Tough Fixed Blade over 5 inches

HelixKing

HelixKing

Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Messages
67
Hey everyone,
Just seeing what people would recommend for a great all around fixed blade made of strong steel that is more resistant to chipping, rolling, etc. I realize my request is pretty broad. I'm more or less looking to see what you have all used or use frequently, or have heard are pretty extraordinary knives. My price range is $450 or less. And I'll probably be using it for chopping, bushcraft, cutting heavy line/rope, hunting and many other hard tasks. Shape or make doesn't matter, definitely open to custom and small knife makers. Much thanks in advance.

-Mitch
 
LionSteel M7 with a 7" blade of Sleipner tool steel (6" cutting edge, 0.22" thick), full tang and a one-piece micarta handle. You can get it with satin or black blade and it includes a nice kydex sheath. Weighs 14.4 ounces without sheath. High-quality piece like other knives by LionSteel.

Goes for $265 satin at BladeHQ.

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LionSteel M7 from the LionSteel 2014 Catalog:

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Here you go Mitch

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This is a Randall Made Knife 7 1/2 inch blade, company has been around for a while (1937 or there a abouts) this is a Model 14 with a full tang. I have had it for around 20 plus years, been to some interesting places and has seen some hard use. If I had to go to hell and back and had a choice of any knife on the market this would be the one I'd take. There are many hard use knives with exotic steels out there, but none have a 75 year history and have been in every major conflict/war since WW2. The 4 year wait is testament to their popularity and quality, however on the forums and ebay the Model 14 could be had around your price range. Good luck with your search.
 
With your price range I would say you could go with a Busse. They are expensive and I'm not sure that they offer all that much more performance than less expensive knives, but they are hard to beat. I don't know what the current buying situation is, whether you can buy a new one or if you have to buy on the used market.
 
Koster Bushmaster 3V. it is >5", >.200 inch stock.

Buck "Punk" in 5160, Svord Von Tempsky Ranger in L6, Boker plus Vox camp knife in D2, Ontario and Ka bar , etc. You have many choices and should try a few out in hand if possible. Getting what you want and need the first time is tough as you don't really know what you like until you begin using knives but it's worth the time and effort unless you want to end up buying one of everything ( little exaggeration naturally) like a lot of us end up doing.
 
Here's a much cheaper version of what you want. Benchmade Bushcrafter. It is made from s30v has a 4 inch blade and micarta handles. There's a really good uber comprehensive review of it on Rocky Mountain Bushcraft. check it out, it's awesome, goes for around 100
 
I'm just gonna say it.

Cold Steel Warcraft Tanto.

7.5" CPM-3V blade, kydex sheath, well balanced, can be had for about $150, and it's nearly indestructible.
 
The two knives that I take in the 5"+ range that I like are the Dozier Professional Guides knife and the Blackjack 125. Both are around 5-5.5". I have larger ones (like the Becker BK-7), but I seldom ever carry one of them. I would not be doing serious batonning with either of these personally, but I seldom baton anything anyway.

Folks mentioned Busse, I agree, one of these would do most of everything if you are willing to use it for smaller/finer tasks. The Kabar Becker BK-2 or ESEE 6 would handle the same tasks at a much lower price point.
 
Swamp Rat RatManDu (or Ratweiler if you're going to do a lot of chopping).
 
For much less than 450$:
Swamp Rat Ratmandu, generally considered one of the best in the ~5" range
ESEE 5/6, or the Laser Strike, which despite the cheesy name is a great knife. A little smaller than 5" though
Böker Vox Rold awesome knife, love mine:thumbup:

But if you want to spend all your money, get a Busse TGLB while they're available or a SwampRat Ratweiler LE :thumbup:
 
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A lot of cheaper options out there too. The Ratmandu is a bit smaller than this and much less expensive.
 
Here's another vote for the Lionsteel M7. I'm having a hard time deciding between that and the Knife Research Legion.
 
Of course, chipping and rolling or two seperate issues. Chipping is what you get from a harder/brittle steel (stainless maybe?) and rolling from a softer steel (high carbon). Any quality steel from a quality manufacturer would likely make you happy. Basic high carbon steel like 1084/1095 are incredible if given a really good heat treat, which is easy with the simple old steels which have been used forever so companies have decades of experience tweaking them for maximum performance. It's easy to find opinions on this site and after you continually see the same companies recommended (like ESEE, Becker, Busse etc.) you get a good idea of who is quality and who isn't. There are also high-end steels, but they still fall into different categories. Busse has Infi, which is reputed to roll, not chip. Some companies use hard stainless steel, which if abused will chip. Rolling can often be fixed, chips cannot. That's why you see so many people recommend high carbon, or Infi, and not super hard steels for rough use. Lionsteel's Sleipner seems a good example of a newer steel capable of both high hardness and chip resistance. That Lionsteel knife recommended by Ramzar should be incredible and that price is not bad at all. At the same time, an ESEE 6 would likely handle all the abuse you could throw at it, it's easy to repair dings and resharpen the edge, and they can be found on the exchange for under a $100 LNIB. ESEE also has a no questions asked warranty. IF you screw up the knife due to total bafoonery, you'll get it replaced. Period. The ESEE 5 is less woodsy to me, but at 1/4" thick it will not let you down. Same warranty and availability as the 6.

I vote to go high carbon, high quality like ESEE or Becker and keep the extra $350 for when your transmission goes out:D
 
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