Who makes a good large knife? Custom and factory.

keninshiro

keninshiro

Joined
Apr 19, 1999
Messages
2,259
Hi All!
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I need a good large knife. 8"- 9" blade for bush clearing and light choping so i guess the edge is relatively thin but not too thin that it'll chip. My budget would be somewhere around USD$300. Any suggestions? Thanks all.

Eric.
 
Oohh...and folks, I'm looking for a stainless steel piece as i live in a wet and humid country. Thanks!

Eric.
 
The selection is near endless...

But I wouldn't eliminate carbon steel. High carbon blades are better suited for heavy field work and a little discoloration has never affected the efficiency of a good tool. It only takes a little preventative maintenance to keep the blade in pristine condition.

O.k. Suggestions:

1) COld Steel Trailmaster (In stainless)
2) Mission MPK (if corrosion and weight are
your primary concerns)
3) A good quality 12" machete is hard to
beat if you are serious about the bush
whacking. You can buy about 3 dozen on
your budget.
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You guys think we can hit 400 posts on this one? Taking cover NOW!

 
Take a look at Matt Lamey's knives, Eric. www.lameyknives.com Also, in a different vein, Camillus is coming out with a machete in their Becker line. Thinner than their other styles and with the coated blade. You could probably get three and have them shipped for under $300.

Jack
 
One knife stands out in this class.
Busse!
INFI steel, assymetrical edge (easy sharpening), flat grind, awesome grip, great choppers, and cutters, reasonably priced! What more could you want.
I just picked up a Natural Outlaw for $260 from Andy Prisco. The blade is a little over 6", but thick and wide. Perfect balance though. If this isn't big enough, try the Steel Heart which is about 1.5" longer, or the totally awesome Battle Mistress.
These knives are the cream of the crop when it comes to large field/camping blades.
Once again, the INFI steel is revolutionary and has blown away all competitors in cutting and chopping competitions.
Lenny
 
Hey Ken!

Yep, I agree with Lenny here. With that budget, you can get yourself a Busse knife, a real workhorse.
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Dan
 
Thank you guys for the info!
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I think size and weight is not a primary concern as i can lug quite a few rocks for long haul trips, so my quest here is a chopper that can cut, hold an edge fairly well and little maintainence required. Carbon steel is good for such task but constant tropical rain and thunder storm will wash away any protection coating(as in WD-40, Tuff-cloth...) in a matter of seconds! So, rust resistance is quite important.

I think Talonite, 440V, or any CPM steel will perform but the price will kill me in an instant!

Will anyone join me for this quest? I doubt it'll reach 400 post but a healthy 30 with 100 suggestion in it will be excellent!

Thanks all!

[This message has been edited by keninshiro (edited 10-04-2000).]
 
I have found the large blades made by www.newt.livesay.com are among the best made, he works primarly in 1095, in a large stainless knife I'd look to Busse, either in the Basic or Combat line (both are excellent) or if you'd be willing to spend just a little more money Trace Rinaldi is a custom maker who does incredible work. The Armageddon model may be right up your alley, and as a custom maker Trace can provide you with whatever materials and options you want He works in ATS34, BG42, even Talonite, and offers a wide variety of handle materials, including G10 and Micarta along with very prettty mosiac pins. His knives may seem expensive at first, but they are truly a bargain when you consider the craftsmanship and quality that you receive. BTW his heat treatment is done by Paul Bos and is first rate, including a cryo stress relief.
Check out this thread for a little more info or do a search and you'll find a lot http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum54/HTML/003176.html

There are many custom knifemakers who provide a great product, and all that I have dealt with have been great to deal with as well, open, honest and willing to share their knowledge with you. In the end it is a personal choice, there are so many great makers out there.
Take care and be safe,
Chad

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"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
George Orwell
"Those who hold the thin blue line keep order, and insure that anarchy and chaos will not prevail." Chad (1992)
"He who lives by the sword dies by the sword. He who dies by the sword did not train hard enough" -Chad (1999)
chad234@email.com
 
Eric

INFI isn't quite "stain-not" like Talonite, nor is it "stainless" like other steels with higher chromium content, BUT, it's still quite stain resistant. One instance comes to mind where I took my SHII on a camping trip in Northern Maine. I took no steps to protect the blade, and pretty much left it in the rain for 3 days. The cutting edge did not rust, it merely colored slightly in spots, but the discoloration disappeared during use.

The Busse combat line also features an extremely durable coating on all parts of the steel except for the direct cutting edge. INFI itself still has something like 8% chromium (I think), which provides more stain resistance than you would think.

Bottom line, when I hear the term "hard use" and "chopping" associated with a knife, I think of Busse. I would recommend nothing less than a Busse for your needs...
 
For a large heavy use fixed blade, you can't beat those that are made by Becker Knife & Tool. The Machax is a stout-as-hell blade. Blade stock is 1/4" 0170-6C tool steel, handles are molded out of GV6H in the trademark Becker shape which are very comfortable under heavy use. The Machax combines the best of a machete, axe, and kukri all into one. This thing will go through a 2 x 4 in a hurry, so you can imagine what it would do on large tree limbs. I've also used mine to take out saplings in one swipe. Give it all you got, 'cause the knife will definitely withstand a lot of heavy use/abuse.

another Becker model you may want to look into is the Fisk Magnum Camp. I haven't used mine for chopping much (Machax is the chopper for me
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) but since the blade stock isn't nearly as thick as the Machax, you have to put more into the swing. But still, its trailing point blade and spot-on edge geometry make it cut very well. For a large knife, the Magnum Camp is very well balanced and feels light in the grip. Hope this helps you decide.

Here's a picture of the Machax along with a Brute: http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum21/HTML/000415.html

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AKTI Member # A000005
NC Knife Knuts Member
Living life "on the edge"

In memory of James K. Mattis

[This message has been edited by Dexter Ewing (edited 10-04-2000).]
 
Production Knives: On a budget, you may want to check out the Kuhkris (spelling?) by Brigade Quartermasters or Ontario (I believe the BQs are made by Ontario). The Cold Steel versions are more expensive, but are very good. Chris Reeves Project I and II are good choices as is the MPK by Mission Knives.

Custom: I have a Ross Aki machete made in ATS34 and it is a great chopper. Check his stuff out at www.macheteman.com.
 
Sounds Like Matt Lamey is the guy to talk to. He's around the forums and makes a reasonably priced whoppin big knife. probably make great bushwhackers..

Ask Kodiak he's got a few IIRC.

-Sam.
 
Check out the Sog Tigershark S5 with a blade length of 9" and a thickness of .250, overall length is 14". It has a kraton handle and I believe it now comes with a kydex sheath. It's blade is 440A stainless Rc 56-58. www.1stopknifeshop.com sales this knife for about $148.99 . I have several Sog fixed blades and I can say that they work great, especially for the price. I would how ever go with the kydex sheath if available.
 
Go with either a Busse or an of the large Livesay knives. I have had both go thru my hands, and I tell you they are both awesome in their own rites.

I prefer the Busse for the bigger knives, while I love the Micarta work of the little Livesays.


steve in NYC

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What we do today in life...echoes in eternity...
Every man dies...not every man lives...
 
I think that Newt Livesay's knives, (the Wasp is my favorite) will fill your bill nicely. They are priced right too.

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Although it does not mindfully keep guard in the small mountain fields, the scarecrow does not stand in vain
Bukkoku
 
Thank you all for your valuable informations. I made notes on all the makers and will compare them later. Any more suggestions?
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Thanks,
Eric.
 
I have used and owned just about every fixed blade over 5 inches before I got into folder mania and can say without doubt the best knife you can buy in this category is a Chris Reeve. I know that Busses knives are all the rage now days but You cant beat a billet knife. Strongest blade around. In my opinion.
 
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