My first fixed blade

scwchapman said:
Kadinh, The only Busse that's barely in my price range is the RMD, which I've heard great things about, but I also love the ESEE's. Any particular Bark River you'd recommend?
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BRKT has many great options for the purpose you're looking for; the Bravo 1 is a great all around knife. Here's mine:

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the fallkniven F1 is a good choice too:

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For what it's worth, I still have the Bravo 1; sold the F1.

Also, I don't have any experience with ESEE/Rat/Ontario knives
 
OR what about (from top to bottom):

-BRKT Rogue
-BRKT Canadian Camp Knife
-BRKT Aurora

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OR a Custom Bullnose Skinner?

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(don't bother asking, i've sold all of these knives...except the Bravo 1)
 
That BRKT Rogue is a gorgeous knife! Thanks for all the great input so far. I've heard great things about the RMD, and I really love the look of the knife, but adding in a kydex sheath, even for 30 dollars, is a bit out of my price range.

In terms of what kind of camping, well I live in the Mid-Atlantic, in Maryland, so I do a lot of stuff in the Catoctins, Michaux State Forest, Central PA, West Virginia etc, and it's mostly 3 season stuff.

From the input I've gathered so far I see myself leaning toward the ESEE 4 or 6. My biggest problem is, I still find the BRKT's to be beautiful, and I love the look of the RMD. I guess this is a problem all of you guys go through when buying a knife. In terms of being money smart, it seems like the ESEE's are the way to go, but I feel like the BRKT's and the RMD have so much more personality (if that makes sense).
 
Now is a good time to get an RMD if you want one because you can still get them at factory prices. And cardboard + duct tape makes a fine sheath. :)
 
Don't worry about it too much; you're going to end up getting all of them sooner or later to "try them out"
 
Kadinh, that's what I'm worried about happening! I'm a grad school student, so I've got some BOHICA loans. I can't afford to be buying so many knives. I'd love a knife that I can use for every day tasks and use for everything around the campsite (thinking ESEE-4 right now, the 5 just seems a bit too overbuilt for that).
 
A big componet of this is if you can sharpen what you buy. I've never actually sharpened a tool in the field, but at some point you will have to sharpen a knife, at home or in the field.

Handle size is very important. It has to work for you, the best blade is only as useful as the handle. The ESEE 4 has a thin handle for guys with large paws. The G-10 scales from TKC are great, and thicken it up. You could also make some liners to do the same yourself.
IMO the Bravo-1 is about the same knife, length, height, blade profile are all very similar. The spine thickness, edge, grind, steels, and handle are different of course. The Bravo-1 has a thicker, more rounded and longer handle than the ESEE 4.

The ESEE 5 and 6 have thicker handles than the 4, and the 6 would be a great knife to choose. I own the 5, and would not suggest it for most folks. It's really overbuilt for camp chores, and the BK-2 with some micarta would still be a better choice, unless you thin out the edge of the 5.

Lots of great knives out there to choose from, I love Bark River knives, the convex edge is eaiser to touch up and keep sharp, and they just cut better. I'm not one to twist and pry with those knives, I might do that with my ESEE 5 though. A used Bravo-1 could be had for under your budget, here on the Exchange. Just a thought.
 
The Bravo 1 is a beautiful knife. The fit and finish on the BRKT's have really impressed me (at least what I've seen in pictures). I have larger hands, so maybe I should think about putting some spacers in a 4 if that's the knife I pick up. Every time I check back, my opinions change a little bit and I feel myself start to sway a different direction. What's the warranty like on the BRKT's? I know that ESEE has one of the best in the business, and that means a lot to me.
 
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