Quality camping/woodcraft fixed blade

marcinek said:
Yes. They make an several entire series of knives designed specifically for outdoor recreation. The Bravo isn't among them.

Say what you will about Mike Stewart, but he is a careful and adept designer of knives for specific purposes.

You would think one who trusts the BRK product enough to buy one would also trust the design intent of the of the company's founder and driving force.

If not....why buy one?
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I got one as my do it all knife. Why buy one? I'm kind of aghast. Does it specify that it's only for cops or special forces soldiers? It's a really nice knife that does it all, that's why.
 
Thanks for the multitude of responses so far!

Seems like people are leaning Bark River. Will a convex grind be something difficult to sharpen for a novice (I am adequate at sharpening spyderco's ffg's in vg-10 and so so at sharpening my BK24 in d2). I haven't looked closely at the Aurora, but will give it consideration. I know they also have a LT version, is the weight difference that big of a factor there? I was considering a Bravo 1.5 in A2 or maybe one of BRK's 3v offerings.

As to the other suggestions, I had not considered a puuko, but would be interested in looking into them. What are the major selling points on that style vs. the other offerings? Also, I have been lurking the knifemaker's area as well, and would definitely consider something custom if the right item came along. I like the look of that knife that was posted here in N690, but I think I am leaning more toward a carbon steel for this knife (unless I am far off base on this), mainly for reduced chance of chipping if I am rough with it. That 3v looked nice as well!

Someone asked if I was looking for a more traditional looking knife. Overall, I am more focused on the function and reliability. So I am open to a lot of different looks and suggestions. I probably lean more traditional overall, but am fine with anything as long as it performs well.

I have also been lurking the Fixed blade secondary sale section here as well. Might be worth going that route until I am sure what I want and put one to actual use instead of just fondling them at the local knife shop :)

Was a little surprised to see less recommendations for the LT Wright knives other than the general thumbs up from JR88. JR88 would you recommend going with the Genesis or Bushcrafter? Any particular grind that you would recommend with either (sabre, flat, or scandi)?
 
I believe we are fortunate to have so many talented people making knives on the forum here. If it were my $$ I would support one of the custom knife makers here.
 
Bugs57 said:
I believe we are fortunate to have so many talented people making knives on the forum here. If it were my $$ I would support one of the custom knife makers here.
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I could not agree with this more.

Check out some incredible knives from TM Hunt, Fiddleback Foge, Fletcher Knives, WA Surls, Backwoods Custom Knives and many more. They all make incredible knives you will have fun with now and pass down to your Grand Kids later!
 
Especially since you can get a custom dirt cheap!!! if you look at what a particular custom fixed blade would have cost you say at the Guild Show in Orlando in the early 90's and what you can get a comparable knife for today, you might be inclined to say that having so many custom makers out there has severely depressed the custom fixed blade knife market over the last 20 years.
Bugs57 said:
I believe we are fortunate to have so many talented people making knives on the forum here. If it were my $$ I would support one of the custom knife makers here.
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I'd recommend a Fallkniven knife. Go with the pro series for the Lam CoS steel. It holds a fantastic edge, gets laser like sharp & is relatively easy to sharpen compared to today's super steels. There are reviews easily accessible on the A1, S1, & F 1 pro series. There is also the old style F1 made with the Lam CoS steel that runs cheaper than the pro series. There is a bunch of good videos available to watch on bushcraft canada dot com. Good luck with your search
 
So are we just a tad biased as we happen to carry those knives? I am not saying that you are incorrect, just a little biased. :D
whitty said:
I could not agree with this more.

Check out some incredible knives from TM Hunt, Fiddleback Foge, Fletcher Knives, WA Surls, Backwoods Custom Knives and many more. They all make incredible knives you will have fun with now and pass down to your Grand Kids later!
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For those recommending the forum makers, which I am heavily considering at this point, are there any specific grinds, blade widths, etc. you would recommend for my purpose (which is somewhat general)? Any width you would consider too thin or too thick? Ideal blade length? Weight and length won't matter as much to me as far as endurance/gear, since I won't be backpacking long distances, etc. with it.
 
I echo what some others have said. Lt wright knives and/or battle horse knives. Specifically the Bushcrafter. I think it's $165 and it fits almost all hands. I think it's a 10/10 knife from either of them.

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Also, they make a full flat grind. I think BHK is 5/32" in O1and lt wright is 1/8" in A2. Both easy to sharpen

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For actual use, I'd recommend 2 knives. First a Frosts Scandi edged knife. They are cheap, light & very easy to sharpen. There are a tons of videos on YouTube showing how to use them for all kinds of wood craft. The other would be a Buck General. I've seen them as low as $53. I have one & it takes a good edge & seems unbreakable. Only change I'm considering is making a kydex sheath. All in you can have both for under $100 & handle anything you'd need in a camp knife.
I have more expensive knives, but if I were going camping, hunting or whatever, these two would be my choice.
 
Deinos said:
For those recommending the forum makers, which I am heavily considering at this point, are there any specific grinds, blade widths, etc. you would recommend for my purpose (which is somewhat general)? Any width you would consider too thin or too thick? Ideal blade length? Weight and length won't matter as much to me as far as endurance/gear, since I won't be backpacking long distances, etc. with it.
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I got an AK2 Major from Alfa-Knife in O-1 steel, which would serve well as a do-it-all kind of camp knife in your price range. Really nice knife, with a great kydex sheath too. Alfa-Knife has a discussion forum on this website. They might have some knives available right now. Check it out.

As for what is too thin or thick, ideal length, these kinds of things are really up to you and will depend on what activities you want to focus on. If mostly whittling, feathersticking, cutting twine, then stick to a small knife. Will you also use the knife to prepare food? Then you might want to go with stainless. If you'll do some heavier work with your knife, you might want at least a mid-size knife, minimum 7 inch blade. For a "camp knife", people's tastes will vary, anything from a Cold Steel Laredo Bowie to a 3-4 inch Bark River and everything in-between.
 
I would also recommend checking out JK knives, he has his 01 heat treat down pat, good designs. I am partial to the Fiddleback and his cousins, Surles and Osprey. I have grown to like the look of the Fiddleback Kephart and would also consider a production version of it.
 
Thanks for all of the advice. I ended up getting a getting a great deal on the knife exchange here for a LTW Genesis A2 Scandi. Will take it out soon and see what I think of it. Thinking I will likely use the rest of that budget left over and maybe pair a nice smallish FFG slicer to go with it from the knife maker for sale section here.
 
I basically ditto what Chiral recommends. You can get a great handmade knife for less or equal $ to a Bark River or LT or... I recommend a 5 - 5.5" blade, which will give you a knife around 9.5-10.5". Like others have said, longer for a choppy camp knife, shorter for a dedicated whittler, but a 5-ish" blade will allow you to do most everything that a "typical" guy does w a knife, & allow you to comfortably carry it on your belt all day, & still be big enough to cause folks to think you're a ba-dass. Get a nice simple drop point w some belly, CPM3V - I know it's cliché at this point, but it really is a great outdoors choice & I've never had any issues w it spotting like I've had w 1095 or 01 or even A2 or W2. Please don't get jimping, just don't, please. And perhaps my loudest piece of advice - don't go over 5/32" w the stock, & really, 3/32" - 1/8" is the sweet spot, with a FFG. There is absolutely zero reason to have a thick knife these days, the whole point of going with a super clean & well alloyed steel like a 3V or fill in the blank, is so that you can take advantage of its properties & build a thinner knife with great geometries that will slice veggies, cut rope, whittle/attack wood, & survive mishaps. And the cool part is, you don't even need to engage one of the BF makers & wait a few months for your perfect knife....knives like I've described come up for sale all the time on the Custom Fixed Blade forum, so just do some research on past sales posts & learn the various makers & snag the right one for you - or if you don't mind waiting, a # of these makers will build to your specs. Best of luck brother - enjoy your eventual knife!
 
Damnit - I didn't read your above post! Alright, what I meant to say is, get yourself a Scandi Genesis bro!! I had the exact same knife & loved it - great choice, enjoy!
 
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