'm not dropping $120 on eye candy.

BK7: Practically legendary, to hear my friend talk about it. It's also a nice, straightforward knife, so my goal is to find a bit of comparison between the BK7 and SRK.

BK3: Now this one I have some interest in. From what it looks like, an extremely durable and utilitarian knife, which is exactly what I need. The problem is that damn serrated edge. That's a huge turn-off for me, as it makes my batoning and bow-making a real nightmare. And yet, the rectangular tip seems like it would be perfect for wood planing. I'm just not sure though, and I haven't really found anyone who's given it a run.

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this.
 
I have the SRK both in the od Carbon V and the newer one in aus8. Both are great knives. I kind of loke the new stainless one a bit better. Both retain the edge very well and are big enough without being to big. I have a BK-7, the old one. It would be hard to choose between those two knives.
 
If the Kabar is too thick for you then the SRK is right out. It's much thicker than a Kabar, though I'm quite fond of it. For something the size of a Kabar but thinner and more purpose-built for woods work might I recommend a RAT Cutlery RC-6 in plainedge?
 
The SRK I had was impossible to sharpen being very hard steel. Other than that a good knife! I would just stick with the Kbar or Pilot survival knife.
 
Welcome to Bladeforums!

At one time, both the SRK and the Beckers were made by Camillus, probably of the same steel. :) Now Camillus is gone ...

IF you've got a big hand, the Becker is ideal. Even a medium hand can handle it. The blade is excellent for what you describe, even more on the survival than the camping. I believe it was designed as a replacement for the Ka-Bar Marine you had. The Ka-Bar itself was patterned after the Marbles Ideal hunting knife, which is still around.

You may want to do a bit more research. As others have mentioned, there are other companies focused on the same camping/outdoor/survival market, and on our Wilderness & Survival Skills forum we get knifemakers themselves participating looking for feedback on the knives they make for these functions.

Incidently, most of these tend to the thinner rather than thicker blades. Even for survival purposes, knowledge still trumps equipment. A knife doesn't have to be a sharpened prybar to survive. (Tac-tools generally are designed for breaking-and-entering, which is legal for law enforcement. :) )
 
if your doing any chopping or heavy wood work, go with the becker7. If your doing more whittling and fine work/food/fishing then go with the srk. A RAT rc-6(my new favourite) is the middle of the road for function of the two.
I have them all but prefer the RAT
 
As others have said, I'd go with RAT cutlery. Good price point and near legendary here on the forums. There is a RAT manufacturer forum here as well if you want to read around there for more information.

Good luck shopping, J.
 
Spend less than $20 for a Swedish Army Knife.
Use it while you continue your search for the perfect knife :D
swak.gif
 
Go with the Becker. I think 1095 carbon beats aus8 any day, plus Ethan Becker is one of the nicest guys in the knife world and he listens to his customers as well as runs a fair business. Cant say the same for CS.
 
I'm not thinking. :) Since Becker has come back into production with Ka-Bar, I hadn't looked to see which models are available. I just did, and found they also have the Campanion up and running. 5.25" carbon steel with the standard Becker handle. REALLY good choice.
 
Thanks for the responses. After looking around a bit more, I think I've narrowed it down a bit. The BK7 is a bit long for my purposes, though the Companion looks pretty good. I've eliminated the SRK and BK3 in favor of either the RC5 or the RC H.E.S.T. The RC5 looks like absolutely the perfect knife for my needs, though the H.E.S.T. looks like a good choice as well, as it would be a great place to wind the cordage I make. However, I'm a bit worried about its so-called "skeletonized" nature, as I sometimes use my knives as a climbing aid.
 
Ebbtide said:
Spend less than $20 for a Swedish Army Knife.
Use it while you continue your search for the perfect knife :D
swak.gif
Click to expand...

Sage advice! :D I love my Mora #760--It's a great knife. It ought to tide you over while you decide on your desired blade.:thumbup:
 
Sienthal said:
SRK: Seems like a really good, simple and effective knife. The finger guard is a nice addition for me, as I'm always a bit leery about non-leather handles and slippage. Other than that, it seems straightforward, but as I know little about Cold Steel, I need some comparison, to make sure I'm not dropping $120 on eye candy.
Click to expand...
I have one of the older, Carbon V SRKs and I have always been very happy with it. A well-made, straight forward blade that can handle most any camping chore. Regarding the $120 price, be fire to shop around as you can easily find new SRKs for $70-80 one eBay or one of the on-line retailers.

One thing to consider if you felt that the blade on your old Ka-Bar was too thick is that all the knives you listed are on the thick side. As others have said, there are a number of other makers with excellent camping/outdoor/survival knive, including Bark River, Fallkniven, and RAT Cutlery that you might want to check out for alternatives.
 
BK-7 is an awesome deal and I have handled the Kabar older broather - the BK-9. Absolutely fantastic knife. I'd buy in an instant. Well, I'm going to buy it real soon. If it were me, i'd just go with the BK-7. I know their grivory handles fit my paws perfectly.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
I'm not thinking. :) Since Becker has come back into production with Ka-Bar, I hadn't looked to see which models are available. I just did, and found they also have the Campanion up and running. 5.25" carbon steel with the standard Becker handle. REALLY good choice.
Click to expand...

yes it is! I love mine. If you want to spend the $.. get that RC5 NOW! If not.. the BK2 Campanion will do just fine.
 
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