most reliable fixed blade for 50?

I guess it all depends on what you are talking about when you mean "reliable".

More than enough people count on a 12 dollar Mora with their lives.

If by reliable, you mean bombproof, I'll offer the BlackJack Grunt.
 
What about Condor? They have a larger stainless bowie with poly handles and a smaller one in carbon steel with wood scales. Either should come in under $50.

Frank
 
Kabar Large Heavy Bowie is a good choice if you have large hands or replace the handle.
 
Reliable? Check.
Bomb Proof? Check
Big blade? Check

http://www.coldsteel.com/bushmanseries.html

And way under your budget. A friend has one of these, its just crazy the abuse it can take, it looks semi ugly I suppose. And it doesn't look like it'd be comfortable in the hand but I find it really is. Great knife for the money.
 
BK11 is a good little knife that is inexpensive...

The Izula is not a lot either.

For just a bit more you might be able to get an EnZo Trapper blade, which is excellent, but you will have to build the handle scales and sheath.

Watch the exchange.
 
I'd say look at the Kabar Becker line as well, just slightly over, but great quality, with a good warranty, $58 for the BK2, and $63 for the BK-7 on Amazon with free shipping.
 
Ontario Air Force Pilots Survival Knife. 1095, leather stacked handle, comes with a 3" stone that you can actually use to sharpen it, in production over 50 years continuously, mil-spec, 40$.

If you could find a bowie as well made and as cheaply priced, it'd cost 75$ and be lifetime good.

The AF Pilots knife is truly the benchmark on low cost mil spec quality. I have no use for them other'n deep back-up, and when my daughter bought (beat me out of) my last pair, it made me so itchy I went and bought another pair. You won't hate it. It's very solid value, and even if you find better it won't be cheaper, and if you find cheaper it won't be better. You might as well save up for the 2nd one, two is a minimum.
 
There are some great suggestions in this thread. The Buck 119 (Especially at Wally World) is not a bad knife at all. Their 420HC is decent & tough for a SS blade.

The Cold Steel Bushman is an incredible value for the $. I have an older one & am always amazed at how much that knife can take.

An older "Pilot's knife", whether made by Camillus, Ontario, or whomever, is also a great value. My Dad has 2 of them that he's had since the early 60's, I believe (Before I was born) & they're still good, solid knives.

I still think one of the best bang for the $ value in FBs are the Becker line. I only have Camillus made ones, but the Ka-Bar ones were decent, too & they're not expensive for what you get.
 
Here's another fairly decent knife from Cold Steel, the GI Tanto, about $30 or so:

csstoreonline_2110_2748137


http://www.coldsteel.com/gitanto.html

I've never used one but saw one at the April KCR, it looked pretty stout for the $$$.

Good luck.

Al
 
I just purchased a Fox-n-Hound Fat Baby Bowie (a stag handled Damascus Bowie) for $50 (I believe the dealer has since upped the Buy-It-Now price to $59 though.) And I really like the Steel Stag Frontiersman Bowie (which isn't Damascus,) for about half of that. (My brother has the Winchester Bowie that he paid under $50 for and he's got one of my big S&W (TXRBB) Bowies (he's re-handling it) which I got for $45.00 with free shipping on eBay.) My main field knife is a thick Dawson fighter that I got at a gunshow for $75, my brother uses a Magnum stacked leather S.O.G. Bowie copy that he got new for $35. I believe that this is (and has been) a good time to buy.
 
MTech said:
I just purchased a Fox-n-Hound Fat Baby Bowie (a stag handled Damascus Bowie) for $50 (I believe the dealer has since upped the Buy-It-Now price to $59 though.) And I really like the Steel Stag Frontiersman Bowie (which isn't Damascus,) for about half of that. (My brother has the Winchester Bowie that he paid under $50 for and he's got one of my big S&W (TXRBB) Bowies (he's re-handling it) which I got for $45.00 with free shipping on eBay.) My main field knife is a thick Dawson fighter that I got at a gunshow for $75, my brother uses a Magnum stacked leather S.O.G. Bowie copy that he got new for $35. I believe that this is (and has been) a good time to buy.
Click to expand...


Have you or your brother used your Bowies for work? If so what work have you done with them? How well did they hold up? Do they hold an edge with heavy cutting?
 
If you want a 'Bowie', Ka-bar offers their take on this knife.

They can't list it but in the e-mail I received it's $41.85.

You can get their Cutlass for $39.75.

But that's only if you're interested in a bigger fixed blade.
 
frontline29 said:
IMHO the BK2 is the toughest 60$ knife around.
Click to expand...

Agreed, they are very stout. Mine reminds me of Busse's.

The BK7 is another one to consider, it's a little longer and thinner. I dont care for the swedge though...

BK2.:thumbup:
 
Not sure what you mean by work. We both use our knives for hunting, camping, fishing and as back-up for a rifle shotgun or pistol. Generally they dispatch fish or birds where a coup de gras with a knife is safer than a shot. As far as our carry knives are concerned my Dawson holds a great edge and his Magnum copy seems to sharpen easier that the S.O.G. Trident that I have.

The Custom mades, Colt, Fox-N-Hound, Smith, Steel Stag and Winchester Bowies are (like most our friends) put to use at the old west shoots, so we don't scratch them up (unless there is a Course of Fire that the shoot organizers sneak in on us, and then we use old beaters.)

My Dad used Customs, Ka-Bars, Morseths, Randalls, Russells in Viet Nam, so I guess he carried them for work (he is currently carrying a huge Thai knife (that cost less than $40) that reminds him of his unit's dive locker Randall Number 16-2 and saves him from rough use on his more expensive knives, which is what we all do as well.) Although a Dawson was meant for hard use...

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