Knife recommendation for a man divided

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robitussin217

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May 8, 2013
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Years ago I was cut in half by a samurai after an off-color remark about Godzilla...Sorry, bad pun about "divided." Anyway:

This is a normal "what knife do I get" thread. But, I'm also wondering what other knives or tools you carry in addition to a survival knife or if your survival knife is all you ever wanted.

I want to fish rivers, camp and hike. I won't be getting into any salt water, hunting big game, or doing any intense bushcrafting (but would like to learn more about bushcrafting). I do plan on doing a lot of chopping and general fire building so I'm wondering if I'd be better off going with a large-bladed knife, machete or hatchet and a smaller, stainless steel knife I can keep with me in the water and use for finer bushcrafting, like a mora.

Those survival knives are just so sexy and I do want to have to worry about as little gear as possible. The esee 6 is my first choice. I could get the ontario rat 7 and then some for the same price, tho, and even more if I go with the becker bk2. However, I don't want to be foolish being seduced by survival knives if I would be better off going with a couple niche tools.

Any and all recommendations and experiences are welcome! Thanks for your time.
 
for camping and fishing and such I would think a medium to large fixed blade and a folding knife would be best as you cant do everything with either so its best to have 1 of each. I cant recommend much on the fixed blade part but for a folder even though you arnt going into salt water a salt water knife is still beneficial in any wet conditions like fishing. So for that I recommend any of spydercos salt knifes or benchmades h20 knives since they are so corrosion resistant they are great all round blades for in the bush where moisture isn't uncommon.
 
Myself I would run over to Wal-Mart and get a Buck 110 and a Buck 119 and then run over to Home Depot and get a nice Estwing axe with stacked leather handle.

The Esee and RAT and BK2 are cool but for some reason everybody thinks they are the only knives now days. I guarantee more campers and fishermen have used Buck 119's and 110's more than all the Esee's, RAT's and BK's ever produced.

For the price of one Esee or RAT you can buy all 3 of what I sugested.
 
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This largely depends on the environment you will be in. Bushcrafting in the jungles of Malaysia and Borneo, I found that a parang machete coupled with a small fixed blade and folding saw is what I need. The high humidity of a rainforest means that everything will be wet and will never dry. Sweat that soaked your shirt on Monday will still be there on Thursday. This means that I want to travel light and carry as minimum weight as possible. Energy is always in short supply, so having tools that do the job as efficiently as possible is of paramount importance.

The parang is a pot metal machete I bought from a hardware store for about $10. I don't need a $200 Junglas because all I need it to do is clear brush, which does not require the sharpest of blades.

My fixed blade is a Mora Companion because it is light and the rust resistant stainless blade does not impede its edge-holding capability in the slightest, in my experience.

My folding saw is a Bahco Laplander that I use for processing firewood and building shelter. It's not as sexy as hacking away with a hatchet, but it saves a lot of energy.

As always, yankee mike mike victor.
 
The ax vs. big knife (ie junglas or battlemistress) vs. machete vs. folding saw question has been discussed at length by many people who are much more articulate and experienced than I, I'd recommend doing some research and choosing for yourself what you'd like. Iltimately you have to make your own decision about what large tool(s) you use.

As for your smaller tool, I'd recommend going small and fixed-bladed. Something like a bk2 or an esee 6 is going to be too large to do small, finesse-requiring tasks, while also being too small to process wood as efficiently as a larger knife or ax etc. Don't get me wrong, they're sexy knives (I bought my brother a bk2 before he deployed and he loves it, I liked it so much I didn't want to send it to him when it came in the mail) but I think something smaller might be more manageable and useful, especially if you have something bigger with which to do more robust tasks. Something like an esee 3 or a Mora.
 
Survival is the will to live, a production knife is not needed.

1) If you have the funds look into survival classes for the terrain you are going to be spending time in.

2) If you are low on funds volunteer for a local search and rescue team (usually ran by sheriff department). They offer a lot of free training in exchange for your time and support. Pretty good deal, great people, and you'd be helping out your community.

3) Watch a lot of survival shows and buy the Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife. Never hike alone, bring a survival kit, dress for the weather, buy a small emergency beacon, learn to read a GPS and always tell people where you are going. Know your limits based on your skill set.

The only way to find a tool that works best for your needs is experience. If you ask 100 people what they like in a knife you'll get 101 different answers. We have all walked different paths in life and in our mind we each have the right answer.

Note* Make sure to check with the Forrest service/BLM for fire danger before using the Ultimate knife to start a fire;)
 
Get out! Camp, hike, and fish, you'll figure out what you need. Go with others that know more than you do and soak in their knowledge. You'll build a pack, tear it down, and build it up again.
 
Here is how I look at having the proper tools for the proper jobs in the outdoors, but I am by no means a survivalist.

A 4-5" blade is perfect for any task you are going to need a knife for.
A smaller fixed blade (Izula, Becker Necker etc) is nice to have b/c they are light and available in an emergency. Also work well for food prep.
A decent folder as again they are small and lightweight (maybe, maybe not, up to you)
A folding saw (I'll take this 10 out of 10 times over having a heavy chopping fixed blade). You waste less energy and have the right tool for the job. They are usually lighter than a big chopper or axe as well.

Just my .02
 
Squirrel442 said:
Survival is the will to live, a production knife is not needed.

1) If you have the funds look into survival classes for the terrain you are going to be spending time in.

2) If you are low on funds volunteer for a local search and rescue team (usually ran by sheriff department). They offer a lot of free training in exchange for your time and support. Pretty good deal, great people, and you'd be helping out your community.

3) Watch a lot of survival shows and buy the Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife. Never hike alone, bring a survival kit, dress for the weather, buy a small emergency beacon, learn to read a GPS and always tell people where you are going. Know your limits based on your skill set.

Note* Make sure to check with the Forrest service/BLM for fire danger before using the Ultimate knife to start a fire;)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. I don't have the funds, but I DO have a sister who works for the U.S. Forest Service who has become quite a proficient hiker/safety expert. Maybe I'll do some babysitting in exchange for some outings.

I do like the ultimate pro except for all the tacky logos and colors. I like the grip and I just read that it's stainless! Hmmm.
 
I'm in the same market as you. FWIW, I find the izula a bit short for food prep. I'm looking for a 4" blade for all around camp use. The esee 6 is a bit large for most general use. I'm sure I'll find a good use for the izula and 6, but I'm looking for something in between.
 
robitussin217 if finances are a problem then just use what you have. We all can tell you how to spend money and to buy this or that or you won't survive the night without some super blade, the truth be told most just use what they have. If you have a knife on your belt or in your pocket that's all you need. I have hundreds of knives and always carry the same fixed blade and folder when camping or fishing, hunting. Just keep your blades cleaned and oiled and they will take care of you.
God Bless
Tracy
 
Thanks for all the responses and the perspective. I agree I need to get out there, although I'm still recovering from a sprained ankle, so I have a lot of time to research, and overthink this until I have a headache, haha.

I like hearing about all the various experiences even though I'll probably never trek in the Malaysian jungles. ( ;

Also, thanks for the suggestion evildick! That's just fun to say. I'm not sure I'm interested in a folder, and I think I might like a smaller fixed blade with a good sheath because I love to "hike" rivers; sloshing, fishing and swimming through tame waters. So, it'd be nice to have a stainless fixed blade that's always at the ready in a snappy sheath like the gerber BG paracord, schrade SCHF16, or rat 3 D2, (although not technically stainless). Don't know what kind of handle paracord makes when wet, tho. I'd like to experiment with shoulder carry as well, and the SCHF16 looks unsuited for it.
 
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