Newbie Here - Good outdoor/camping fixed blade???

S

strangegeek

Joined
Jul 27, 2013
Messages
30
Hello - total newbie here!

I recently started camping and need a good knife for general camping/backpacking use. I've done some searching on-line for general purpose knives but I realize that one area of research I've neglected was to ask people who actually use their knives for camping!

A little about myself:
-Located in Ohio, United States (where I will be camping mostly)
-No outdoor skills to speak of (wasn't kidding when I said "newbie" :) )
-Activity will mostly be weekend camping with some backpacking

I've been looking at a few knives but I can't decide between any and I'm sure there are many others I haven't heard about.

Knives I'm currently considering:
-Ka-Bar Becker BK2 Campanion Fixed Blade Knife LINK
This seems to be a favorite of many

-Ka-Bar Becker Knife with Drop Point, Short LINK
Smaller cousin to the BK2 - would it still be as useful?

-Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife, Fixed Blade, Fine Edge LINK
Wondering if this might be a quality knife (it is a Gerber) or a poor attempt at using a celebrity to sell cheap goods?

I realize each of these knives have different functions but I'm looking a a good "all-around" knife that will help me when I go camping/backpacking for a few days. I don't have any outdoor skills to speak of, but I'm learning, so I want a knife that is general enough when I learn new skills I wouldn't have to buy a new or specialized knife.


Any advice is extremely welcomed -- and if I've missed a knife that would be better than the above don't hesitate to suggest it!

Thank you for any help you have to give and I'm glad to be joining BladeForums.com!
 
Not heard to many good things about Gerber as of late. You may want to check out Mora knives they seem to get a lot of praise and are inexpensive. I am sure you will get a lot of great advice here as there are tons of knowledgeable and helpful people on the forum .....Good luck
 
soooo many....any becker is good, just boils down to personal preference. As mentioned, Condors and Moras are also good - and inexpenssive. Esee, Ontario, Fallkniven, Sykco...it all depends on budget and taste. I have not handled the BG Gerber but it is usually hated around here. The 2nd Becker you mentioned, the BK16, is a very good all-rounder. You may want to try using a combination of big knife and a smaller one, or medium and a good pocket blade/swiss army knife, or maybe a hatchet and a folding saw...only by going out you will find out what works for you.

From the list you posted, I'd go with the BK16.
 
BK16 or BK-17 is a good all around knife. Like it a lot. If I wanted something larger, I'd go with the BK-7.

Since I have a BK-2, I believe that I would prefer the BK-7 if you went with a heavier knife than the BK-16/17.

With a two knife approach, you can experiment on knife sizes. The pocket knife can be used for delicate cutting and the fixe blade for more rigourus stuff.
For me, that usually means the fixed blade doesn't get used much. :)
 
Start with a mora and use the heck out of it. If you ever wish it was different in some way, then look for a knife to meet those needs. That being said, I love ESEE, Becker and Condor, and I can see a Busse or kin in my future.
 
Welcome to the forums! The only thing I can recommend to you, is when you choose a knife be sure to choose one with a stainless blade steel. This will limit the amount of maintenance you have to do to keep the blade nice and rust free for you. High carbon non-stainless blades tend to take on some rust if not used and lacking a light coat of oil.

Some information for you can be found here:

http://zknives.com/knives/articles/knifesteelfaq.shtml

There is a bit of info on non-stainless / stainless steel blade types.

Also, I took a look at that Bear Grylls thing - I believe your assumption is correct. And while there are quite a few quality blades made in China, i'm not sure this would be one of them.
 
There are many to choose. However I am budget minded, but quality minded. There are two that will not steer you wrong. Benchmade lonewolf series about 30 usd it's very nice, sheath could use some work but adequate. And my preferred is Sog team leader around 60 usd. Also only downside is the sheath. I have abused mine for years. Hard use. All camp chores, my daughter carries the bench made. Little smaller, we have upgraded the sheaths to leather. Kit form from Tandy for about 15 usd each. They came out great and allowed a good deal of customization. Will post pics as soon as I can
 
lmbhami said:
Not heard to many good things about Gerber as of late. You may want to check out Mora knives they seem to get a lot of praise and are inexpensive. I am sure you will get a lot of great advice here as there are tons of knowledgeable and helpful people on the forum .....Good luck
Click to expand...

+1 on mora knives
+1 on staying away from gerber
 
Anything from Ontario, ESEE, or Ka-Bar(especially the Beckers). Cold Steel generally makes good stuff too and Condor is good if you're looking to save money.

If you get a full size knife with a > 5" blade you might want to consider getting a Mora to pair with it. Many are $10-15 and they are great for handling the small things. Last camping trip I use my Mora Companion a few times to make shavings and feather sticks to get the campfire started.

I have a pretty good collection of knives I bought to use outdoors and the three that get the most use are my Ka-Bar/Becker BK9, my Mora companion, and my leatherman Sidekick(which is also part of my EDC).

For something like a day trip depending on how far in we're going I'd swap the BK9 for anything from my Ka-Bar Heavy Warthog or modified USMC knife on down to my BK16.
 
Fallkniven makes some great, utilitarian, fixed blades in VG10 that are plenty tough, and sport some of the sharpest, factory edges I've felt. The F1 is a great size especially when paired with a Machete, or small Hatchet. They make the larger, more robust A1 that could hold it's own pretty well. Probably not a chopper though. If you want a good, no nonsense chopper on the cheap, check out Condor's Hudson Bay.
 
Go with two knives. Get a Victorinox Farmer for its excellent blade and saw. Its other tools will also come in handy while camping. Back it up with a Marttiini Condor series knife or Marttiini Timberjack. They come from the factory with a sharper edge than a Mora, hold it well and touch up easily.

Joe
 
If you are looking for a strong robust camp knife that will handle everything you throw at it, my list would be:

ESEE 5 - Very nice, but more expensive
Becker BK2 - Very nice, not as expensive as the ESEE5 (I have one of these)

These two are pretty close. Both 1095 carbon steel. (So they can rust....) About the same size. Both are heavy knives. Both have blades that are a full 1/4 inch thick. The Becker chops a bit better because of the handle shape and the ESEE's blade is a bit stronger because of it's blade geometry. Both have very nice sheaths.


If you are looking for something cheaper, take a look at the Schrade SCHF10. It is also in the same size, shape, weight, and blade thickness category with the following differences:

8cr13mov steel - more of a stainless type steel.
Hollow ground where the Becker and Esee are flat ground. For camping Flat ground is generally preferred.
 
If i were you id take a look at the colds steel bushman, from experience it is a very tough blade and not too expensive, and not everly heavy.
 
The smaller becker you listed is probably plenty of knofe to get started with, combine it with a decent multitool or swiss army knife...
 
A stainless Mora Companion knife, a half decent hatchet and a folding saw. Go on Youtube and learn how to use them safely.
 
Ok, First off just to reflect what everyone already knows...

KA-BAR's are awesome... You have already started looking at the Becker line of knives... Good on you, you wont be steered wrong there. Personal favorites from that line are too many to mention but if you want big, Go BK9, if you want medium, pick one of the Tweeners, BK15, BK16, BK17, (personal favorite is the 15...) Or the BK7 for a seven inch blade.. Or the BK2 if you want something thick and stout... if you want small well theres the 11, 14, and 24... ALL of these are amazing performers and you will be pleased because you will have blade performance and money in the bank.

Then there is the ESEE line of knives, Solid performers, but hand over fist more expensive then KA-BAR Beckers, but they typically come with nicer handles, blade finishes, and sheaths... once again they are very nice blades covering a wide spectrum of blade sizes.

On the cheaper side you have Condor knives, sweet and to the point carbon steel blades. Edge retention is not going to be as great as the aforementioned blades, but they are simple cheep and effective blades...

Even cheaper you can look at Mora knives... Highly recommended because they do not cost much dough, and they perform very well... its awesome because you spend $10-15 dollars are a light weight light saber :D Also these blades are good beginner bushcraft blades. Comfortable handles, easy to get stupid sharp, cheap (I know I keep saying that) Good cutters, and they weigh almost nothing...

Another option are folding knives and my recommendation of course Victorinox... My favorite? The farmer in Alox... Great blade...

All that together you total comes to $10,000... will that be cash or credit? lol Just kidding... I am going to say if you want a good blade look at the BK15, 16, and 17 from KA-BAR to get you started... Under $100 and very very solid performers they will accomplish most of your camping tasks... If you want something cheaper go Mora's until you feel more comfortable with a more expensive blade... or still for under $100 clams you can get a mora and a Becker... HAHA dont get confused, find a knife that fits you... and the only way you are going to learn what fits you is by gaining experience. What fits me or anyone else may not be the best for you... and most of the fun of knives is getting out there and getting some field time.

Good Luck.
 
A little about myself:
-Located in Ohio, United States (where I will be camping mostly)
-No outdoor skills to speak of (wasn't kidding when I said "newbie" )
-Activity will mostly be weekend camping with some backpacking.
Click to expand...

I was at your experience level. Some would say that I am still at your experience level. :) I think you are putting up for consideration some good choices. I'd forget about the Bear Gryllis knife even though it's easy to find in the sporting store chains.

I didn't even own a fixed blade knife until in my mid-30's. I used folders for everything that I wanted to cut and it worked perfectly fine for me. My fixed blade bug started with my brother in law when he showed my his Randalls. It has been all "down hill" from that point on relative to my wallet.

Choosing a first fixed blade was much like choosing everything else in life... I chose based on my impression of what a fixed blade was going to do for me. No forums then. I figured "survival knife" and this was about Rambo movie time frame. Yeah, that sounds good... Did the big honking fixed blade thing... seldom carry one. I have found that folders work for just about everything short of building a log cabin out in the woods or for building a "shelter". The only "shelter" I have ever had the need to make was a tarp and a few vertical supports tied down with whatever rope I had with me. I still use folders much more in the woods than anything else. I always have a knife with me.

My experience with woods knives is that you are better off with something like the BK-16 or BK-17. But if I were buying my very first and trying to induce some common sense, I'd probably buy the BK-2 (versus something a lot larger) because of all the talk on BF and fits my sense of a "fixed blade and survival knife". You'll buy it and use it some, and then you'll buy a BK-16/17. You have to learn and you learn by doing.

It took a long time before I actually purchased a BK-16 or settling down to this size of fixed blade. Quite satisfied with it. I am somewhat interested in trying out the BK-7. You see, I am still experimenting and still having fun.

Some mentioned the Mora. Just got a Mora Companion in carbon steel and it is a real nice knife. Inexpensive. Might be something I would buy for my wife (or GF) if I had the Becker on my belt.

Added: Good post, Iwouldhurtafly. We were thinking along the same lines or reasoning and I agree with what you said. The Condor stuff is cost effective and I like the ESEE line. But I like Beckers more.
 
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