Knife shopping, need advice

Oh yeah ,I find that a Hawk and a small fixed blade like a mora work really well for the kind of boreal forest we have until you get as far north as the shield.
This is my CS Norse Hawk after I stripped the paint ,fixed the edge and blued it.

Here is a stainless frosts Mora cost about 15$ and a fire starter.

The firesteel fits like it was made for it.

The combo of a mora and a hawk really can't be beat as far as light weight ,cost and
versatility. The hawk can be a hammer ,lever ,axe ,baton, and even an Ulu if you take the head off.
 
not that one, I was mentioning the one with rubber type handle all black. The one you show is great too. I wouldnt mind carring that one in the woods at all I think Kellam knives are terrific
 
You know what, I have a knife that looks like this
r1sf.jpg

Actually its more of a family thing, its been in the fishing tackle box since I was a little kid, but my brother has the fishing gear with him. Seeing that thing brings back memories. Whats the purpose of that design? Hell, I really need to be pointed to a guide on blade types, tip types, grind types and all that crap.

Ive been shopping around online (found a good list of sights in the canadian forum) but the first picks (based on location and shipping prices) dont have the black, straight edged ka-bar. Factoring in shipping, taxes or duty, potential brokerage fees and the possibility that it wont even arrive on time I might just go to the S.I.R. and buy one of the leather gripped models, $85 with tax, might be able to haggle them down a bit (hope they work on a commission!).

What can I expect from the leather handle though? It will definitely see some fresh water. I also saw in a thread someone loosened the leather washers by hitting something with the butt of the knife, is this a real concern or more of a fluke?
 
Look into the Ontario Rat lineup I would say Ontario Rat 7 D2 fits your bill nicely. If you can spend a little more get a Fallkniven A1. These are both a little over your price range but they will be be way better for what your intended use is than most other comparable priced knives..
 
Unsub,
I was going to ask about hatchets too, but figured I'd save it for the survival/woodsmen forum.
That looks like a nice knife, how well does it preform for $15?

Can you tell me more about "blueing" it, I take it that's the dark coating? If I get a ka-bar I plan on removing the rear guard, but was wondering how to refinish the stump.

rick,
I was taking a look at some other ones too, they seem to prefer a molded grip and no guard, but I really prefer a front guard, I dont trust my self to not slip after a long day with cold hands and a wet handle.
 
ash,
could you please elaborate on what the advantages of the Ontario rat-7 are? I'm open to all suggestions, but I'd like to understand why their being recommended.

The other day I figured I'd just pop online find a good deal and that'd be it, I would never have imagined spending over 12 doing research and shopping around... god damn, this is breaking my balls. Cant wait to cut some shit that hopefully isnt my hand.
 
RAT-7 will have more blade area, which not only makes it better at chopping, but it should also hold an edge longer, since there is more edge to dull, essentially. D2 steel in particular is well known for HOLDING an edge forever...although (allegedly, i don't have anything in D2) heaven help you if you need to sharpen it in the bush.
I own a Kabar in 1095, and its a sturdy mother. Sharp, V-grind, and although 1095 isn't supposed to hold up to impacts well, Kabar's are legendary for taking abuse that would break other, sometimes more expensive knives. I also am a fan of its looks, but that can be modified. (By the way, i prefer the V-grind because i find it easier to sharpen than a hollow grind, which is another common grind.)
You might consider a Kershaw Echo for a hunter-Kershaws are well-built, although the Echo might be a bit small for your needs. A SOG SEAL Pup or Pup Elite are also good choices, just poke around on the net a while and you;ll find some good deals. Once again, Ontario's RAT series comes highly recommended, although you'll get no simple answer when it comes to the steel choice. :D I know little about Mora's. They seem to me like a cheap throwaway fixed blade, although if I'm wrong I'm sure someone will come and correct me quite firmly. Benchmade makes a fine product. They are a bit above your price range, but you get what you pay for with them. And if salt water or corrosion is a concern, Spyderco SALT models quite literally don't have that problem. Plus people who buy Spyderco tend to love them.:yawn:

Well, that's enough from me. Happy hunting.:cool:
 
I went out and bought the Ka-Bar "usmc fighting knife". $85 with tax, more than I wanted to pay, and more than I could get one for, but oh well. I dont think it's entirely unreasonable either.

What do you recommend for sharpening and maintaining the leather?
 
sketchbag said:
Thanks guys!

fdd, those stress tests are a hell of a find. I always want to know the threshold for my equipment but I'm too frugal (read cheap) to test it so... how should I say... Vigorously.

Im not even done watching all of them on the kabar usmc and I'm sold. The version with the synthetic handle and sheath would probably be best for me because I'll be doing a lot of boating. I just phoned SIR and unfortunately theyre out of stock (BALLS!!!!). I think I'll put in an online order tonight and hope it comes by next monday.

Hi Normark, I live in Winnipeg. Going out to kenora next week to clean and re-stake prospecting lines.
Click to expand...

NP bro, hey head over to daves they have the one you want for around 50 bux,i got my model from another place for 65 over there its 62.95) and id get the tanto its 62.95 as well but its worth it for the uber tip. tantos have strong, strong tips and tanto blades are way easier to sharpen as they are straight (just remember to sharpen the main edge seperately from the tips edge)
any way since im done rambling here is the link to daves ka-bar section

http://davesknifeworld.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=154
 
oh crap sketch i didnt know you already bought! can you cancel?? cause i guarantee you can get the very same model for around 62 bux (prolly less)
 
No, I bought it from the local shop. I saw them online for around $65 (like you said) but there's still tax or duty and shipping, so really I'd only be saving around $10 at most.
I saw a couple on ebay go for about $35-40 shipped, but I'd have to buy a temporary knife, cause there's no way it would arrive on time.

I'm not a huge fan of the tanto's, I like a curved blade for slicing things, and (judging by the video) the regular tip is plenty strong for my needs.

Thanks for all the input guys, Ive learned a lot.

I think I'm going to pick up one of those mora knives when I get back, cant go wrong with the price.
 
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