Looking for a knife.

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excalibur21

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This is going to be complicated and kinda silly, but here goes.

I'm currently an ROTC cadet and I'm looking for a decent knife to throw on my web gear during labs. I miss having a fixed blade around. I have alot of knives back home (I really miss my ESEEs) but they all have a bit too much sentimental value to bring here and potentially lose in the middle of the woods. Currently looking at the Ontario spec-plus marine combat or this crappy Remington "Tactical" fixed blade at Walmart. I was wondering what else was out there however and any other ideas are greatly appreciated.


Fixed blade: 4.5"-6.5" blade (closer to 5" preferably), straight edge
Cheap: $20-50, if I lose it don't want to cry too much
Sturdy: this knife probably will be abused, prybar, opening rations, throwing when bored, etc etc
Holds and takes and edge appropriately given what it goes through
sheath that I can attach to molle with duck tape and paracord

And most importantly!! :rolleyes:
Looks cool!! impressing my fellow male cadets is definitely a consideration. However, I don't want it to be so "scary" that the females flip. Doesn't have to be all tacticool, a decent looking classic bowie is acceptable and maybe preferable. Boker makes a few but i don't know how their heat treat is.

Thank you for your time and any ideas you might have,
Have a good one and go chop stuff!
 
excalibur21 said:
Fixed blade: 4.5"-6.5" blade (closer to 5" preferably), straight edge
Cheap: $20-50, if I lose it don't want to cry too much
Sturdy: this knife probably will be abused, prybar, opening rations, throwing when bored, etc etc
Holds and takes and edge appropriately given what it goes through
sheath that I can attach to molle with duck tape and paracord
Click to expand...

bump your price range up a few dollars and look around the web, you can find becker BK2's for around $55.
 
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Cold Steel = GI Tanto, Kobun, Tanto Light, Outdoorsman Light and a few others, ranging from $22 - to under $40. May be worth taking a look at. And CS has some great Xmas deals going on right now.
 
Maybe something from Smith & Wesson's Homeland Security line of knives. Mostly black blades and black handles, clip points, tantos, dagger grinds, just about whatever you could imagine. Never used my S&W knife, because the sheath doesn't conceal easily, but that's not a problem for you. However, I can't say for sure about edge retention, but for $20/$30 at SMKW, any of them will serve your purpose as a "beater knife".
 
Ontario Ranger Shiv knife, particularly if you want to throw it.

It should stand up to the abuse you are planning to do to it.

BTW, I'd stay away from S&W knives. You may want "cheap", but why throw money away?
 
I'd take the ESEE to the woods where it belongs. The only Ontario I have is the SP50 and is too large for gear wear, but I'm impressed w/ the quality.
 
Shorttime said:
Maybe something from Smith & Wesson's Homeland Security line of knives. Mostly black blades and black handles, clip points, tantos, dagger grinds, just about whatever you could imagine. Never used my S&W knife, because the sheath doesn't conceal easily, but that's not a problem for you. However, I can't say for sure about edge retention, but for $20/$30 at SMKW, any of them will serve your purpose as a "beater knife".
Click to expand...

+1. If you are looking for something cheap and "tacti-awesome" to throw at stuff and use as a prybar....they are the way to go. Get something tanto/sawback/camo painted...they have plently of models that do that. If your fellow cadets know little about knives...they should be impressed.

And don't worry about heat treat...if you are gonna throw it at stuff, who cares?
 
Wow thanks a bunch guys! I'll look where you suggested.

Though as for taking my ESEE, i'd love to bring my ESEE4 but like I said, with the whole running to cover and jumping around, don't want to risk losing it. That and there wouldn't actually be many opportunities to really do some bushcraft with it so it'd just be wasted :/.

Only problem with most of cold steel and the Ontario shiv is I don't trust their normal sheaths and buying another sheath would be a bit out of budget as far as i know.

Also i'm not a huge fan of the tanto blade shape. Does anyone know a place where you can find the older model GIs? they had a drop point for awhile didn't they? The Tanto has a nice sheath but i don't like the tanto point. Does anyone know if there'd be any issues in trimming it down to a drop point?

Think i'm going to wind up with the GI Tanto and try and reshape the blade, or the Ontario spec plus marine fighter, or the airforce survival depending on how big of blade i decide to get. Why did i start this? the knife junky side of me is going "buy a bk7, strip it, polish it, and add wood scales!!"
 
BK2! BK2! seriously, this knife, from all I hear, will be able to take whatever you throw at it or it at and not have any trouble with it. once you beat it up, you can strip it and have a knife with a better look than the worn coating. it is right around your price range, and it will probably work better than you expect. just do it.
 
Just throwing this out there, but the only BK2's that I've ever heard of breaking (both of them) were broken by throwing them. So the BK2 of BK7 would be perfect for what you're talking about minus the throwing part.

Throwing hard HT'd steels causes them to fracture over time, so if you're looking for something to throw, get something thats softer and it will do just fine.

Also might look at the Condor Rodan.

Good luck :).
 
excalibur21 said:
I'm currently an ROTC cadet and I'm looking for a decent knife to throw on my web gear during labs. ... I have alot of knives back home (I really miss my ESEEs) but they all have a bit too much sentimental value to bring here and potentially lose in the middle of the woods...
Click to expand...

Honestly, you'd impress the most people by bringing with you a knife that you know you can use well and depend on (your ESEE) and be even MORE impressive by carrying it securely so that you do NOT lose it by random chance. Are you prone to losing things? How often do you lose you wallet? I'd laugh at the guy that loses his knife in practice and also wonder how well I can trust him...

That said, recommendations I offer (you can google videos of all) include the Schrade SCHF9, Gerber Prodigy, Gerber Big Rock (will need a new sheath), Buck Nighthawk, CheaperThanDirt 'Rough Use' knife....

There are a plethora of others you could try, but honestly... go with the ESEE.
 
chiral.grolim said:
Honestly, you'd impress the most people by bringing with you a knife that you know you can use well and depend on (your ESEE) and be even MORE impressive by carrying it securely so that you do NOT lose it by random chance. Are you prone to losing things? How often do you lose you wallet? I'd laugh at the guy that loses his knife in practice and also wonder how well I can trust him...

That said, recommendations I offer (you can google videos of all) include the Schrade SCHF9, Gerber Prodigy, Gerber Big Rock (will need a new sheath), Buck Nighthawk, CheaperThanDirt 'Rough Use' knife....

There are a plethora of others you could try, but honestly... go with the ESEE.
Click to expand...

Actually no, I don't use things at all usually. I'm not talking about misplacing it, I'm talking about a freak occurrence where it might get torn out of a sheath while i'm low crawling though various different kinds of brush. Do I think my ESEE will vanish? No, it has an awesome sheath. But I don't want to risk it with a $100 knife i got for my birthday last year. "No battle plan survives contact with the enemy," and all that.

I like the schrade, I've had experience with the Gerbers, didn't care for them much. Thanks a bunch!....i'm probably going to wind up with that bk7 but i'm going to fight it a bit longer >.< haha
 
After reading up on the Schrade SCHF9 I'd go w/ it. Overlooked knife since Schrade/Imperial puts out so much import stuff.
 
Here are a few suggestions that keep up in the price range you want:

Check this out for $25. May be just what you are looking for....
http://www2.knifecenter.com/item/UC2605/united-cutlery-pathfinder-def-tac-fighter


Uzi knife ($20) wrap paracord on it
http://www.smkw.com/webapp/eCommerc...Combat+Commander+with+Black+Finish/ZF40B.html


Smith & Wesson - (looks like a Ka-bar) $25 and has 440C steel
Not bad for the money
http://www.smkw.com/webapp/eCommerc...+Point+with+Black+Zytel®+Handle/SWCKSUR1.html


Colt knife ($25)
http://www.smkw.com/webapp/eCommerce/products/fixed+blade+knives/Colt®+Tactical+Fighter/CT286.html


SOG - Fusion ($25) you won't be batonning or chopping with it, but other than that, cool little knife. And, you can always saw something...

http://www.smkw.com/webapp/eCommerc...SEAL+Revolver&#153;+Clam+Pack/SOGFX21NCP.html

Kershaw ($25) Different gimmicky knife may turn a few of your buddies heads...
http://www.smkw.com/webapp/eCommerce/products/fixed+blade+knives/Kershaw®+Whiplash&#153;/KS4355.html


Cold Steel Bushman (may be too big at 7" but is priced right)
http://www2.knifecenter.com/item/CS95BUSS/cold-steel-bushman-7-inch-fixed-blade


Boker Magnum
http://www2.knifecenter.com/item/BO02MB207/


Browing Bowie (Big knife at 7" but a full tang knife)
http://www2.knifecenter.com/item/BR586/browning-bowie-fixed-7-1-4-inch-plain-blade


United - Seal knife - under $18 (just wrap the handle with paracord)
http://www2.knifecenter.com/item/UC2803/
 
Hello Brothers. Sorry If it is at wrong Thread. I need a question, i have a UC2605 def tac Pathfinder with 8cr14 is handcrafed in China. I didnt really use it too much(Just some buttoning and Looks ok for it). So the question is If i can Trust it for a Longlife time as Survival knife (maybe a hole Life) in Forrest without any Problems? I know UC product a Lot of Design stuffs but this one is Airborne as you know, so maybe Not a junk? Thanks boys 🌹
 
In that price range and your use description I would suggest considering these two. Both are current versions of knives that have a history of use in the military.

- Cold Steel SRK in SK5 steel

- SOG Seal Pup elite straight edge in Aus8
 
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KenHash said:
In that price range and your use description I would suggest considering these two. Both are current versions of knives that have a history of use in the military.

- Cold Steel SRK in SK5 steel

- SOG Seal Pup elite straight edge in Aus8
Click to expand...
Thanks bro
 
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