What fixed blade knife do you carry with you?

[Therealtwitch]

Daily I carry both a Bradford guardian 3 and a bark river necker 2 mounted with a tek lok

 

[Cato]

Clinch pick or Matsuda reverse grip hornet

 

[Big Mike]

...I'm asking what fixed blade do you trust to get you through a wilderness excursion, bush craft, hunting, camping, backpacking, etc...

I tend to use specific knives for specific tasks, but the knife I carry the most as an Do-All woods knife is this General Purpose knife from Jim Stewart:

It's 4-1/4", full convex, CPM-S30V blade handles most cutting chores with aplomb.

The contoured, single finger grove, G-10 handle indexes naturally and floats in my hand like an extension of my body.


Finding a knife that works that well for any user is a very personal thing, that keeps many of us trying as many knives as possible.


My advice is get your hands on as many blades as possible, that's the only way to find what works for you.

As others have stated, Bark River Knives is a good place to start, they have an incredible variety of knives designs and are very well made. They also have a good Pass-Around program giving folks a chance to try many of their designs, there are currently a handful of Pass-Arounds going on.

Another place I would look is at Andy Roy's Fiddleback Forge, great hard working knives that seem to disappear in your hand in use. There is a very active Fiddleback Forge Sub-Forum here that features lot's of trading/dealing among Andy's loyal customers. A great way to find that special knife that works well for you.

My favorite Fiddleback:

It's 4" O1 Tool Steel blade and Shadetree burlap handle is another that fit's me like a glove.


Good luck in your search. :thumbup: :thumbup:



Big Mike

 

[EChoil]

Assuming you are wanting bush knives and not urban EDC's, OK here goes:

I use a number of rig combinations for bush depending on where and how long...

For a walk in the woods I carry a folder---either my Case LSSP or Buck 110--virtually the same knife.. Sometimes I'll carry a J.Rozich dagger or smaller puukko on the belt instead, depending how "urban" the woods might be and whether I'll encounter the weekend Rambo crowd who might decide they covet my Rolex; or want me to squeal like a pig.

For day trips or public campground stuff not involving an overnight, I'll belt carry a 4" leuku. Cheap folder in pocket optional. OR maybe only my SAK.

For a night or two camping in the woods I might carry my HEST II Woodsman with a sheath I modified to carry my Sebertool M-4 on the flap as well as carabiners and rings to carry any misc. small items like a fire steel, etc. Small leuku in my pack. Again, folder in pocket optional. I find in summer I can usually gather firewood without a bolo or khukuri being an absolute necessity.

For an extended trip in the woods I will likely carry my KaBar USMC gang-sheathed with EITHER a Buck Pak-Lite, my trusty BK-11 san mai or Eskabar, for smaller work. At this point my 16" bolo knife enters the picture (and stays there until an extreme winter trip might replace it with my khukuri for reasons below), usually mounted side-pack for overhead draw. Misc. heavy folder in pocket.

For extended canoeing/kayaking trips involving overnights it's my Tekna Ocean Edge knife on my belt or waistband and a 4 or 6" leuku in my pack along with my bolo ---handle exposed for quick access in the watercraft. Folder optional if I have pockets, probably a RAT, Evispa, etc.---something I can lose.

Spring/summer extended trips into the wild I might carry my Old Timer large skinner from the '70's OR the USMC on the belt with a puukko in my pack. In-pocket maybe a ZT 561 or original Masters Of Defense Point Man utility folder which is half serrated and can be handy.

Toward the more rugged stuff....fall/winter extended trips in the wild...firewood being more critical in winter, I'll bring out my 7" leuku/ pukko single-sheath combination and HEST 2.0 folder in my pocket. Bolo in the pack. At this point my Brunton high-altitude lighter replaces the Zippo to ensure certain fire. I don't like to rely solely on a fire steel for winter conditions.

For the roughest trips, say lengthy stay in the Sierra in fall/winter, It's my large leuku/pukko combo, Grayman or HEST folder in my pocket, 4" lueku in my pack. My khukuri may replace the bolo in the pack at this point for less weight on snow and ice; also not as much brush to chop in winter or above timberline; the khukuri is handier for chopping misc. firewood. The karda of my khukuri has been nicely replaced by a KaBar Acheron I keep super sharp for the small stuff in camp.

Forgot to mention, in all but Scenario 1 my SAK Officer will be stashed somewhere in my kit.

For winter excursions, fire being life or death I have either my Zippo or Brunton torch along. I'll also carry char cloth, a couple of Tampax (waterproof quick fire fodder and good for plugging gunshot wounds from drunk hunters) and maybe a magnesium bar for certain fire. Last ditch certain fire may even include the trusty 9-volt battery and wad of steel wool trick if the environment will be extremely winter-harsh---my favorite kind of camping.​

Oh yeah, you wanted steels: D-2, S30V, O1, 420HC, 440-plain, 1095, 154CM, Hitachi white steel 2, CroVan, Niolox and Ford truck leaf-spring steel included in the above.

The wild card in all of this is the HEST II fixed. It can be thrown in and substituted for some of the main carries in all of the scenarios. Most versatile bush knife I own.

I guess the combinations can be endless and I have other knives I sometimes work into these rotations, but that's a good basic idea of how I tend to carry for bush. Hope it helps.

 

[GooberBoober]

I always carry more than one knife, especially when going in to the woods for more than a day or two, but if it had to be just one it would be my Spyderco BushcraftUK:

The Scandinavian grind really is the superior grind when used on wood imo, there isn't much I can't do when I have my Spydie & folding saw with me. But as good as the bush Spydie is, I do feel it's a bit 'soul-less' for some reason and I am thinking of replacing it with a handmade knife at some point or another. I really like the look of some of the Adventure Sworn knives, and I totally fell in love with Fiddleback Forge knives recently. O1 steel has my preference at the moment because of it's strength, edge holding capabilities and ease of sharpening (especially in the field), but I haven't tried all of them yet so I'm by no means an expert when it comes to different steel types. S30V is no slouch either, but I haven't used that as hard as I did O1 so I don't know it's limitations just yet.

It all comes down to personal preference in the end, and what else you carry and the things you (need to) do with it matters a great deal too.

Good luck on your search for your perfect knife anyway, I know it can be a bit overwhelming with so many great knives to choose from

 

[Monofletch]

Big Mike,
That Jim Stewart is amazing. Great looking knife.

 

[Big Mike]

Big Mike,
That Jim Stewart is amazing. Great looking knife.

It is a great looking knife that functions even better then it looks.

It's too bad that it's a one of a kind.



Big Mike

 

[Cypress Creek Knives]

I often carry a Bark River Gunny, and I find it a great little fixed blade that is just about the perfect size for hiking, and camping. Along with my Bravo 1, it is my "go to" fixed blade knife.

I agree! My Gunny is my go to knife. With a 3.75 inch blade it is perfect for fishing hunting and hiking. Mine has black micarta handles, an A-2 blade and a leather sheath. The sheath is a sur-lock sheath by sharpshooter sheaths. The new bushcraft sheath that comes with the gunny is ok, but nothing like the sur-lock design. The gunny is my most used fixed blade followed by the CRK Nyala, CRK professional soldier and the BRKT Canadian Special. The convex grind on the BRKT's is one of my favorite features.

 

[Monofletch]

It is a great looking knife that functions even better then it looks.

It's too bad that it's a one of a kind.



Big Mike

Drooling! I sent you an email.

There is a lot of helpful information in this thread. I think it all depends on if you want a cookie cutter production knife or a special-one of a kind custom. There are a lot of great production knives on the market, but if I were spending over $200 and not getting a Busse or kin I would be having a knife made the way I want with the steel I want. Something I might pass down to the grand kids.

 

[EChoil]

....Sheath material? Kydex or zytel. I love leather sheaths, but I want something I can get wet and toss around. Leather is too pretty and delicate for me to really use....

Is it possible you haven't thought this one through...? IMO, you vastly underestimate the qualities and ruggedness of leather. When things like this are published and others will be reading it, I feel a need to speak up.

Good leather can get wet, no problem, esp. when minimally treated periodically. It can also be 'tossed around' all over the place, moreso than Kydex or Zytel. It can be folded, bent, stepped on, heated, twisted, stomped on, walked on, used as a strop and TOTALLY abused. Bend that Kydex, or whatever, sheath in half....roll it up...jam it in a pack where it won't fit and crush it down to close the pack. Put your Boltaron in a back pocket and sit on it for a 12 hour drive..etc., etc., etc.

How's your Kydex do when it's 20-below and you slip on the ice and land on the sheath rolling down the mountain? How's it do when you stand too close to the fire without realizing it while having a conversation...or the sparks fly suddenly landing embers all over it after it's been set down? Your Kydex is melted through instantly, leather might show only a few burn marks. How's your Zytel when you fall on it with all your body and pack weight, or step on it with a boot in the night....or discover too late the glue wasn't certified for 20-below temperatures? How noisy, annoying or damaging is it when the brush or a canoe gunwhale rubs that Kydex all day? Any Kydex scratches on that beautiful blade you keep in that fancy sheath? How positive is that Kydex "snap-in" lock at securing the knife compared to a leather band with snaps or velcro closure...especially during a fall or a limb grab? I can rip your Kydex apart from its metal holes much easier and faster than I can purposely tear apart a well sewn leather sheath--in fact, not sure I could pull some of them apart at all bare handed.

Best of all....leather can be REPAIRED or re-laced or sewn easily in camp. *lol*

You can polish or sharpen a blade with leather. Try it with Boltaron or Roll-O-Dex or whatever.

See, what you do when you take a trip is REPLACE that fancy embroidered, inlaid, tool-worked sheath with a cheap basic one for rough use. Then you can hang your knife back over the fireplace in its fancy leather sheath when you return.​

Not sure where you do your outdoorsing, but I'll take leather hands down.

Too many people are getting caught up in the "fancy" as well as slick marketing, thus losing track of the still UNMATCHED benefits of natural fibers such as leather (covered here), down (nothing is warmer for the weight), wool (still the only thing that will keep you warm even when soaked) and cotton (vs. synthetics made of petroleum that make you sweat) as opposed to the shallow intrinsic qualities of fancy synthetic substitutes with zero qualities, sold in boutiques in the interest of look, fashion and 'cool. Illusion.'​

Leather--let's see you break it.

 

[EChoil]

.....The Scandinavian grind really is the superior grind when used on wood imo, there isn't much I can't do when I have my Spydie & folding saw with me. But as good as the bush Spydie is, I do feel it's a bit 'soul-less' for some reason and I am thinking of replacing it with a handmade knife at some point or another. I really like the look of some of the Adventure Sworn knives, and I totally fell in love with Fiddleback Forge knives recently. O1 steel has my preference at the moment because of it's strength, edge holding capabilities and ease of sharpening (especially in the field), but I haven't tried all of them yet so I'm by no means an expert when it comes to different steel types. S30V is no slouch either, but I haven't used that as hard as I did O1 so I don't know it's limitations just yet......

I think your Spydie is just fine. I like Scandi grinds too. I'm going to check out Adventure Sworn Knives. And thanks.

 

[n7titan]

Like you I just have 3 knives, Kabar Dozier folder, Kershaw Leek, and Esee4.

The Esee4 is my main outdoors knife, great for anything but chopping and large batoning as it's on the small side. It seems like you'd be looking for something around similar specs since your Hellion is all the large knife you'd ever need.
I'm in the opposite boat where I would want a large fixed blade to compliment my growing collection. But at the moment carrying a hatchet for camp use is probably much more effective.

I'd like my outdoors carry pack to include a hatchet, 4-5" fixed blade, folding knife for delicate tasks.
So far the three knives I have each fill their roles very nicely.
Esee's 1095 is really great for rough outdoors use, holds an edge for a very long time and is still easy to sharpen. I live in the Southwest so I don't have to worry about rust, I don't know if that will affect you. Esee's warranty also adds a big layer to peace of mind.

Good luck finding what will work for you. :thumbup:

PS: If you're gonna go with Esee try to handle them somewhere first, the scales arne't always the most ergonomic for heavy use. They're not bad, don't get me wrong, they could be a little better. Most places also sell more comfy replacements anyway. Just rehandle it and they're perfect.

 

[arizonaranchman]

Either a BK2 or BK14... Very simple and they take care of business.

 

[knifehoarder]

I used to hang an Esee Izula from my belt, which was awesome because it was within easy reach and would barely poke out under my untucked shirt. Then I realized Missouri does not allow anything but pocket knives to be concealed on your person. So, back to a folder I went.

 

[Coyote3855]

I get most everything done with a Buck 102.

 

[Lycosa]

Daniel Fairly Mini Tanto. A2, Coyote Brown.

 

[Riz!]

SURVIVE! KNIVES GSO 5.1

It comes with very nice kydex, but I carry it in a skystorm leather bushcraft sheath.

 

[Krissig12]

My woods combo is an esee 4 and Ontario sp 48.

I love the esee.if I could carry it daily around here, I definately would.

 

[155440]

My woods combo is an esee 4 and Ontario sp 48.

I love the esee.if I could carry it daily around here, I definately would.

I'm in the same boat as you. I would get weird looks in suburban Nj

The picture is taken by the maker prior to sending to me. Dan Graves makes awesome knives, you can find a lot his work in the KnifeMakers for sale area.
Handle is stag, the ferrule is sterling silver while the guard and but are nickle silver, blade is 1084/15n20 damascus.

 

[knoefz]

Depends on my mood what I choose to carry an my hikes...

Sometimes something heavy like the Esee 5

or the RS6 WSK,

But on other days I carry something lightweight like the Esee 3: