Knife Recomendations and Suggestions

Triquetra

Triquetra

Joined
Mar 7, 2002
Messages
759
I've been researching a lot on knives lately and asking a lot of questions and have found several that I like or plan to get (1 Helle on it's way). I also ordered one of the Air Force Survival knives which arrived today. I really like the size of this knife and it's hard to tell from pictures what size a knife really is or how to compare it to others. To get to my question, for the purposes and uses that I am looking for right now the AFSK is about the perfect size and I was wondering if anyone knows of another knife or has any recomendations of a particular knife that would be about the same size and durability. My Helle should be about the same length but is much too light. I am looking for something with more strength and sturdiness. From the looks of it the Swamp Rat Howling Rat looks close but I don't have any where to look at one. Any ideas???
 
Here are some (of many) in the 4-5" strudy knife category:

Bark River Gameskeeper
Buck Strider Solution
Fallkniven S-1
Busse Badger Attack

Good hunting.
 
The Howling Rat would be both durable and well designed. If you want a couple other posibilities you might look at a couple Camilus Becker Knife and tool models. You could look at the Campanion which is a bit thicker and tougher or the BK10 (the Crewman) which is touch lighter and hence a better cutter:
http://www.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/becker/
 
when you say "look at one" do you mean "in person" or just via comparative pics to your AFSK? Swamp Rat only sells direct so there won't be any shops in your area (or any other for that matter). if you want comparison pics you may want to ask the guys at the swamprat forum here under the "manufactures" category, they are a very helpful group. i personally own both a battle rat and a howling rat (but no AFSK) (and to be quite honest, i wish i had bought the camp tramp instead of the two others) so i can take pics of those if you are only looking for "in the hand" type.
 
Thanks for the advice. Although I really like the Beckers and plan on getting one some day. They're really too big for what I am looking for right now. The Campanion is an example of what I was talking about earlier. From pictures I though it would be similiar in size to the AFSK but I handled one and to me is it a fairly big heavy knife. I like the one's listed in the first response and am reasearching them a little. Is the handle on the Fallkniven S-1 similiar to Cold Steel or is it a hard material. I don't really like the rubbery handles. Also, how is the quality of the Buck. I guess that I have in the back of mind that you have to get something exotic like a Busse or Fallkniven to get a tough knife and assume that a regular old Buck won't cut it.
 
Ontario TAK-1 I have one and it is a great knife. Look into it. Hell I may send you mine to check out.
 
The beauty is the many choices.

Dragon, the Fallkniven handle is rubbery, but the same handle is on a Fallkniven approved by the U.S. and Sweden for military survival use. Skip it if it does'nt float your boat. A knife ought to feel good in YOUR hand.

The Buck Strider series are anything but normal Buck knives. This one is of ATS 34 but, more important, is heat-treated by Paul Bros. - pretty much assuring the best that can be had from the material in terms of heat-treating.
Be sure to get a flat-ground model rather than hollow-ground.

Prices for the same item vary greatly.
 
If it's sturdiness you're looking for I don't think you can beat the Howling Rat for a blade that size and price. Seriously, I send alot of time on the Swamprat forum at their site and I've never heard anyone say that anything beats their HR when it comes to toughness (except those who also have Busse :D ).

I've hung 210lbs (my own body weight) from my HR whilst it was jammed in between a tressle and support beam of a bridge. Didn't to it any harm whatsoever, and I'd already thinned the edge down quite a bit. I feel that if the knife had been more secure in that position (couldn't have come loose) I could have bounced up and down on it. Good edge holding ability, pretty easy to sharpen, and you can smack the hell out of the spine with a hammer to baton through knots in wood or whatever else. There's a story about a Camp Tramp (larger version of the HR) being used to cut the top off of a jeep to get out. The blade, as far as I'm aware is still being used and only needed resharpening (although it was a fair amount of resharpening obviously).

Matt
 
I have seriously been looking at the Howling Rat. Still have reservations about the rubbery handle but everything that I have read says that they're great. I do like the looks of that Buck though. Never heard of it before.
 
The Howling Rat has a great handle and blade...here's a little size comparison (HT is the second from the top left lineup):

3-5.jpg


I really like the way it carries and feels...I also have the Helle, another great blade, but for general hard use, the HT is much more superior.

ROCK6
 
I have the Cold Steel SRK and reall like it. I have been abusing it lately and is still in good condition. i also have a 3' drop point gerber freeman hunter lashed to the SRK for and companion knife. i do plan on getting a Linger WSK sometime soon, but the SRK is a great survival knife.
 
It all depends really, if you dont mind spending the money look at Fehrman knives, strong and great slicers.
If you are on a budget at 100 bucks or less look at Bark River knives, they slice VERY well and are strong....
 
For the price I don't see you getting any better than a Howling Rat. Mine hasn't arrived as yet, but I've been working out the Camp Tramp for awhile now and Its design and quality are impressive! Love the SR-101!
 
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