Survival/general purpose fixed-blade knives

[Straight Shooter]

MORA Knives are also excellent for outdoors...and very economicaly priced. Many many different models.

[SeriousStudent]

MORA Knives are also excellent for outdoors...and very economicaly priced. Many many different models.

Agreed. The Condor line from El Salvador is a very good buy for the money. They are NOT affiliated with the cheap Chinese ripoff company.

I have one of their 14" parangs, and it's excellent.

[ST911]

Another Mora user here. Here's one with a ferrocerium rod in the handle for $20:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/lig...-rec-prod6461N

I have a half-dozen of the bright orange ones scattered through my gear.

Yes, bright orange is my first choice on gear like that for several reasons.

It's highly visible. When you are dehydrated, have not eaten food for two days, and fuzzy-headed, you need stuff that does not get easily lost. Or if lost, is easily spotted. My days of wandering the landscape avoiding angry people are long past. Camo I honestly do not need.

It does not scream tactical. I have a GHB in my vehicle, as well as one locked up at work. If they are searched, they are going to look a lot more like emergency preparations than an active shooter gear stash. And yes, I have had that conversation with authorities.

Amazon had Moras on steal about Christmas time. Another bright orange user stocking up here, too.

[militarymoron]

I have one of their 14" parangs, and it's excellent.

I haven't heard the word 'parang' for years! At least not since I lived in south east asia.

[SeriousStudent]

I haven't heard the word 'parang' for years! At least not since I lived in south east asia.

I was living in south east Asia when I was using it. I had a really nice golok as well.

Both were handmade from a truck leaf spring, heat treated and had the appropriate grinds. I loved the golok, it had polished water buffalo horn handles. The parang's handles were made from teak. That was nice, because they would not rot off the blade in the humidity.

[WillBrink]

I was living in south east Asia when I was using it. I had a really nice golok as well.

Both were handmade from a truck leaf spring, heat treated and had the appropriate grinds. I loved the golok, it had polished water buffalo horn handles. The parang's handles were made from teak. That was nice, because they would not rot off the blade in the humidity.

You didn't keep it?! I wanna see pics.

[SeriousStudent]

You didn't keep it?! I wanna see pics.

No, I rotated back to CONUS, and gave them to friends. They could still use them, and I thought I would not need the blades when I finally got home.

Machetes aren't much use in a desert.

[big 54r]

A 7" old hickory butcher knife modified to your blade style preference... Full tang and as good or better than a Mora.
Great starter knife... Only $13-$15!!!

[maximus83]

Agreed. The Condor line from El Salvador is a very good buy for the money. They are NOT affiliated with the cheap Chinese ripoff company.

I have one of their 14" parangs, and it's excellent.

Oh yes, love the big ole Condor choppers! I have a Condor Golok, 14" blade and about 1.75 pounds, that thing will easily out-chop small hatchets and axes, plus you can still use it as a regular machete to sweep limbs off of branches, clear brush, and I've even choked up on the rear part of my blade back near the handle and chopped vegetables with it. With a good convex grind on one of the big Condor choppers, you have an awesome tool. I used to carry mine strapped to my pack. The reason I don't carry it much anymore--mostly just use at home as a machete and wood chopper--is the overall length is 21". I've found that my ESEE Junglas 1, at 16" plus a bit more for the sheath, is "good enough" compared to the larger Golok, and MUCH easier to carry.