Rapala Bowie

B

barber oregon

Joined
Nov 19, 2000
Messages
234
Does anyone have opinions/experience on the Rapala Bowie or Classic Hunter knives?

I'd like to include these as part of the individual bug out bags that I'm making for my family. Optimally, I'd like to include something like the Cold Steel SRK into each and every bag but cost is a significant factor (I could buy about three Rapalas for the cost of one SRK).

Are the Rapalas acceptable for my intended use?
 
Head over to Ragweed Forge and buy as many Moras as your heart desires. You can get a 5 inch Mora for under $15.00, and it'll outcut any of your choices. Moras are great knives if you need a *knife*; it's not a chopper, though you can baton it through saplings. But since you're putting kits together for people who probably aren't that great with knives OR keeping gear in order, get the Moras. They'll work just fine and it won't bug you so much when they don't use your thoughtfully-provided kits.
 
B.O.,
Yes the Rapala knives are well worth the money. The main importer of Rapala products is located here in Minnesota, so we often see stuff before anyone else does, and I've been using Rapala/Normark knives for years. They have also been big sellers here and for good reason: They are reliable and easy to resharpen. The tang is stronger (larger) than that found in most of the "Mora"knives. Don't misunderstand, the "Mora" knives are not junk by any means, just that overall, the Normark/Rapala knives are a bit better.
Dan
 
Sorry, I can't offer an opinion on the Rapala blades.

Not sure if you are aware, but Cold Steel sells factory seconds of various models for cheaper than regular prices. At last report, the SRK seconds are priced a bit under $30 each. From postings on the seconds, the flaws found (if any at all) were cosmetic in nature. CS only sells them directly, either in their Special Projects catalog or possibly via phone call to them.

Other cheap fixed blade knives that spring to mind are some of the neck knives from Camillus, CRKT, or maybe some of Newt Livesay's neckers. For a larger cheap fixed blade, the CS Bushman or Mini-Bushman comes pretty cheap. My ultimate recommendation for a "pretty cheap" fixed blade these days is the Becker Combat/Utility-7 (BK7) for a touch under $50.

However, it will be important to match the blades put into the bags to the skills of the people involved and, more importantly, to the intended use the knives will see. If you just need cutting blades, the SRK will be unnecessarily heavy & thick. If you need serious choppers, the SRK will be both too short & light for the task and the not-very-comfortable handle will chew up your hand. If you want a mid-size blade that cuts fairly well, is sturdy enough not to worry much about it, and won't break the bank buying it, then the SRK should be fine. You can check the Reviews forum for some results I posted there on the performance of an SRK which indicates that IMHO it is a quite a good knife for the money.

Hope I haven't muddied the water for you,
- Greg -
 
RokJok, I forgot to mention that the prices I quoted are in Canadian funds; so that the $30 factory second comes out to about $48 Cdn (not including shipping/handling etc.). I may, however, order one of these 'seconds' for camping chores though..thanks for the suggestion.

I also had one of those "Why didn't I think of that?" moments when you mentioned the CS Bushman--the dealer that I wanted to purchase the Rapalas from also carries the Bushman (at a lower price than the Rapala to boot!):rolleyes:

Thanks for your replies so far everybody...
 
Canadian Tire carries the Normark & Rapalas - as Wholesale Sports in Edmonton used to and may still. They might be cheaper. They're fine with softer stainless blades.
If you haven't tried a Mora then have a look here:
Camper's Village
The cheap red plastic handled (carbon steel)($9 CAN)Mora properly sharpened is an awesome field knife. The more expensive soft handled stainless Mora ($16 CAN)is a good bet too.
 
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