sturdy fixed blade ontario,kabar etc

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wicked1

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Sep 1, 2004
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I am looking for a pretty sturdy knife to go camping with and just abuse a little in general. I know my grandfathers old vietnam era kabar is tough so thats what got me looking at them but what about the ontario knives that have replaced them are they better? I would LOVE to have a swamp rat but getting hold of one reasonably priced is next to impossible.Suggestions please?
 
As far as I know the Camillus and Ontario Ka-Bars are made of 1095 carbon steel, same as the old ones. The Ka-Bar is a handy dandy camp knife and it's not so pricy you're afraid to scratch it. Mine is almost 20 years old and really beat to crap but still performs great. If you've used one and like it, I would definitely go for it.
 
An M9 bayonet from Ontario would be fun to abuse.

A little bigger, more like a do-it-all camp knife/small machete, is the Kershaw Outcast, which is made of D2 tool steel. Same idea but pricier (and better, I guess) is the Becker BK1 Brute.

The best, most thorough, most technical, harshest knife review page on the net is by BF regular Clifford Stamp. He'll show you exactly what a knife will and won't do.

Cliff's reviews.
 
Just my two cents: I'd steer away from the M-9 bayonets, by whatever manufacturer: overpriced for what they are, and their blade geometry is such that they're truly hard to use for performing most cutting tasks. I got one once (by Lan-Cay) with an edge angle GREATER than 90 degrees.

I'd haunt eBay for Ka-bar (also spelling it "Kabar", because sellers sometimes omit the hypen); Ontario and Camillus have both made versions of the Ka-Bar USMC knife, and they all use the same kind of steel (1095, which is quite tough). Ka-Bar also has knives like their heavy Bowies and some of their camp-type large knives in 1085 steel--somewhat softer, less edge-retaining, but likely harder to break. Personally, if toughness is what you're after, I'd pick 1095 or 1085 steel over D-2, since I understand D-2 tends to be more brittle and more wear-resistant--which means it can be hard to sharpen (but also hard to dull). For an outdoors application, I'd rather have a blade that won't snap than one that won't get dull: dullness I can fix.

Other possibilities that might not break your bank: Ranger Knives (run a search in this forum) (the most expensive of those come in at around $110, I think); if something a little less straight-shaped and Western is of interest, you might also check out Himalayan Imports, which has a subforum on BF, and routinely sells hand-forged and extremely-tough Nepal-made khukuris; you can pick up one of these with a cosmetic blemish on the H.I. forum for $65 or so on a good day. Before doing that, though, look at Cliff Stamp's comparative reviews of Himalayan Imports products--nothing like reading about how those boomerang-shaped blades stood up to extreme abuse that snapped other makers' knives, to give you an appreciation.
 
I agree that the M9s are overpriced, blunt instruments. But I stand by my statement that they's be fun to abuse. :D
 
WB: Oh, I'd agree with you there. Kind of a fun tent stake. Thought about using one as a cake server at my son's military-themed birthday party.
 
I had never heard of ranger so I did a search for them. The RD9 looks like it would be great knife. I called and talked to justin about it and he said he has never had one break yet prying with them. I asked if the internet rumors of him using Busse blanks were true and he didnt answer but not that I really care if they are as tough as I am reading. Sounds like a swamprat knife only availible now.
 
Out of the sub-$100 combat/tactical/jungle category, the RAT line from Ontario is the best buy. D2 or 1095 steel, a no BS warranty, micarta scales rather than kraton or some slicker plastic ala Becker. Usually available unlike the semi-customs.

Despite what might make its way around the errornet about Ontario in general, I have had nothing but stellar performance out of the RAT line, and the minute I don't I have no doubt Mr. Randall and Mr. Perrin will stand behind their designs,

I have dished all kinds of digging, prying and chopping at my first generation RTAK and it has taken it all and asked for more. The second generation one is coming soon and has a better handle shape for those with smaller mitts. The only thing my RTAK ever needed was a better sheath and a convexing, the combined cost of which still make the RTAK a steal compared to some of the other steroidal machetes I have seen on the market.

I also have a RAT 5 I don't hesitate to put through hell either. My favorite feature of this one is the combination of beefy construction, easily resharpened 1095 steel, and a price point that doesn't make me afraid to go after heart wood with the tip. First, because I know it will hold up, and second, if it doesn't, I didn't break some backwoods sheath queen in the first place because the RAT guys design and make total user knives.
 
I picked up a large, tanto point Ontario knife at a gun show a long time ago, I love it. Very strudy and takes a lot of abuse yet seems to hold up very well. ;)
 
This and other threads have made me wonder... maybe I'm committing heresy, but I'm not sure I believe in the "do it all" camp knife. I'm thinking hatchet for chopping, butcher knife for, well, butchering and general food prep, and paring knife or small folder for whittling and so on. I guess that leaves us without a brush clearer, though.... ok, lose the hatchet for a khukri? Maybe here's where we start thinking a "knife" can do two things, so why not everything?

Ramble, muse, ramble.
 
A couple or three Cold Steel Bushmasters are great to beat on in the campground in the garden and in general. Price is right, tough as nails and a adding some personal mods make it a fun knife to keep around. If you lose one your not out a whole lot of money either. And you can throw them!

Matador-
 
WeaselBites said:
This and other threads have made me wonder... maybe I'm committing heresy, but I'm not sure I believe in the "do it all" camp knife.
Click to expand...

You raise a dang good point (no pun intended). I love my Ka-Bar and have a Trailmaster on the way, but I wouldn't want to whittle a tent peg or clean a fish with either unless I had to. I like a bowie for rough work like taking down saplings or cutting up firewood, and a small ( no more than 4" ) drop-point for just about everything else. You could honestly substitute a decent kukri or machete for the bowie and be just fine, prolly save some $$ too. On the other hand, you could bring a whole tool-box full of very specific knives with... but that would be kind of silly. I would say 3 knives (drop-point 4", 7-10" bowie and a strong machete) would be the most I'd ever bring camping.

I'd stick with a bowie if I could only have one knife. You COULD skin a deer with one, whereas you wouldn't want to cut firewood/lean-to poles etc. with a 4" blade.
 
i just ordered a ka-bar 1214. I am still looking at the rangers and swamp rats though. When will this addiction stop? Oh yeah when my wallets empty.;) I ordered an Edge Pro,Camillus Heat,Ka-Bar,and a sharpmaker so far today. I am still looking at stuff though. :eek:
 
Those look like two pretty rugged knives, good choices. Seems you and I have similar tastes in user knives.
 
wicked1 said:
i just ordered a ka-bar 1214. I am still looking at the rangers and swamp rats though. When will this addiction stop? Oh yeah when my wallets empty.;) I ordered an Edge Pro,Camillus Heat,Ka-Bar,and a sharpmaker so far today. I am still looking at stuff though. :eek:
Click to expand...

That's the spirit!

It sounds to me as though you still need a Becker; a BK7 or BK9 would be ideal. Pick one up while they're still easy to come by (the situation at Camillus might lead to a Becker shortage in the future).

- Mike
 
If you're going to buy another one go bigger :D You've got the 7" range covered with the Ka-Bar.

See how fun it is to justify these things?
 
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