What knives have you tried out?

mymindisamob

mymindisamob

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Feb 1, 2005
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As far as an outdoors, all around user, I feel 4" - 6" is the perfect size fixed blade. In your quest for THE ONE, what have you tried out?
For me, it has been:
Cold Steel Finn Bear
Cold Steel Outdoorsman
Koster Nessmuk
Koster Bushcraft
Busse Badger Attack TAC
Busse Satin Jack TAC
Fiddleback Nessmuk
Swamp Rat Howling Rat
Skookum Bush Tool
RAT 4
Bark River Bravo 1

that's off the top of my head, and doesn't include all the Western, Old Timer/Schrade, Buck, SOG and Gerbers I grew up with.

On the list next is:
Fiddleback Bushcraft JR
Charles May OSK
JK Scout
and my hopes for the re-release of the Busse Badger Attack III with less choil.

What about you?
 
JK Scout
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RAT 4
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Fiddleback Nessmuk
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-RB
 
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Almost everything out there., Probably 200 different knives. However, it has taken me 60 years , so far.
 
I am currently using my BRKT Gameskeeper II daily -- either for food preparation or basic whittling in my backyard.

I have the Koster Bushmaster and a Fat Kephart from Stomper on the way.
 
Holy cow.....This could be a big list.

Koster Nessie
Koster bushcrafter
Bark River Bravo1
Bark River Fox River magnum
Bark River PSK
Bark River ELK
Bark River Micro Canadian
Bark River Kephart
Gossman PSK
Gossman PSK sr
ML kephart
Blind horse patch knife
Busse GW
Busse SAR5
Fiddleback Nessie
Fiddleback Bushcrafter jr
Fiddleback EDC
RAT4
RAT izula
Ranger RD4
Ranger RD6
Ranger little bird
DP wildeness
Breeden Tyson
HI BAS
Koyote necker
JK heavy kephart
JK stubby kephart
JK hikers backup
JK scout
JK wharnny
JK bushcrafter
NWA forum knife
12in Tram
14in Okapi
Charlieridge skinner
Charlieridge kephart
MOD4 survival knife

Thats all I can think of right now.

Soon to come......

Charlieridge knife, Laconico Explorer-in the mail to me!, Ban BT4, Busse ASH1, Busse FFFBM.
 
i've tried quite a few, i can't even think of how many...

but i have been incredibly happy with my BRKT nebula. around a 4.5" blade, large roomy handle that is great barehanded or gloved and i have been very pleased with the stainless so far, it has proven to hold up to its reputation. its a good looking knife too that i have worn to plenty of dress up events (but i'm going to need a special dress up sheath...the sheath that i commonly carry it in is getting pretty beat up looking...but still working hard!
 
A list in Progress for most everyone on this forum I am sure. :)

Let's see:
Gerber BMF
Gerber LMF (orginal)
Gossman PSK
Gossman PSKsr
Gossman WTK
RAT RC-3
RAT-3
USAF Pilot Knife
Blackjack Grunt
TAK1
Ranger RD-9
Kershaw Model 1005
BuckMaster
Scharade Old Timer
KaBar Short
Gerber Freeman

Thats all I can think of at the moment... :)
 
j williams said:
Holy cow.....This could be a big list.

Koster Nessie
Koster bushcrafter
Bark River Bravo1
Bark River Fox River magnum
Bark River PSK
Bark River ELK
Bark River Micro Canadian
Bark River Kephart
Gossman PSK
Gossman PSK sr
ML kephart
Blind horse patch knife
Busse GW
Busse SAR5
Fiddleback Nessie
Fiddleback Bushcrafter jr
Fiddleback EDC
RAT4
RAT izula
Ranger RD4
Ranger RD6
Ranger little bird
DP wildeness
Breeden Tyson
HI BAS
Koyote necker
JK heavy kephart
JK stubby kephart
JK hikers backup
JK scout
JK wharnny
JK bushcrafter
NWA forum knife
12in Tram
14in Okapi
Charlieridge skinner
Charlieridge kephart
MOD4 survival knife

Thats all I can think of right now.

Soon to come......

Charlieridge knife, Laconico Explorer-in the mail to me!, Ban BT4, Busse ASH1, Busse FFFBM.
Click to expand...

Gee Whiz, I thought he meant from the list he gave. Maybe I missunderstood the assignment! But then again, I eat bugs!:)
IMG_4686.jpg


siguy said:
i've tried quite a few, i can't even think of how many...

but i have been incredibly happy with my BRKT nebula. around a 4.5" blade, large roomy handle that is great barehanded or gloved and i have been very pleased with the stainless so far, it has proven to hold up to its reputation. its a good looking knife too that i have worn to plenty of dress up events (but i'm going to need a special dress up sheath...the sheath that i commonly carry it in is getting pretty beat up looking...but still working hard!
Click to expand...

Simon, I bet you get a chance to handle quite a few of our knives.
-RB
 
I've handled many Fiddlebacks, Kosters, RAT's, some Kreins, and others at local knife shows. I have yet to find the perfect one since I do not spend nearly enough time in the woods. That is changing.....slowly.....
 
bear, it's true that i have handled a huge number of different knives thanks to sharpening jobs, but i don't count them as "tried out" unless i have taken them out back and done some cutting with them.

sadly, i only get to cut newsprint and soft pine blocks with them.

but the ergonomics are half the battle, and i learn alot by just holding them.
 
The pleasure is in looking for the one, not in finding it. I don't think I ever will, but I have a great time trying them all out.
 
sodak said:
The pleasure is in looking for the one, not in finding it. I don't think I ever will, but I have a great time trying them all out.
Click to expand...

This is a very good point, 'the hunt' is certainly a pleasure in itself.

I've tried a few, but not nearly 'all' that I want to. There are lots of makers whose work I'm interested in but haven't even touched.

A few I've gone through:
F1
Farmer bushcrafter
Mora #1, #2, 510, triflex, SWAK, and Mora 2000
Several rehandled scandis (favorite is a brusletto rehandled)
Tora bushcrafter
BRKT Kephart
BRKT Aurora
JK kephart (probably his utility and/or bushcrafter eventually)
Breeden kelly derivative
Kabar standard, and heavy bowie
USAF survival knife
Glock knife
Enzo
Newt Livesay NRGS
RATs
RC's
Koster bushcraft
Junglee Bolo, Tram's, ontario machetes, CS trail hawk, Fiskars- for big stuff

What am I looking to purchase in the future, based on what all those 'taught' me?
-Full tang rehandled F1
-A fiddleback of some sort
-Revamped Farmer woods knife
-NWA knife
-Skookum bush tool

Plus anything else that tickles my fancy along the way. :D
 
In the search for the one I've tried...fixed blades that is...

Buck 119
Buck 105
Buck Mini Alpha Hunter
Cold Steel Magnum Tanto
Cold Steel Mini Tanto
Spyderco Lum Fixed Blade Tanto
Knives Of Alaska Brown Bear Combo
Spyderco Perrin Street Beat
HI Kuhkri
BRKT Canadian Sportsman II
BRKT Canadian Camp Knife
BRKT Cumberland Trail Proto
Randall Survivior
TOPS Smokejumper
Rapala Filet Knife
Lee Reeves Double Bit Hatchet
 
The list is so long I don't think it would be physically possible for me to remember all those knives. I'm not a genius. :D

I also don't subscribe to the concept of 'the one' as far as knives go. I would choose very different knives for different tasks, so 'the one' really doesn't exist for the performance-minded who don't mind the bit of extra weight that carrying more than one knife would mean.
 
Koster Bushcraft
Koster Nessmuk
Fiddleback Nessmuk
NWA Forum Knife
Swamp Rat Howling Rat
Swamp Rat Howling Rat LM
Cold Steel Bushman

Probably a few others, but that's most of em.
 
Here's my short list in the 4-6ish range:

Becker Campanion
Becker Crewman :thumbup:
Becker Necker
Benhmade Rant :thumbup:
Bark River Bravo1 :thumbup::thumbup:
Bark River PSK
Busse GW
Busse Active Duty
Busse Boney Active Duty :thumbup:
Busse BATAC
Custom Ranger Afghan :thumbup::thumbup:
Fallkniven F1 :thumbup:
Scrapyard Dumpster Mutt
SOG Revolver
SOG Seal Pup
Swamprat Howling Rat :thumbup:
Swamprat Swamp Warden

Trying out the Koster Bushcraft right now. I started out with all of the heavy "indestructable" blades but have since learned that a thinner blade works best for me. Balance is also important to me. The more I learn about what I'm doing the less I seem to need a big knife. My ideal is something in the 5 inch range that's tough enough in a pinch but has a grind, balance, and handle that gives me lots of control. I prefer a very subtle drop point with a full flat grind. I'm still on the fence about the thumb rest- sometimes I love it, sometimes not.

For the money I still think the Benchmade Rant is a great buy. I've never had a problem with 440C- it would be perfect if it wasn't concave. My all time favorites are the Bravo1 and a custom Ranger Afghan. They are tough as tanks, but they handle very nimbly.
 
I feel sorry for you, my brothers. I have already found the one.
The Bravo1 is the one. :thumbup: :)


Oh wait..............oh yeah, the RC-3 is the one. :thumbup:



Hold on. I'm getting mixed up here. Yes, that's right. It's the Becker Machax. That's the one :thumbup::thumbup: :D



Oh s**t! What am I thinking? :confused: For sure, the.......................

Doc
 
I really like the 4" - 5.5" blade range (go ahead and round it up to 6":D); these are about as big as you can go and comfortable carry without a special carry rig. A lot of tough choices, but the one's in bold below are several that get used the most often and would consider them without hesitation. On the larger side, I really like the Fehrman Last Chance; on the small side it's a toss up between the SBT and Bravo-1, however the BRKT Wet Enviro Knife is really becoming a favorite.

Busse Natural Outlaw
Randall Model #15
Strider Mk 1 MOD 10
Mad Dog PATAK
BK10 Crewman
Livesay Air Assault
RAT TAK
Crusader Knives, Oberland 02
Blackjack Model #5
Mission MPK-10A2
TOPS Pasayten
Grohmann #4 Survival
Fehrman Last Chance
Blackjack Grunt
Spyderco Hossom Day Hiker
RAT 5
Chris Reeve's Sable IV
Fallkniven S1
Brian Goode Trailsman
Brian K. Johnson custom Survival knife
Swamp Rat Ratmandu
NWA
Gossman Nessmuk
Koster Nessmuk
Breeden Kelly
Camillus Cuda Talon
Dozier Yukon Skinner
Rinaldi TTKK
Nimravus Cub
RAT 3
Moran Skinner (convexed)
Swamp Rat Howling Rat
BRKT Fox River
AG Russell Deer Hunter
Mora 2000
Mora Clipper
Blackjack Trailguide
BRKT Aurora
BRKT Nebula
BRKT Little Nessy
BRKT Bravo-1
Fallkniven H1
BRKT Northstar
BRKT Highland Special
BRKT Kephart
Moran Droppoint
Skookum Bush Knife
Fiddleback Nessmuk
Fallkniven F1 w/ Micarta
Charles May Skifa-Bushcraft
Koster 3V Bushcraft
BRKT Wet Enviro Knife

A few that I want to try out:
RAT RC4
Dumster Mutt (recently aquired)
DP and a JK in this range size is in the near future is as well...

ROCK6
 
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If they made a Bravo1 with a less thick steel, like 1/8" or something, I'd be all over it. I just didn't enjoy all the extra beef on the one I handled. (The beef up front, that is)
 
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