Want your opinion: Best $100 camping knife

[huugh]

Link to the Ranger knives forum.

Also you can search gallery for Ranger knives.
(e.g. here and here)

 

[Cliff Stamp]

You might want to consider something like a Barteaux 12" heavy machete and Mora 2000.

-Cliff

 

[spyken]

You might want to consider something like a Barteaux 12" heavy machete and Mora 2000.

-Cliff

I second that style of combo, just like what I mentioned. a parang/machete + a smaller knife. I believe the coldsteel bushman is also quite a cheap alternative for a machete / parang.

I personally like traditional choppers as they're ground thinner and swing quicker. If you really wanted to do heavy work like felling trees, those aren't the best cutters...but for normal camping, I don't think you would need to be chopping down trees which are more than 4-5inches in diameter, so a thinner machete would be just as effective.

 

[ginshun]

OR a Granfors Bruks Small Forest Axe and an Opinel.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

a parang/machete + a smaller knife.

Yes, mine was just cheaper. In general I think most would benefit from starting off solid but inexpensive because you tend to need decent experiece to appreciate the high performance tools anyway and in general moving along that path you often make a few mistakes. Plus it isn't like the cheaper blades have no use when you do upgrade. They either get used for the real dirty work or you just give them to a young relative that you introduce to bushcraft/blades.

but for normal camping, I don't think you would need to be chopping down trees which are more than 4-5inches in diameter

Generally not, it isn't like you can do much with them anyway. Large wood is really heavy, a cubic meter of fresh wood weighs about 1000 lbs. For burning you want the dead and dried woods which are best cut by a saw, and carefully watching for overheads.

OR a Granfors Bruks Small Forest Axe and an Opinel.

Yeah, Wetterlings/Fiskars is decent as well.

-Cliff

 

[93redgsx]

Im trying to stay away from a machete. I want to keep it as a large knife 10 inch blade or under. I like the design of the bk7, bk9. After reading cliffs review of the bk9 I think the shape and length will fit my needs for now but I do want to get the most quality for my money. Thanks for all the input guys.

 

[ginshun]

If you don't like the hadles on the BK7 / BK9 (which I think are fine, but a lot of people don't like) I believe that there are micarta handle scales available directly from Camillus for like $20.

 

[Sundsvall]

Check out the 16.5" WWII or M43 khukuri from HI.

 

[buzzemiah]

a bk7 or a bk9 paired up with a sak like a rucksack model would be under $100 and work very well. good luck. steve

 

[MBC77]

DUDE!!!! You can get a BK7 AND a BK9 for 100$ well maybe 110$. but still. They are AWESOME!! and if you break one(almost impossible) you have the other. And different sizes for different chores, or moods. Best bang for the buck IMHO

 

[BluesStringer]

If you don't like the hadles on the BK7 / BK9 (which I think are fine, but a lot of people don't like) I believe that there are micarta handle scales available directly from Camillus for like $20.

I checked the Camillus site and couldn't find anything about alternate handles. Does anyone know anything about these and/or where to get 'em?

BTW, been beatin' the crap outta some left-over 2 x 4's from the home renovation we're doin' right now with my BK9 in preparation for a review. After two evenings worth of choppin' and beatin' those boards into submission, I can still shave the hair right off my arm. So far, I'm stoked with this knife!

Blues