Want your opinion: Best $100 camping knife

9

93redgsx

Joined
Aug 20, 2006
Messages
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Hey guys still a noob here but learning alot. I always have problems logging in so if dont respond right away im sorry in advance.

Im looking for a good camping knife. Wish I could afford a swamp rat. I looked on I belive Cliffs site with all the reviews and I read that the Becker BK9 is a good knife for the money. I looked at the Ontario Rat series but I dont know how well they will hold up. I also looked at Ranger Knives RD7 but once again not sure about how well those medals will do. I know the Ontario Rat7 can be had in D2 which holds up well but the Becker is half the price.

Im sure there are other great knives for about 100 or less out there. Im looking for it to hold up to abuse. I wont be chopping concrete, but I do want to be able to chop up large pieces of wood for fire and pretty much all around camp use. Im not a hunter just fishing and camping if that helps. Thanks for the help. Great forum I have learned alot just searching and reading. Big thanks to everyone and also to Cliff for giving wisdom to me the noob. Its almost 5am and I will be sleeping in class my second day back at college thanks to the bladeforums.:)
 
You can't beat Ranger in this price range. (If you will be able to break .25" thick RD series knife then check warranty)
And Justin is great guy to deal with
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I am also going to agree with huugh; the Ranger is an excellent choice!! And Justin IS an excellent guy to deal with!!
 
How well does that 5160 hold up and how about sharpening? I will only be using a sharpmaker and course stone for reprofiling.
I was on rangers site and know other their dealer links sold the rd do I have to order it just from them and how long will that take?
Also at 13" for the rd7 and 15" for the rd9 it mite be a little longer then I want but I do need at least a 7" blade and good weight for chopping.
Ill keep looking around but if anyone else can add anything to this please do.
 
personally i'd go with one of the beckers. unless you just want to spend $100. i don't have any experience with ranger but i know they have a good rep on the board. I think a becker would do just about anything which needed doing and if you shop you'll probably have a pretty good amount of money left over. but it's all in what you like. later, ahgar
 
Yea the beckers have a good price to them. I know they cant do much in prying but I dont know if the ranger is any better. Cheaper is better if possible but I dont want to buy something that will break so if it has to be 100 for the knife so be it.
 
Justin, the owner of Ranger Knives, can make you what you want in your price range. Talk to him. I am sure one of the current Ranger Knives would serve you well. Either way, have a chat with Justin.
 
Ok Ill send him an email. If theres any knives I missed considering let me know guys I wanna buy right the first time
 
You won't go wrong with a Becker blade but be sure the handle isn't too large for you. You need a big hand to be comfortable with it.

As tough as it is, the Becker cuts very well, since it doesn't rely on excessive blade thickness to provide that toughness.
 
I was on the swamp rat website and its saying the Camp Tramp is 128 but when I look for them used on here theyre alot more. Not sure if Im missing something. The camp tramp is a great knife I would love to have and if its only 128 thats not a bad deal.
http://www.swamprat.com/knives.html
 
You'd be lucky to touch a camp tramp under 200. They aren't in production any more and lots of sellers are taking advantage of that.
 
Check out the HI Forum for blems. You could get a beast of a knife for $100 or less. A 15" AK is a good place to start. The BAS and the smaller of the two WWII models would also be a safe bet.

Frank
 
I have no experience with the Ranger Knives, but I have serriously considered trying one. However, I would have to vote for the Becker. Great knife. I love mine and feel it is the very best for the money right now.
Now if I pick up a Ranger next month it may change my tune........
 
How well priced is the current swamp rat line up. I still think it mite be out of my price range. I sent an email to ranger knives and I am still checking out the becker series because they seem pretty good for the money.
 
I just bought a BK9 for $63 bucks delivered. Haven't had a chance to put 'er through 'er paces yet, but DAMN! I really like the feel of it. Then again, I'm 6'-6" and about 250, so "big" is kinda relative for me, but it is a beast even to me. But that's what I was looking for, something of a cross between a machete and an axe while still having a decent cutting edge. I'll get you a link to that $63 dealer if ya want. Not sure if I'm supposed to just post it here or not. The guy has the whole line of Beckers and they're all at great prices.

Blues
 
For camping...my favourite combo is a parang + a camp kitchen knife (folding prefered). Here's what I would use:

medium survival golok http://www.valiantco.com/java1.html - USD$57

and a folding hocho http://www.agrussell.com/knives/by_maker/a_through_d/a_g_russell_knives/folding_knives/cooking_tweezers.html - USD$64.95

I know it's more than $100 by $40 (including shipping) but it's a good combo. YOu can get it under $100 by substituting the golok with a cheaper machete / camp knife, but the folding hocho is the best damp camp kitchen knife I've ever used.
 
I think Cliff has good impressions of the survival golok as well.
 
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