Which knife is better?

G

Greensniper43

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Feb 8, 2015
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This will be my first post here in bladeforums, and I wanted to get some opinions on what knife might be the best for me to get. Here in Texas, we can legally carry a 5.5 inch single-edged blade at all times, so I was looking to get a knife around that size for about a $75 budget. I've been looking at the SOG NW Ranger, Becker BK 15, 16, and 17, and several others, but I cannot seem to narrow my choices down. I cannot really decide if stainless or carbon steel is better at this point, but I have good experience with both.

I would not be doing very much real hard use/bushcrafting, just something nice to have and to carry that can perform everyday cutting tasks and not be terribly obtrusive on a belt or in a backpack but also fill the role of a hunting knife and self-defensive weapon if need be. Thanks!
 
Greensniper43 said:
This will be my first post here in bladeforums, and I wanted to get some opinions on what knife might be the best for me to get. Here in Texas, we can legally carry a 5.5 inch single-edged blade at all times, so I was looking to get a knife around that size for about a $75 budget. I've been looking at the SOG NW Ranger, Becker BK 15, 16, and 17, and several others, but I cannot seem to narrow my choices down. I cannot really decide if stainless or carbon steel is better at this point, but I have good experience with both.

I would not be doing very much real hard use/bushcrafting, just something nice to have and to carry that can perform everyday cutting tasks and not be terribly obtrusive on a belt or in a backpack but also fill the role of a hunting knife and self-defensive weapon if need be. Thanks!
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Those would all work well, as would probably numerous other knives that could be named. I think the Beckers are a good value and I think there is an advantage to carbon steels in a fixed blade knife. If you are in a much moister area then there would be more reasons to consider the stainless steel blade.
 
I'm a bit biased toward the bk15, having gotten one a month or two ago. :) It does have a 5.5 inch blade, but keep in mind some of that is the finger choil, so only about 5 inches actual cutting edge. Most people seem to like it in the kitchen; I've been using it around the yard. It's almost like a much shorter version of my favorite machete. Liking it a lot, though I didn't have a clue at first what I was going to do with it.

I don't have any of the others you mentioned, so I can't comment on those.
 
You could check out the ColdSteel Master Hunter. It is my go to knife in that price/size range. It is available in VG-1 which is a very good laminated stainless and soon to be released in 3v which is an excellent carbon steel. It works very well as a cutting tool and comes with a nice compact sheath.

EDIT TO ADD: Almost forgot about the handle... it's great!
 
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Becker BK15 if you're fine with the extra inch in the overall size, BK16 if you want something smaller
 
In that price range and for a first one, look into the Ka-Bar/Becker, ESSE, Buck and Cold Steel lines first.
 
Generally at any price point, high carbon (non-stainless) steels make better knife blades in terms of strength, toughness, edge holding, sharpness and ease of sharpening. The area where they are lacking is rust resistance, meaning they require more or even much more maintenance than stainless steels. And stainless steels will rust as well - just not as quickly and not as noticeably.

At the $75 price point, you would be hard put to find a knife better than a Becker BK-2. Yes, its blade is thick and heavy and won't slice nearly as well as some of the thinner blade Beckers or other brands, but if you had to take a $75 knife to hell, the BK-2 would be the one.
 
saniterra said:
At the $75 price point, you would be hard put to find a knife better than a Becker BK-2. Yes, its blade is thick and heavy and won't slice nearly as well as some of the thinner blade Beckers or other brands, but if you had to take a $75 knife to hell, the BK-2 would be the one.
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Love my BK2--it's my best root chopper (maybe tied with my machete) and it's certainly about as indestructible as a knife can be, but perhaps not ideal for EDC tasks or what could be considered unobtrusive. :)
 
BK15 fits perfectly.

At 5.5" with a trailing point, the BK15 is the most slicey, both in daily tasks and self-defense. Ethan Becker has said that martial artists are instantly drawn to the 5 and 15.

The SOG NW Ranger would be 2nd and has a bit more 'bling'. But you can take 400~600 grit sandpaper to the BK15 and turn it into a black mirror. ;)

The BK16 and BK17 would be toss-up, the only difference being the style of blade. The 17 would be more 'stabby' with its clip point.

Oh ... and WELCOME to the forums!
 
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The Cold Steel Master Hunter is coming out in 3V. That is simply the better choice.

Buck is coming out with a new knife with stacked leather handles and a 119 blade in better steel.

The Kershaw Diskin Hunter (about $51 at KW) has a 4.5" blade and has good steel. I like mine.
 
Bk15 would be the best choice right now since it's on sale on at least a couple of online dealers for about $45.

I have one and like it a lot.
 
The BK15s are on sale here and there and meet you budget. The blade shape is one of my all time favorites.
 
For that kind of money and with no particular task in mind: I would just go and buy something that I like and that fits the budget. It would likely be something like Ka-Bar Mark 1, BK15 or something from OKC. I hope that will help!
 
i'm in the same market and am thinking hard about a bk17, looks like the becker i'd use the most, carbon steel does worry me (most use will be tramping in new zealands fiordland and mt aspiring national parks) but a little care and it should be fine. I have a Sog seal pup which does the trick, but .... (do I need to justify a knife purchase here?)
 
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