Recommendation for a really special combat/survival knife

H

Hauser

Joined
Apr 5, 2008
Messages
538
I have a serious weakness for combat/survival-style knives, which started with one of my first knives as an adult collector, the SOG Tech Bowie:
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My collection soon grew to include a Benchmade 155SBK Presidio:
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And a Zero Tolerance 0100:
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And a Fallkniven A1:
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You may be noticing a disturbing trend here. :o
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At this point I'm ready to take the plunge and go for something a bit beyond the average factory knife, and I thought I'd ask you guys for suggestions as to which makers to investigate for similar knives. I already own pieces from the following makers and I'd like to avoid them if I can, just to get some exposure to other brands:

Benchmade
Busse
Chrise Reeve
Emerson
Fallkniven
Fehrman
Kershaw
Mercworx
Scrapyard
SOG
Spyderco
Strider
Swamp Rat
Wilson Tactical
Zero Tolerance

Finally, I saw a beautiful semi-custom or custom combat knife someone posted in here a month or two ago, it had a very ergonomic tan handle with a black blade and looked like just the sort of thing for me, unfortunately I accidentally deleted the bookmark but hopefully someone can jog my memory.

Suggestions appreciated folks, thanks in advance and I'll post pics of the complete collection as soon as my NMFBMLE gets here! :thumbup:
 
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a-1 all the way baby. i know new is exciting, and when its really exspensive"oh boy", but when reality comes back, and smacks you a good one, and asked you why in the world did you pay so freaking much for those knives that may not even perform as well as that wonderful a-1, what will one say?
 
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I would get a custom from Justin at Ranger Knives...he does good work, the wait isnt super long, has perfected his heat treatments, and will make just about anything you can dream up...he also has really really good prices.
 
I thinkyou are ready to cross over into full customs. The price point of some of your knives are already in the range of the lower cost customs.

Keep visiting the "For Sale: Fixed" section and you soon be holding real handmades insetead of machine or benchmade knives.
 
The SOG Bowie is a cool looking as it gets, but when the chips are down I'll take that A1 anyday.
 
How special is really special? For me it was a Walter Brend Model 2 with 8.5" blade in a Byrd Sheath. I have wanted one for the better part of 20 years and this year I broke down and got this one. To me this is really special.

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Hauser said:
At this point I'm ready to take the plunge and go for something a bit beyond the average factory knife, and I thought I'd ask you guys for suggestions as to which makers to investigate for similar knives.
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Ranger Knives was already suggested, and I will second that suggestion.

It's not particularly 'special' in a custom sense, but I would also suggest a M.95 Peltonen Sissipuukko, a more Scandinavian style of combat knife. Not very expensive, but performs well and is light to carry, and it's a hell of a lot more practical in use than most half-serrated, double-guarded clumsy combat knives. If you want to use the knife for basic cutting tasks or making some fire wood, it will do the job better than most combat knives, as most are typically larger and far more awkward. If you want to use it to stab someone to death, it will do also that better than most combat knives, as the tip is much more suitable for stabs than the enormously wide tips on most combat knives these days. The fit and finish on these knives is really rough, but they're meant for use, so that shouldn't be a problem unless one just wants something to look at.

Here's a rather bad picture of it alongside a Ka-Bar Large TDI and Ranger Knives RD7 for perspective. It is the knife right in the middle.

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With your diversity in brands (you go from one end of the spectrum to the other) I'm surprised you don't have any Ontario stuff or Cold Steel stuff...

You can't go wrong with the suggestions here...
Justin/Ranger makes really good stuff and that Brend is really nice (but expensive)...

I personally suggest Bark River Knife and Tool. See what you can track down from them, although you won't find any Bark River knives with black coated blades or serrations...
 
I just bought a custom from fellow forum member and knifemaker ONeill, It's the one in the middle between the Hattori and the EK. Very nicely made and well priced. You might contact him here on the forum if you like the looks. I have a feeling ONeill Knives may be a name to watch in the future.

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how about a chris reeve? Or if ya want to be done with it and get the best, there's a mad dog ATAK on ebay right now starting at the low low price of $800:eek:
 
JohnnyO said:
The SOG Bowie is a cool looking as it gets, but when the chips are down I'll take that A1 anyday.
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Yeah the SOG doesn't get much field time, while I was surprised at the high level of construction for the price I doubt it can really compete with the others I listed - it sure is pretty though. :)

Orion said:
With your diversity in brands (you go from one end of the spectrum to the other) I'm surprised you don't have any Ontario stuff or Cold Steel stuff...
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I've had some in the past, as well as other makers like CRKT, Buck, Bark River, Schrade, Gerber etc., I've probably owned one or more blades by all the big factory names at one point or another. Sometimes a big purchase comes along though and I have to thin the herd, which is something I know a lot of you guys are familiar with!

Basically I'm looking for semi-customs/low-production like Busse or full on customs from makers like Walter Brend as I feel I've really accumulated all the blades I like in this style from the major manufacturers.

Thanks for the tips guys, keep 'em coming!
 
I just got this custom from Brock Blades. It's one of a kind but he's got great all types of designs. This one's S30V, 11.25" overall and .25" thick:
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Here's his site: www.brockblades.net
 
Looks as if Bark River Knife & Tool is missing from your list. Krein/K9 and Warren Thomas as well.
 
If you feel that the Sissupuukko M95 is a tad too long there is the new M07.
It the exact same knife but about an inch shorter.
You can get the really functional leather sheath for both, but the plastic sheath is not yet available for the M07.
 
Not overly large but I like them. The Mt/Mod 10 is my favorite of this size.


Strider MT/Mod10 and WB/Mod10. The blades are 5.5 inches measured from the tip to the front of the guard.

 
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Mod Mark V? an epitome of all mall-ninjaism! (being excellent made nevertheless)
Finnish ranger knife (m95) of course is way practical ))
 
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