When Push Comes To Shove - A Fixed Blade You Can Trust In.

J

jfive

Joined
Feb 12, 2006
Messages
201
Hey Guys,

When it comes to knives there is one question I think about over and over again: When the s**t hits the fan which fixed blade should I really have with me? I own a couple of more or less high value fixed blades but due to the lack of experience I'm not quite sure which knife I should grab.

So that's why I came up with this thread. I would like to hear your #1 fixed blade you would really bet your life on - like in an unpredictable survival situation where a knife that fails is definitely not an option. Plus I'm not talking about alienated usage of the blade - maybe some batoning but no serious abuse. It's mainly about a cutting tool - not a pry bar.

Some restrictions:
- blade length between 3 - 7 inches
- price range up to 175 $
- production knife or at least a semi-custom blade
- MOST IMPORTANT: YOUR CHOICE IS BASED ON EXPERIENCE WITH THE KNIFE

Your thoughts are appreciated ;)

Cheers,
J5

Edit: Thanks for your suggestions so far! To keep the thread clear please only post knives that fit the criteria.
 
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Esee 5, if I could only choose one knife and my life was truly on the line, it is the knife I would reach for with no hesitation. I do not know how I could word this more strongly.
 
Scrapyard Deregulator. 7 inch blade with .333 inch thickness with a nice classic bowie shape for different tasks. Res C handle is comfortable while batoning and chopping. Excellent steel IMO. Great warranty.
 
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The truthful answer is really the knife you have on you.

When it is all said an done there are numerous production knifes out there and most of them as long as they are full-tang will give you the performance you will ask for in a survival situation. Keep in mind that should you come out of said survival situation you might have abused the knife past the point where you would trust it again.

For me it always breaks down to how it feels in my hand, how well it keeps an edge and ease of sharpening, and how it carries.

I have a Falkniven A1 that came highly recommended and I have no doubt it would make an excellent survival knife. The problem is that the handle feels small to me and the balance feels "wrong" in my hand. In addition the zytel case it comes with rattles which sucks when you are trying to move silently. All that being said I end up leaving that knife behind a lot while scouting.

Another great knife is the BK2, but I find it heavy and it ends up as a back up or improvised hatchet in my pack.

I would say that you should get your hands on as many as you can and see what feels right in your hand and is comfortable to carry. The most important characteristic of a knife you will bet your life on is one that you will have on you.

To answer your question I have three knifes that I carry when I carry fixed, a EESE 5, Microtech Crossfire, and a SOG 2000.

I mostly bounce back and forth between the EESE 5 and the Micro tech, the SOG is a 6 or 7' blade and a bit longer than I usually go with as I tend to carry on my chest and do a bit of running an climbing.

All three are tried and proven to me in hard use settings, and I think that the SOG and the ESEE are under 200.00. I dont know much about Microtech mine was given to me. I know that it is sv30 steel and it is my personal favorite of the three.

Hope that helps, it is a tough decision and one that I go through every once in a while.
 
Coye Ridgeback - 3.25 inch blade. 5/32 inch full tang 154cm construction. 6.75 overall. od-g10 on black g-10 liners. Was about 180 + shipping. You can stab a car door with this and keep on trucking without chips or edge damage.

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Here she is next to my HTM DDR.

EDIT: I see you're in Mannheim. Native German or are you stationed on base there with the US Army? Got a friend of mine there right now on base. At any rate, I was born and raised in Germany.

Gruess Gott!
 
I've always wondered why folks recommend the ESEE 5 over the 6 when these kinds of questions arise?
Bueller??
 
Busse and Fehrman make the toughest knives that I've ever owned, but you will need more than $175 to score one. Both INFI and CPM3V and extremely durable and have excellent edge retention. INFI is slightly more stain resistant, but 3V isn't bad either (a bit like D2).

I have several of both, beat them regularly and they only laugh...

This is a Fehrman Shadow Scout: (mesquite sap on blade from batonning... not corrosion)
Review posted here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=741406&highlight=review

Blade Size: 6" x 1.25" x .19"
Overall Length: 10.5"
Steel: CPM-3V
Hardness: 57-59 Rc
Handle: Linen Micarta

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Swamp Rat Ratmandu is an excellent buy for around $150.. it is SR101 (52100 with Busse heat treat)
Review posted here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=731929&highlight=review

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And one of my favorite beaters... Busse NMSFNO. This thing takes regular and extreme abuse, and still shaves. It is more than you want to spend, but worth it.

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Lenny said:
I've always wondered why folks recommend the ESEE 5 over the 6 when these kinds of questions arise?
Bueller??
Click to expand...

I can only speak for myself, but 6'+ just seem to big to me. Every way I carry them they just seem like "too much", or it is poking me, getting caught on stuff.

I usually carry a bigger knife in my pack but on my person 5 seems to be the limit before i start to notice that it is there.
 
ESEE 6 lives in my "get outta the dodge" truck bag and is also the most common blade for me to grab when heading outside in addition to the folder that lives in my pocket.
 
Given the limitation you have posted. I’d go whit the classic KA BAR knife. I had one whit me all trough my army years, and have on strapped to my BUG OUT bag. You just can’t go wrong whit one of these knives.

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EK #5 Combat Bowie, hasn't let me down yet.

Zombies and Mall Ninjas....0

T. Erdelyi.......................1369
 
BK2 all the way. Does what you need done from chopping ...
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... to cutting ...
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... to carving ...
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Works for me.

---

Beckerhead #42
 
There are a lot of good blades out there that will do what you are asking.

I don't have a knife that fits your price limit. Most of the Busse knives should do just fine. I haven't used the ones I have long enough to say I would grab one over a Randall. Which is the blade I would chose today.
 
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