I’m have looking into getting a fixed edge for sometime to my growing gear. Mission for this will be like a field knife for the woods, hiking and able to be mounted on MOLLE. I’ve been looking at the Ontario RATs, or an ESEE, but am curious if there are other good options?
I’ve been had with low quality steel before. Tiss why I’m here.
For the money, I personally think this tough SOB is very hard to beat:
Check out reviews all over the web…
How much do you want to spend? The Bark River Bravo series is top notch. They offer different blade sizes, and materials. I have a Bravo 1 and Gunny, both in A2 steel, and really like them. They are a bit pricey. However, the Beckers are a good value, and I have been happy with my BK-16 as an all purpose hiking knife. The ESEE’s are also very good, and I’ve had an RC-3, 4, and 5, but sold them off to a friend who wanted them.
About $150-180.
I had gotten one of the Glock knives last year. I liked the design and sheath, but the edge could never hold, and finish was easy to rub off.
How are the Ka-Bars? I’ve heard mixed reviews.
ESEE 3 is what I tell people who ask me this question. Great size, utility, easy to sharpen, and usually $90-$100. You can buy a better knife but not for $100.
Another vote for ESEE. Plus if you take one of their Alumni classes, you get ESEE 3 serialized class knife (that aren’t available to public).
I have the ESEE 3.mil and the blade could be longer, so I would recommend the ESEE 4.
ESEE or Scrapyard is what I usually recommend.
Another option that has been gaining a following:
I’m a little biased because I know the owner but Battlehorse Knives rule. They are a family business and are great people. I have several of their knives and they have made a few knives from my drawings.
Untitled by Cory Fluck, on Flickr
Another ESEE owner here, have several plan on getting more. For the price they are hard to beat. When it comes to sharpened pieces of hardened tool steel you get to a point of diminishing return, people assign emotional attachment to blades.
If you’re trying to penny pinch, then take a look at the Ontario RAT series. IIRC their models are 2/3 cost of comparable ESEE blades.
ESEE knives are much nicer, though. Ka-Bar’s Becker series isn’t too bad, but their stock handles suck.
Yup, I replaced all my OEM “Grivory” scales with Tomar’s custom Micarta scales as the OEM ones are slicker than a naked coed in a baby oil wrestling match.
http://www.tomarskabars.com/bk-hndl-info.html
I have ESEE as well and am fond of them for what they are.
On the whole and after a lifetime of different knives, you can’t beat a Fallkniven.
An S1 goes for about $140 and is an all around good size. There is the A1 (and A2) if you want bigger, and F1 that is smaller. I think the S1 is the best all around size for kit though.
I use this one, a solid value and nearly indestructible. It isn’t made of exotic steel, it is 1095 (ESEE mentiond above uses 1095 also) and is durable and holds an edge well. This knife can serve double duty as an axe if necessary.
I use the Micarta handles as the stock handles are too slippery. There are nice MOLE sheath’s available as you’ll want to replace the stock plastic sheath quickly.
For knives, 1095 is sort of the “standard” carbon steel, not too expensive and performs well. It is reasonably tough and holds an edge well, and is easy to sharpen. It rusts easily. This is a simple steel, which contains only two alloying elements: .95% carbon and .4% manganese. The various Kabars are usually 1095 with a black coating.
I also have a BUCK hunting knife that is made of a bit more exotic and expensive S30V but for survival I’d take the Becker over it on most occasions.
I too have an ESEE. The ESEE 6 to be precise, and I love it. I haven’t used it a whole lot, but I do have few camping trips worth of experience with it.
The edge is amazingly sharp and can really take a beating. It seems a little short for batoning, but it works.
I saw a video of an ESEE batoning a Kabar, it was quite impressive.
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ESEE 4 or 6 won’t disappoint. Neither will a swamp rat ratmandu
Depends on what you want to do with it. Fighting knife? Camping? Survival? Bush? And how much you want to spend.
The ESEE 5 is well liked. http://www.amazon.com/ESEE-Knives-ESEE-5-Canvas-Micarta/dp/B004HGI9WE
Busse - Expensive, but you could check out Busse’s Swamp Rat or Junk Yard knives http://www.bussecombat.com/
Swamp Rat - Swamp Rat Ratmandu
Tops - They make some wild blades, but the quality is very good. http://www.topsknives.com/
Tops Anaconda - http://www.amazon.com/Knives-Anaconda-Bowie-Fixed-Blade/dp/B007FV9IF0/ref=sr_1_19?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1431988281&sr=1-19&keywords=tops+knives
Bark River - Is good.
Benchmade - Makes some stainless fixed blade knives that I like. They are not really knives for batoning.
The Hunt series - http://hunt.benchmade.com/
The Bushcrafter - Benchmade Bushcrafter
The fixed Contego - Benchmade Contego Fixed
Falkniven makes good knives, but I worry about their strength for batoning.
If you want an all around knife it should be heavy duty and a minimum of 6" so you can process firewood and maybe chop. A lot of people are foregoing an Axe and instead buying a bigger heavier knife that can chop. And process firewood 7-9" knife 1/4" thick 1095 steel. A Knife that can be beat with a wood baton to split firewood, yet can be used to process food.
I had a bk2 for a while, but thought it was too thick and heavy. I like the bk7 more for an all purpose knife. The bk16 and bk17 are awesome, too.
To clarify, the bk2 is about a 5 inch blade that’s a 1/4 thick. The bk7 is 7 inches and 3/16 thick.
Ok, yes, I am a Becker fan boy.
Hit the ESEE forums and check their Gear swap. I picked up a brand new ESEE mil for $60 etched and all.