Recommendation? Looking a medium-large fixed blade

[ScubaGearhead85]

Hi everyone:

I'm researching and shopping around for a medium/large fixed blade. This will be replacing a Gerber Strongarm that I bought a few years ago. I still have the Strongarm but don't enjoy using it. The knife is too thick, the blade angle is too obtuse, the convex edge is a pain to sharpen, and it dulls very quickly after putting in the effort to sharpen. The Strongarm seems more like a pry bar with a sharp edge rather than the cutting/slicing tool I was going for. Ever since this experience, I've been doing a lot more due diligence on knife geometry, steels, and heat treatments. Knife Steel Nerds has been a really helpful resource.

Application
Camping and fire wood prep
Food prep
Eating

Pattern of Use
The most aggressive thing I'll be doing is splitting sticks and small pieces of wood for fires. I have other knives such as a 2-1/4 inch full flat grind blade on a Swiss Army set (1.4116 steel) and a 3 inch hollow grind clip point folder on a Spanish Toledo (440C). I've used these for just about everything without issue. I have other tools for heavier tasks.

Preferred Specs
Blade Length: 5 to 6 inches
Blade Thickness: 4 to 5 inches
Blade Shape: Clip Point or Trailing Point
Blade Grind: Full Flat, Hollow, or Hollow Saber
Blade Features: Choil and spine notches
Blade Material: Stainless (ie Magnacut, S35VN, Vanax, CPM-154, or VG10) or tool steel (ie 3V, 4V, M4, CruWear, or Vanadis 8) with a good balance of toughness and edge retention
Handle Material: Tigerwood, desert ironwood, or stacked leather washers
Sheath: Leather
Budget: I aim for the best bang for the buck. I'm willing to shell out a few hundred for a custom, but it has to be perfect and come with a leather sheath.

Favorite Knife Designs
Kabar Mk 1 Navy - I like the overall size, stacked leather handle, and full flat grind. However, I'm looking for a full stainless or semi-stainless steel.
EK Commando Short Clip Point - See above comment
Cold Steel Outdoorsman - Love this design, but I wonder how well this will stand up to my use
Fallkniven NL4 VG7 Laminated - I love the stainless steel and stacked leather handle. However, I hate that Fallkniven uses convex edges on everything. The Gerber Strongarm really turned me off of convex edges.

Knives I'm Seriously Considering
Bark River Adventurer II Persian CPM-154
Bark River Bravo Clip Point 3V
Bark River Wilderness Explorer CruWear
Buck 119 Custom Magnacut/Ironwood
Demko Freereign 3V
Cold Steel SRK VG10 San Mai
Cold Steel Outdoorsman VG10 San Mai
SOG Pillar S35VN

Out of the knives on my short list, which one would be the best for what I'm using it for? Are there any that I overlooked that you can recommend?

Thanks!

 

[katguy]

If you think the Strong Arm is too thick, you won't like the Bark River Bravo 1. Maybe try the Bravo 1 LT instead. It is thinner, but still plenty tough.

If you don't like convex grinds, you won't like Bark River knives at all. I love them... they are easy to sharpen on a leather strop and with sand paper, but I understand why some people prefer V edges.

I think you would enjoy the Demko Free Reign. That's a great knife with a standard V-edge and is reasonably priced. Not too thick either.

 

[Drop bear]

The freereign slices quite well for that sort of knife. Which I think is due to the wide blade and that big secondary bevel.

I have that and the SRK. And the freereign slices a lot better.

Trying to think of something similar in a more rustic look.

 

[Drop bear]

Mabye the civivi cloud peak?

I haven't played with it. So I don't know.

 

[Mk-211]

Have you read this thread?

Thread 'Fabrication of a Kephart Knife.'

Saturday at 2:00 PM

This YouTube video shows the complete fabrication of a Kephart Knife, including an interesting sheath design. It has an ASMR quality. I spent the time watching it, sharpening my Beckman-Horace Kephart BK62. I used my Belgium Blue and Green Vermont slate whetstones. This is the first time I used such stones on this blade. I ended up shaving the hair off my arms.

• transmaster
• Replies: 75
• Forum: General Knife Discussion

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[abcdef]

Send your specs to the fine makers here on BFs. Get exactly what you want and be happy for life.

 

[Alberta Ed]

Too many options to narrow down. A good do-it-all choice is Benchmade's Puukko 200 in 3V.

 

[jeffbird]

If the convex edge is the only complaint about some of the knives you already have, buy the large 10” DMT Coarse/Fine diamond plate and put a V edge on.

My most used hunting/field use knife is a 4” Kephat by Paul Rasp in 20cv. Absolutely wonderful all around knife.

You mention wanting a rustic look, have Paul or another maker of your choice put on a wood handle and make it out of a steel which will develop a nice patina.

 

[SharpBits]

Hi everyone:

I'm researching and shopping around for a medium/large fixed blade. This will be replacing a Gerber Strongarm that I bought a few years ago. I still have the Strongarm but don't enjoy using it. The knife is too thick, the blade angle is too obtuse, the convex edge is a pain to sharpen, and it dulls very quickly after putting in the effort to sharpen. The Strongarm seems more like a pry bar with a sharp edge rather than the cutting/slicing tool I was going for. Ever since this experience, I've been doing a lot more due diligence on knife geometry, steels, and heat treatments. Knife Steel Nerds has been a really helpful resource.

Application
Camping and fire wood prep
Food prep
Eating

Pattern of Use
The most aggressive thing I'll be doing is splitting sticks and small pieces of wood for fires. I have other knives such as a 2-1/4 inch full flat grind blade on a Swiss Army set (1.4116 steel) and a 3 inch hollow grind clip point folder on a Spanish Toledo (440C). I've used these for just about everything without issue. I have other tools for heavier tasks.

Preferred Specs
Blade Length: 5 to 6 inches
Blade Thickness: 4 to 5 inches
Blade Shape: Clip Point or Trailing Point
Blade Grind: Full Flat, Hollow, or Hollow Saber
Blade Features: Choil and spine notches
Blade Material: Stainless (ie Magnacut, S35VN, Vanax, CPM-154, or VG10) or tool steel (ie 3V, 4V, M4, CruWear, or Vanadis 8) with a good balance of toughness and edge retention
Handle Material: Tigerwood, desert ironwood, or stacked leather washers
Sheath: Leather
Budget: I aim for the best bang for the buck. I'm willing to shell out a few hundred for a custom, but it has to be perfect and come with a leather sheath.

Favorite Knife Designs
Kabar Mk 1 Navy - I like the overall size, stacked leather handle, and full flat grind. However, I'm looking for a full stainless or semi-stainless steel.
EK Commando Short Clip Point - See above comment
Cold Steel Outdoorsman - Love this design, but I wonder how well this will stand up to my use
Fallkniven NL4 VG7 Laminated - I love the stainless steel and stacked leather handle. However, I hate that Fallkniven uses convex edges on everything. The Gerber Strongarm really turned me off of convex edges.

Knives I'm Seriously Considering
Bark River Adventurer II Persian CPM-154
Bark River Bravo Clip Point 3V
Bark River Wilderness Explorer CruWear
Buck 119 Custom Magnacut/Ironwood
Demko Freereign 3V
Cold Steel SRK VG10 San Mai
Cold Steel Outdoorsman VG10 San Mai
SOG Pillar S35VN

Out of the knives on my short list, which one would be the best for what I'm using it for? Are there any that I overlooked that you can recommend?

Thanks!

For stacked leather, check out this maker: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/pwcustom-cz.1759161/ wajgy

 

[Tritium]

Out of your choices that you like the look of, I would definitely choose the Demko Freereign in 3V. Great knife and sheath. Price is right and the Demkos are worth supporting.

 

[fuyume]

The most aggressive thing I'll be doing is splitting sticks and small pieces of wood for fires.

I would suggest that if the Cold Steel knives are on your short list, you should consider the Cold Steel Master Hunter in VG-10. You really don't need a 5-6" blade for splitting sticks and kindling.

 

[ferider]

From your list, the Freereign or the custom 119.

I’d also consider a 124 custom in either Cruwear or Magnacut (more robust than the 119). In fact, I have one on order.

 

[fuyume]

These are the knives I most commonly use for the kinds of tasks you describe. They are vintage Gerber USA Pro-Guide II series, made from 420HC steel. The Drop Point Hunter has a large enough blade (4.5" free from the scales) to break down small wood for fires, is extremely tough, yet thin enough (1/8") to slice well, and has processed more wood than I care to remember living year-round in an off-grid mountainside cabin in Northern New England. Unfortunately, they stopped making these about 30 years ago, and although they used to go pretty cheap on eBay, they are much more rare and more expensive now than they were when I bought them. The last few on eBay have sold in the $140-175 range, recently, and these are budget knives with Zytel plastic scales. Someday, I'd like to have a cutler put some nice dogwood or rhododendron wood scales on them.

 

[Alberta Ed]

If the convex edge is the only complaint about some of the knives you already have, buy the large 10” DMT Coarse/Fine diamond plate and put a V edge on.

My most used hunting/field use knife is a 4” Kephat by Paul Rasp in 20cv. Absolutely wonderful all around knife.

You mention wanting a rustic look, have Paul or another maker of your choice put on a wood handle and make it out of a steel which will develop a nice patina.

View attachment 3116310

Great book. You can get it on the river company.