Posted: 5/5/2010 1:10:41 PM EDT
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Hey guys,
So, im currently in the market for a fixed blade knife. The only requirements are that is be full tang, and have a Molle compatible sheath, and be in the price range of $60-$100. I realize alot of knives, such as the Nimvarus, Strider BT, etc. run alot more than these but im looking for the most economical option. All opinions welcome -Reaper |
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Quoted:
If you can expand you budget just a little, about $120 shipped, you should go to Scrapyardknives.com and order a Mil regulator overrun with the sheath. Outstanding, heavy duty knife that should last a lifetime. THIS!! Scrapyard is part of the Busse family of knives, and there are two kinds of knife owners out there.....those that are complete, Kool-Aid-Drinking Busse converts, and those that have yet to try a Busse product! 
WARNING!!!!!! Using a Busse knife will spoil you for any other knife currently available, and will lead to BusseKinItis, which is characterized by rapid accumulations of Infi or SR101 steel in your pocket, pack, or around the belt line, and by chronic deflation of the wallet and bank account! There is no known cure for BusseKinItis. Proceed with caution! 
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| My vote goes to ESEE knives (formerly RAT cutlety). Their RC-5 is a beast. Not too long but not too short either. Full tang, 1/4" thick 1095 blade. Outstanding heat treatment on the blades done by Rowen. The sheath is very durable and MOLLE friendly. I have it strapped to my Eberlestock bag and it also has a pouch for a sharpener, fire steel, ect. If you shop around you can find it for less than retail. I got mine a little used for $95. The Scrapyard is a good choice as well. Its a pretty big knife so be aware of that, and also be prepared to wait. Its been over 2 months since I put in my order and I'm still waiting, not that I mind, just sayin. |
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Quoted:
My vote goes to ESEE knives (formerly RAT cutlety). Their RC-5 is a beast. Not too long but not too short either. Full tang, 1/4" thick 1095 blade. Outstanding heat treatment on the blades done by Rowen. The sheath is very durable and MOLLE friendly. I have it strapped to my Eberlestock bag and it also has a pouch for a sharpener, fire steel, ect. If you shop around you can find it for less than retail. I got mine a little used for $95. The Scrapyard is a good choice as well. Its a pretty big knife so be aware of that, and also be prepared to wait. Its been over 2 months since I put in my order and I'm still waiting, not that I mind, just sayin. +1 for the RAT/ESEE |
| I was impressed by what this guy does to these knives... http://www.knifetests.com/ |
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Quoted:
Hey guys, So, im currently in the market for a fixed blade knife. The only requirements are that is be full tang, and have a Molle compatible sheath, and be in the price range of $60-$100. I realize alot of knives, such as the Nimvarus, Strider BT, etc. run alot more than these but im looking for the most economical option. All opinions welcome -Reaper Forget price range for now. There are tons of quality knives in the under $100 range. I think you need to focus in a little more on what operational characteristics are important to you. The intended use is a critical part of determining just what you might be interested in. Unless you are going to use the end as a hammer, a full tang may not be of any real advantage. The molle compatable sheath seems like an odd requirement that while it may be something you think you want, might not be really all that useful. Having said that, I find that many knives are often quite servicable while the accompanying sheaths are less so. I also think there is a lot to be said for having a small, lightweight knife like a $15 Mora (or a $20 3 inch folder) for tasks it does well, and a much larger and heavier knife for tasks it does better. A lot of people seem to try the middle ground and are never really satisfied. |
| in my experience, gerber knives are much more difficult than my sog to maintain, and sharpen and edge. I have had numerous gerber knives ( all of them folders) that once the dulled, I was unable to sharpenworth a dammn. However, using the same methodds i used on the gator (lansky sharpening system) my seal pup has become nigh surgically sharp. Perhaps its because i bought many of the cheaper folder gerbers, probably with inferior steel, but that was before i understood steel types. |
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Forget the Gerber LMF, once you buy a quality knife you will quickly leave that one behind. Check out the ESEE knives and as mentioned before the Scrapyard blades are excellent. You can also check out the Swamprat knives, also part of the Busskin family. There are tons of knives out there in your price range that will suit you a lot better than the LMF. The ESEE-5 and -6 will be great all around camp knives. The Izula is a great smaller blade, as well as the Swamprat Swamp Warden. You get 1095 steel with one of the best heat treats in the business from ESEE and you get quality 154CM, SR77 and sometimes even INFI with the Bussekin family, again, all with some of the best heat treatments in the business. All these companies offer the best warranties you can ask for, if you did somehow manage to damage one of their knives.
Skip the Gerber, waste of $60. |
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Quoted: Forget the Gerber LMF, once you buy a quality knife you will quickly leave that one behind. Check out the ESEE knives and as mentioned before the Scrapyard blades are excellent. You can also check out the Swamprat knives, also part of the Busskin family. There are tons of knives out there in your price range that will suit you a lot better than the LMF. The ESEE-5 and -6 will be great all around camp knives. The Izula is a great smaller blade, as well as the Swamprat Swamp Warden. You get 1095 steel with one of the best heat treats in the business from ESEE and you get quality 154CM, SR77 and sometimes even INFI with the Bussekin family, again, all with some of the best heat treatments in the business. All these companies offer the best warranties you can ask for, if you did somehow manage to damage one of their knives. Skip the Gerber, waste of $60. Can you be more specific? This analysis of the LMF II is very different than most of what I am hearing about it. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Forget the Gerber LMF, once you buy a quality knife you will quickly leave that one behind. Check out the ESEE knives and as mentioned before the Scrapyard blades are excellent. You can also check out the Swamprat knives, also part of the Busskin family. There are tons of knives out there in your price range that will suit you a lot better than the LMF. The ESEE-5 and -6 will be great all around camp knives. The Izula is a great smaller blade, as well as the Swamprat Swamp Warden. You get 1095 steel with one of the best heat treats in the business from ESEE and you get quality 154CM, SR77 and sometimes even INFI with the Bussekin family, again, all with some of the best heat treatments in the business. All these companies offer the best warranties you can ask for, if you did somehow manage to damage one of their knives. Skip the Gerber, waste of $60. Can you be more specific? This analysis of the LMF II is very different than most of what I am hearing about it. Sure. The Gerber uses an inferior steel. So it will not hold an edge as long or get as sharp as a knife with better steel and a higher quality heat treat. It will also not take nearly the abuse that a better steel will handle without failing. The ergonomics on the Gerber are pretty terrible. It has lots of "features" that really do nothing for the knife as far as being a knife. The grind of the blade leaves much to be desired and the partially serrated blade is a terrible idea in general. A plain edge knife that is kept sharp is a much more effective cutter. Adding the partial serrations only limits your useful cutting area on the blade. The sheath with sharpener is a cheap gimmick that not only is a pain to deal with, but doesn't even sharpen the knife well. I read all the same reviews of the LMF before I knew much about knives and I was happy to pick one up. I was pretty quickly disappointed. There are a ton of excellent knives out there for good prices. I would highly recommend ESEE or Swamp Rat. If you are willing to spend a little more you could even get something more expensive like a Busse or Randall. A good knife is a tool that you will never have to part with. Find a maker who uses a quality steel and is known to produce durable blades. ESEE, Busse and others offer lifetime, no questions asked, replacement warranties on any damage to the knife. You get high quality steel(1095, SR-101, INFI,) better ergonomics, a lifetime warranty, and just a flat out better knife. For your price range, ESEE is going to be your best bet. The ESEE 5 is a similar size to the LMF. Here is a link: http://www.eseeknives.com/rc-5.htm Like Ar15.com is to guns, bladeforums.com is to knives. Check it out and you will gather more information than you thought possible about such a simple tool. Careful though. Knife addiction can be worse than black rifle disease. |
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Quoted:
Sure. The Gerber uses an inferior steel. So it will not hold an edge as long or get as sharp as a knife with better steel and a higher quality heat treat. It will also not take nearly the abuse that a better steel will handle without failing. The ergonomics on the Gerber are pretty terrible. It has lots of "features" that really do nothing for the knife as far as being a knife. The grind of the blade leaves much to be desired and the partially serrated blade is a terrible idea in general. A plain edge knife that is kept sharp is a much more effective cutter. Adding the partial serrations only limits your useful cutting area on the blade. The sheath with sharpener is a cheap gimmick that not only is a pain to deal with, but doesn't even sharpen the knife well. I read all the same reviews of the LMF before I knew much about knives and I was happy to pick one up. I was pretty quickly disappointed. There are a ton of excellent knives out there for good prices. I would highly recommend ESEE or Swamp Rat. If you are willing to spend a little more you could even get something more expensive like a Busse or Randall. A good knife is a tool that you will never have to part with. Find a maker who uses a quality steel and is known to produce durable blades. ESEE, Busse and others offer lifetime, no questions asked, replacement warranties on any damage to the knife. You get high quality steel(1095, SR-101, INFI,) better ergonomics, a lifetime warranty, and just a flat out better knife. For your price range, ESEE is going to be your best bet. The ESEE 5 is a similar size to the LMF. Here is a link: http://www.eseeknives.com/rc-5.htm Like Ar15.com is to guns, bladeforums.com is to knives. Check it out and you will gather more information than you thought possible about such a simple tool. Careful though. Knife addiction can be worse than black rifle disease. I generally agree with the above. My preference in knives generally falls toward fully convexed satin finished tool steel blades. I have been very pleased with Bark River Knife and Tool. I did not feel the need for a tactital looking coated blade, so BRKT fit the bill very well. They also offer a "you break it, we replace it" warranty. ETA: Formatting |
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Hmm...
Well you guy shave certainly advanced my knowledge, I always thought that steel was steel and it didnt matter all that much. I was honestly about to buy a $18 gerber fixed blade last night but didnt get around to it...I may still pick it up as Ive handled one and liked it quite a bit, but...who knows. I did like my gerber folder, I just made sure to never let it dull. But I have....miplaced that damn thing so now I'm looking for a good folder as well. So now i'm in the market for two knives....I already plan to replace the folder with a SOG folder. The fix blade is still up for grabs, I will probably buy fixed blades now. On that note, anyone have suggestions as to what the best SOG folder is? Im looking for assisted opening and thats about it. Again thanks for the info and links. |
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I have too many knives, but the F1 is usually the first I reach for. I should get a couple more for spares. |
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My experience with Gerber (and to a lesser extent, CRKT) is the same. I have an LMF II and it's really nifty as a survival knife, but it won't hold an edge like a better knife. The steel Gerber uses is inferior. In retrospect, it was a waste of $60. Looks cool, though.
I got a better one for hunting and camp cooking - a Benchmade Griptilian. Sharper, easier to sharpen, made to cut , not cut and hammer. |
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Hmm.. Well, While gerber is inferior steel I do like their blade design, especially the Gerber Profle knife. If anyone has an idea of a better quality blade with similar design please let me know, I've been searching. Once again within the 50-100 dollar range. How about this Benchmade Nim-Cub II. It uses 154 CM steel, which is a better quality steel. Still not top of the line, but in your price range if you shop around. I found one at $93 with my first google search. 
Or if you want to bump up your price range just a little bit and find one on the secondary market you can check out the Scrapyard Scrapper 5. It uses SR-101(great, tough steel), or if you can get your hands on an LE or SE version it uses INFI, which is a Busse Proprietary steel that is also a great choice. 
Also, the Fallkniven knives that have been mentioned several times in this thread are a great choice. As for a folder, a very popular, relatively cheap choice with good steel and a great lock is the Benchmade Griptillian. If you want to just get your knife folder search over with before you spend lots of money searching and searching, go ahead and get an XM-18(Rick Hinderer.) You will never need another folder. The search for the perfect fixed blade seems to be a wild goose chase. Best of luck to you. |
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As far as folders go I'm not about to drop alot on one... since they can be lost and what not...
for folders I'm currently debating between a benchmade HK liner lock model (friend has one) and the Kershaw skyline as far as liner lock models go. As far as fixed blades I think I am going to end up with the Rat/ ESSE Rc-5 as I can get it below $150 on Knifeworks.com, can't really dislike that price too much for the quality it is. |
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My NTSBAMFK^2
That's "Not Too Sexy Bad Assed Mother Fucking Kitchen Knife" Less than $15 
Credit: I bought this sheath through ebayfrom Big Sky. This is not a plug, I have no contact with them except a couple transactions, they treated me right, and shipped fast. |