Quality Fixed Blade for $200 or less....any suggestions?

kagato82

kagato82

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Looking for a quality fixed blade for around $200 to add to my collection of folders. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
 
How about a custom? I can make you pretty much any style you want, with your choice of steel and handle material. You can search my name here for examples of my work. If you're interested email or call me using the contact info below. I can customize the edge geometry and hardness to the majority of the use the knife will see to maximize performance. Unless you want something really exotic I can make the knife and a nice leather sheath for $200 or less.
 
kagato82 said:
Looking for a quality fixed blade for around $200 to add to my collection of folders. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
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Could you narrow that down a little? Length, application, handle material, grind, steel, ... anything. :thumbup:
 
Let's see... under $200, reasonably high quality? That narrows it down to a few hundred.
 
darrin sanders said:
How about a custom? I can make you pretty much any style you want, with your choice of steel and handle material. I can make the knife and a nice leather sheath for $200 or less.
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that is one heck of an offer right there.
 
woody d said:
that is one heck of an offer right there.
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It's almost unbelievably good - which I mean in a non-cynical sort of way.

But you do need to define what you want from a knife more. For example, Scrapyard are near the top of the tree as boutique production makers go and you could buy one of their 9 inch Bowies. It will probably be tougher than that custom knife (it might not be, but Scrapyard have a rep for being amongest the toughest knives going) but it will have a rather simple utilitarian appearence. Much depends on your priorities.

(That knife is at http://shop.scrapyardknives.com/product.sc?productId=62&categoryId=4)
 
I have a Swamp Rat Ratmandu on order. I can't yet say how good it is, but it comes highly recommended and it costs $140 (without a sheath).
 
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meanwhile said:
It's almost unbelievably good - which I mean in a non-cynical sort of way.

But you do need to define what you want from a knife more. For example, Scrapyard are near the top of the tree as boutique production makers go and you could buy one of their 9 inch Bowies. It will probably be tougher than that custom knife (it might not be, but Scrapyard have a rep for being amongest the toughest knives going) but it will have a rather simple utilitarian appearence. Much depends on your priorities.


(That knife is at http://shop.scrapyardknives.com/product.sc?productId=62&categoryId=4)
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I can do tough if thats what the man wants. Tough knives aren't hard to make if thats what is specified from the beginning.
 
You're looking for a single fixed blade representative of all fixed blades to add to your collection? Hmmm...

May I suggest splitting up the $$ and getting a variety? Buck, Queen, Becker, Scandinavian brands, Northwoods... almost an endless list.

Or watch the For Sale By Maker forum section for great artists and craftsmen, like Darrin, who either list ready-to-ship knives or who will make one to your specs.
 
darrin sanders said:
I can do tough if thats what the man wants. Tough knives aren't hard to make if thats what is specified from the beginning.
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Well, if you sacrifice everything to get toughness yes, but I don't think that's what Scrapyard does. There's a nice example here of their sibling brand Busse's "Skinny Ash" taking on a Fallkniven A2 and beating it on just about every aspect of performance:

http://knifetest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=455

If you can do THAT tough and keep up with every other aspect of performance, then you should send a knife over to Noss and encourage him to race it against a Busse or at least a Swamprat; the PR from a win would be amazing. That sort of toughness isn't relevant to everything, of course - I've never needed - but a custom maker who beat Busse in Noss's test would be able to charge an awful lot for one of his knives.
 
I would say either a Swamprat ratmandu or rodent 6. The Ratmandu has a 5.5 inch blade. I have one and it is a fantastic performer, especially after convexing the edge. The Rodent 6 has a 6.5 inch blade and is also a great knife from the same steel as the RMD.

The steel Swamprat uses takes a fantastic edge easily and holds it exceptionally well.

If you wanted a smaller knife the the Rodent solution or the Rodent 4 would also be good options.
 
Swamprat !

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GL Drew makes some amazing Fixed Blades and is one great guy. I have one of his and its probably my favorite fixed blade i've ever used
 
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