Which Big Knife?

W

W.T. Beck

Joined
Jul 9, 2001
Messages
1,411
My next knife purchase will be a large 9 - 10 inch utility knife, and I am looking for opinions as to what is best in my severely restricted price range (under $200).

There are three knives I am currently considering: the Swamp Rat Battle Rat, the Ontario RTAK, and a custom 10 inch bowie from Mineral Mountain Hatchet Works.

I am ruling out the BK9 due to the slippery handle - definitely unsafe in my hands.

Which of the three I am considering is best, and what have I overlooked? The RTAK is appealing as it is alot cheaper than the other two, but I don't know how it might compare in performance.
 
Battle Rat, without a doubt. I personally have never owned one, or one of the parent blades (Busse) but you will not find a single negative thing to be said about them.

What is so bad about a blade that can CHOP through a concrete cinder block and BEG for more??? Don't quote me on this, but it should fare well cutting wood, rope, food, Buicks, etc... ;)

Check out the forums on the Swamp Rat site, and you can see pics of this demonstration.

For $150, I dunno why I haven't gotten one yet!!! :rolleyes:

drjones
 
I just got my Mineral Mountain white river bowie yesterday, and it is one heck of a knife. I got the twelve inch blade, and though I knew how big the knife was, I was shocked at the size of it when I actually held it. This thing looks like it was carved out of the side of a battleship. I don't see how I could ever break it.
--Josh
 
How about a Cold Steel "2nd" Recon Scout or Trailmaster Bowie?
 
How about a Cold Steel "2nd" Recon Scout or Trailmaster Bowie?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice, Glockman99, but I already have both of those. This time I wanted to balance out the collection by getting something with more of a strictly utilitarian design. I see the Cold Steel knives as sort of compromise fighting/utility knives.

I expect alot are going to agree with drjones that the Battle Rat is best in the price range. However, I still can't figure out why Mr. Busse gives fighting knife names to utilitarian knives. It seems a bad idea to me. If one ever used one in self-defense, a liberal lawyer or prosecutor would try to use the name of the knife to villify the user.

How about "Magnum Girl Scout Safety Knife" as a lawyer-proof name?
 
Hmmmmm...I was just reminded of another great knife, that might be just what you are looking for:

SOG Tigershark!.:).

I have one (new-style), and it's an awesome knife! If you want something just alittle smaller, there is also the SOG Seal 2000.
 
W.T., as regards the BK-9, if you have the scales bead blasted it will improve the grip immeasureably and looks great. Alternatively, Bill Siegle makes G10 scales for these. Do the right thing. Go Becker.;)
 
Newt Livesay makes a big knife called the HKR. It's my favorite big knife.
 
Hello Again, Glockman99,

I haven't looked at any pictures of the Tiger Shark lately, so I will have to refresh my memory on that one.


Averageguy,

My reluctance concerning the BK&T line comes from owning two BK&T knives, and having cut myself with both of them due to the slippery handles. Provided the handle problem is fixed, why else do you prefer the BK9?


Fudo,

I once tried to purchase a knife from Newt Livesay. Let's just say it was an experience I don't care to repeat.
 
Mineral Mountain has some awesome pieces for the money. Given the choice to buy handmade or factory for about the same price, I'd go handmade. There is a real pride of ownership factor with a handmade piece that one cannot get from factory pieces. And usually the handmade piece is better overall.
 
I chose the Battle Rat, which I expect to be th best 9-inch-range camping knife for the money on the market. I'll tell you what I think of it, based on experience, in a few months, after I have received the knife and had time to use it for a while.
 
Personally, I don't find the BK-9 grip scales slippery at all. Even if they were, I'd just give them a light buff with emery cloth or order a pair of Bill Siegle's G10 scales for it.

I love the BK-9 and the RTAK. I don't think you can go wrong with either.

Mike
 
Well, I don't think you could go wrong with either the RTAK, BK9 or the Battle Rat. All three are on my list for potential bush beaters. They all have their strong points for me. I love the extra size and the micarta handles of the RTAK. I really like the blade profile and reputation of the Becker. The performance claims of the Swamp Rat really have me sweating. I have a Battle Rat on order and will most probably add the other two eventually.
 
Hello Glockman99,

The SOG Tigershark is a nice looking knife, but the blade profile looks to me to be that of a fighting knife, rather than a utility knife. What I had in mind for my next purchase is something with a purely utilitarian design. When I see such knives they usually have wider blades than the Tigershark.

Still, I can understand your attraction to the Tigershark. It looks like a great multipurpose knife.
 
The knives I have seen from Mineral Mountain Hatchet Works (just online pics), look to have sabre hollow grinds with thick edges, not what I would want it a blade intended to cut wood and such, in regards to binding as well as penetration and durability concerns. The RTAK looks like a decent knife, however the QC problems I have had with Ontario, as well as problems described by others which can be seen on the forum, would not encourage me to use another. The Swamp Rat on the other hand looks like a very solid knife. The Tigershark, being a larger version of the SEAL, is a knife with a many to one loss in cutting ability as comapred to the Swamp Rat (based on work with a SEAL and a Basic), plus a host of other problems which can be seen in past posts. Plus you have SOG's promotion of intentionally not fully sharpening them for "durability" reasons, which is one of the worst knife myths. Something you might want to check out is the Golok from Martindale, as well as a small knife from Valiant, of which the larger knives have been getting a lot of press lately both here and on Knifeforums, for very good reasons. Or on a tangent, look at a quality hatchet such as from Gransfors Bruks.

-Cliff
 
Hey Dann,
Originally posted by Cliff Stamp
Plus you have SOG's promotion of intentionally not fully sharpening them for "durability" reasons, which is one of the worst knife myths.
Click to expand...
Did your Tigershark come "not fully sharpened?"
 
Originally posted by Cliff Stamp
...The Tigershark, being a larger version of the SEAL, is a knife with a many to one loss in cutting ability as comapred to the Swamp Rat (based on work with a SEAL and a Basic), plus a host of other problems which can be seen in past posts. Plus you have SOG's promotion of intentionally not fully sharpening them for "durability" reasons, which is one of the worst knife myths...
-Cliff
Click to expand...

Cliff,

I don't understand. MY SOG Tigersharks (BOTH of 'em) came to me with a VERY sharp edge, as did my Seal 2000 and Seal Pup!

...And the "host of other problems"? I don't see ANY problems with ANY of my SOG knives. PLEASE elaborate on your statement with some FACTS. Thanks.:).
 
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