The One Knife (You actually have with you)..... Suggestions please

J

joshiecole

Joined
Apr 29, 2012
Messages
515
Hi guys,


So Ive just been through an illness that I believe many of us here have been through -- The quest for the ONE knife! :p

I started out with a Busse Boss Jack.... Realised I needed more chopping power, and got a Busse Team Gemini.... realised I still needed more chopping power, and got a Busse Battle Mistress... That should have been that, end of story 'The One' found. But it wasn't.

I've been rethinking my philosophy of use and realised that what I really want is one smaller knife which I will always have with me which I can then layer on top with axes, or machetes according to the terrain.

This actually makes more sense as a survival knife as it will be very rare that I will go for a walk to the shops and end up on a do or die mission to the North Pole! :D

I want something that is EDC-able, less than 7-8oz, preferably around a 4'' blade. I want something that is tough enough to baton through small-medium branches. Something that is stainless enough that it can be kept in my swim shorts when I'm sailing/cliff climbing/swimming. And finally something that holds an edge well enough for processing game

The two knives that I keep coming back to are the Fallkniven F1 and the Extrema Ratio BF2TT

You might say 'wait a minute these knives are completely different!?' and you'd be right, but I believe they both might fulfill all of the above criteria.

Firstly, toughness:
--F1 is laminate steel, which while it may occasionally micro chip, will be easily strong enough to baton with

--BF2 is n690 cobalt steel which is pretty tough (worth watching the destruction testing of the ER Rao on youtube) and should be fine for occasional batoning

Secondly, stainlessness:
-- F1 is VG10 laminated with a softer stainless steel.. both should have strong stainlessness

--BF2 is n690 as I mentioned above, and is supposed to be incredibly stainless (and should be at 17% chrome content)

Finally, edge retention:

--F1 should be decent, the number of positive reviews on the subject is impressive

--I'm unsure on the BF2, apparently it is inferior to S30v on edge retention, but I have no personal experience with it yet so....?


Anyway, if you older, wiser heads had any thoughts on the subject I'd love to here them, including suggestions of other knives that might fulfill this role :)

Thanks
 
Gerber makes a gator series 4" fixed blade made in the USA with S30V, it has Bell and Carlson Glass filled nylon scales. I am not big Gerber fan but they hit a homerun with this one. The sheath leaves a bit to be desired but I have all three models and am amazed with the edge retention and ergonimics. They are pretty subtle in appearence, so public friendly but they can take a beating. The S30V is hard on belts when sharpening I switched to hand sharpening with a diamond stone but you can go for a pretty long stretch before the blade needs touched up. I am pretty happy with the Gerber Gator, US made, good handle feel for me (its a hard material that has some grippy bumps). I think you would enjoy it they were originally over $100 but I think they were being a bit optimistic when they put that price on them. They are in the bargain cave at cabelas for $65 thats why I bought the other two after using the first one for a year or so and putting through some hard but not abusive use. They weigh 6.5 Oz. check one out if you get a chance before they are gone.
 
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I have no experience with either of the knives you mentioned. But one series I have fallen absolutely in love with is the Bark River STS knives. I wanted a good chopper and found a good deal on a user STS-8. Boy am I hooked. I have an STS-5 in the mail which will probably become my go to outdoors knife. Now all I need is an STS-3. They're 154CM so should be good on corrosion resistance. Definately worth a look.
 
The F1 is a good choice, no idea on the BF2.Never used one.

And yes it is strong enough to baton.

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Does fine work too


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Used it for all the bits and pieces and fitting of a two piece pot-hanger...

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Diced, I checked out the Gator, thanks for showing me that :) It's one to think about, although I'm not sure I'm a fan of the grind -- looks scandi-ish

Dayhiker, Nice F1, such a great looking blade with it's clean lines. Thanks for the pics, looks like you've been putting it to good use! Have you ever had any chipping issues?

Thanks
 
BigFatts, the STS-5 looks great, but I've read a few different reports about Barkies chipping out. Am I just being paranoid? I think that was with A2 blades anyway
 
Well I don't have the 5 in hand yet, but I've done some hacking with the 8 and haven't noticed anything to that effect. I believe I do recall hearing about it with some of their older carbon blades.
 
for me, this "one knife" would be my Mora Bushcraft Triflex.
Honestly, my most expensive fixed blade until now is Enzo Camper which come in D2; so I am lack of experience.

But what made me really fallen for Mora Bushcraft are almost everything: hidden tang (so I don't mind rust on the handle), the ergonomics, and the blade thickness. the steel is really easy to sharpen, I've done sharpening it with car's windows until shaving sharp, and the edge retention, while the Enzo D2 or my Spydie GB is better, is acceptable for me. The sheath is also nice (not great because the belt ring? easily fell - fixed it with zip ties) which I don't mind cleaning up. BUT if someone could make something similar to this model using CPM-M4 or VG10 or at least D2, and contoured micarta handles and a nice kydex sheath... that's would be different story.

;)
 
I was gonna go with Swamp Rat Rodent Solution till you threw in the swimming part. If I'm water bound I'm carrying either my Entrek Javalina or Entrek Backup Utility. Ray Ennis does 440C as well as anyone. The Entrek's were early purchases in my "Oh my god THIS is the best knife EVER!" frenzy, but after the dust settled and the frenzy slowed I kept coming back to those two knives. I always have my Izula II on during a normal day, and have a "few" other choices for time in the woods, but if you want a bomb-proof stainless knife made in the USA with an awesome warranty, either of those Entreks would fit the bill.
 
When out for short hikes I tend to take a regular mora companion carbon steel grean plastic sheath. I would not think about it as a survival knife per se, but it is light weight, durable, sharp and the Scandi Grind is a blessing for ease of touching up the blade with a smoth streambed rock if need be. I have a few Mora Robust models that are a bit thicker that I have yet to use much. I also have the Mora Bushcraft but it usually hangs out with the majority of my knives in the safe. I have Mora Companions stashed everywhere cars, bags, etc due to their low cost and high functionality (skinning game, cutting muchrooms, vegies fruit, wood craft you name it, a cheap mora can do it (yes, even batoning, if you dont go all retarded monkey with it). I think you really need to find a handle style that is comfortable to you if you will be using any knife for long periods. It does not matter if its made of cryptonite supersteel from another galaxie if the handle causes blisters, or muscle cramping the experiance will not be pleasent. I buy a majority of my blades online, due to the lack of brick and morter stores around me having a large selection. But I know I have at least 30-40 fixed blades that I could use for bit but would not want to have to butcher a deer with them just because of the handle fit. To me its the most important thing, moras fit my medium sized hand perfectly. The Gerber gator does as well but it is is scandi -ish but its got a slight hollow grind and a convex bevel on the blade, (I did some work on the one I use for hunting)
 
joshiecole said:
Dayhiker, Nice F1, such a great looking blade with it's clean lines. Thanks for the pics, looks like you've been putting it to good use! Have you ever had any chipping issues?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Only from a brick and one from a carpet staple. Even so a knife still cuts stuff with a chip in it ;). And sooner or later they do sharpen out.
 
Creaky Bones, theres a lot of things I like about sr101 steel (52100) It's very tough, and I'm reliably informed that it holds a better ege than INFI. If the blade were coated do you think it could cope wth occasional immersion in salt water if oiled and looked after? After all, I'm not a full-time sailor or fisherman! :p
 
If you were careful in caring for it, I'm sure it would be fine. I absolutely love my rodent solution and my Ratmandu. I just would be more comfortable with one of the Entreks in salt water, and while playing with my knives the other day I realized that the Backup Utility and the RS are very similar in size. I've read a number of posts where folks use an Entrek as their dive knife, and one of his models is a dive knife, but the only difference is the design. The RS has a much more comfortable handle for me because it's fatter in hand, but after comparing the two side-by-side I really began to appreciate the Entrek more than I had before. I occasionally work in/around salt water, and when I do one of the Entreks is always on my belt. Of course if I were just swimming at the beach I'd probably just throw my Spyderco Pacific Salt in my shorts just in case I needed to stab a giant great white shark in his eyeball...or maybe a wee bit more realistically cut apart a tangle of line.
 
Thanks everyone for your input.

In the end I managed to get a trade on a Busse Badger Attack, which is more or less exactly what I was looking for. Creaky Bones, it's actually not dissimilar to your idea about the RMD, only with more stainlessness :)

It has a blade of about 5 inches which is a nice length.

In terms of toughness its design and steel combo is going to very difficult to beat.

INFI is also stainless to all intents and purposes, Ive seen INFI that has been left outside all year which has developed nothing more than a patina

I've read plenty of reviews saying that the Badger Attack is a great skinner.

The only potential cause for concern is the weight. I had originally said I wanted something no heavier than 8oz, however the Badger Attack is about 12. However once I have ground an between half an inch and an inch of the butt it should be quite close to my target weight.

It should be pretty carry-able in several carry-modes. It should be barely noticeable carried scout-style or possibly strapped to the thigh depending on my need.


Overall I think it will be a great knife to be my base layer in my kit, before layering up with an axe or machete for heavier chopping. It should also be a lighter combo than the 'One Big Knife' option, as well as increasing performance at both ends of the spectrum
 
I also bought a load of CPM 3V steel from the US and will be making a few blades that attempt to match this POU. If people are interested I will update this thread with pics?
 
We're always interested in seeing WIP's, and knife porn is good.

Post 'em up!

And next time, you don't even have to ask...
 
My Pork Shank is the ONE.
When ever I carry a fixed blade, it's my PS.
Now finding the ONE folder... that's a problem
 
Haha, Rolf, I think the problem with knife collecting is that as soon as we get a grail we move the goalposts!

Folders gets tricky because there's so many considerations... I personally love the look of the Bradley Alias but it costs twice as much here in the UK than it does in the US which is annoying
 
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