Looking for a smaller Fixed blade for camp/hunt/fishing

SvenRichter said:
I second ESEE. They are more in the 90 to 100ish pricerange BUT you get a knife that is near unbreakable, has one of the best 1095 steel blades i have ever seen, a very nice coating and has a lifetime no ask warranty. And ESEE really takes pride in that. There was someone around here about a year ago who broke his Junglas purposly 4 times in a row and got it replaced everytime!
Click to expand...

I would agree with this if he can get up to 100 bucks I would rant ESEE 3 all day, however I do understand that money is tight and with all the great suggestions here it really is tough to beat a Mora.
 
Last edited:
If you're willing to gather the cash it would seem a Dozier K-2 General Purpose would fit what you're looking for fairly well.

(After reading through thread again, it appears you're not in the market for a custom, but I would say that after saving the cash and buying one, you probably wouldn't need another knife [parish the thought!] for a very long time.)
 
ive only got 4 Moras now, but im really liking this one. it seems to be the oddball compared to the other knives Mora produces, but it is definitely worth the $$$




Uploaded with ImageShack.us
 
another suggestion i didn't notice mentioned is the ka-bar short. the blade may be a hair longer than you want at 5" but i tend to see them at about $40-$50.
 
wesessiah said:
another suggestion i didn't notice mentioned is the ka-bar short. the blade may be a hair longer than you want at 5" but i tend to see them at about $40-$50.
Click to expand...

excellent suggestion...being a Vietnam vet my stepdad has a soft spot for Ka-Bars so i bought him a shorty for Christmas a couple years back and it is his favorite knife for deer season...and that isnt due to favoritism either, its just a darn good knife.
 
woody d said:
excellent suggestion...being a Vietnam vet my stepdad has a soft spot for Ka-Bars so i bought him a shorty for Christmas a couple years back and it is his favorite knife for deer season...and that isnt due to favoritism either, its just a darn good knife.
Click to expand...

the name is an industry standard, but with the other brands of today it seems like kabars get overlooked. i'd like for the short and regular models to have a tang as thick as the 1271 and 1245, but i've never had an issue with kabar, and hardly see the tang pop up as an issue.
 
Hey, lots of good recommendations here, but a few things to keep in mind during your search. Non-stainless steels like those used by KA-BAR, Mora and Condor will rust easier than stainless steels. Mora does offer some of their knives in stainless steels. Because you mentioned using them during fishing, this might be something to consider. I prefer stainless steels in my fishing knives.

Also, full-tang, that sort of rules out the Moras anyway. Buck makes several knives which fit your stated desires. I hear good things about Buck's 420 steel, but no matter how good the edge geometry or heat treat, it still isn't as good as some of the better, more popular stainless steels.

I would suggest going to the websites of the brands you like and just narrowing it down to the ones which fit your categories. Once you have an idea of the models you like, do some searching here and on the internet/Youtube for reviews and then determine what will work best for you.

If you didn't want something stainless, I'd highly recommend one of the Becker "tweeners", like the 16 for example. While it's a little more than what you want to spend, it's a really good all-around knife.
 
I've found the BUCK Gen5 Skinner to be a surprisingly good all-round knife. I like it and use it a lot.

Why?

Compact size, good broad blade that's thin for slicing, filleting etc but makes excellent fires sticks too Food prep is fine too.. Handle is curved and suits most sizes of hand. The stainless is good enough and sharpens well. Should get one under 50 USD I think.
 
Whats the difference between esee 3 and ontario rat 3? They are a pretty significant difference in price but?
 
Check out the Benchmade Rant. It's about the size you want, and some versions are made out of stainless steel. Full tang, grippy handle, and the drop point is versatile enough to cover the activities you listed. The stainless is not exactly the top-of-the line super steel but, then again, it's not an expensive knife either.

Benchmade seems to phase the Rant in and out, so I'm not sure if they're currently part of the lineup, but you can always seem to find them on line for about $60-$80.

Eric G.
 
there are mountains of junk knives out there with 4 inch blades. Check the Cheaper than Dirt catelog, or SMKW. :D
 
While my first suggestion was going to be a Spyderco Moran, its outside your budget by about twenty dollars. I have been a fan of Buck's small knives for a long time now, I often use a Bucklite Max small for many deer skinning tasks. While it just has 3 1/4" blade, Buck does make a model with a 4" blade and it come in quite a bit under your budget. As others have stated the 420 steel holds a decent edge and sharpens back up easily though it is outperformed by other higher end stainless steels. Hope this gives you some food for thought and you'll let us know what you pick.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top