Looking for the best knife (under my circumstances)

S

Silens

Joined
Feb 28, 2013
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12
I've seen threads where people ask for 'the best knife' and I've seen how annoyed people can get when people are so general about their question. I'm looking for an all-rounder knife for my bug-out bag. I'd like a fixed blade with full tang and a general build that is going to last me a long time. I'd prefer a knife that held its edge for a while; at least long enough to get my camp set up and going before I can sit down and sharpen it again.

The knife would be mostly for some of the finer work to do with fire-building as I've got a hatchet; it might serve to do some basic carving as-well to make wooden cutlery; basically the smaller things that require less hacking. The heaviest work this knife would be used for, regarding . Down the line, if it comes to a survival situation then the knife may also take on the role of skinning and gutting; mostly small game, though perhaps deer if I get lucky. I live in Britain and I'm in an area mainly populated with Birch and Oak.

More concern for me is a knife that will last; so I'm looking for a good steel on the knife without having to worry about it falling apart, snapping or the blade coming into disrepair.

I want a knife that will last and hold a decent edge doing nothing worse than batoning hardwood and cutting meat. I doubt I'd ever need this for going through something like bone, though if I needed to defend myself then it would certainly come in handy.

Ultimately;

Hold an edge
Not gonna break
Under £50


I've been looking at Condor and was pretty much set on getting the Bushlore but I've now been put off by a single (Very in-depth, well done and professional) review. I'm no expert with knives, especially when it comes to sharpening. I own a Schrade Diamond Everlasting Sharp Block (Or some combination of those words) and I've not used it a great deal. Bonus points if someone can tell me if this actually lasts a life-time or if that's just BS on the box.
 
I have become a fan of Essee knives. I have the Izula, and an Essee 4. The Izula is a bit small for your use. But the 4 would work. It's made from very good 1095, and is coated. It's a very tough knife. Easy to sharpen in the field and holds an edge well. Plus it's reasonably priced. Lifetime warranty that you should never need.
 
I know this is practically a stock answer here, but get a Mora. They're inexpensive, well made, hold a decent edge, plenty tough enough for what you're talking about, very easy to sharpen and quite light for what you get. If we're talking bang for your buck I don't know that there's anything out there that matches them and, in my admittedly limited experience, a Mora and a hatchet will do just about anything you need.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
I know this is practically a stock answer here, but get a Mora. They're inexpensive, well made, hold a decent edge, plenty tough enough for what you're talking about, very easy to sharpen and quite light for what you get. If we're talking bang for your buck I don't know that there's anything out there that matches them and, in my admittedly limited experience, a Mora and a hatchet will do just about anything you need.
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This^^^

With the exception of a full tang, a Mora would serve you well. The Moras have a 2/3 to 3/4 tang, which are well proven in the field.
 
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I'd buy yourself three mora's or go with the condor the mora's just need a coat of oil and there good to go for a long time and on top of that I'v never seen one break under normal use also because of the scandi grind there very easy to sharpen they can be had in carbon or stanless all for under $15!!
 
+1 for the Condor Bushlore. Great knife, and it will last for a long time to come. Nothing better for the price. Also take a look at the Helle Viking. Awesome knife.
 
Mora Bushcraft Black, Condor Kephart or Tavian, Becker BK16/17/18, ESEE 4. All under 5". If you want to baton but don't want a heavy knife, then ESEE 6, Becker BK7, Condor Hudson Bay/Varan/Kumunga, or a plain ol' Tramontina machete 12"-14" length. Don't underestimate knives because they're cheaper. Carbon steel takes the price down while increasing usage potential, because these days common folk don't know how to care for carbon steel and that affects the market. Carbon is where it's at!
 
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Britain is too crowded for bugging out to the woods. I would urge you to reconsider that survival strategy. As for your question the mora knives (and the copies) are probably the best general bushcraft knives to be had when you are on a budget.
 
I have a well thought out bug-out plan which, ultimately, will land me somewhere other than the woods. Britain is crowded, yes, but there are few places to go other than the woods. My bug-out bag doubles as my camping bag. They're basically the same thing, give or take a few items which aren't crucial for one or two nights behind Llancaiach Fawr. The knife would be used for camping as well, but would serve the same purpose as for a survival situation, sans skinning and, I'd hope, self-defence.
 
"there are few places to go other than the woods", and I thought every Englishman's home was his castle. You can either stock the castle or relocate to another stocked castle. I guess it depends on the scenario. Actually considering you already have a hatchet for chopping you might be fine with a swiss army knife or leatherman multitool. The ax would be a better defensive tool as well.
 
Who said I was English? ;) Me and a size-able group of friends and friends-of-friends will be relocating to a pre-determined location which is built like a castle (With double-glazing). The axe would be good for self-defense, yes, but I'd rather have two ways to 'skin a cat'. I'd like a good bushcraft knife as well; the Condor Bushlore made me a little wary as it has a convex edge instead of a flat profile which I'm not sure I'd be able to sharpen. After an hour or two on a block, though, I'm sure I could get it flat.
 
ESSE knives are built for survival/hard use so they should work just fine. The izzula seems like a good all around general purpose knife. You could look at something bigger and perhaps ditch the hatchet in the bag. A hatchet is a lot of weight and less versitile than a knife. If anything I might carry a smaller folder for fine work and a larger suvival knife that can also be used to chop.
 
You mentioned Britain in your first post, thus the assumption. Also triple-glazing and stored goods or bust. :) ;)

If you are worried the standard mora's are not beefy enough there is the hultafors GK. It's mass produced with a decent steel and plastics instead of wood and leather. Synthetic materials are good in that they require less maintenance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA3_LWiOPQo
 
If you really want a tank of a knife, you cant go wrong with a Becker Bk2 Campanion. Great outdoor use steel (1095cv), .25 inch (6.3mm) thickness with a 5.25 inch(133mm) blade. Bomb proof. It can be found for as low as £44 plus post.
 
The Kabar/Becker BK15 would fit your needs well, IMO.

You could add a Mora #1 for carving/fine work. Weighs about nothing.
 
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mcrow said:
ESSE knives are built for survival/hard use so they should work just fine. The izzula seems like a good all around general purpose knife. You could look at something bigger and perhaps ditch the hatchet in the bag. A hatchet is a lot of weight and less versitile than a knife. If anything I might carry a smaller folder for fine work and a larger suvival knife that can also be used to chop.
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I agree, ditch the hatchet and get spend a little extra money and go with a larger blade, ESEE 6, BK-7, Ontario makes some great blades as well. If you are looking to save a little more then go with a factory 2nd RAT-7 would be a great choice!!
 
The hatchet is staying with me, sorry. ;) I'm thinking of going for the Condor Sapiens; it's thick enough that I'd be comfortable whacking the back of it for batoning but still seems thin enough to produce things like feather sticks. The length seems good; not too big to be cumbersome whilst long enough to handle pretty much all the jobs I'd need it for. The Sub-Tavian also seems like a decent choice, though it's thinner. I shouldn't need to baton with my knife, really; I have a hatchet.
 
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