Keep in mind that discussing toughness is not simply a matter of breaking the entire knife, it can be reduced to breaking/chipping vs rolling at the
very edge of your knife, i.e. dulling. Wear-resistance is against
abrasive wear, most commonly experienced cutting material like cardboard, rope, hair-fibers (shaving & skinning), scraping (planer blades), etc. Slicing meat & veggies, carving/whittling wood, anytime there is risk of edge-impact - these depend more upon strength and toughness of the edge, i.e. highest hardness coupled with highest possible toughness in the thinnest possible geometry to stabilize it.
1095CV at ~56Rc (e.g. Becker/Kabar BK-16) has the lowest strength, toughness, and wear-resistance of the group. Unless it features substantially thinner geometry, it is inferior on all counts, and the coating is thicker and prone to dragging. Also, the product design (handle shape, materials, sheath, etc.) may be inferior, though the handle is longer, more accommodating of medium-large hands than the SK-4. And the BK-16 can be had for <$70.
BRKT Bravo 1 in A2 steel @ 58-59Rc is stronger and tougher and should have thinner edge geometry for improved cutting efficiency (though this may equalize them in strength/toughness, which is indeed the point). However the standard Bravo1 design is pretty sad. To begin, it is too fat but the "LT" version is better, you need to be sure to order one that is
rampless, preferably
drop-point, their thumb-jimping is NOT user friendly, they've had sheath issues so be selective there, their vast offering of pretty scales are mostly too slick, and the handle is so straight and round (at least on the fat version) that the knife tends to twist in hand. The destruction-test on a Bravo 1 did not go well (edge too fragile), but as previously stated it is quite thin at the edge (or mine was, anyway) and it sounds like you won't use it too hard. Oh, and then there is the reputation of their fans and the owner (Mike Stewart) ... yeah, I won't go there. And you can get all that for $200+ especially if you upgrade to 3V.
Survive! SK-4 is S7 steel @ 57-58Rc, much tougher than the rest but not
quite as strong, not
quite as wear-resistant as A2, it has 2X thicker edge geometry than the Bravo1 (0.028" vs 0.015") so it won't cut as aggressively unless modified... but it has superior handle design, the blade is cerakote'd to prevent corrosion, it comes with an
excellent sheath, and as
B34NS indicated, it is easy to sharpen. Can be had for <$160.
Survive! GSO-4.1 is somewhat superior to the SK-4 in almost every way but is also more expensive ~$190 unless a "factory second".
IMHO, I'd sooner check out the Makers section and get a custom knife rather than a BRKT:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/754-For-Sale-Fixed-Blades
If something you like doesn't pop up, you could always contact a maker (like KalEl above) and arrange something. There are also other BRKT models, I just pick on the one I've owned.
The BK-16 is cheaper, and lots of folks will happily make due with that :thumbup: Also you can upgrade it to micarta scales, get a better sheath, strip the coating ... in the end you'll pay as much for it as for the others but if that handle is more comfortable you won't regret it. The Survive! Knives are worth the money, imho, but may require thinning down the edge-shoulders to improve cutting if that is your desire. They certainly come shaving-sharp from the factory (I have video to prove it). However, if the handle doesn't suit you or can't be modified to your liking, you'll regret the purchase... but you could always sell it for little if any loss and still get something else
As with most BF suggestions, get ALL of them and THEN decide
) Although I don't have Jerry's exact quote, he said that SR77 and INFI had the same level of strength with every other major characteristic (toughness, wear resistance, edge holding, corrosion resistance, etc.) going in favor of INFI . . . as you might expect.
