Tactical Fixed Blade Recommendations?

I've used a variety of knives throughout the years - camping, hunting, Air Force and on the farm where I grew up. For the price, Cold Steel is unbeatable. All of their knives, fixed and folders, are well made and will serve you for years with minimum of fuss (maintenance).
 
rockon said:
The thing that's begun to concern me about the Ka-Bar D2 is the stick tang, in the case that I'd ever have to use it to pry something open...and the durability of the D2 steel in terms of impacts. Do you not foresee this to be an issue?


If it came down to a Scrapyard S6, Ranger RD7, Ontario RAT-7, or Swamp Rat Camp Tramp/Ratweiler, what would you all recommend?
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That stick tang IS an issue! I've had 2 KaBars break on me over the years and all they were used for was cutting the wrappers off rolls of printing paper. No lateral pressure at all, just straight down slicing. One was a Camillus, the other, Ontario. I still have my Ka-Bar brand, but it sees very little use now.

I got a Camp Tramp about 5 years ago after the second KaBar broke and even the thought of breaking has never entered my mind.

Even though they are the same size, ~7" blade, you can lay the Camp Tramp over the Ka Bar and literally hide it. The knife is huge.

The Ratweiller is the latest incarnation of the Camp Tramp.

You ought to check out the Swamp Rat sub forum here on BF.

Rob
 
i can tell you from experince that fort bragg does not issue combat knives as was there for four years and 2 deployments in an infantry unit i baught my own i got some good use out of it and as for the bayonette they suck also you should find outu from your chain of command what you can carry not your frends you might end up getting a knife and not being able to carry it becaue of laws and media
 
also have you looked at tops knives i carryed one for a while strong blades it took a beating and asked for more
 
wetdog1911 said:
That stick tang IS an issue! I've had 2 KaBars break on me over the years and all they were used for was cutting the wrappers off rolls of printing paper. No lateral pressure at all, just straight down slicing. One was a Camillus, the other, Ontario. I still have my Ka-Bar brand, but it sees very little use now.

I got a Camp Tramp about 5 years ago after the second KaBar broke and even the thought of breaking has never entered my mind.

Even though they are the same size, ~7" blade, you can lay the Camp Tramp over the Ka Bar and literally hide it. The knife is huge.

The Ratweiller is the latest incarnation of the Camp Tramp.

You ought to check out the Swamp Rat sub forum here on BF.

Rob
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Yeah, if it breaks just from basic usage, it's not gonna help me. One of the things about the Swamp Rat knives that's kinda steering me away from them is that I can't seem to find what they have available on their website right now...do they sell through other dealers the way Justin does from Ranger knives? I think they cost about double what Justin charges for his, but I'm trying to find the best bang for my buck, and am looking really hard at the stuff Ranger, Ontario, and Swamp Rat can offer. I'm not looking too hard at Scrapyard anymore because they don't have much currently available and this is sort of a thing that I need very soon.
 
squiggi305 said:
i can tell you from experince that fort bragg does not issue combat knives as was there for four years and 2 deployments in an infantry unit i baught my own i got some good use out of it and as for the bayonette they suck also you should find outu from your chain of command what you can carry not your frends you might end up getting a knife and not being able to carry it becaue of laws and media
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It will all be dependant upon your CoC I guess. What unit were you in? I was in the 505th PIR, 82nd ABN and our unit supply was buying benchmade, kershaw, gerber, SOG knives, multi tools, etc and handing them out like candy. And thats just regarding knives.
 
With Swamp Rat and Busse both there has always been the issue of supply and demand. Big demand, limited supply.

Both companys use the same equipment at different times (Busse days, SRKW nights and weekends), and Jerry simply won't increase production at the expense of quality.

Doing only 1 model at a time doesn't help much either if it's not the one you want, but does cut down on the wait time since they are just doing the 1.

Watching the exchange for what you are interested in is a art form, but can be rewarding.

As far as Justin's knives go, I wouldn't hesitate to carry one into harms way. More than a few people who own Busse or Rats also have some Rangers thrown in. There is a good bit of mutual admiration between both.

Excellent blades and workmanship.

Rob
 
rockon said:
The thing that's begun to concern me about the Ka-Bar D2 is the stick tang, in the case that I'd ever have to use it to pry something open...and the durability of the D2 steel in terms of impacts. Do you not foresee this to be an issue?


If it came down to a Scrapyard S6, Ranger RD7, Ontario RAT-7, or Swamp Rat Camp Tramp/Ratweiler, what would you all recommend?
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https://www.kabar.com/product_detai...goryId=1,3,7,9&categoryName=Military/Tactical

http://countycomm.com/PRYBAR.htm

A Ka-Bar breaking from cutting a wraper is BS all the way.
 
I'm leaning towards the RD6 now, and will probably have this whole thing wrapped up in short order. The Scrapyard and Swamp Rat stuff being unavailable just makes my decision easier. After serious consideration I think the RD6 trumps the RD7 in terms of my needs. The RD7 is probably just more knife than I need. It needs to have utility for assorted jobs and not just big ones like chopping, etc. I think the 6" of cutting space on the RD6 will probably be fine. Any other thoughts?
 
I realize that Cold Steel is a little controversial, but that's mostly because of the man that runs Cold Steel, Lynn Thompson, a rather flamboyant fellow if ever there was one. He really turns some people off, but I just ignore him and his sales antics while I enjoy their cutlery and other products. I'm a real believer in Cold Steel's carbon steel blades. Been using 'em for 20 years.

I think Cold Steel's Recon Scout would serve you well, but carefully consider their Recon Tanto, too. It's also 7 inches and if it comes down to using it for a pry bar I'll bet it's AT LEAST as tough and durable as the Recon Scout. If you're not accustomed to that blade shape it does look kind of strange at first, but it grows on you and probably has the strongest point any design could have. It might be slightly lighter than a Recon Scout, too, and it's one choppin' son-of-a-gun! It's a fine slicer, too, because of the slight but continuous curve to the edge. And if any knife will stick through body armor, I'll bet that Recon Tanto is the one.

If you are willing to go down to an even lighter 6 inch knife, look at their SRK (Survival Rescue Knife). It's clip point blade is about as strong as the Recon Scout, but the point is probably not as strong as the Recon Tanto. Still, it's a great all purpose knife that's chosen by a lot of servicemen now.

From time to time Cold Steel sells what they call "factory seconds" or just "seconds." If they have one available in the model you want, it will be an even better bargain. There is no structural flaw of any kind in these seconds, and the cosmetic flaws are so minor they are difficult to find. I own a number of their seconds and I've never had a moment's regret for having bought one. They are all excellent knives for about half price.

Now if you have any money left get some "small cutlery" for your pockets. I recommend at least one Victorinox "Farmer" model of the Swiss Army Knife line. That particular model is the best you can get in my not so humble opinion. Then get one of the Gerber multi-tools to go with it, or if money is running low by now get yourself one Vise-Grip model 5WR to go with your Victorinox Farmer. Going this route won't lose you much by not getting one of these too-damn-expensive folding multi-tools.

And if you still have a few bucks left stash a couple of Douk-Douks or Mercators in your gear somewhere. They are thin, tough, simple, and have stood the test of time in their original designs. Easy to hide, they both date back nearly a hundred years. I'd say they are perfected by now.

Put lanyards on your folding knives, too. Paracord works. Don't lose 'em!
 
Dr. Mudd said:
I think Cold Steel's Recon Scout would serve you well, but carefully consider their Recon Tanto, too. It's also 7 inches and if it comes down to using it for a pry bar I'll bet it's AT LEAST as tough and durable as the Recon Scout. If you're not accustomed to that blade shape it does look kind of strange at first, but it grows on you and probably has the strongest point any design could have. It might be slightly lighter than a Recon Scout, too, and it's one choppin' son-of-a-gun! It's a fine slicer, too, because of the slight but continuous curve to the edge. And if any knife will stick through body armor, I'll bet that Recon Tanto is the one.

If you are willing to go down to an even lighter 6 inch knife, look at their SRK (Survival Rescue Knife). It's clip point blade is about as strong as the Recon Scout, but the point is probably not as strong as the Recon Tanto. Still, it's a great all purpose knife that's chosen by a lot of servicemen now.

Now if you have any money left get some "small cutlery" for your pockets. I recommend at least one Victorinox "Farmer" model of the Swiss Army Knife line. That particular model is the best you can get in my not so humble opinion. Then get one of the Gerber multi-tools to go with it, or if money is running low by now get yourself one Vise-Grip model 5WR to go with your Victorinox Farmer. Going this route won't lose you much by not getting one of these too-damn-expensive folding multi-tools.

And if you still have a few bucks left stash a couple of Douk-Douks or Mercators in your gear somewhere. They are thin, tough, simple, and have stood the test of time in their original designs. Easy to hide, they both date back nearly a hundred years. I'd say they are perfected by now.

Put lanyards on your folding knives, too. Paracord works. Don't lose 'em!
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I looked pretty hard at the Recon Scout (carbon variety) but I don't like the hilt and it might be a bit too thick actually...I like the thickness of the Rangers and others...I think .25" is ideal. As for the SRK, I looked at that too, but there's something about it I don't like...not sure what. I'm being rational now, right? :D I do like the Secure-Ex sheaths though...I wish more knife manufacturers used that concept in their sheaths.

I've already got a Gerber, not sure what model though. I scoped out the Swiss Army site...has the Farmer been discontinued? Couldn't find it on there.

Thanks for the info. :)

nuggett said:
Bark River Bravo 1
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I looked for it on their website and that particular link didn't work. I haven't been able to dig up much by Googling em either.:confused:
 
I have about 200 knives in my collection. Many will do the job of each other. There are several nice tactical FB's out there but my favorite in my collection is the AL MAR Operator. Five inch, full tang, S30V. Fantastic knife. Yes, only 5" but I'd take it over most larger knives. This knife is especially designed as a tactical knife. I've studied edged weapons usage for years and I can't say enough good things about this knife for self defense or any type of tactical situation.

I also love their SERE 2000 folder, which I also own. Possibly the toughest folder on the market.

Good luck
 
As mentioned at the outset of this thread and several times thereafter, with everything said only positive...

Ranger Knives.
RD7 or RD6.
 
I think they cost about double what Justin charges for his
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It does seem like the Swamp Rat line has been creeping upward in price. That Mini Mojo will set you back $217 with the sheath, which is far more than I paid for my Battle Rat a few years ago.
 
What about the Ontario Randall knives? I've been looking at these and like them especially for the price. Anything better in that price range?
Sorry, I don't mean to steal the thread, but don't like clogging the forum either.
 
jml90 said:
What about the Ontario Randall knives? I've been looking at these and like them especially for the price. Anything better in that price range?
Sorry, I don't mean to steal the thread, but don't like clogging the forum either.
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I think they are a pretty good option. It depends exactly what you are after and how you use your knife (even location). They are thinner than Rangers, so theoretically ought to slice better, but the .25 thick Rangers out of 5160 ought to be more indestructible -- Busse on a budget, so to speak.

So think about how and where you use your knife and buy accordingly. Or save your bucks and buy a Busse.
 
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