Recommendations for Rugged Outdoor Food Prep Knives

88Outatime

88Outatime

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Jan 14, 2025
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I know, I know, a standard Chef's knife and boning knife are good, but I'm looking for quality food prep/cooking knives that look and perform like they belong in the great outdoors.

Need to be rugged and dependable, but still perform well at prepping food. I like the looks of the Benchmade Station Knife, but not what you get for the price. I don't mind paying $200 - $400 for a knife, but not if it I'm just paying for the name (I like BM, and own several). For that kind of money, I would expect much higher quality materials and a better edge for cooking!

What recommendations do you have?
 
You might take a look around at the custom knifemakers here. Both David Mary and Crag-the-Brewer have posted pictures that are similar to the Station Knife, if I remember (damn, I hate that word!) correctly. Both have sub-forums in the Hosted Knifemaker's Forums section; Crag's is under the name "Thanks".
Good luck on your search.
P.S.: I'm certain that there are a LOT of other makers that can and would make a great knife to your specs, but the 2 I mentioned are the one's that I see most often.
 
Get a custom, I've seen a couple large heavy duty European style chef knives available in the exchange for a decent price. Any you can have a verity of steel choices and handle materials. I almost snapped up a heavy 1095 Hudson bay inspired outdoor chef knife offered by a custom maker. It was kind of rustic and very cool looking, at a very good price under $175 if I recall correctly
 
Damned designs has been liquidating their vg10 kitchen knives for really cheap prices, I just checked and they still have the cleaver available for $12
 
Morakniv make very very good chef knives as do Dexter Russel, Victorinox/Forschner etc at low prices. Or go custom if you can spend the money and have exactly what you want both in form, materials and aesthetics.
 
This is the Sierra Chef Knife from Off-Grid. Made in Taiwan. They advertise it as being able to chop wood as well as prepare food. I find the design beautiful and especially like the prominent guard.

I got this one for my sister last Christmas and just got to try it out on an onion and tomato for hamburgers. I also sharpened it.

IMG_5974.jpeg

It’s got good geometry and is fairly thin behind the edge. It did a great job on both the onion and even the tomato BEFORE resharpening.

It hadn’t been sharpened since December and had several reflective dull spots, but no discernible micro-chipping. I got it back to shaving sharp using medium and fine Spyderco tri-angle stones, held freehand, in a few minutes.

The full tang and long handle along with thin stock make the knife more handle-heavy than I would prefer, but I still plan to purchase another for my son soon.

Under $100 with a very nice-fitting kydex sheath. Hard to beat.
 
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Thanks guys for the mentions above.....

I won't tell you to go for customs, but life is too short, so might as well get what you want Ha.
Your budget Should get you everything

There are lots of great Makers here.

Think about what you want, and How you want to use it? Camp (kitchen) knives can mean many different things to different people.

First, do you like shiney knives, or do you like blotchy, stained, patina knives? I personally Love Both. Stainless or not, doesn't effect Quality. It's all preference.

All kinds of questions to ask.....

But
*My waiting list is uncomfortably long right now.
That doesn't seem to discourage many people if you'd like to be added to the list....but I have some of David's knives, and you'll be happy with them too. And, faster.

*Edit to add
The timing of this post is good since I just got back a batch of Procut steel from heat treatment. I snuck in 4 kitchen blades to the usual types I like. But the stock thickness is .109" thick.... It's a little bit thick for actual kitchen knives but I still wanted to make them.

I was planning on listing them as Camp Kitchen. The large one is 9" blade.


 
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Lt Wright pouters or traveller.
Basically small, med, large kitchen utility knives in AEB-L and awesome. They are made for what you are asking about.

I use a BPS Savage for camp cooking right now. It's my basic outdoor utility knife. Zero complaints. Great blade and easy to sharpen. It's 1066 steel so it needs to be taken care of and not left around to get damp. It's one of the few flat grind knives that BPS does. Scandi is rubbish for food prep

Other than those two, Asking one of the awesome knife makers here make what you want is probably going to be way more fun!
 
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