Recommend a 5" fighter

J

Joe Talmadge

Joined
Oct 3, 1998
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Hi, it's come to my attention that my collection lacks a good 5" fixed-blade fighter. I'm hoping you can help me remedy that. What I'm looking for:

- Blade size 5" -- read 4.5" minimum to 5.5" max, the closer to 5" the better.
- Under $200, preferably under $100. But okay, if you have a kick-butt fighter to show me for $300, tell me about it anyway.
- Design is the top criterion, and remember, this is a pure fighter. I'm looking for a very sharp point, very good edge geometry, single or double-edged (prefer single main edge and a sharpened or sharpenable second edge rather than a classic dagger), very secure handle in forward grip. That also means:
- ... although I'd rather have S30V or differentially-tempered 52100 on a full-tang carbon fiber handle, but if you have a great design in 8A or even (gulp) 6A with zytel handles, I want to know about it.
- ... No tantos
- ... if the first thing out of your mouth is, "this thing is indestructible", cross it off your list. I'm looking for spine-tingling cutting performance, and that requires a relatively thinner spine and very thin edge geometry.
- Sheath is important, but I can always go aftermarket on that.
- Must have at least a single guard!
- Should be fast in the hand

I'm going to breeze some internet shops today and see what matches I can find; in the meantime, I appreciate your advice...

Joe
 
Not sure if it will meet your guard specification, but otherwise I think that the Al Mar Sere Operator fits your description very well. It is just over a hundred $'s, thin and sharp blade, S30V steel and 5 inches. Curious what you think of this choice. Here is a link for one of those friendly online sellers: http://www.knifeoutlet.com/catalog/Al_Mar_Knives/AMSRO.htm

My favorite choice is just over your budget. It is a customized Dozier based on his model six. Basically it is the standard knife with a longer blade (5.5" in my case) and a more pronounced finger guard. The knife Bob made for me is as scary as anything I have ever handled with extremely thin edge bevels sharpened very, very well. I had to wait three months for him to make it, but it was an absolute bargain. I got this idea from a post I found on the internet, here is the original version of the described knife: http://www.october.com/knives/bob/fixed/texas_six.html
 
Snoopy,

That SERE Operator is one of the two knives that sprang to mind. The spine is a little thick, and I haven't actually handled one to see how it handles, but it appears to fit the bill. The other obvious production choice is the Benchmade Nimravus, which also has a speedbump rather than a proper guard, but probably good enough.

That Dozier model 6 is outrageous! Hmmm, one of those at 5" and a straight clip rather than drop-point ... could tempt me to spend a few more $$$.

Joe
 
I just rec. a sale catalog from Cabela's. In it they have a Camillus made Air Force pilot survival knife for something like 19.95. Hey it is a 5" blade and it has a clip point so it can be used as a fighter. Just think of it as a shrunken Marine Corps kabar style knife. Says it is 1095 steel too. Don't recall if it has any sawteeth but I don't think it does. Food for thought anyways. keepem sharp
 
Here's a few...

Gryphon M10
SOG Pentagon (opps... no guard)
Boker Applegate - the smaller version
Spyderco Temperance
Spyderco Perrin
SOG Seal Pup (I think it makes a good fighter)
Camillus Boot knife (yes, it's cheap but it works)
 
Loki said:
Boker Applegate - the smaller version
Click to expand...

I totally agree with this one. One of the best pure fighter designs. The one mentioned is the Boot knife version, 4.75" blade, 440C steel.
The handle has removable weights in it to give it the very good balance.
Another good point is that there are trainers available for it.


BK-AF546.jpg
 
Two of your BEST choices are a Benchmade 140 Nimravus or a Gerber Yari.
 
Joe- The SERE Operator is actually less "thick" then expected, I highly recommend handling one. It is the only production knife that I have handled that comes close to having everything ground out with edges as thin as the Dozier. I have three Nimravi?, two full size and a cub. I really like them but find them to have more obtuse angles coming to the edge. To get them really sharp you have to reprofile beyond Benchmades factory job. Same thing with the Camillus CQB, another great knife but built sturdier rather then for slicing. The Gerber Yari I handled showed promise but was still beefier then the Al Mar.

I really like thin edge slicers and think some of the best for the money are made by Mr. Dozier. I couldn't believe the deal he gave me on the three knives I have purchased from him. Only problem is that I think his wait period might be out over a year now. :confused:

Good luck!
 
There are plenty of fighters with blades of around five inches. The hard part is finding one with a traditional guard, if that is what you are after.

I did quite a bit of looking before finding such a knife. What I found was the Blackjack Trailguide III. It is a traditional Randall style fighter with a blade between 4.5 and 5 inches long. The knife has an ample double guard.
 
The Al Mar SERE Operator has already been mentioned, and I agree that it might meet most of your criteria. It's nice and light, fast in hand, and you can put an excellent edge on it.

The other knife that sprung to mind is the Fallkniven NL4. The fully convex blade is great, the knife is light, and the stacked leather handle has a very positive grip. I'm a sucker for laminated blades.

David
 
I have a custom Dozier Arkansas Toothpic that meets most of those requirements very well. I bought it second hand unused off these forums. It was made special order with a longer blade, sharpened false edge, and etc. It would be among my top choices for a blade that length.

I have several old Gerber Guardian I knives that I used to pack a lot. The blade can break and they are not the easiest to sharpen, but I became really familiar with them. I'd personally probably pick one of them over my Dozier for that reason and for the guard.

I also have several old Case boot knives that are fairly similar to the Gerber Guardian I in size and design. For me, they would probably be a toss up with the Dozier for second place.

I have a Benchmade Nimravus. It is a nice knife, but would not be anywhere near the top of those I'd pick for a knife fight for multiple reasons. No offense meant... I just consider it more of a utility type knife than a real fighter if that makes any sense.
 
How about a Gerber Silver trident. 6" blade but very sharp and quick in the hand.
 
I guess it would not qualify as a "pure fighter", but I'll bet the Swamp Rat Bandicoot would serve well in a self-defense role.
 
How about a Blackjack model 5. It is a copy of the Randall model 1 with a 5" blade and a classic stacked leather handle, with or without a sub hilt. 1095 steel too.
 
The Al Mar SERE Operator was the knife that jumped immediately to mind as I read your post Joe.
 
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