Fellas,
I wonder if some of you may be able to offer me some advice. I have been a collector for decades and I have a fairly large collection of folders and a few fixed blades as well. Most of my fixed blade knives might be considered collector pieces rather than working knifes, but I do have a genuine Dozier with a drop-point, hollow-grind blade & black Micarta handle I use for hunting - a most excellent knife. I am a geologist and I spend a lot of time in the field. While in the field I mostly rely on a traditional folding knife i.e Great Eastern, Case, Eye Brand, etc., but I also have modern folders as well, i.e. Chris Reeve small Sebenza, Benchmade, etc... I find myself in need of a ~4" fixed blade, of reasonable thickness ~1/8" - 3/16" (I dislike overly thick blades) I can use as an "all purpose" field knife. Uses I expect to encounter while in the field include, kitchen duties, rope/line cutting, wood work, defense (stabbing the occasional zombie, hostile feral illegal alien, or mountain lion in the head), and other common uses one might encounter in the field. Primitive camping, hunting, fishing and general outdoor work are other activities I engage in as well. I carry a complement of cutting tools (folding knife, an axe: hatchet - 3/4 and occasionally a saw, ) so I do not expect to use the prospective knife for heavy chopping or battoning. I would also like the knife to be an appropriate "bug-out"/survival knife.
For the reasons listed below, I currently find myself torn between 2 front runners (in order of preference):
1) L.T. Wright Genesis: I like the flat grind, A2 steel, blade shape, high quality sheath and handle shape - Micarta or possibly an ironwood, and the warranty.
2) Bark River Bravo 1 Rampless A2 Field knife, with Micarta handle: like the handle shape, steel, grind, sheath quality, and warranty, but I have concerns about the blade thickness. I know they offer an LT model, but I am not interested in 3V steel.
Please be advised that these two front runners change almost daily, but I keep going back to these two - particularly the Genesis.
Other fixed blades under consideration (in order of preference) along with the pros & cons as I see them:
3) Lon Humphrey Kephart: cool knife, unsure of the 1084 @ 58 rc (although I am a fan of 1095) - seems a bit pricey for what it is ~$210.00
4) Bark River Canadian Special (possibly the LT, but I don't particularly want 3V): like the A2, blade seems a bit thick, unsure of the finger groves on the handle
5) Ontario SK5 - great steel (154 CM), great price, like the blade shape, seems like a rather basic knife, but cool nonetheless - crappy sheath, which would need replacement, which I find highly irritating (yes, I understand that the sheath is due to meeting a certain price-point, but irritating nonetheless) - probably the best "bug-out" knife on the list
And the rest, in no particular order, that I have considered:
6) Fiddleback Reculse - cool knife, but a bit too pricey for me and seems more like a collector piece, especially considering the price
7) Al Mar Mini SERE - great steel, but seems like more of a combat knife, I have always liked Al Mar knives
8) Fallkniven A1 - great steel, but also seems like more of a tactical blade & I dislike Zrytel molded handles
9) Bark River Aurora - cool knife, like the A2, unsure of blade shape for my intended uses
10) TOPS Dragonfly - cool knife, like the 1095, dislike Scandi grinds, crappy sheath
11) Bark River STS-4 - cool, but seems like more of a combat knife
12) ESEE 4, uncoated, plane edge - 1095, cool knife
Here are my requirements:
1) ~4" spear/drop point blade, but also like the Canadian Special blade shape
2) Steel: A2, 1095, ATS-34, 154-CM, VG-10
3) Comfortable handle for my medium-sized hands
4) Quality sheath
5) Flat grind or partial flat grind
(can have a convex secondary bevel)
6) Lanyard hole
7) USA made is preferred - no Chinese crap
In advance I thank you for any suggestions you may have and I apologize for the length of this post. Thank you.
I wonder if some of you may be able to offer me some advice. I have been a collector for decades and I have a fairly large collection of folders and a few fixed blades as well. Most of my fixed blade knives might be considered collector pieces rather than working knifes, but I do have a genuine Dozier with a drop-point, hollow-grind blade & black Micarta handle I use for hunting - a most excellent knife. I am a geologist and I spend a lot of time in the field. While in the field I mostly rely on a traditional folding knife i.e Great Eastern, Case, Eye Brand, etc., but I also have modern folders as well, i.e. Chris Reeve small Sebenza, Benchmade, etc... I find myself in need of a ~4" fixed blade, of reasonable thickness ~1/8" - 3/16" (I dislike overly thick blades) I can use as an "all purpose" field knife. Uses I expect to encounter while in the field include, kitchen duties, rope/line cutting, wood work, defense (stabbing the occasional zombie, hostile feral illegal alien, or mountain lion in the head), and other common uses one might encounter in the field. Primitive camping, hunting, fishing and general outdoor work are other activities I engage in as well. I carry a complement of cutting tools (folding knife, an axe: hatchet - 3/4 and occasionally a saw, ) so I do not expect to use the prospective knife for heavy chopping or battoning. I would also like the knife to be an appropriate "bug-out"/survival knife.
For the reasons listed below, I currently find myself torn between 2 front runners (in order of preference):
1) L.T. Wright Genesis: I like the flat grind, A2 steel, blade shape, high quality sheath and handle shape - Micarta or possibly an ironwood, and the warranty.
2) Bark River Bravo 1 Rampless A2 Field knife, with Micarta handle: like the handle shape, steel, grind, sheath quality, and warranty, but I have concerns about the blade thickness. I know they offer an LT model, but I am not interested in 3V steel.
Please be advised that these two front runners change almost daily, but I keep going back to these two - particularly the Genesis.
Other fixed blades under consideration (in order of preference) along with the pros & cons as I see them:
3) Lon Humphrey Kephart: cool knife, unsure of the 1084 @ 58 rc (although I am a fan of 1095) - seems a bit pricey for what it is ~$210.00
4) Bark River Canadian Special (possibly the LT, but I don't particularly want 3V): like the A2, blade seems a bit thick, unsure of the finger groves on the handle
5) Ontario SK5 - great steel (154 CM), great price, like the blade shape, seems like a rather basic knife, but cool nonetheless - crappy sheath, which would need replacement, which I find highly irritating (yes, I understand that the sheath is due to meeting a certain price-point, but irritating nonetheless) - probably the best "bug-out" knife on the list
And the rest, in no particular order, that I have considered:
6) Fiddleback Reculse - cool knife, but a bit too pricey for me and seems more like a collector piece, especially considering the price
7) Al Mar Mini SERE - great steel, but seems like more of a combat knife, I have always liked Al Mar knives
8) Fallkniven A1 - great steel, but also seems like more of a tactical blade & I dislike Zrytel molded handles
9) Bark River Aurora - cool knife, like the A2, unsure of blade shape for my intended uses
10) TOPS Dragonfly - cool knife, like the 1095, dislike Scandi grinds, crappy sheath
11) Bark River STS-4 - cool, but seems like more of a combat knife
12) ESEE 4, uncoated, plane edge - 1095, cool knife
Here are my requirements:
1) ~4" spear/drop point blade, but also like the Canadian Special blade shape
2) Steel: A2, 1095, ATS-34, 154-CM, VG-10
3) Comfortable handle for my medium-sized hands
4) Quality sheath
5) Flat grind or partial flat grind
(can have a convex secondary bevel)
6) Lanyard hole
7) USA made is preferred - no Chinese crap
In advance I thank you for any suggestions you may have and I apologize for the length of this post. Thank you.
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