There's been a lot of talk in the knife community about White River knives being the best survival knives in the world...

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I have a few of them the bevels are consistently off. One side 20 one 25-30 is what I normally find at least my 4 have been that way. Once that is fixed I've been pretty happy with them.
 
Made by the family that used make cammenga compasses.

Most I've seen have been good quality, don't know about all this talk as I've heard very little about them outside of from Jerry fisk and directly from them at their blade show booth.
 
I've had a couple WR and they are well made. I don't think there is a such thing as the best of any knife in any category. There are simply too many that are equal to one another.
 
I'm glad out I crawled out from under my rock in time to hear about this. I'm not familiar with this brand. What are they the best in the world at? I've heard nothing about them here at the largest knife forum. Instagram? I don't have social media so no idea.

I'm not really a fixed blade guy.
 
Never heard any talk of them.

I have viewed them in passing on my favourite knife buying site, and some models looked intriguing.
Camp Cleaver caught my eye. Not cheap, but not the highest priced knife I ever saw.
It's on my list of things to buy when I find that giant sack of gold I keep looking for. ;)
 
stabman said:
Never heard any talk of them.

I have viewed them in passing on my favourite knife buying site, and some models looked intriguing.
Camp Cleaver caught my eye. Not cheap, but not the highest priced knife I ever saw.
It's on my list of things to buy when I find that giant sack of gold I keep looking for. ;)
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I love gold, the look of it the smell of it the taste of it.
 
My ursus 45 is one of my 3 common carry fixed blades for outdoors. At 4.5" it is just long enough to do most tasks I ask of it. It is kinda plain when you look at it and easy to pass by since it has no real curb appeal. But once you spend time with it (took me about 3 trips to nowhere) it grows on you.
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to the op - yeah they are expensive, esp. if you consider the low price & high utility of a mora companion (or most of their lineup)

you don't need to spend hundreds to get a good all around survival knife, but many 200+ priced knives still have a following
(whether it's upgraded steel, ergos, fit and finish or so many other factors is why so many people hang out on these forums)
 
I have one. My only complaint is a real nitpick. It came with a fancy wooden box that I don't know what to do with, as the knife is a user. I would rather the knife had come in a cardboard box and save a few bucks. The knife itself, is great.
 
BlindMouse2of3 said:
My ursus 45 is one of my 3 common carry fixed blades for outdoors. At 4.5" it is just long enough to do most tasks I ask of it. It is kinda plain when you look at it and easy to pass by since it has no real curb appeal. But once you spend time with it (took me about 3 trips to nowhere) it grows on you.
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The middle one right? I've looked at it a few times and it appears to be the exact size and profile that I've been looking for.
 
I guess you could say that I am (now) a fixed blade guy ...

Played with the idea of buying a White River more than once, but the combo of steel and specs was never as attractive as other offerings or a custom knife with similar specs and at similar price. For example, I won’t use S35VN in a larger fixed blade, I don’t care for fire-making notches in scales, etc. In other words, at this price level a fixed blade better be perfect for what I’m looking for, and White River knives just never were for me.
 
stabman said:
Never heard any talk of them.

I have viewed them in passing on my favourite knife buying site, and some models looked intriguing.
Camp Cleaver caught my eye. Not cheap, but not the highest priced knife I ever saw.
It's on my list of things to buy when I find that giant sack of gold I keep looking for. ;)
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40+ years of eating lucky charms and I still haven't found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
 
madcap_magician said:
OP dine & dash attempt to pot stir? 🙄
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I'd have to agree with this line of thinking. Especially with the opening line...

"There's been a lot of talk in the knife community about White River knives being the best survival knives in the world."

No there hasn't.

But I have a White River Sendero Pack knife that might be the best hunting knife I ever owned. It's truly a great piece.

Also, their Knucklehead is the best mushrooming knife I've ever carried. So there's a couple of bests in my book anyways.

I don't think they are overpriced. You get every nickle's worth out of them.
 
ferider said:
I guess you could say that I am (now) a fixed blade guy ...

Played with the idea of buying a White River more than once, but the combo of steel and specs was never as attractive as other offerings or a custom knife with similar specs and at similar price. For example, I won’t use S35VN in a larger fixed blade, I don’t care for fire-making notches in scales, etc. In other words, at this price level a fixed blade better be perfect for what I’m looking for, and White River knives just never were for me.
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It's a bit like CRK. White River was using S30V for a long time at RC59, then has rapidly changed to S35VN and then S45VN, where they've seemingly settled for the time being, although they've experimented with Magnacut a little. If they start making Backpackers and Backpacker Pros out of Magnacut at RC62-63, I'll probably buy half a dozen versions of it. It is just the most perfectly executed ultralight backpacking knife.
 
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sharp_edge said:
The middle one right? I've looked at it a few times and it appears to be the exact size and profile that I've been looking for.
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Yes (recycled picture), the bottom is a 4" Lt wright and top is a field buddy 5.5 both in 3v. I wish the ursus was in 3v aswell but it seems to hold up just fine.
 
I also hear a lot of news about this guy EngrSorenson being the most handsome, most talented and most humble man in America.
I really want to know more about why he's so great.

The problem with assessing "best survival knife" is that I'm willing to bet there's more survival knives than people who've actually utilized them for real survival.
The odds are even smaller that the same person has laid his life on the line twice with two different "survival" knives.
for most people I'm sure an ESEE or a Mora or a White River would all be more than adequate.
 
ferider said:
I guess you could say that I am (now) a fixed blade guy ...

Played with the idea of buying a White River more than once, but the combo of steel and specs was never as attractive as other offerings or a custom knife with similar specs and at similar price. For example, I won’t use S35VN in a larger fixed blade, I don’t care for fire-making notches in scales, etc. In other words, at this price level a fixed blade better be perfect for what I’m looking for, and White River knives just never were for me.
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Let me give an example, a picture says more than thousand words and all that.

Played with the idea of buying this one (Scotty is a BF sponsor, so I hope that's OK):

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I prefer these ones (of very roughly similar specs) instead, the last one is a custom in S7. All 3 are similarly priced (+- 50 bucks or so)

i-X5pLqH2-X3.jpg


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I'm not saying White River knives are overpriced. Just that there are some other very cool choices in that price range.

Roland.
 
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