Which 4 - 4.5" fixed blade for outdoor utility use?

Nathan S

Nathan S

Joined
May 31, 2001
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This is basically a continuation of a thread I started on the Ontario TAK. I'm still open to suggestions on a 4 - 4.5" fixed blade for oudoor utility use. I'm not looking for anything in the "sharpened pry bar" category; I prefer a knife with good cutting ability, not too big, reasonably strong but not overbuilt. For that reason, I'd say that the blade width should not exceed 3/16".

Price has got to be reasonable, so we're talking mostly about production knives, though I would not rule out a decently priced custom.

I've seen pictures of various production knives that may or may not fit the bill: Ontario TAK, BM Nimravus, Gerber Yari, Entrek Cobra, Swamp Rat HR, Kabar Impact and others. I don't have the chance to handle any of these knives, though, so I would appreciate comments on them or on any other knife that might seem appropriate.
 
Ya' know, three weeks ago I would have given you a snooty answer, like 'Strider is the only thing I would consider.' And while they are my favorite brand, I'm learning to eat my words.

I bought a Buck Alpha Hunter made from 420HC. I thought to myself, cheap steel, good thing I own an Edge Pro. I can cut for about three days and re-sharpen. At the end of about two years, I throw it away.

Boy, was I wrong. I've re-profiled it, and sharpened it once. I've left it out on the coffee table, awaiting our hunting/camping trip. It's opened letters, cardboard boxes, sliced out articles with its tip and then, of course, the stuff that my wife does when I am out of the room. I have encouraged her to prepare a meal with it, including the thin slicing of tomatoes.

I think you should ask the knuts, ask your friends, and read articles. Don't be mislead on statements like, "All AUS-6 is crap." Handle a knife if you can. And when you buy a knife, and it gives you good service, don't be afraid of the snobs when you tell the world. There are no stupid questions. There are probably a hundred more like you out there with the same concerns.
 
I would consider the Spyderco Perrin Street Bowie. I have one and have been very happy with it. I haven't taken it camping yet, but will later in the summer. A few people on the Spyderco forum have mentioned how well it works in the kitchen, so it might be worth a look. :) Good luck.



Blades
 
How about a Fallkniven F1? Blade is 3.8" so it's on the short side of your requirement, but it's plenty strong and that full convex grind cuts exceptionally well on soft materials. I saw a new one for sale recently at $50, so it's a great value.

A little more money will snag you a Swamp Rat Bandicoot or Howling Rat. These are 3/16" thick and are not the best cutters, but they're solid performers for a wide range of work.

The Marble's in 51200 steel are also excellent choices. Simply outstanding cutting ability. Also full convex grind IIRC.
 
Just this week I got a knife that looks great and seems to fit the bill: Spyderco Temperance. Mine was an $89 plain edge. The blade is 4", and just over 2/16" thick. The blade has a full flat grind, like most kitchen knives, so it looks to be a great cutter. The excellent Kydex sheath comes with a full-size Tek-Lok which will fit most wide belts, but is adjustable to fit less wide, dress belts. The handle is a very ergonomic (although this is always a matter of opinion) FRN - composite plastic. The handle surface is textured and has "indexing holes" molded into both sides for even better retention and easy manipulation.

The Temperance is on the big side for carrying around town, but seems perfect for light outdoor use. I'm looking forward to using it.

miguel
 
Even when you exclude the sharpened prybars there are a LOT of choices in this category

PRODUCTION
Spyderco Perrin, Moran or Temperance (I'd go with the Perrin because it is light enough for backpacking and sturdy enough for my uses)
Gerber Yari (I own one of these)
Benchmade Nimravus, River/Dive or Outbounder
Cold Steel Master Hunter
Buck Strider Solution or Alpha Hunter (ATS-34, Paul Bos heat treat to 58-60RC :cool: ) LINK
Becker Crewman Utility Knife
AG Russell Deer Hunter (Thin full flat ground VG10 or D2 blade. Great cutter. Lightweight. Maybe too thin.)
Also take a look at the Scandinavian knives at www.ragweedforge.com. A Puukko and Leuku are a great outdoor utility combo, and you can buy 10 moras for the cost of many of the knives above . . .

CUSTOM Here are a couple I've had my eye on.
Rinaldi TTKK, TUK or Gambit LINK I think a TTKK or TUK would be great for your uses.
Several knives from Dozier


This isn't what you want to hear, but because there are so many good choices in this category you need to handle some of the knives that interest you. Your hands will tell you which one is right. Either get to a place that sells them or buy a bunch of them and return all of them except the one(s) you like best . . .

Good luck and good hunting :)
 
OK, some interesting answers so far.

IP - I'm not a steel snob. If it works, I'll use it. I'm not sure if Buck has something interesting in the size I'm looking for, but if I see it, I'll try it. Anyway, I'm glad you didn't use the "S word". It would be overkill for my needs. I'm about as far from a "high speed" lifestyle as you can imagine, so buying a Strider would make me feel like a grade A wannabe. Though I really like the EBS line. ;)

Blades - I probably will get a Perrin sooner or later, but it's really a little too long for what I'm looking for now. Plus the lack of a hand guard makes me uneasy; I'm not sure how much protection that choil offers during hard use.

Steeldriver - Unfortunately, Fallkniven doesn't seem to have a knife in the range I'm seeking. The F1 is a tad too short, the S1 a tad too long. With regard to the Swamp Rats, they seem to be just a little too robust for pure cutting tasks. Plus, I don't like that pronounced choil in a smallish fixed blade.

miguel - I looked at the Temperance. The size is right, and I'm sure it's a great cutter. Still, that curved shape looks funny to me, and the knob on the bottom of the handle looks like it would cause pain with prolonged use. It's tough, though, to evaluate knives without being able to hold them. All I can do is mention my impressions, but, hey, who knows, I might feel differently if I were able to actually handle these knives.

JDMSMBACPA - OK, you get the award for the most complicated username I've seen in a while. Thank God for cut and paste! I'd be curious to hear your impressions of the Gerber Yari and the BM Nimravus. I owned an Outbounder briefly, but found it to be too small for my hands. If BM made a 4.5" version, I'd snap it up in a hearbeat. With regard to the Scandanavian knives, sorry, they just don't float my boat. Plus, I consider the absence of a handguard too dangerous.
I agree that a Rinaldi TTKK would be about perfect! There's just that picky little problem of price and wait time. However, I won't rule it out, and I wouldn't rule out a Dozier, either. Ideal would be a Scott Cook hunter in a 4 - 4.5" length. But now I'm fantasizing ... ;)
 
A Frosts of Sweden (not the el cheapo Frost)Mora knife. Cheesy sheath, but easy enough to get a nice one made. That and the knife would still be under $30 bucks I bet. Laminated steel that will outslice pretty near anything you put it up against. The most basic design ever perhaps; and you won't cry if it gets ruined, which would be really hard to do. Or check out the Finnish and Swedish Puukkos that Ragnar has at ragweedforge.com.
 
I probably said it before, but I'll say it again...Gerber Yari, (or Camillus/Becker Bk-10 Crewman). I have both, and I'm pretty sure that you are looking for a Yari.:).
 
Nathan S,

No, no, by no means was I implying that YOU were the snob! I meant that sometimes I have been the offender!

To that end, the Alpha Hunter I have is a fixed blade. They also make a folder Hunter series. Since my buddy sells them, I almost bought one. It was 'fear of the wife' that made me bring only TWO new ones home that night.

Ya' know, sometimes I cannot tell an alloy when I'm actually using it. I'm better at quessing when I'm sharpening. You can tell a knife that is overly glass hard right away. When you finish with the polishing tapes, some knives shine like chrome; they're usually premium steel from a name-brand company. Some just won't take that 'final glitter.'

And sometimes I seek a good steel, but a soft one. I once owned a Kershaw Whirlwind that I used for precise, razor type cuts. It was softer, but with a fresh edge it was like a scalpel! If I gave it to you, you'd be back in three days. The resharpening was a snap.

Sorry I hurt your feelings, it was my mistake in prose.
 
I like my Yari fine BUT if both my Yari and my Benchmade 806D2 are available, I use the 806D2 unless I'll be chopping with, banging on, prying or twisting the knife. The 806D2 just feels and cuts much better--thinner edge and awesome handle. IMO it's probably all I need 99% of the time.

I've reprofiled my Yari to a 30* back bevel and a 40* edge using a Spyderco Sharpmaker. Based on what I have read, that's as acute as I wanted to go on a 154CM blade. I have a straight 30* bevel on my 806D2 and haven't had any problems with chipping, rolling or the like. That probably contributes to the 806D2's performance.

The ergonomics of the 806D2 is what got me looking at the Spyderco Perrin. ThinkOfTheChildren wrote a good Perrin review. LINK He was looking for something with a guard or finger groove like the AFCK. As you can see from the photo below, the dropped edge design forms an integral guard.

sc-fb04_sm.jpg


Here are some better pictured from the linked review: MORE SPYDERCO PERRIN PHOTOS (WARNING: POP-UPS)

If the Perrin is too long and you don't like the Temperance, you might take a look at the Moran Drop Point. Every review I have seen has been positive. It might be too short, though.
 
Hi!

The 420 HC steel that Buck uses in many of their knives is a good steel. It does not hold the edge just as long as VG-10 or 440V or similar more expencive and harder steel,but it is strong and fairly easy to sharpen. It can easily be honed to a razor edge. For a versatile allround knife i strongly recomend a Buck Vanguard with a 4 inch blade or a Buck Pathfinder with a 5 inch blade.They are available at good prices and are made of 420 HC stainless steel.

Manowar:)
 
Originally posted by Nathan S
With regard to the Scandanavian knives, sorry, they just don't float my boat. Plus, I consider the absence of a handguard too dangerous.
Click to expand...

I suggested a Mora or Puukko above. The man doesn't want one.
 
Nathan:

Don't worry about the butt of the Temperance handle. Unless your hands are huge, your fingers won't reach the back of the handle. You can't see it in side photos, but the butt of the knife isn't rounded - the butt is actually "hollowed out", so to speak. The purpose seems to be so that when you hold it in reverse grip (for self-defense uses) and "cap" the butt of the knife with your thumb, your thumb rests in a depression, rather than on a rounded butt. A neat feature.

miguel
 
If you are willing to go thin you can't beat the AG Russell Deer Hunter. You can get either a premium grade 4" stainless blade (VG-10) or an even more wear resistant tool steel blade (D2). These are great knives for $69.95. If you want to go thicker and still have high cutting performance look at the Cold Steel Master Hunter. It has around a 3/16" thick 4.5" long, full flat ground blade. If I went this way it would be to get a knife that is a bit on the rugged side so I would get the non-stainless Carbon-V blade.

I'll throw in a wild card. If you might be interested in going a little longer, take a look at the SOG X-42 Field Knife. It has a 5-3/8" BG-42 alloy blade that has a very high grind. The BG-42 alloy is a great stainless steel. The design is very ergonomic.
 
I just want to chip in a bit here since this class of knife is something I've looked at quite a bit lately. I have a Spyderco Temperance and Moran and an Alan Folts custom that are all about 4-4.5" I'm also going to be getting a BM Nimravus next week. I've also handled a Perrin bowie. Out of all of them, I carry the Moran far more than the others. It's small, extremely lightweight and does everything I ask of it. It also conceals like a dream if that is important to you.

It's my personal choice for a cutting tool, for a chopper, it's pretty much useless.
 
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