What's the best 6-1/2" stainless fixed blade general purpose production knife?

Happy Camper

Happy Camper

Joined
Jan 8, 2000
Messages
311

I'm having a really hard time finding a nice general use stainless steel knife that is hearty enough to chop with, yet doesn't have a full cross guard that prevents me from choking up on it when I'm doing more delicate work.
Fallkniven's A1 spearpoint is really nice, but at a 1/4 inch thick, it's not good for much besides hacking.
Cold Steel's SRK is epoxy coated carbon steel, while the Bush Ranger is stainless but has a full crossguard which I don't want and don't need.
Chris Reeve makes some EXCELLENT knives, but they're not stainless, and the slender round handles don't fit my big hands well at all and leave them chafed after long wittling tasks.

What would be a really nice bonus would be to have serrations along the false edge, as the BuckMaster used to have. Could that be added? (No Rambo teeth on the spine, please!)

I realize that I would really be happy with a custom knife, but that will have to wait until after I graduate college. Surely there must be SOMETHING out there that comes close that I can use in the meantime.

Any help at all would be appreciated.

-Thanks!!
 
What you describe does exist - I have a knife made in turkey that fits your description fully.

But - I did not understand the "stainless" part of your post - this is a non-professional term to describe a blade's ability to resist corrosion.

Study some material about edge materials - there is lots of it in this forum and also at tactical knives magazine to name just two sources.

 
HC,

You shouldn't give up on the idea of a handmade, depending on what your budget is. Some of the handmade fixed blades aren't that far off in price from the production models. Go into links and look at the custom makers. YOu may be surprised.

You may want to consider something in D2 steel which is not considered stainless but is relatively stain resistant and keeps an edge pretty well. I think you have to decide what the predominant function is going to be -- chopping vs slicing. A knife with 1/8" or 5/32" stock with flat grind will definitely slice better than something in 1/4" stock, but ain't going to hold up too well in heavy duty chopping...

sing

AKTI #A000356

[This message has been edited by sing (edited 01-30-2000).]
 
Happy Camper, before you disregard the A1, you may want to read this review by Cliff Stamp. http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sstamp/knives/a1.html . According to him this knife can be used for more than simply hacking, and its chopping performance was also good considering its small size. Hope this helps.

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Just because I talk to myself does not make me crazy. Now, when I listen to myself, that makes me crazy.
 
Happy I'm also goimg to suggest that you get exactly what you want in a Custom Knife, there's really not that much of a price difference, and in the long run you'll probably be happier. There are many fine makers right here at the Forums, you may also want to take a look at Rick Fowlers' work, he has over 200 standard patterns, fast turn around, quality work and a fair price. Take a look, http://www.homestead.com/customknives/homepage.html
 
How hard would it be to modify the CS Bush Ranger by removing the upper guard? I mean, it's only Kraton - it shouldn't be too difficult to just chop it off (or is it?).

I've always been interested in that knife, which combines good blade geometry and a decent price, but the double guard kind of puts me off - I have a feeling it would limit my grip (I have that problem with a Kabar). OTOH, I've never had a chance to handle it, so maybe it wouldn't even be a problem...

Obviously, I'm not much of a handyman, or I wouldn't even ask that question.
wink.gif


Regards,

Leo Daher
 
Ka-Bar next generation would work pretty well. The blade is 1/8" thick, so it could probably do the more delicate work. It also has a single guard instead of the double guard that is on the USMC and black Ka-Bar. The blade is 12C27 stainless, hollowground, and is bead blasted. I don't really like bead blast coating, but it's not bad on the Ka-Bar.
I think WOW's sale is still going and they have some 1270 Ka-bar packages still out there for $60 (great deal). Here is the link:
<A HREF="http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum8/HTML/001202.html"> click here</A>

-- Chang the Asian Janitorial Apparatus
 
Happy Camper..
Why do think the A1 is only good for chopping..
I have found it to be an excellent utility knife.
Sharp, Keeps Great Edge, Good Grip, Good Balance, Strong..
Its an excellent 6 1/2" knife ..
Well worth the Money..
Dont count it out..


------------------
"Its Not Over Till I WIN"
 
If the Bush Ranger has a metal upper guard just use a hacksaw to cut off as much of the top as possible and then use a file to round off the corners. If you do it carefully the knife will look like it came that way from the factory and be customized to your liking.
I have done similar to several different knives.

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Alex Penton
 
Ka-Bar has a 6 inch D-2 model that may appeal to you. While not truely "stainless", it's pretty close.

If you get something "too good" at chopping, will you have the utility function you want as well?

Sounds like the Fallkniven may be your best choice.

Sid
---
Knife dealer

 
Thanks, Alex. I might do just that to my Kabar.
The guard on the Bush Ranger, however, is Kraton, which is a kind of rubber. Of course, it's even easier to cut off than metal, but I wonder if it could be finished after I do that - not that it has to look beautiful, but still...
 
How about grinding off the tang on a bush ranger? It's only rubber! A bench grinder and a steady hand should be all you need. I'm not sure it's heavy enough to be a good chopper, but it's almost light enough to carry! At $56 (WOW Closeout under Exchange/ Dealers!) I think it's a great buy!!
 

Thanks, everybody for your input!

Great ideas; now I have to go over all the knives I ignored because they had double guards - Not to mention another look at the Fallkniven! That was quite an impressive review of the A1. Those custom knives are nice, but still too pricey for my blood at this point in time.

Well, looks like it's time to raid my wife's purse!

 
The A-1 is not the best knife of its size, but its very good and very much better than others in its price class. E.G. very cost-effective

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The thorn stands to defend the Rose, yet it is peaceful and does not seek conflict
 
For shallow cuts, or cuts through flimsy material, the edge profile is the dominant factor not the spine width in regards to blade resistance. Now while the A1 comes with a fairly thick edge you can of course thin it out with not much difficulty and increase its cutting ability directly proportional to how much you lower the bevel. As another choice, the S1 has a full convex grind is of slightly thinner stock and will generally outcut the A1 if both have the factory bevels. It is a little shorter though, 12.5 cm blade .

-Cliff

[This message has been edited by Cliff Stamp (edited 01-31-2000).]
 
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