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Discussion: The Best General-Purpose Survival Tool is a Good Fixed Blade Knife
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IamSlowRide |
The Best General-Purpose Survival Tool is a Good Fixed Blade Knife
Apr 16 2012, 4:08 AM EDT
I looked for a thread about knives and didn't really see one that covered what I'm wanting to discuss here, I took some Q's for this thread from LJ126's thread about Handguns and his picture contest for EDC's but I'm not talking folders here, I'm talking fixed blades, no machetes (they fill a class of their own) and no god damn Katanas!So your knife, what is your choice? Do you own it yet or plan to buy it? What do you really like about it? What would you change about it? My personal fixed blade choice is the ESEE RAT-5, O.A Length: 10.88″, Blade Length: 5.25″, Maximum thickness: .25″, Weight: 16 ounces (Knife Only), Finish: Textured Black Powder Coat, Handles: Canvas Micarta w/ Bow Drill Divot, Blade Width: 1.56″, 1095 Steel – 57 Rc, Sabre Grind, Glass Breaker Pommel, Sheath: Kydex with MOLLE Backs and survival Tin I do own it already What I like: The choil for your index finger, this adds an incredible amount of grip and control for dextrous work, this blade is almost perfect in every way from making fuzz sticks for fire and batoning, to cleaning game, it's about the maximum length I would choose for small game and obviously plenty big enough for making quick work of larger game What I would change: The Kydex sheath is not my favorite, by itself it is horrid but with the MOLLE Backs it makes it quite serviceable, I would like to make a leather mag sheath for it for quieter removal and re sheathing, also you can throw a nice shower of sparks from this knife but only from the blade so I would also remove some of the coating at the spine of the blade where there are some ridges already present, to facilitate spark throwing without dulling the blade. Do you find this valuable? |
x-wolfhunter |
1. RE: The Best General-Purpose Survival Tool is a Good Fixed Blade Knife
Apr 16 2012, 7:13 AM EDT
Yay, first poster! Let's see . . . My ideal knife is one that has a semi-serrated, semi smooth-n-sharp blade capable of helping me climb (I won't use it for that - too dangerous - but I want the blade to be capable of not breaking very well) and stabbing something through the eye, so obviously not anything too thick. The handle I would wrap in paracord - never know when you might need it, plus I don't think it would be a terrible grip. No idea what knife fits all these "requirements, but I'm keepin' my eyes open. Also, if anybody knows of one . . . you know. Tell me.
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Sharpie41 |
2. RE: The Best General-Purpose Survival Tool is a Good Fixed Blade Knife
Apr 16 2012, 9:55 AM EDT
I have a 50/50 Ka-Bar, half straight, half serrated.Good all purpose knife Do you find this valuable? |
LJ126 |
3. RE: The Best General-Purpose Survival Tool is a Good Fixed Blade Knife
Apr 16 2012, 11:59 AM EDT
| Post edited: Apr 16 2012, 12:04 PM EDT
I absolutely, 100% agree with SlowRide on this one. A good fixed blade knife is the quintessential survival tool, bar none. I'm also with Sharpie with regards to the Ka-Bar.In my bugout bag (well, sitting right next to it, I'm repacking) I have a full-size black Ka-Bar, NSN: 1095-01-554-2451 KNIFE-COMBAT (KA-BAR #1214SG). I have one of the older ones with a black leather sheath. I go back and forth on my Ka-Bar. Sometimes I love it, enjoying it's simple and classic design. Sometimes, I wonder what I was thinking when I bought it, because it appears tacticool, all black and ninja-like, and I'm decidedly not a member of the tactical community. I try to be low-key and that knife is anything but that. Features I do like about it - the "grip" of it fills my hand nicely, and the guard is simple but effective. The Kraton-G is very non-slip and one can get an excellent purchase on it. The blade is easily sharpened and keeps a decent edge. Things I dislike - The color of the knife and sheath. In retrospect, I wish I'd have gone with the classic USMC-style Ka-Bar instead. I guess I could always spray paint or Duracoat it... but then I'd still have the black sheath to deal with. Replacement kydex sheaths for it aren't particularly expensive, so maybe that's an option as well. Either way, I'm not entirely satisfied with the appearance of it. Do you find this valuable? |
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Sharpie41 |
4. RE: The Best General-Purpose Survival Tool is a Good Fixed Blade Knife
Apr 16 2012, 12:22 PM EDT
Might I remind you of TRs make a sheath thread out of PVC?
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oldannyboy37 |
5. RE: The Best General-Purpose Survival Tool is a Good Fixed Blade Knife
Apr 16 2012, 1:05 PM EDT
My personal knife is my trusty Ka-Bar. I've had it for years and it's totally thrashed. It's one of the older styles with a replacement plastic handle that I'm probably going to cover in part of a bicycle inner tube for a better grip. It's a completely straight edge 7 inch blade and I have a left handed leather sheath for it.I love it because it's simple and very tough. I like the dings and nicks in the blade that show how much it's been used. If I could change anything; I don't really care for the Ka-Bar grind and the sheath isn't great. I'm probably gonna pick up a kydex sheath with a tek-lok on it. My backup fixed blade knife is a Cold Steel GI Tanto that I keep strapped as a backup weapon to my chest rig. I'm probably going to buy a SOG Northwest ranger or a Cold Steel SRK; I like the looks of both of those. I really like the SRK's sheath, but you can get a really decent MOLLE sheath for the NW Ranger and it has a flat grind (which I really like). Do you find this valuable? |
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oldannyboy37 |
6. RE: The Best General-Purpose Survival Tool is a Good Fixed Blade Knife
Apr 16 2012, 1:11 PM EDT
Also SlowRide; if I ever feel like dropping a bit of cash on a fixed blade knife the Esee 5 is one of the knives I'd be choosing from. That and the Spyderco Rock Salt are two of my dream knives.
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BamaChris |
7. RE: The Best General-Purpose Survival Tool is a Good Fixed Blade Knife
Apr 16 2012, 2:19 PM EDT
I have an old KaBar that I won from my ex-brother-in-law on a bet. I have never upgraded because it has always done what I wanted it to do.
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Braydonn |
8. RE: The Best General-Purpose Survival Tool is a Good Fixed Blade Knife
Apr 16 2012, 6:28 PM EDT
I'm not going to lie, but at the moment I haven't got a good fixed blade knife.If worse comes to worse I can use my WW2 Airforce survival machete (Even though it has 'machete' in it's name, it's the same size as a standard survival knife, approx 6-7 inches long), which is in my BOB anyways. I work next to a knife shop and have formed a friendship with the owners there, if I was to purchase a fixed blade from them (which I plan on doing) I would probably get some wicked discount! The only problem being that they only sell to people who are 18+, that's not too far off for me, so I think I will be able to wait. Do you find this valuable? |
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IamSlowRide |
9. RE: The Best General-Purpose Survival Tool is a Good Fixed Blade Knife
Apr 16 2012, 7:17 PM EDT
| Post edited: Apr 16 2012, 7:18 PM EDT
"Also SlowRide; if I ever feel like dropping a bit of cash on a fixed blade knife the Esee 5 is one of the knives I'd be choosing from. That and the Spyderco Rock Salt are two of my dream knives. "I personally haven't see SpyderCo's Rock Salt, i'll have to check it out, my other favorite is the Apache Falcon by TOPS, spendy but 2 guys on my crew carry these. I've handled them they are sweet, wicked lines, sure fighter, well balanced survival knife, my next Knife purchase for sure, Google it! Do you find this valuable? |
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IamSlowRide |
10. RE: Spyderco's Rock Salt
Apr 16 2012, 7:26 PM EDT
Checked that blade out, not bad at all, not my style but a nice knife none the less, Spyderco shows it as discontinued but with a little search engine magic I'm sure you could find it somewhere, I found at least 2 on eBay when I looked
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oldannyboy37 |
11. RE: Spyderco's Rock Salt
Apr 16 2012, 7:36 PM EDT
| Post edited: Apr 16 2012, 7:41 PM EDT
"Checked that blade out, not bad at all, not my style but a nice knife none the less, Spyderco shows it as discontinued but with a little search engine magic I'm sure you could find it somewhere, I found at least 2 on eBay when I looked"The original H1 version is discontinued, but you can get the VG10 version every once and a while. They release them every once and a while. I'm a Spyderco fan so the Rock Salt is right up my alley. P.S that Apache Falcon is one sick looking knife. I do really like the Esee 5 knife/sheath combo. Do you find this valuable? |
renet76 |
12. RE: Spyderco's Rock Salt
Apr 16 2012, 8:19 PM EDT
For many years i have always relied on my SOG tech I i got it back in 94 and still use it today . Holds an edge well nice handle and just enough weight to be effective downed a lot of boars in my younger days with it i think when it reaches the point of no longer being usable i will park it up on a shelf as a reminder of days gone by Do you find this valuable? |
JunkCollector |
13. RE: Spyderco's Rock Salt
Apr 16 2012, 8:54 PM EDT
I have a old K Bar I bought at an auction 15 or so years ago on my gun belt now, but I am going to pass it on to my 15 year old nephew, because I just ordered this:Onterio Knife Works GEN II SP52 Description These knives feature 5160 steel and black texture powder coated blades, comfortable KRATON® handles, full tang, & lanyard. Sheath included. Black Nylon Sheath with plastic insert for SP42, SP43 & SP45. Black Nylon Sheath for SP41 & SP40. Specifications Edge Type: Plain Lock Type: Fixed Hardness: 53-55 HRC Overall Length: 15 in (38 cm) Weight: 1 lb 2.0 oz (0.51 kg) Blade Length: 10 in (25 cm) Blade Material: 5160 Steel Blade Grind: Flat Blade Thickness: 0.26 in (0.7 cm) Blade Color: Black Blade Finish: Powder Coat Blade Stamp: GEN II SP-52 / 5160 OKC-USA Handle Color: Black Handle Material: Kraton Handle Thickness: 1 in (2.5 cm) Sheath Type: MOLLE Compatible Sheath ColorBlack Sheath Material: Nylon Country of Origin: United States of America Cost: $110 plus $5.99 shipping from Smokey Mountain http://www.smkw.com/webapp/eCommerce/products/Ontario+Knife+Co./Ontario%C2%AE+Spec+Plus%C2%AE+Gen+II%26%23153%3B+Series+SP-52/ON8552.html Do you find this valuable? |
ubersoldat |
14. RE: Spyderco's Rock Salt
Apr 18 2012, 9:49 AM EDT
i am knife snob. i can't help it.my favorite fixed blade is a Randal No. 1 with a 6 5/8" blade. it was originally marketed as the 7" Randal No. 1. kind of a odd bit of trivia there. it's pretty old, i bought it from an old gent who claimed to have carried in Viet Nam in 1970. I'm kind of skeptical about it being that old. anyway, it's a great blade that has been used in my everyday kit since i bought in 1995. it has been used to brak up kindling, skin its fair share of animals, scrape more than a few hides, cut wire and sheet metal, dig its fare share of trash scrapes, cut everyu kind of cordage known to man, and whittle wood for too many hours. Do you find this valuable? |
timberrattler |
15. RE: The Best General-Purpose Survival Tool is a Good Fixed Blade Knife
Apr 18 2012, 1:28 PM EDT
I just recently started getting into knives.I own a SOG seal pup and haven't been disapointed with it at all. I recently went large with a Ka-Bar cutlass. More of a machete than a knife. I've taken a 360 since I joined this site 3 years ago. I liked wood and leather when I arrived and have been turned into a "mall barbarian" according to some. I got the hunting and old school stuff. I don't think it hurts to try new things and turn my interest to tactical weapons. It's fun. Do you find this valuable? |
Necromonger |
16. RE: The Best General-Purpose Survival Tool is a Good Fixed Blade Knife
Apr 18 2012, 6:07 PM EDT
I own many knives and one of my favorites is also one of my cheapest.It's a United Cutlery UC0784. It's comes with a cheap shoulder harness that I upgraded because it was terrible. It's based off the WW1 trench knives so it has the knuckle guard. I always put my knives through extremes to make sure they will hold up and this knife has proven tougher than some of my more expensive blades. My only concern is that it is made of a 420 J2 stainless steel. I prefer steels with a higher carbon content such as 1010 or 1040. I've found that 420 grade steel doesn't hold a good edge compared to the higher grades of steel. Do you find this valuable? |
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IamSlowRide |
17. RE: The Best General-Purpose Survival Tool is a Good Fixed Blade Knife
Apr 18 2012, 7:59 PM EDT
"My only concern is that it is made of a 420 J2 stainless steel. I prefer steels with a higher carbon content such as 1010 or 1040. I've found that 420 grade steel doesn't hold a good edge compared to the higher grades of steel. "I don't know where you live but stainless steel also gets brittle real quick in cold weather. Another thing to look for in a quality blade is to make sure the grain of the steel runs the length of the blade tip to pommel not edge to spine Do you find this valuable? |
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Necromonger |
18. RE: The Best General-Purpose Survival Tool is a Good Fixed Blade Knife
Apr 18 2012, 8:17 PM EDT
"I don't know where you live but stainless steel also gets brittle real quick in cold weather.It's all about convineince where I live. Very humid. Like breathing through a wet blanket. With stainless, you don't have to worry as much if you don't have time to clean it properly. Do you find this valuable? |
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oldannyboy37 |
19. RE: The Best General-Purpose Survival Tool is a Good Fixed Blade Knife
Apr 19 2012, 12:44 AM EDT
| Post edited: Apr 19 2012, 12:45 AM EDT
"I own many knives and one of my favorites is also one of my cheapest.You might like AUS 8 stainless steel. It's got a medium carbon content.You have to care for it a bit like you would a carbon blade but it doesn't rust quite as easily. I like 8Cr13Mov and 1095 as far as blade steels go; it just rust really easily. 1055 is a little soft but it's still nice too. Do you find this valuable? |
