What is your favorite large fixed blade? Why?

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this is the ACRONYM police! Y'all are under arrest!
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Thanks.
 
I just got a RTAK II which I like a lot.
Haven't really put it through its paces, though. Yet.

It's a tossup between that and my Becker BK9.
 
My only big knife and therefore my favorite by default is my Camp Tramp. It is strong, comfortable and great in the woods...but I NEVER use it. Honestly, when I was shopping for a big knife years ago, a few people chimed in and said that they don't use them because they don't need them. I didn't listen. I wish I had. I'm sure some folks get tons of use from theirs, but I simply never need a knife that large with what I do.
 
Becker BK10 Crewman.:thumbup: It's big but not too big, really sharp for that type of knife, and wasn't too expensive ($50 bucks).
 
I'll throw in for Dale Sandburg and Eight Dollar Mountain Foundry. I had one of his smatchetes for years and sold it about 2 years ago. I had the 10 inch blade version with the knuckle guard.
 
In response to kbog: If most of us were to be honest, we really DON'T need a nine inch knife or a splendidly sharp HI. These tools feed our addictions. Some of us have to head off for the woods seeking our so called 'catharsis', which is evidenced in the frenetic heart-pounding chopping of trees that would be better served up with a razor sharp single bit axe. Meanwhile, two doors down, a single man harvests three foot thick trees with a monster harvester fashioned in Scandinavia. He probably never picked up an axe in his life. I wonder if he covets my sterile Camp Tramp with the tan coat or, for that matter, has even seen one.

We don't normally use the right tool for the job at hand, but one must not forget the FUN factor. It is boring to use the same tools, and, even though it does not make sense, man always has the urgent need to be amused and entertained. Sure, I love to handle a DF and a premium product from our pals up in Busse world, but do I really need them? The answer is a quiet no.

Let's face it. We love to collect. My taxidermist uses 3$ paring knives made by swiss companies who have perfected the SAK. He's probably thrice the hunter and skinner I'll ever be, and would not be caught dead with a 7-10 inch blade in the field. After inspecting my Basic 9, he just smiled. I suspect he's got better things to do than fork out top money for custom knives which will probably just wind up in a safe that is still being paid for by mastercard. This collecting thing is really subject to a host of opinions, I for one, enjoy the lure and the chase. The stories and anecdotes here are good reading and full of humor, insanity, ignorance, bile, query and personal experience. I love it.
 
Well Stubai, I enjoyed your well written post and would be inclined to agree with most of your points. The Tramp did feed an unknown and relatively new addiction to knives at the time of purchase. For me however, I quickly bounced off of some very real limitations on my spending ability. To quench my addiction, I slowly picked up a single representative knife for a variety of tasks. A dress folder, a working folder, a small fixed, a hiker, etc...

My addiction contiunes, but I can't justify the cost because I have very nice blades that fill all of my perceived niches in the knife world. So my purchases have slowed down substantially. The only niche I almost never touch is the big knife niche. It will be a camper - when my kids are old enough to camp. Meanwhile, it is essentially relagated to a minor satisfaction when I occasionally pull it out of the sheath to admire it. Hardly worth the price for me. Of course, that's me...and it is a great (trophy) knife...
 
WOW I totally collect knives to fill niches as well. I keep finding more niches to fill though. My next knife purchases are going to be a Hartsook (lapel or neck knife) and a UHC mora for fine carving but mostly for the cool factor of 64Rockwell.

The real purpose of a big knife like my Scrapyard Dogfather or a Battle Mistress is to replace an axe ,machete and large camp knife with one tool that can do a half a$$ed job of everything. I will be using my Df while I am motorbike camping to cut down on the tools I need to bring. I will also have a small knife for food and picking slivers etc like a SAK.
 
All my growing up, hunting, fishing, camping I was taught the a 6 inch blade IS A BIG KNIFE my uncles and father are better woodsnmen then I will ever be. They were practicle guys that used hatchets and axes or saws for cutting trees. I don't think I could count the times my one uncle used his pocket knife to field dress a deer.
It is only recently that I even took a big knife camping and even now when I am out hunting or doing things out in the woods where danger may really exist usually I carry a 4 to 6 inch blade knife, with a back up folder or two.

However for scr*wing around I love playing with the big knives.
Although the dumpster mutt is a little bigger then my normal blade I do think that it may become my favorite.

I may prefer the smaller blades for hunting/camping but I will be buying more large knives including at least one kukri just for the fun factor
 
My favorite is the Swamp Rat Knife works Satin Battle Rat. It just fits, and is balanced to my liking.
 
So far, the largest knife I have is a Dozier Freedom Fighter. It is a great knife. I haven't found anyone yet who does a better job with D2.

I would like to purchase a Oberland 03, a Thomas Haslinger of some flavor, a David Mosier and a Simonich all longer blade length.

MPE
 
Spyderco Tigershark 9' ( old style SK-5) carbon steel. I like it just because I do. I consider my Becker 7" knife more practical. I used to like my recon scout ( carbon V) but it's lost favor for some reason. I tend to carry my A2 Bark river ( 4") or my Kantasune with the wonderfull Super Blue steel. I love that stuff. Joe
 
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