Looking for first light survival knife!

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DavezFever

Joined
Mar 28, 2007
Messages
24
Hey everyone, new to the forum, but have been searching for a new knife for a while. Im 20 years old and havn't had a real knife before other than my swiss army pocket knife. Im looking to get a lightweight strong fixed survival blade that i can use for hiking / backpacking / camping. I was looking into the Gerber LMF, but have read around here that their is better knives out. Im looking to spend around $100, could go over but am trying to stay around that price. I dont want a huge knife, but want it to be nice and lightweight. What would you suggest? I have searched, and im posting because i cant make up my mind, so mabye some of you can convince me on one.
 
Mora (I like the 510 or Triflex Craftsman)
Fallkniven F1

I think it's hard to beat the Mora as a first general purpose fixed blade for the woods. They're only around $10 and they are very easy to sharpen. The 510 is about as 'lightweight' as it gets. In fact, I think the leather sheath I made for mine weighs more than the blade does.

http://www.ragweedforge.com/SwedishKnifeCatalog.html

If you feel the need to spend a lot right away:

http://www.knifeworks.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1066
 
fallkniven f1, ontario rat-3, 5, or tak, benchmade rant or fixed griptillian, mora 2000, swamp rat howling rat, spyderco temperance, etc....

i had the same thing in mind, i went with a rat-3 as i didnt want to spend more than $75, and wanted the knife to come with a good sheath w/ tec-lok (to put on my backpack shoulder strap) There are lots of choices that may suit your needs more, but for what i wanted with the complete package under $75 i got it in the rat 3.

I also picked up a couple of frost mora clippers (SUPER light) for less than $10 a peice on ebay.

If i had the money ~$180, id probably get the howling rat and a custom kydex sheath with a teclock.

if i was super cheap id get a mora for $8 for backpacking and an ontario 12" machete for car camping for $20

hope that helps.
 
I say Fallkniven F1, too. As far as Moras are concerned, I have a Triflex Craftsman. It's great, and a Mora would be the only thing to recommend if your budget was a lot less, but if you can spend up to $100, then personally, I would feel better having my F1 with me than my Mora. It's full-tang, has open tang at the end of the handle, and its blade is significantly thicker. If you are looking to buy a multi-tool/SAK/folder as well, all for $100, then the Mora is 100% the way to go.
 
+1 for a Mora. I don't see how you could do better for the $$.

I would not recommend trying to get the "perfect" knife on the first try because your opinion will tend to change over time. Moras are totally solid knives and a good starting point to help you decide what you are looking for.

IMO, a Mora is at least the equal of that LMF and maybe better and definately cheaper
 
Another on for the moras,but they have a look you may, or may not like.
For something diffrent, one of the Fallknivens, Rat-3s, Also look at some of the Grohmann knives, made in Nova Scotia canada, and are just awsome for the price. They make a survival and boat knife, models #3 and #4 I think.
 
+1 for the Moras Great blades to learn with, and cheap to replace if something goes horribly wrong ;) One of these http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=78455 is strapped to the side of each of my hydration packs. Maybe not the best price, but I needed to use a gift certificate on something, might as well be knives :D

Take some time to figure out if you like big knives or hatchets for chopping, then plan your next purchase accordingly. You can learn with hardware store gear before you spring for 'boutique' blades.

I've found that the majority of my tasks in camp are handled by folders, so that's where I funnel my cash. I have a BSA issue Camillus lock back (the one with the saw) that my parents gave me years ago. It's followed me everywhere and fueled many fires. Next time I head out to the sierras I think it will be the Mora, my dad's old scout hatchet, and the new BM Mini Griptilian that should be arriving shortly :D :D
 
Thanks for all the replys so far! Some of these knives look like they would be awsome to use but im not really into their looks. The blades look really nice, but the handles look very cheap to me, from the pictures im looking at. Mabye im just tired. I kind of want this knife to last me a while, so durability is a factor. Any other suggestions?
 
Moras are definately durable. You will get tired of it b4 it breaks on you.

Their only drawback IMO is that they're kinda funny looking.

Maybe a surplus USAF survival knife? they're cheap on ebay and pretty durable.

My sentimental favorite is the 5" USMC Ka-bar plain edge for around $40 if you shop around.

Some of the other folks here can steer you towards some higher end blades, but I would again recommend going "best bang for the buck" on your first blade and try to keep it below $35 or so.

Remember that you're gonna need a SAK and / or multi tool and probobly a decent folder too.
 
DavezFever said:
Thanks for all the replys so far! Some of these knives look like they would be awsome to use but im not really into their looks. The blades look really nice, but the handles look very cheap to me, from the pictures im looking at. Mabye im just tired. I kind of want this knife to last me a while, so durability is a factor. Any other suggestions?
Click to expand...

Do you mean the moras?

The F1, rat's, and the other knives mentioned, I can assure you arn't cheaply made. They are awsome knives. Though the moras are cheap on price, they are made well. A mora, plain folder and an axe are all ya need :D

(Or a big knife, if thats what ya like:D )
 
digispam said:
Remember that you're gonna need a SAK and / or multi tool and probobly a decent folder too.
Click to expand...

Mabye ill look into a military type knife, like you said. I was looking into multitools as well. Was looking into getting a leatherman. What would you guys suggest for multitools?
 
Leatherman wave, or charge. Or if you want to up size a Surge. But dont leave Victorinox out of the question for multitools, they make some good ones.
 
Mora :thumbup: I have 4 Moras - don't know which model, don't care. As far as a survival knife goes, if you can't survive with a Mora, you probably wouldn't survive, anyway.

Mors Kochanski, well renowned survival instructor, recommends Mora 100%. If Mors recommends it, you can be sure it will do the job. The only drawback I've found, is they haven't broken, giving me an excuse to buy something prettier. :(

My main focus is primitive skills rather than wilderness survival, and because of that I use a knife quite a bit. (Hey, I know I should be using flint knives but when you have to work for a living, shortcuts have to be taken :o )Anyway, my Moras have never let me down. And as far as the pretty part, in a survival situation, form should follow function (or is it function should follow form - can never get that right) It can be as ugly as sin, but it has to do the job.

Doc
 
Moras are almost so good they are boring, does that make any sense?
There is nothing fancy about them, just pure ulilitarianism, and they are hard to get excited about. It's also hard to find a knife that has so few flaws.
If you are looking at other swiss army knives, try out the victorinox 111mm models like the one hand trekker, they are bigger and have nice sturdy locks on the blades.
Buck makes some good knives for a good price, as does ka-bar.
A step up is the Rat line, the rat3 sounds like its in your need range.
 
I think the best knife for your purposes would be the Fallkniven F1. It is one of the highest quality knives available within the price range you specified. The blade is made from VG10, which is a premium stainless steel which gets razor sharp and holds the edge very well. It is also very resistant to corrosion, unlike the various carbon steel knives which have been recommended. This means that you can use the knife around water, acidic fruits etc, and just give it a quick wipe before putting it away. Carbon steel knives require a lot more care to prevent them from rusting.

The F1 is a very strong knife (a lot stronger than a Mora), but not as strong as the more expensive Fallkniven models such as the S1 or the bigger A1, and probably not as strong as some of the heavily built carbon steel knives. In practical terms, though, the F1 will only be broken through extreme and unwarranted abuse. It is also lighter and less cumbersome than these larger knives, which is am important consideration if you're hiking with it.
 
For the money plus the excellent steel you just can't beat a Mora Frost Clipper for a fixed 4-inch blade. Outstanding value! Go to www.ragweedforge.com or other sources and you will only spend about $12 + S&H. A Fallkniven would be even higher quality in a very similar knife if you care to spend more. I would also highly recommend Cold Steel's SRK (survival rescue knife), and if you can get one they sell as a factory second you will find it to be an outstanding knife and it'll save you some bucks, too. CS knives are crowbar tough. :thumbup:
 
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