Which knife?

When I was in the Corps, I carried a Gerber MKII, USMC KaBar, and SAK.

The MK II is only useful for stabbing and was rarely ever drawn from it's sheath. The U.S.M.C. KaBar and SAK were used and abused. Both are great fairly inexpensive tools that can do anything those fancy high priced knives can do, but were easily replaceable on a grunts budget.

Today for camping I carry a home made bowie of similar size and shape to a KaBar and the SAK in the woods. For hunting I use a green river knife instead of the Bowie. It's not as good as a chopper or hammer as the KaBar it's just better for butchering game.

Ron H. said:

+1. A small knife is more useful for most things you'll actually do while hiking or camping.



Camillus or Ontario

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I have several small knives I carry, and a machete and a hatchet are available if needed. Now, however, you've got me looking at Camillus and Ontario knives. This may get really expensive.

I would buy the smaller Buck Pathfinder, a much more useful general purpose knife.

I have carried a similar size Buck Personal for many, many years, and it was my only knife during my military service, where I spent a lot of time outdoors in unconventional warfare training. That small knife did everything I needed done, even split firewood when necessary.

If you need a large knife in place of a small axe, I would suggest looking at the Cold Steel Trailmaster.

Here is the Personal and Pathfinder for comparison, and Woodsman and 110.


And here Personal, Pathfinder and Special.


The Personal, which is sadly not available at this moment, has a similar amount of belly as the bigger Special.


And if you need to drill 9 mm holes, the 5906 is quite handy at that. The knife is a Cold Steel from the 1980s, no idea what the model might have been called.

Ron H. said:

+1. A small knife is more useful for most things you'll actually do while hiking or camping.

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Another +1. Work backwards by defining how YOU use a knife when outdoors and I'll bet you come up with a smaller knife meeting your needs.

My choice would be a 3 1/2" to 4" drop point hunter fixed blade. I have no use for a big old combat knife these days but that's me.

Bob

I read Sasu's posts with great interest. He is a Finn, I believe, and if a knife stands up in Finland in winter, that is a good knife! Many Canadians and Alaskans also use Buck knives with satisfaction.

The only complaint that I have heard about Buck is that the old ones with white handles sometimes cracked in winter. Buck discontined those handles, and the knives are now collectors' items.

I have heard of a few Buck blades that had a half nickle-shaped piece break out of the edge, but the people who did it were using a rock to hammer the blade through bone! Don't do that, with ANY knife!

The stainless blade and phenolic handle and overall workmanship favor the Buck. The "Ka-Bar" usually is poorly fitted around the hilt.Hold some up to a strong light and look for gaps there. The leather handle is too thick for my hand on postwar examples, and the edges come prettty rough.

If you really want one, get a Camillus. The company is out of business, but many dealers and gun shows will have the knives. The Ontario examples are really rough.

I've owned several of the Camillus Pilot Survival and USMC knives, and traded them all off. Too rough for pride in ownership. And they rust, especially along the edges.

My vote is ideally for a Puma or Fallkniven. Or, Randall, like their Model 5. But in the price range you stated, I think Buck rules. Used with reasonable care, a Buck will last a lifetime. And the Puma Bowie has too short a handle unless you have small hands. Their Outdoor model is overall a better knife, I think.

But note that post that said not to pry with the Buck No. 119 tip! Don't do that with any knife, although some are tougher than others. A KNIFE IS NOT A SCREWDRIVER! Don't use it for one. Use the screwdriver blades on a SAK.

You probaby should note that several models of Fallkniven www.fallkniven.com have passed rigorous government trials in Sweden and the USA, and are approved for aircrew use. Their F-1 model is the issued survival knife of the Royal Swedish Air Force. Government trials give me confidence in a knife.

A good Scout or Swiss Army knife can handle finer work, with the Buck No. 119 or similar for heavier needs. But carry an axe if heavy chopping may be needed, or a folding saw.

AND...check local knife laws. If the No. 119 is too long, Buck's No. 105 Pathfinder may be your best bet, or splurge and get the Fallkniven S-1, with a very sturdy five-inch blade. Its checkered synthetic handle also gives a firm grasp when wet ot bloody. You can get a fancier version with leather handle and stainless guard and alloy butt cap/pommel. But leather handles need care that some can't or won't give. The leather Fallkniven handles look a lot like Randall handles,and the prices aren't far behind Randall, either! (The workmanship averages better!) But you can get the knife now, not wait for years, as with new Randalls. The standard Fallkniven with Thermorun handles, are quite a bit less costly. You can find many for under $150US.

I have several Buck knives, and they are good. Just don't go hog - wild using the tip as a screwdriver or throw any knife not designed and tempered for that. Oh: try not to dig with a knife, either. That really dulls the edge.

T-Star

The phenolic handles on Buck fixed-blade knives can be made much less slippery when bloodied or covered with fish slime, &tc., by roughening the surface with a file --- not pretty, but effective. I agree that the Buck 119 is just too big for most tasks, and a smaller blade is more generally useful. I have Buck 102s distributed here and there among my various kits, and they are an adequate general purpose tool.

Throw in a couple of these, just in case:

The toughest fixed blade I have found in recent years is the Glock. I bought one because it was cheap, about $25. I am amazed at how tough it is. You can use it as a pry bar! It is the most rigid fixed blade knife I own. Also holds an edge well. It's ugly but is a great tool. And the low price makes it a knife you can appreciate without falling in love with it. Unlike my older Brownings.

Ka-bar is awesome, I have one in my "go-bag"
Tackles any task I can throw at it. I have the 1218 with a kydex sheath

wow i totally read that wrong, i thought this was either the buck folder or the kabar. Kabar makes quality knives and not all of them are the big combat knife style. i would take any of the ka-bar knives over the buck 119 though.