Recommendation? Recommend me a Fishing/Camping fixed and folder

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Apr 7, 2018
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Hey all, long time lurker here, stuck on my next knife purchase so I figured as good a time as any to have my first post here.

I'm looking for a new knife for going fresh water fishing with. The knife will be used to prepare bait, gut and clean fish, do some light camp-type chores with wood, etc. I'd like blade length to be 3"-3.5" , and my budget is anywhere from $40-$80.

I currently have and use a CRKT Minimalist, it's nice to have a fixed blade when it comes to cleaning up but the length is just too short for my liking. On the folder side I'm using a Kabar Dozier, which isn't that bad just not the best of a slicer for fish/wood. I'm a big fan of Opinels and the razor sharp thin blades are perfect for fish and wood, but the wooden handle is a bit of a pain fishing and the new Opinels with the synthetic handles only come with serrations, which I don't like. I've also already got a Mora Companion in orange which is a bit too big and loud for where I'm fishing, NYC-Long Island areas.

So, can anyone recommend a fixed and/or folder? Thanks in advance!

-Artem
 
A smaller Mora perhaps? The Mora Basic 511 is a little smaller than the Companion and you can get them in black handles and sheaths that are less attention getting.
 
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Is the 3-3.5 inch limit because of the NYC area laws?


If you aren’t limited legally, check out the Buck 102.

It is a 4” blade so that’s a little bigger than what you want, but it does a great job as a bird and trout type knife, and can handle camp/kitchen chores. Made in USA, Bucks forever warranty.
 
Bird and trout knives should fit your needs as Jocephus above mentions. Moki makes a nice one right in your range. CRKT has their 2 models of their Mossback that are fixed blades, and their Crossbones which is a folder. Ken Onion did a limited edition B&T, and Browning's Escalade B&T or their Overtime Green. Any of those would answer your needs. There are others that are great but exceed your price range as the one's I know and have are customs.
 
I would never use the same knife to process fish and wood. Therefore I would recommend the Mora Comfort Scaler for fishing and the KA-BAR BK16 for camp-type chores.
 
Opinel No. 6 or 7 for a folder. Choice of stainless or carbon steel.
The No. 6 and larger has the lock ring. No. 5 and smaller don't have the lock ring.
Soak the pivot area with food grade mineral oil to prevent swelling if/when it gets wet.

If you prefer a fixed blade, a Rapalla 4 inch fillet knife. Or a Mora No. 1 or 2. Again, your choice of stainless or carbon steel with the Mora, the Rapalla is stainless only.
 
Thank you everybody! I'll be checking out the smaller Mora's and maybe some Bird and Trout knives. And yes, Jocephus, I'm limited because of knife laws as well as not wanting to draw too much attention...I'd love to bust out my Fallkniven S1 if I could haha.

All great suggestions so far, I'll be doing some research. And I do love my Opinels so much I may just try a stainless and see how waterproof I can get the handle...
 
Take a look at Marttiini, who make the Rapala filet knives. They offer a range of fairly inexpensive fixed blades in carbon or stainless with hard rubber handles. The one I am thinking of for a bird and trout knife is the Little Classic, with a stainless blade 3.54” long. About $20.
 
I fish almost as much as an osprey and I carry a Spyderco Delica or Endura with the Emerson wave feature. I love it because of the rapid deployment but the blade geometry isn't as good for slicing as the full flat grind (FFG) versions of those Spydercos. But they do the job just fine and I am pretty much dependent now on the "wave" feature. It just keeps me that much more on top of things because of the one motion deployment. The Dozier hunter folder 4062 was my go to fishing folder for like 5 years. I have 3 or 4 of them in different colors.

For a fixed fishing blade I use stainless Moras of different styles. I love the orange one with the 3/4 serrated blade. Probably the best bait knife of all time. The serrations keep it from getting hung up on bone and the plain edge tip allow for finer flesh cuts.

Here is something I wrote up on the Dozier a while back.

The Dozier gets used more than any knife in my collection because its my fishing knife. I bought it a few years ago as an alternative to the Spyderco Salt because it had some similarities and was under $20. High-Vis FRN with good traction, no steel liners to rust, jimping, Reversible tip-up pocket clip, 1 screw take-down to clean it, light as a feather, Stainless steel (but of course not 100% stainless for the Aus8 like the H1)

I'm out there a lot. whether on the boat or from the surf/jetty. I use this knife for everything you can think of. I even use the butt of the FRN to unscrew the gas cap on my boat, because its thin enough to get in the groove.

SO the reuslts...Go get one!

Its a winner! NO rust at all (basic maintenance), It sharpens up super quick. Slices all of my baits silky smooth, I've filleted 100's of fish with it (some for me to eat and some for bait), Pocket clip has been fine. Coating has been surprisingly durable, NO WASHERS to rust or retain moisture!! The washer is molded into the FRN.. Genius!! Removable thumb stud for sharpening.
 
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Take a look at Marttiini, who make the Rapala filet knives. They offer a range of fairly inexpensive fixed blades in carbon or stainless with hard rubber handles. The one I am thinking of for a bird and trout knife is the Little Classic, with a stainless blade 3.54” long. About $20.

Thanks, I put the Little Classic on my list, I really like the look of it. Form follows function type of deal. Anyone have experience with the "420 German Steel" they use?

I fish almost as much as an osprey and I carry a Spyderco Delica or Endura with the Emerson wave feature. I love it because of the rapid deployment but the blade geometry isn't as good for slicing as the full flat grind (FFG) versions of those Spydercos. But they do the job just fine and I am pretty much dependent now on the "wave" feature. It just keeps me that much more on top of things because of the one motion deployment. The Dozier hunter folder 4062 was my go to fishing folder for like 5 years. I have 3 or 4 of them in different colors.........

I was thinking of getting a Delica soon but for EDC, not taking along fishing. I can't get into the Emerson wave feature though, looks a bit ugly to me personally, lol. Nice write up about the Dozier, I really like the knife just thought the blade was a bit thick. Maybe I could play around sharpening it more.

Anyway, so far, thanks to this thread I've bought an Opinel 8 in Stainless Steel with a Bubinga handle. I read a few people state Bubinga is pretty water-resistant and I'll treat it as well. Opinel has a lot going for it, including that it's extremely people friendly, slices fantastically, is lightweight, sturdy...I'm sure if I wasn't into knives I could use one for the rest of my life just fine, but where's the fun in that? :D

Also bought a Mora Pro S, 3.6", just to see how I like the smaller size on a Mora. I think I'll like it. I'm seriously considering a Marttiini Little Classic...full-tang with a cool look for only $20?!
 
Thanks, I put the Little Classic on my list, I really like the look of it. Form follows function type of deal. Anyone have experience with the "420 German Steel" they use?

Pretty sure it is the same 420 that Buck knives uses in a lot of their knives. From what I gather, 420 is a low end steel, but with Buck's Heat Treat is works very well. Have zero info on Marttiini's heat treat or how it performs. I actually have a little marttiini, (classic?). Have never used it so I can't say how it performs. The knives they make for Rapala are good filet knives for the price.
 
It's a shame that you need a such short blade because a Mora Kansbol 4.3 inch would be perfect for your need. they are very good slicers and can do all of light to medium camp cores, lightweight, stainless steel, good handle, blade takes a very sharp edge without effort, one of the best for the fishing box I have.
 
Spyderco Pacifc Salt, the blade is completely rust proof H1. H1 is one of my favorite steels, not only is it rust proof, it is also super easy to sharpen, takes a killer edge, and it is very tough, so chipping isn’t a problem either.
 
+1 on anything Spyderco Salt H1 and also +1 on the Becker BK16 for camp chores.
 
I'd recommend a BK16 too, it's a great do-it-all knife.

uJY0FRP.jpg
 
Hello,

I’m new to the forum and collecting knives. I’ve been wanting to go out fishing lately, but I’m scared to bring any of my spyderco knives with s30v steel blades (manix 2, paramilitary 2, etc...). I’m a noob with steels, and I’m not 100% sure if s30v is good with salt water or any water at all. I don’t want it to rust on me. Sorry to ask on your post, but since the knife I’m curious about is mentioned on here, thought I’d just drop a reply. How’s the spyderco pacific salt H1 holding up for you guys? Is it also good with filleting fish? I usually bleed out the fish and then fillet my fish right at the spot. I don’t like carrying multiple knives. I just need one knife that can handle anything when I’m out in the sea. It’s a pretty pricey knife, but I don’t want it rusting on me.
 
Hello,

I’m new to the forum and collecting knives. I’ve been wanting to go out fishing lately, but I’m scared to bring any of my spyderco knives with s30v steel blades (manix 2, paramilitary 2, etc...). I’m a noob with steels, and I’m not 100% sure if s30v is good with salt water or any water at all. I don’t want it to rust on me. Sorry to ask on your post, but since the knife I’m curious about is mentioned on here, thought I’d just drop a reply. How’s the spyderco pacific salt H1 holding up for you guys? Is it also good with filleting fish? I usually bleed out the fish and then fillet my fish right at the spot. I don’t like carrying multiple knives. I just need one knife that can handle anything when I’m out in the sea. It’s a pretty pricey knife, but I don’t want it rusting on me.

If price is an issue, I promise you spending $20 on the Dozier 4062 will make you very happy. I fish in high salt and mine doesn't have a speck of rust in 3-4 years with just a quick rinse after use. Read what I wrote on it above. Truly a great knife and sharpens up super quick. Also, there is the 4065 version with a blade shape a little better for filleting on the spot. But I still swear by these 4062's for all around use. Below is a photo of my used and abused Dozier with no rust and a new one I customized with forward jimping. You'll notice that my new one doesn't have the black blade coating because I was so happy with the rust resistance that I didn't feel the need for extra protection against the elements. Tight lines!!

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