Recommendation? The best survival / daily chef's knife?

If it's going to be a regular hard use outdoor/camp knife AND using it regularly in the kitchen, you need 2 knives.
There is no single do everything knife that will work well for what you state your needs are.
Period.
It does not, and can not exist. The uses are far too dissimilar.
A knife you can baton with, and beat up outdoors is going to absolutely suck in the kitchen. While a good hard use kitchen knife is going to snap within a day of hard outdoor use.
Get yourself a $30-$40 Victorinox chef knife and leave it in the kitchen. Then buy that perfect (for you) camp knife.
 
DannyTheSwede said:
That is very helpful, Sir. Really appreciate it. When reading up on steels, the information is often quite skewed due to all the proprietary steels.
I've tried quite a few steels when collecting high-carbon swords and knives, and abused them without hesitation.
But I'm learning more about this stainless new trend which seems to FINALLY bring some toughness.
Which would be the top tough steel that would never need to be oiled, and could be cleaned with dish soap on the daily?
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In general I prefer carbon steel knives over stainless steel for performance. Stainless steels are just necessary for knives that are around water or for when maintenance isn't convenient. For stainless I prefer S30V or S35VN.

You should also check out Busse Combat's propietary steel INFI. Although not a stainless steel it is very good at resisting rust. INFI rates very high in toughness and edge retention. Finding a blade profile that meets your needs will be the challenge. I wish Jerry Busse will provide Jerry Hossom some INFI.

I am interested in trying out the Extrema Ratio brand of knives with the N690 Bohler steel.
 
NorthernSouthpaw said:
If it's going to be a regular hard use outdoor/camp knife AND using it regularly in the kitchen, you need 2 knives.
There is no single do everything knife that will work well for what you state your needs are.
Period.
It does not, and can not exist. The uses are far too dissimilar.
A knife you can baton with, and beat up outdoors is going to absolutely suck in the kitchen. While a good hard use kitchen knife is going to snap within a day of hard outdoor use.
Get yourself a $30-$40 Victorinox chef knife and leave it in the kitchen. Then buy that perfect (for you) camp knife.
Click to expand...
This chef is cutting everything with a WW2 model Khukuri that has a what looks like a 10 inch blade and is at least 1/4 inch thick. He slices, onions, pineapples and peppers into pretty small pieces. Then debones and filets a salmon with very precise cuts.

 
Sundsvall said:
This chef is cutting everything with a WW2 model Khukuri that has a what looks like a 10 inch blade and is at least 1/4 inch thick. He slices, onions, pineapples and peppers into pretty small pieces. Then debones and filets a salmon with very precise cuts.

Click to expand...

Definitely doesn't look like his first rodeo! Great skills....

Mikel
 
Sundsvall said:
In general I prefer carbon steel knives over stainless steel for performance. Stainless steels are just necessary for knives that are around water or for when maintenance isn't convenient. For stainless I prefer S30V or S35VN.

You should also check out Busse Combat's propietary steel INFI. Although not a stainless steel it is very good at resisting rust. INFI rates very high in toughness and edge retention. Finding a blade profile that meets your needs will be the challenge. I wish Jerry Busse will provide Jerry Hossom some INFI.

I am interested in trying out the Extrema Ratio brand of knives with the N690 Bohler steel.
Click to expand...

If you like S30V have you looked into Spyderco fixed blades?
They are going to be good quality HT and not butcher your food. think of the food prep, the other stuff doesn't matter, you can split wood with grenades and wedges, but at least prep your food correctly at camp, nobody wants shitty food.
 
Arathol said:
Its huge, 15" overall, well above your latest requirement for 30cm overall. Chest rig or scout carry? Not with that knife...
Good for canoeing? Yup, weight is a pound and a half. Tie a rope on it and theres your anchor.
Weight should be of primary consideration, yet you have made no mention of it at all. You don't want two smaller knives that would probably be easier to carry and lighter over all though......
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As stated, the biggest knives are still too big. Yet they can impress with their complete overall construction.
And many knives come in size alternatives.

I advise you to go to a thread were you offer value.
 
NorthernSouthpaw said:
If it's going to be a regular hard use outdoor/camp knife AND using it regularly in the kitchen, you need 2 knives.
There is no single do everything knife that will work well for what you state your needs are.
Period.
It does not, and can not exist. The uses are far too dissimilar.
A knife you can baton with, and beat up outdoors is going to absolutely suck in the kitchen. While a good hard use kitchen knife is going to snap within a day of hard outdoor use.
Get yourself a $30-$40 Victorinox chef knife and leave it in the kitchen. Then buy that perfect (for you) camp knife.
Click to expand...
I have stainless kitchen knives, I have high-carbon choppers. I came to the forum to see what the more cunning would say about the likes of Jeo-Tec 37 that caught my eye being "abused while stainless". Clearly some have already caught up to the new possibilities. But some people can't just find the thread for them, I guess. Is this what you guys always need to endure to have a goal-oriented discussion?
 
Sundsvall said:
This chef is cutting everything with a WW2 model Khukuri that has a what looks like a 10 inch blade and is at least 1/4 inch thick. He slices, onions, pineapples and peppers into pretty small pieces. Then debones and filets a salmon with very precise cuts.

Click to expand...
Thank you Sundsvall for being one of those who have actually used knives.
 
Sundsvall said:
In general I prefer carbon steel knives over stainless steel for performance. Stainless steels are just necessary for knives that are around water or for when maintenance isn't convenient. For stainless I prefer S30V or S35VN.

You should also check out Busse Combat's propietary steel INFI. Although not a stainless steel it is very good at resisting rust. INFI rates very high in toughness and edge retention. Finding a blade profile that meets your needs will be the challenge. I wish Jerry Busse will provide Jerry Hossom some INFI.

I am interested in trying out the Extrema Ratio brand of knives with the N690 Bohler steel.
Click to expand...
You can't miss the Busse reputation. Their INFI seems awesome indeed. Haven't found a perfect stock shape yet, but their Ash-1 Hogs are beauties.
I found it when all those chopper pros entered Forged in Fire and the spin-off Knife or Death. One of them swore by Busse.

But for everyone that does not believe in the new stainless toughness, what say you about the ones that are actually put to the test?
Jeo-Tec, Extrema, Ontario, etcetera. I know it USED to be brittle, but the videos are there.
 
I didn’t read all the entries so my apologies if this has already been said…

Have you considered a coated carbon steel blade?

It sounds like you’re looking for a survival knife first. (E.g. you need durability more than cutting performance/efficiency). I’m thinking the best way to compromise is by getting a blade that’s slightly thinner than 1/4” so you can at least make french fries/chop an onion, etc without crushing your food with a super thick edge.

In my collection, the knife that I think comes closest to your desires is the Stapyard Knife Company Alpha Dog 6. No glass breaker, and not stainless, but a true survivor at .2” thick.

2138363A-B022-433B-A605-B1F3408F4152.jpeg
 
DannyTheSwede said:
I advise you to go to a thread were you offer value.
Click to expand...

I'm glad I never offered any suggestions in this thread.

Your underlying condescending attitude towards several people who tried to help you is really becoming annoying. Maybe your "mission" should be to learn how to play well with others - especially those who do not share your point of view.
 
DannyTheSwede said:
The mission of this thread is in the title. I'm just looking for a nice stainless daily driver that could serve as so much more at occasions, where I only bring a 2-day backpack. Examples that happens: I need to cut a rope, I need to brake a plexi-glass, I need to pry something open, etcetera. But hopefully mostly cooking and eating by a nice campfire. An Esee-5 could do all of this, but not without utmost care each time it touched a liquid.

The Junglas would be a good chef's knife. But it is 1095, which is not up to par for the specific stainless goal. And I was comparing it when buying the Esee-5. I could easily use that for a lot of things. But it is a bit too long and narrow for prying, kinda prone to bending if I really went to town.

"thin, slicey chef knife that is 1/4" thick" is funny. But I never mentioned thin. The majority understood me, though. The form of a chef's knifes belly with "the edge below the handle" (as Spears stated quite clearly) but the strength of a survival knife. With maximally used real estate as a bonus.

So far, the Extrema Ratio Shrapnel One is a hell of a candidate.
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Man, gotta admit. This is bringing back harrowing memories of the last time I was out in the woods by a nice fire, trying to break down some carrots and potatoes for a nice stew and my julienne skills were on point, when outta nowhere, I was attacked by a feral sheet of plexiglass. I wish I'd had the right knife to do it all!!! Following eagerly!

🤣 🤣 🤣
 
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There's been a lot of great suggestions in the last 7 pages, I'm sure, so at this point he should do what was mentioned on the first page and just get a custom.

"but now I'm looking for a knife that's no more expensive than $19.99"
 
shane45-1911 said:
I'm glad I never offered any suggestions in this thread.

Your underlying condescending attitude towards several people who tried to help you is really becoming annoying. Maybe your "mission" should be to learn how to play well with others - especially those who do not share your point of view.
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I am the last person that wants to be condescending. It is never my intention. And I do not wish to offend anybody here. Merely suggest fitting posts.

The thread goal is very clear. I am on a mission to find a perfect knife for a specific goal, and share the findings with those who share the same goal for the moment. Everyone is welcome. But to just come in and state that it is a stupid goal, is to me of no value. Many years ago, I might have asked "what makes a knife good?", when I knew less. Now I know my needs and wants for daily use since I have more experience than before.

Why don't you start a thread that puts focus on the pros of packing different knives, or the benefits of 1095? I wouldn't disturb or judge you. I would gladly suggest L6 Bainite and other goodies. I guess that is why we have different threads in a forum. Am I wrong?
 
You have 7 pages of suggestions from a board populated by some of the most learned folks regarding edged tools on the internet. I'm not sure if you are going to find what you are looking for.

Out of my collection, if I were going to select a do-it-all survival knife that is nearly indestructible and can handle most anything thrown at it, I would go with the long discontinued Zero Tolerance 0180. It's a tad short for your mission parameters, but it's build hell for stout. The edge would need a little work to be what I would consider "slicey".

0180.jpg


This will be my only serious post in this rather goofy thread:P
 
scdub said:
I didn’t read all the entries so my apologies if this has already been said…

Have you considered a coated carbon steel blade?

It sounds like you’re looking for a survival knife first. (E.g. you need durability more than cutting performance/efficiency). I’m thinking the best way to compromise is by getting a blade that’s slightly thinner than 1/4” so you can at least make french fries/chop an onion, etc without crushing your food with a super thick edge.

In my collection, the knife that I think comes closest to your desires is the Stapyard Knife Company Alpha Dog 6. No glass breaker, and not stainless, but a true survivor at .2” thick.

View attachment 1649386
Click to expand...
I have. And the Alpha Dog 6 has a very nice silhouette!
Right now I'm looking for stainless though.
And I have seen several tough survival knives being sharp (with the right grind, heat-treatment, etcetera).
We have found a few in the thread.
Any suggestions?
 
DannyTheSwede said:
Good to know. New to this forum, gents :)
Perhaps a smatchet as well is in order, then. Is the saying American or of the forum?
No more kids need one of those childhoods without a dad, in this day and age.
One mom is enough to kiss a frog into a frogman.

The missions are very dynamic and surprising. Most of it is hopefully planning at a local base. In-and-out. No months of camping, but a few days perhaps.
All I know is that I live and survive by tough metal objects that goes through things.
And for those who got the impression I baton to stay warm at night... it is more of a super tough test for knives in general.
I normally drop-test all of my gear crazy amounts, because sometimes when descending, the impacts are tremendous.
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My curiosity has the better of me. What does this elite Spec-Ops magician unit you're with issue for this purpose? I mean, surely you aren't the first Tier 1 CQB fireteam shooter who's had the need to be able to extricate yourself from an armored transport while also being ready to filet a fish, right? I'd imagine they provide tools for the job, no?
 
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