Sarawak, pineapples, wild boar, and knife

[Anatta]

Hello, this is my first post but I’ve been lurking around here ever since a friend of mind ignited my interest in knives a while ago.

One of my relatives own a pineapple plantation in Sarawak, and he has invited me to stay over in his plantation estate for a week next month. I want to bring along my own knife, even though he will probably lend me one, to perform the following tasks:

a) cutting the leaves off the pineapples, peeling them, and cutting them up into edible slices;

b) sharpening wooden sticks into stakes for the purpose of holding the pineapple plants upright in the ground; and

c) perhaps skinning and gutting the occasional wild boar.

As Sarawak is a tropical country with high humidity, and pineapples are acidic, I want this knife to be resistant to stain. Wear-resistance is also important because of the abrasiveness of the pineapples’ skin. I would also like this knife to be between 5” and 6” in blade length for ease of handling. My budget is $120.

This friend of mind has recommended the Cold Steel SRK in aus-8a. But since this will be my first fixed blade knife, I would like to hear the recommendations of the experienced members of this forum also.

Thank you.

 

[Ultraman]

I suspect the standard outdoor blade for the jungles is a machete/golok/bolo type of blade, but what you are describing sounds like a combination of fine work (pineapple skinning) and some heavier tasks, but not exactly jungle clearing. If you were doing that and opening coconuts I suspect a bolo (if that's what the natives use) is the best thing to have.

But if not, maybe a 4 to 6 inch hunting knife is called for. A fallkniven S1 (I think it is in that size range) would give you advanced steels and grind. A cold steel bowie might fill the bill, and the SRK would be smaller, I believe. The fallkniven F1 is similar in size to the SRK, but I think the F1 has a better laminated steel and is much sturdier, but thick. The Fallknivens fall within your budget. You might want to look at the Bark River selections, too.

Maybe the other forumites will help out with better recommendations

 

[SplittinHairs]

With your price range -- check out the Ontario TAK1 -- its a bit shorter at 4.25"than your specs call for but handles like a bigger knife. Good blade size for finer work. Or, if your set on longer, look at the RAT5. Solid no-nosense blades that can be found under $100. Not as pretty as a Bark River or as nice as a Busse -- but something to consider.