looking for a new fixed blade

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mec003

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Jan 1, 2015
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Hey all,
I know these sort of posts go up all of the time. I'm getting myself a graduation present in a month and looking for suggestions. I'm open to all ideas.
I currently use a Becker bk16 or a Mora companion. I use for camping, hiking, canoeing, and general woods leisure. I don't like to baton with fixed blades (I use an axe or saw) so that's not important. I prefer flat/Scandinavian blades as I'm most comfortable sharpening them, but it's not a priority. I generally stick with blades under 5" but will consider anything up to 6".
Some of my current considerations are Bark river bravo 1, LT Wright genesis, fallkniven f1, swamp rat ratmandu, and BHK essiac.
Anyone have any opinions on these or others?
Forgot to mention that I'm trying to keep it under $250 (and that includes a new sheath if necessary)
 
Some of the nicer Scandinavian brands would suit you well, and you get two or three for your budget. Karesuando, Marttiini, Helle, Ahti...
Lots of great custom knives in that price range too. Keep an eye on the For Sale by Maker forum section.
 
My bias talking but, Fallkniven F1 or S1. Both are good enough to command a custom sheath. All within budget.
 
mec003 said:
Hey all,
I know these sort of posts go up all of the time. I'm getting myself a graduation present in a month and looking for suggestions. I'm open to all ideas.
I currently use a Becker bk16 or a Mora companion. I use for camping, hiking, canoeing, and general woods leisure. I don't like to baton with fixed blades (I use an axe or saw) so that's not important. I prefer flat/Scandinavian blades as I'm most comfortable sharpening them, but it's not a priority. I generally stick with blades under 5" but will consider anything up to 6".
Some of my current considerations are Bark river bravo 1, LT Wright genesis, fallkniven f1, swamp rat ratmandu, and BHK essiac.
Anyone have any opinions on these or others?
Forgot to mention that I'm trying to keep it under $250 (and that includes a new sheath if necessary)
Click to expand...

Most of my work I do on the trails is with my Kellam Puukko. It does 90% of anything I need done and is great for fish and game too. The Wolverine is the same knife with a better blade. The Kellam Puukko has a great blade but it's on the softer side. If you are around mostly hard woods like me it does wear out the thin edge quicker but the wolverine blade fixes that problem. The handle looks great and fits the hand perfect. I carry mine as a dangler on the off hand side and it has seen may miles and done lots of work. Unless it's a small task or a heavy duty one it is the knife I grab first. Looks good on top of being a great strong working knife.
 
SA Condor- I like the fiddlebacks a lot. Most that I've seen and like are out of my price range though.
Ken Hash- the F1 is appealing since I can use it when canoeing or kayaking with out worrying about any rust issues. And it's small enough to not be cumbersome while seated and paddling.
Colorodo and Bob- I checked out the marttiini and have to admit that it's nice. I'd rather buy something a little pricier for now (while I have the money) and look into one of those down the line. But I like the suggestion.
thanks for the info guys!
 
Here is a shot of three of the knives you mentioned and my quick take on them.

The F1 is the odd man out in this group with it's thinner handle, less attractive sheath, and shorter blade. It has several things going for it, like the price. At nearly half the cost you get a lot of bang for the buck with this knife. The sheath isn't as nice looking but you won't have to worry about the weather like the leather counterparts. The handle material also can give you more grip depending on how you hold it and what you're using it for. The thin handle may be a miss if you have large hands but for someone with small hands it's a plus.

Between both the genesis and B1, the ergos for me go to the Bravo 1. You can see from the top view it's just shaped better to fit your hand. The thickness of the genesis would lend itself better to a person with large hands compared to the Bravo 1. With this model Bravo 1 you obviously have a different blade shape and have the thumb ramp. Luckily if you order from a major dealer both of those things can be changed at no extra cost. Want it rampless? No problem. Change it to a full height grind? Sure thing. Drop point you say? Absolutely.

I do like that the genesis comes with a dangler attachment for the sheath which is removable. They both have firesteel loops that fit your standard size fire steel. The biggest difference comes in the way they fit in the sheath. The genesis is your bushcraft type without the snap whereas the Bravo sheath has the snap. The Bravo 1 also comes with your choice of left hand or black options when available, so that is a plus for the Bravo.

Overall, you can't go wrong with any of these three. Personally for that money, I bought an F1 and a new lighter weight EDC knife. Both the Bravo 1 and genesis are under $200 with a micarta handle and about $230 with a nice desert ironwood handle. You may also want to consider a Bravo 1.5 if you wanted a bigger blade. At 5.8" you have a lot of blade in your hand and it would still come in under budget with either micarta or wood.

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Might want to check out survive knives too. I gotta say though that for overall function, with what you want to do with the knife, the mora will likely outperform all of the knives mentioned. If you have a hatchet or saw there's really no need for the stockier fixed blades IMO. Unless you just want a new knife. ;)
 
Survive! Knives has the last run of their 4.1 and 5.0 available right now (and ON SALE). Never a better chance to grab one.

Survive! Knives 4.1:
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Survive! Knives 5.1 (The 5.0 is just about the same with no choil):
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Good luck!!!
 
Here are a few more comparable options that are currently available. Top to bottom; Bravo 1.5, Ambush Alpha, and the Bravo 1.25.

The obvious are the two other Bravo models that fit within your size constraints. The Bravo 1.5, as previously mentioned, measures in at 5.8" while the Bravo 1.25 has a blade length of 5". The Alpha sits somewhere in between at 5.125". All have a similar handle design as you can see in the top view. The alpha does have the sculpted handle, as pictured, or options like the Bravo line with woods or synthetic materials without the sculpted texture.

The Alpha is only available in 3v but still comes in under budget. You can also get it with brown or black leather (left and right hand), or kydex for no extra cost. It also has a spear point blade that is flat ground with a convex edge and is available in a stonewash finish which is unlike the current Bravo line.


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Bradford Knives makes some fixed blades of all sizes, they currently have a Guardian3 and Guardian4 (3" and 4" blades respectively) and they are debuting the Guardian5 and Guardian6 this next week (5" and 6" blades). I got to handle all of them at the Seattle Int'l Knife Show and I ended up purchasing a Guardian3 because I liked them so much. They are affordable, have great steel and a great finish, and you can get them FFG to boot.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1251806?p=14724643#post14724643
(if you want info on the new ones)

and here's my Guardian3 to give you an example of the sexiness that these knives have.

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As a Mora upgrade, in addition to the Kellams (rebranded Ahti) you may look at the YP-Taonta puukkos. The blades are handforged from 1070 (60 HRC) by Antti Mäkinen, grandson of old master Yrjö Puronvarsi. Handles are made with rotating mills and factory made ferrules; sheaths are made by
the Rämäkkö factory. Very high quality/price ratio.
This is the 10 cm bladed one, going for 75 € here in EU. Being in US you have to take away the 24% VAT to calculate $ price.
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There are obviously also some totally custom made puukkos available for 150-170 €, but there would be probably some waiting list.
 
Recently traded for an Fakkniven S1 for the wife---just a hair over five inch blade---laminated VG-10 blade---wonderful all-around knife---I will borrow it when visiting my friends in Texas---their laws call for a blade under 5 1/2"...
 
Since you're thinking about a BRK Bravo, I'll give you a nudge toward the Bravo 1-LT. Same look and length, with a thinner CPM3V blade.
Love the RMD!
My other suggestion is the upcoming LionSteel M5.

If you're interested in something smaller - my most recent purchase is a model from one of our custom makers: Shannon Carter's Urge. Well...technically, I haven't purchased it, yet - but we worked through the details last weekend; and the time estimation he gave should mean that he'll be contacting me for payment in the very near future.
 
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