Multi use Camp Knife

B

bill_in_tx

Joined
Jan 2, 2010
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56
Looking for recommendations for a good fixed blade multi-use camp knife. Multi meaning cooking/cleaning food and light general trail use. No chopping down trees or anything like that. I'm thinking less than 6" with quality kydex sheath and <$150.00.

Opinions?
 
ESEE 6 or a Ratmandu will be great. Any Becker would be acceptable as well.
 
You might also want to read about Doug Ritter's two fixed blades:

The Ritter RSK Mk3 might be best described as the fixed version of the VERY popular Rittergrip. Its got a semi-stainless drop point S30V blade with a G10 handle. Made by Benchmade. $165 (a tad over your price point, but probably worth the difference). Benchmade actually based their Fixed Griptilian off of Doug's Mk3 design, but the Mk3 got is right.

The Ritter RSK Mk2 Perseverance is a larger knife built upon the Becker knife design, but with a drop point blade. The carbon steel blade is 0.188" thick - like the Becker BK7 & BK9, which I prefer over the 0.25" thick blade of the BK2. At first glance it looks like a thinner bladed version of the BK2, but its shape is more like that of Doug's other knives. I have the Becker BK10 Crewman, and it feels somewhat similar to the Mk2, but I MUCH prefer the Mk2's blade shape and geometry. Its actually not made by Kabar (Becker), but by the same company that makes the ESEE and TOPS knives. $125.

For a camp knife I lean toward the Mk3 since its lighter weight and semi-stainless, and I prefer the slightly thinner blade for overall camp use, but I own both and they are really really fine knives.

BTW, I have ZERO financial connection with Doug Ritter or the makers of Doug's knives. I'm just a very happy owner since Doug came out with the Mk1, and I EDC the Mini Mk1. You can read about the Mk1 and other gear at http://www.equipped.org .
 
I personally use a $10 Mora fixed blade for those tasks. It's never let me down and takes a wicked edge. It's handled camping, fishing, hiking and kitchen carving duties with no complaint. Not fancy nor expensive tho.
 
grohhman belt knife are great comfy handle good ergo's great slicer can get in either carbon or stainless
 
Fallkniven F1. It´s a great knife, very sharp and easy to sharpen. But it comes just with a zytel or leather sheat.
 
Here is the question you need to ask yourself. If you pay $150.00 for a knife are you gonna use it for all those task? I have paid that much for a custom one of a kind but I am afraid to mess it up using it for daily task. That is why I went with a Mora just as Django.cj suggested. Looking back at my collection I wish I had gotten Moras a lot sooner it would have saved me a ton of money.
 
The Ritter RSK Mk2 Perseverance is a larger knife built upon the Becker knife design, but with a drop point blade. The carbon steel blade is 0.188" thick - like the Becker BK7 & BK9, which I prefer over the 0.25" thick blade of the BK2. At first glance it looks like a thinner bladed version of the BK2, but its shape is more like that of Doug's other knives. I have the Becker BK10 Crewman, and it feels somewhat similar to the Mk2, but I MUCH prefer the Mk2's blade shape and geometry. Its actually not made by Kabar (Becker), but by the same company that makes the ESEE and TOPS knives. $125
Click to expand...

Totally agree with this!
or
ESEE 3 or 4
 
My standard answer to this question:

Becker BK2
It whittles tiny spoons and forks and things...
IMG_0002_20110305.jpg


It chops seasoned oak for no good reason...
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It cleans fish...
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It batons...
20110325_IMG_0104.jpg


It poses majestically...
20101215_ac_06e.jpg


It survives nuclear blasts...
behold_bk2.jpg


What's not to love?

I like the stock sheath but it isn't kydex (which you specified). At your budget, you could get several custom kydex sheaths for this outstanding knife.

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Beckerhead #42
 
A Robert Jones/Jeff White Rancher would be a great camp knife and general purpose knife, 5 in blade made of 1095 with a quality sheath for under a 100.00.
c3f45a03.jpg
 
Listerine for GingivitisKahn
lots to NOT love for bk-2

bill in tx.........Don't listen to advice that a bk-2 is your perfect field knife. It is a 1/4 in thick chunk of steel that does any kind of kitchen chores/cleaning fish very poorly. 1.25 pounds with the sheath. Either add 3 to 5in to it for a useful chopper or drop the thickness to 3/16 or 5/32 and the bk-2 would be a winner.
Just try to actually slice onions and potatoes with a bk-2, might as well use a sharp axe......cleaning fish would be PITA unless you just hack off the head and tail.......like an axe.
If your into car hood origami, bricks and hacking into wood and construction materials the bk-2 would be outstanding but for actual camping/field use......I think you can figure my opinion.

For that kind of weight I could carry my trailmaster, bk-7,bk-9 and be way more useful.
If you like beckers a 3/16 bk-7 or bk-5 magnum camp is a way more functional knife over a bk-2.

I would suggest that you don't get anything more than 3/16 thick as you said no heavy chopping,

A esee-6 might fit your needs well, great slicer with lots of backbone or a bk-5 which I do not have but want as it looks like a great useful allrounder.

edit: Just noticed the Jeff White knife and that would fit you well, I have a hudson bay and a couple patch knives from him and they are great deals and good functional knives with that old school look.
 
Something lighter in weight doesn't mean a sacrifice in quality. Actually means you'll be more likely to reach for it.

That's been my experience anyways. I prefer something in the 7-9oz range, regardless of blade length.

Dan
 
My BK2 is a bit heavy for camp/kitchen duties - great chopper and macro scale wood use. Lots of great choices in a slightly smaller scale, many BRK&T examples, etc, but one I used before my 'enlightenment' to more expensive fare was my Buck 192 Vanguard. It has a 4 1/8" x .140" drop point blade of 420HC, brass fg & butt, Dymondwood grip, & leather sheath. The less expensive 692 has a textured rubber grip and nylon sheath. There is also the Cabela's 'Alaskan Guide' version of the 192 with an S30V blade. I have the AG, standard 192, and a short run 192 with a CPM154 blade and nylon sheath I found a couple of years ago. I have used the basic 192 in 420HC more than the other two - it keeps it's edge quite well and re-edges quickly with a Spydie Sharpmaker. Also, bright SS seems better with food, as to ease of cleaning. If the length is too short, a trip to WallyWorld will land you a 119 'Special' - with a phenolic handle, aluminum fg & butt, and a 6" x .175" clip point 420HC blade, and a nylon sheath - for <$40! The two style Bucks are hollowground - and come sharp - great camp/camp furniture/hiking/kitchen knives. Not so much for chopping or splitting.

Other choices, like the Bucks, US-made knives, which I have used more sparingly in such tasks as the OP mentioned, are, top down below, the Gerber Freeman in S30V & stag, the bargain for a CRK, but at $229 a bit more than you want to spend, CRK Nyala in S35VN, and the bargain Benchmade 15005-2 Bone Collector in D2:

IMG_4591.jpg


Lots of choices!

Stainz
 
The ESEE 4 might be a good choise for you . 4" blade , 3/16" full flat grind , canvas micarta handles , lifetime warranty .
 
ESSE4 is a good knife -- the Ontario TAK1 has a very similar blade shape with the handle of an ESEE6 -- if you have very large hands, this might be a better fit.
Kabar navy Mk1 is a great woods knife - especially if you grind off the top guard.
Ritter Mk2 is good.
Becker BK10 is good (similar length as the BK2, only 3/16" thick)
BK14 escabar with aftermarket scales & ESEE Izula 2 have been the knives that saw the most use on my last few campouts.
KFU & JK both make some nice customs well in your price range with 3-4.5" long blades.
and I also love my Mora's.
 
Brad "the butcher";10302502 said:
Listerine for GingivitisKahn
lots to NOT love for bk-2

bill in tx.........Don't listen to advice that a bk-2 is your perfect field knife.
Click to expand...

Who said "perfect field knife"? Reread the OP - he said, "good fixed blade multi-use camp knife" and the BK2 is certainly that. Since the OP isn't looking for a chopper I think the BK2 is a better choice than the BK9 and since he didn't mention he is looking for a fighter, I think it's a better choice than the BK7 (both outstanding knives, just less relevant to this thread in my opinion).

Hope that helps. Have a nice day.

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Beckerhead #42
 
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