Reddit mentions: The best camping fixed-blade knives

It's definitely enough for a nice knife, though you might want to go a bit higher for a great knife. The KaBar BK2 is actually designed with things like batoning (hammering the knife through wood as a kind of faux hatchet using another piece of wood against the blade of the knife as the hammer itself) or chopping. It's a bit over $60, currently available for $69 to be precise, but as long as you don't flat out abuse it (prying heavy things, for example) it'll serve you well and quite possibly for the rest of your natural life.

At a lower price, you can get the Condor Bushlore, which at $35 is a perfectly valid choice that will serve you well indeed.

For an even lower price yet, the Mora Heavy Companion is from one of those few cheaper knife companies that does incredible work. I wouldn't baton with it, honestly, but even if you did it'd probably hold up just fine.

At a more expensive range, the Ontario Rat-5 is an amazing bushcraft knife. The Fallkniven Pilot Survival Knife is also an amazing knife. The Benchmade Bone Collector is spectacular knife made in D2 tool steel, one of the better steels available at that price. Another amazing knife is the Spyderco Bushcraft made in O1 tool steel. Finally, the Benchmade 162 is a pretty amazing knife.

One thing you'll notice about all of these knives with the exception of the Pilot Survival knife and the BM 162 is that they're all carbon steel knives. Carbon steel is a lot tougher than stainless (with a few very, very rare exceptions I'd never trust a long knife to be stainless steel) with the trade off of being a lot more of a hassle to take care of, since it needs to be regularly cleaned and oiled.

If you want a fire starter, carry a magnesium fire starter. With the carbon steel knives, you can probably strike it against the back of the blade to create the sparks you'll want and if not (like with some of the coated ones) you'll be carrying the striker anyway.

For sharpening, you'll want to get a decent sharpening setup and start stropping. A couple of easy sharpening systems would be the superior Spyderco Sharpermaker (usually available on Amazon around the $50 mark) or the Lansky Sharpening system which while cheaper isn't as good. You could take the time to learn how to free hand it, but most casual users don't care that much because it takes a long time to get proficient at freehand sharpening. Stropping is running the blade against something like smooth leather (usually smooth leather, actually) to remove burrs along the blade of a knife made by use and sharpening and the restore a blade to a better edge without removing metal. Stropping allows for a level of sharpness unachievable by sharpening alone and extends a knife's lifetime by allowing sharpness to be achieved for longer without removing metal from the blade. To learn how to strop, watch videos on YouTube or check out guides from the sidebar of /r/knives.

Finally, if you want a whistle, just carry a whistle. If you want a mirror for signaling, carry a small signaling mirror or mirror polish the knife you buy (a process where you sand the blade with increasing grit level sandpaper until it shines like the sun and you can see yourself in the blade).

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

I'm sorry for leading you down this rabbit hole... It's a great hobby but it's a really niche one that's massively popular, so every Instagrammer has a book. My favorite book is The Artful Wooden Spoon as it's really cheap for a craft book, has beautiful designs and photography, and it goes over every possible method to carve, whether traditional hook knives and wet wood, or dried wood and power tools. Spon is another great book but I haven't gotten a copy yet so...I don't know if I could honestly recommend it.

I got started in my summer before first semester of college, so I went the cheap way which is following many instagram accounts, youtube videos, and buying Mora knives off Amazon rather than having a hand-forged one made for me. (The price point and waiting list of blacksmiths is insane). This is my knife, not the best for spooncarving as it has softer steel and is more meant for rough bushcraft, but it was given to me when I turned 16 and is now on my hip whenever possible: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EAL1090/ref=twister_B07H1138CR?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

This one comes more highly recommended by the pros: https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Carving-Knife-Laminated-3-2-Inch/dp/B005IW5YN8?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_6501052011

Then you'll need a hook knife: https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Carving-Stainless-0-5-Inch-Internal/dp/B01N4FNUX4/ref=pd_sbs_468_2/130-9218892-1730051?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01N4FNUX4&pd_rd_r=8d8fce0c-2c9d-11e9-8a86-1d7479451c7c&pd_rd_w=cqTt0&pd_rd_wg=78jDF&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=KEJZKBPVA4EWJ7CZJPNT&psc=1&refRID=KEJZKBPVA4EWJ7CZJPNT

A hatchet is of course also necessary, but those are very common to find. Almost any will do. Sharpening is the most important part, regardless if you have a hook knife made by a blacksmith who makes his own charcoal for his forge and only uses recycled steel, or if you use a knife forged in Mora and bought from Amazon. Especially with the odd shapes of hook knives, sandpaper is the best way to go- try googling the "Scary Sharp Method"- but it basically comes down to working the bevels and steel with progressively finer grit. Autobody shops will have the wet/dry sandpaper in the grits you'll need, from 100grit for rough work and customizing your blades, to 6000 grit when you're finishing up.

https://www.instagram.com/michigansloyd/ is one of my favorite spooncarvers to follow on instagram, he's a professional and can create a beautiful spatula in less time than it takes me to split a branch. https://www.instagram.com/klipnockywoods/ is another good one.

http://www.robin-wood.co.uk/wood-craft-blog/ this is probably one of the best blogs, there is a scroll on the side with links to posts for beginners, from what knives are the best to what oil to use.

https://www.emmetvandriesche.com/blog/how-i-carve-wooden-spoons is another good blog.

I'll try to stop now, but there's just so much going on in this niche.

Steel is steel mate. You can go with the expensive stuff, or with the cheap stuff - We're talking expensive at several hundred and cheap as under 20-50. I've seen 20 dollars knives made just as well as the 600 dollar knives, they just dont have the name brand. It's a chunk of steel, treated so it stands up to specific conditions and holds an edge better. It looks to be full tang - not sure what is up with the holes in the blade, or the design near the MT-5 logo. I found pictures online, looks like the steel comes out a bunch there? No idea what this design is or what purpose it could have - looks sketchy. And the holes in the blade...I mean I've seen the 5 dollar walmart knives with holes so you can create a makeshift spear but..Other then that, no idea why they are on this knife, and they cause more harm then good. You can use it for basic bushcrafting tasks but I'd be careful batoning, I've personally never heard of the brand - it could be name brand and be great, but it has some weird designs.

​

Really, steel is steel - all the fancy features cause more harm than good.

https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Companion-Stainless-4-1-Inch-Military/dp/B004ZAIXSC/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=morakniv&qid=1571462370&s=sporting-goods&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sr=1-4

That is a 12 dollar knife, and you really won't ever need more, but there are better options. The 12 dollar knife has a thinner blade and isn't suitable to as heavy duty work, but is a great beater knife for doing anything.

https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Bushcraft-Survival-Starter-4-3-Inch/dp/B00BFI8TOA/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=morakniv&qid=1571462370&s=sporting-goods&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sr=1-7

And their top of the line knives are

https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Garberg-Carbon-Leather-Sheath/dp/B07B8SP4G9/ref=sr_1_10?dchild=1&keywords=morakniv&qid=1571462370&s=sporting-goods&sr=1-10

https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-M-12642-Stainless-Compatible-4-3-inch/dp/B01I1GITMA/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&keywords=morakniv&qid=1571462370&s=sporting-goods&sr=1-12

There's a carbon version and stainless steel version. I'm gonna be honest...for the most part, they all do the same thing, but people want different things and fancier things - the garberg is the only full tang out of the bunch, but even their half tang knives are bulletproof, they hold up incredibly well and I've batoned with him countless times without issue. Mora, IMO makes the best knives - I have several other brands, and there are some I like better for ergonomics - but that's not the point, the point is any knife will work, steel is steel. Just find what you think looks and feels good, learn how to sharpen it and what you like, it depends on the what materials/types of trees you are working with, and what type of work you do. I prefer convex and Scandinavian grind (V Grind) knives, the Cudeman MT-5 looks to be a full flat grind - which I mean..AFIAK is mostly used in like chef knives and stuff, it's incredibly sharp but it's not durable, hitting hard objects is gonna cause knicks and it's gonna be brittle. This is all from experience, it's not like im an expert - but to be fair, I'd just keep trying different ones and see how you like it, but I wouldn't go spending crazy money, the $300 knives you see all the fancy bushcrafters use...these are what I call wall knives..They use them in the videos cause they look good but most people would just keep them at home and keep using their beater knives, because we are hard on our equipment and honestly, they work just as wall, all the fancy scalings and what not make them expensive, but they don't make them better.

TL;DR: Steel is steel. Get a cheap knife, in a better grind suited for the work your doing. All depends on what work you do, and what tress you have, soft woods, hard woods ETC.

​

Edit: Definately don't have to go with Mora, I've just always used them and they've done me well.

My choices would be:

1. Cold Steel SRK (Search and Rescue Knife): Probably one of the toughest knives you could find and comes in a few steel options as well (3V would be my favorite choice for the task, as it is tough but keeps good edge as well). Could be attached to MOLLE with paracord/zip ties.
   
   
2. Benchmade Adamas 375: Very tough military blade but pretty light and slim as well. Could be paracord wrapped for improved grip. D2 tool steel is one of the best choices for these kind of knives. Could also be attached to MOLLE and fits your budget perfectly.
   
   
3. Ontario 493 M9 Bayonet: Probably the least sophisticated but also the most classic out of all of these knives. Would be extremely cool to carry and to use, plus it has some of the qualities only bayonets have such as the built it wire cutter.
   
   
4. SOG Pentagon: The least expensive but also great option. MOLLE compatible, light, ambidextrous, great ergos and surprisingly well balanced and agile. Great sheath too.
   
   Good luck!

I'll chime in here on fixed blades.

Production Knives

KA-BAR's warranty is quite good, and of particular note is their Becker line. I like the BK-5 and BK-7, the latter of which I had DuraCoated and the edge touched up on a paper wheel. On the off chance that these full-tang knives are broken, they'll be replaced.

Ontario Knife Company is another that has a great warranty, and I can personally attest to the quality of their 1095 HC with regards to heat treat and general strength. It is hard to avoid giving these guys honorable mention, especially since their Marine Raider model goes on Amazon for ~$55, which is a steal given that the knife is just under ten inches of 1/4" thick quality carbon steel.

Semi-Custom/Full Custom Knives

I am surprised I see Survive Knives nowhere in this thread. They're well known for their GSO line, which has been documented to perform extremely well in the field.

Busse Knives are also quite robust and hardy, backed by a good warranty. Their fame for producing extremely tough cutters is well-earned. The steels they use are extremely durable and make the knife very resilient; usually their INFI steel, occasionally S7 or some other premium grade. The knives themselves have a superb fit and finish as well as a splendid out-of-the-box edge. Busse has many sister companies, but all have the same ironclad guarantee of quality and product protection. With "buy it for life" in mind, Busse is an excellent choice, whether one is buying production or going custom.

I must also mention Treeman and Behring Knives. For both tactical and traditional field knives, I had the pleasure of doing business with both James Behring Sr. and James Behring Jr. for a piece that was experimental at the time. These guys consistently make an absolutely killer fixed blade that is tough as nails; here's a video of George Matheis of MCS going to town with one such blade on an oil drum as proof.

While not technically a knife, RMJ Tactical deserves a mention here. With tomahawks that can pierce kevlar, act as entry tools, and open the chassis of a car like a can opener, these are hard-use axes which serve remarkably well and are backed by a fantastic lifetime warranty.

For more traditional (but no less effective) fare, one could look to Himalayan Imports if one were so inclined. Touting their Ang Khola model as "the unbreakable knife", their trust in their product runs so deep that if you can manage to break it, they will give you two -- free. Hand forged and very sharp, the fit and finish of these thick and heavy blades is outstanding. The khukuri is a wicked chopper, coming in at reasonable prices, varying in size depending on the user's preferences.

All of these are great options if one wants to buy only one blade.

First I'd make sure you both have all the clothing and footwear you need to be comfortable and the things you'd need for an urban day out (pack, water bottle, some snacks, etc.). Nothing ruins a day like an unexpected blister / rain shower that causes a chill / burned hand from a fire.

After that I'd consider basic survival needs and comforts that might be different in the woods. A small survival kit (and the knowledge required to use it), toilet paper, bug spray, gloves to protect your hands from heat and thorns, a tarp (which you already say you have) to escape the sun or rain, etc.. One suggestion I have that I don't see mentioned often is a lightweight foam kneeling pad. You can get them at the dollar stores in the gardening section usually and for the negligible weight and space they're worth having in my opinion. They are great for kneeling on (obviously), which you'll be doing a lot when practicing bushcraft skills like fire making, and they make a huge difference for the backside when sitting on ground / logs / rocks that are hard / wet / dirty.

With comfort and survival covered you can look at the real 'tools' of bushcraft. The most important thing, in my opinion, is a good knife for each of you. Soooo many projects / skills that are considered 'bushcraft' require / are made easier when you have a decent knife. You don't need to spend a lot (a Mora Companion is a great choice for under 10 dollars), just be sure to do your homework before spending money so you don't end up with something that looks cool but isn't practical for your bushcraft needs.

Beyond the knife I won't go into details about the rest of my suggestions but I think you'll find reasoning behind them fairly self-evident. I've been bushcrafting / camping / hunting for the better part of 2 decades now and all items I list below are all ones that I've personally used many, many times and wouldn't recommend if I didn't find them awesome and reliable. If you look into them further I think you'll find most / all are considered the best 'bang for your buck' option in their given class.


Mora Companion fixed blade knife - carbon or stainless doesn't matter, both are great: ~$12-15

Nalgene leak-proof water bottle - The cheaper HDPE bottle is actually better believe it or not: ~$5-8

Bahco Laplander folding saw - Silky saws are worth the upgrade price in my opinion but are definitely just a 'nice to have', considering Bahcos can't be beat for the price / function / reliability: ~$20-25

Sawyer Mini water filter - filters twice as good as the LifeStraw (0.1 vs 0.2 microns), lasts 10 times longer (100k vs 1k gallons), is much more versatile (you can screw the Sawyer onto a 2 litre coke bottle), and costs less to boot: ~$19

Fiskars X7 hatchet - I know you already have one bust I figured I'd mention it. For a bombproof, light weight, made in Finland hatchet it can't be beat for the price: ~$20-25

Tramontina 18" machete - great balance and blade, just sand or wrap the handle in some tape if yours isn't finished perfectly to avoid potential blisters (this is also where good gloves come in) - ~$15-18

Depends a lot on what your vision and current understanding of what "Bushcraft" is.

TL;DR: Start basic, check it's for you, be comfortable in a new learning journey.

The craft part of the word is important - it's about actually doing something, not just knowing and understanding the what and why. And certainly not about just possessing things and displaying them.

So - there are two aspects of this - you need to be comfortable "in the woods", and there's the creative aspect of doing and making "stuff" in that environment.

Being comfortable: It's important to be comfortable - otherwise the learning experience aspect is jeopardised. You'll see that some Bushcraft course providers have really minimal kit requirements on their courses, because they provide shelter, food and drink in order to get on with the particular skills they're teaching.

There's a really big marketing led "Leisure Camping" industry in the UK, with a lot of gear aimed at festival goers. If you're starting out on this journey, use all that to your advantage - get a basic tent (but one with a porch so you can sit outside, under cover, to make things and talk with others if you're at a communal event/course), sleeping bag, gas stove.

Pretty much everything else can - and I would suggest should - come from your normal, regular home kit. Perhaps the second-rate things that have been replaced, but not yet scrapped. If you lived with them once - you can do so again. This enables you to maintain home comforts and the security of being able to provide for particular personal necessities - diet, health, cultural etc. as a starting point, and then modify things as you learn more.


You'll find after a couple of outings why some things work "outside" and others just fail: Too heavy, too complicated, too dependent on other infrastructure after time (the gas stove for example).

Just make sure the basic Survival needs are met of:

// Protection / Water / Food / Fire / Navigation / Communication / First Aid, Medical, and Self Care / Illumination / Documentation and Information / Repair, Construction and Maintenance / Entertainment / Cash //

and you can support a good camping experience at the very least.

Turning to the craft - there's so much to observe, learn, understand and practice.

The activities you choose initially will reflect your existing abilities and interests, but some basic skills involve fire starting with just a spark or two - or an ember, careful precision woodworking with knife and small saw, and structure construction, that will likely require cordage and knowledge of knots.

So - a small starter kit specifically for the Craft:

• ferro-rod and scraper
  
• folding saw
  
• small fixed-blade knife - and the usual one suggested isn't too bad at all ... Be wary of UK knife law, especially if you are essentially "urban".
  
• big hank of paracord. At the beginning you don't need the more exotic types, and natural fiber alternatives may be something you come to appreciate later.
  
  
  EDIT: s/hunk/hank - the mind boggles as to a paracord "hunk". Perhaps best not to go there ...

Honestly Id go fixed blade and I'd get something decently sized, ive been looking at the Becker BK2 (you can find this for $50 a few other places)
http://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-Becker-BK2-Campanion-Fixed/dp/B001N1DPDE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302310192&sr=8-1

Reason why is that its alot easier to work with wood, fixed blades are going to be alot stronger then any folding knife, its just all around going to be better for most situations.

Things to look for in a knife, well to start with you have to think about what you may use it for, is it a survival knife are you going to have to use it to work with wood, make fires, or maybe pitch up a shelter? Maybe just for cutting bandages, moleskin? Prepping food?
Alot of people will argue about the type of steel, stainless is supposed to be harder to sharpen but honestly its a some metal with a sharp edge pretty much anything will do, just watch out for the $5 wall mart knives, reading a few reviews will help.

Don't buy a kbar or something like that, anything that comes to a very sharp point is used for stabbing people, not for cutting stuff and I hope you dont plan on doing alot of that.

How thick the knife is, thicker blades tend to be better for prying or hacking stuff, but they will be heavier too.
Watch out for how the blade attaches to the handle, alot of knives skimp out on the steel and the blade is kind of just glued on or lightly bolted on and it makes them really flimsy. I know with the kbar the steel for the blade goes all the way back and the handle is bolted on to the steel for the blade, most non-cheap knives should be like this.
Blade length, longer blades will be better for hacking/chopping think mechette, but it will be more difficult to use them to cut smaller things like moleskin, bandages, or doing food prep.
well that's a few things to look at someone else suggested a SOG seal pup that's a good knife as well something else to look at. I probably wouldn't spend more then maybe $60-70 and avoid anything super cheap.

In that case I was also thinking for a budget of $200 you could get him a nice fixed blade and a nice folding pocket knife. Without more details you may have to just go with your gut feeling on a couple of the more popular brands mentioned since they rarely fail to please. Fallkniven, Benchmade, Bark River, Buck..

The Buck 110 is always a well received pocket knife and I would happily receive any of their fixed hunting knives.

I've also read that Morakniv makes a great all around blade even for working with game. I love all the Mora's I own and the best thing about them is the price. You could add one of those in for only an extra 15 bucks and it may end up being a really well used knife he likes and can beat up using it for things he may not want to do with his nice pretty knife his wife got him. Just a possible thought there if you can't land that perfect single knife for him. A nice little folder, solid fixed blade that will last and he can admire, and an all around utility knife covering all 3 bases.

I have many kinds of knives, lots of "tactical" knives and many purely utilitarian knives, one or 2 survival knives. edit: [here is old pic of collection] (https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yOMApkrgJ-w/UPHWyQ5F7AI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/4a9gnq5rzMA/s640/2013-01-12%252014.33.15.jpg) I got the kershaw cryo and skyline and crkt m21 since then.

I have not but I have heard good things of them

A knife you have. and a strong knife with a good steel whether soft or hard (which ever you like better and is better for style of knife). there is a lot that goes into a survival knife so I will give some examples, [1] (http://www.amazon.com/Ontario-8628-RTAK-Knife-Green/dp/B001DZV3BG/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1375494728&sr=8-10&keywords=esee+6) [2] (http://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-Becker-BK9-Combat-Bowie/dp/B001IPKL7I/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1375494759&sr=8-5&keywords=becker+knife) [3] (http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Steel-Master-Kraton-Handle/dp/B001PYUL0O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375494784&sr=8-1&keywords=cold+steel+trailmaster) [4] (http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Steel-Black-Kraton-Handle/dp/B0030DBGXY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375494815&sr=8-2&keywords=cold+steel+srk).

I dont know much about leatherman to be honest. but for me I would go with the surge, but the super tool 300 looks much stronger and more heavy duty.

I've got one! I've had it for quite a few years. I never EDC'ed it, but I used the neat leg wearable sheath with the two adjustable straps to secure it under my car seat for a few years, where it was easy to access and I used it quite often. After a while the edge did get some surface rust which dulled it a lot, but a few minutes with a diamond stone took care of that when I finally got around to it. Was that rust likely my fault for keeping it in a ragtop car that probably doesn't stay that dry in damp or humid weather? Probably, but still worth mentioning.

It's quite a heavy knife for it's size, coming in at 3.9 oz, but that also makes it feel like an indestructible little tank, which I always liked about it. When I kept it sharp it typically cut well, and felt comfortable to hold and use. Looks like the cheapest I could find it for is under $34 at Amazon, so that's not too bad a price if you want to pick one up. Feel free to shoot me any other questions you have about it if you like.

The formal training is known as SERE.

I haven't been through that program, but as a munitions tech I was lucky enough to be in a unit that supported EOD. EOD attracts a lot of guys that were previously special forces (Rangers, Green Berets, etc.). We got lots and lots of informal training from those guys, especially when doing range clearances (it's like a camping trip with explosions).

SERE's a bitch, so I'm pretty happy that I got to get all the cool survival training without all the mock POW camp stuff which borders on actual torture.

Anyway, EOD and SF guys tend to be very low-key and funny af, pretty much the opposite of Rambo wannabes. One of the things I learned is that all you really need is something to keep you warm and a good all-purpose knife.

So, I always have a space blanket and this Mora tucked away with my other gear.

Note that they are both bright orange. That's because A) I actually want my rescuers to find me and B) I want to be able to see my knife in the dark.

I also don't like walking down the trail looking like a shrub.

As has been posted alreadg I do like the Gerber LMF II, but another one to consider, and what I think i will be putting on my pack is the Becker BK2 Campanion. Or it's twin the Becker BK22. They are made in the USA by Kabar out of 1095 crovan steel. This knife is a beast for its size it is good for a chopper, but is still small enough to do delicate work.

https://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-Becker-Campanion-Fixed-Blade/dp/B001N1DPDE

https://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-Becker-Companion-Polyester-5-25-Inch/dp/B00BT49UVG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1504101875&sr=8-3&keywords=Becker+bk2

The only real difference in the two is the sheath. They are great knives straight out of the box, but with a few personalisations they get even better.

I'd be happy to elaborate on that here or by PM but, will not bore everyone here if not needed. If the BK2/22 isn't your particular ideal check out the rest of the Becker line. Ethan has designed many great knives something is sure to fit the bill.

If you really want a monster sized knife, sure. But I'd definitely get the carbon steel version that some others have suggested as well. It sounds like their quality isn't too bad.

However, I don't know if I'd really want to take something that huge hiking. Maybe SHTF-type hiking I suppose.

A couple of knives that I'd think would be similar priced or less (and have proven reputations) and would slightly more practically fall into the "only 1" category:

• Ka Bar Becker BK2
  
• Ka Bar Becker BK16
  
• Condor Bushlore - there are other Condor models that are great values as well, but might need a little touchup love.
  
• Morakniv - there is even one with a firesteel built into the handle
  
• ESEE 4 (this might be a tad more expensive)
  
• Ka Bar Becker BK7 or BK9 if you really want a huge knife, but I would definitely consider something smaller to piggyback on the sheath.
  
  Good luck regardless!

.. in 2013, a few months after the divorce, about this time of year I bought myself a present that I am still very happy with. Everyone who see's them/uses them comments positively. I went back to my amazon cart and got exact links to the products to make sure I was describing exactly what I got.

I left most of my good kitchen knives behind when we separated, and needed to replace them. as a single guy, I have no use for "pretty" kitchen gadgets and what-nots. I also did not have thousands to spend on the things I needed, but I was adamant I wanted good stuff. Stylish is fine, but functionality trumps all.

on my list was two of these, (knife blocks)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004X6M97O/

8 of these (mora knives.. cheap but awesome)

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZAIXSC

and 8 of these - (kershaw knives - slightly more pricy, but damn good)

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009VC9YA

..
Of course, it could easily be halved by only picking one style of knife.. read the product reviews on your own. both of those are fine blades, regardless of pricing/marketing.

Best self gift to myself in years. Use them every day and love them.
oh yeah -- not affiliated with any of the above companies..

I was in a similar situation to yourself, once, where all I had was one of those yellow snap-off utility knives, and I figured that a rotary knife would work much better. On one hand, yes, a rotary knife does work better, but only on certain leathers, and even then only on long, straight cuts. I do not think it is really possible to do a curved cut with a rotary cutter. Just getting a nice fixed blade knife and keeping it sharp will work much better for you. As others have said, any rather long cuts, such as for making a strap, are best done with a strap cutter, rather than a rotary.

If you're concerned about the self-healing mat, you shouldn't really worry about it. All that the warning about fixed blades really means is that cuts with a fixed blade will not fully heal, compared to those of a rotary. They'll still partially heal, though, so you'll still be better off than if you had just used a non-healing board. I've personally used a number of different self-healing cutting boards over the years, at a number of price points, and even the $10 ones can handle a fixed blade a lot better than the warning would make you think.

Personally, I use a Mora 122 knife. It takes a while to get the hang of sharpening, since it is chisel ground, but it stays sharp for quite a long time. Because of the shape of the blade, it works really well for pretty much any cut, and does quite well around curves, since it is almost like a hawkbill knife. I also quite like that it doesn't curve up at the end, so you're able to start your cut exactly where you want to. When I'm prudent about sharpening and stropping, I can cut through 6-7 oz in one pass, easily.

So for shelter, I'd suggest this tarp. I also suggest checking out the forum that the tarp is from (www.bushcraftusa.com) because it's a forum all about bushcraft but has sub forums in ultralight and backpacking. The tarp is https://bushcraftoutfitters.com/coyote-tarp-10x10/ which is priced at $67. The reason I suggest this is because this tarp specifically, there's lots of way's to set it up. Check out this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxtHJm51NPY&t=


So for cooking, it's pretty simple. This video will show you what most bushcrafters use and the links that follow are the two items. I use it myself and in fact have two sets because of how much I enjoy it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00gwQ4z_nQQ&t and the following links for the items. https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=Ozark%20Trail%2018-Ounce%20Stainless%20Steel%20Cup
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Stanley-Adventure-Camp-Cook-Set/16784406
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-9-5-Round-Frying-Pan/49332895


Hammocks are over rated, sleeping pads are a mess to figure out, get a cot. In fact, get this cot. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Outdoor-Super-Ultralight-Portable-Folding-Aluminium-alloy-Cot-Camping-Tent-Bed/112355265955?hash=item1a28e54da3:g:-PUAAOSwTM5Y365i:rk:2:pf:


And now you need a knife, saw, and hatchet right? Well let's tackle all three.
https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Companion-Stainless-4-1-Inch-Military/dp/B004ZAIXSC?ref_=w_bl_hsx_s_sp_web_6501052011
https://www.amazon.com/Bahco-396-LAP-Laplander-Folding-Inch/dp/B0001IX7OW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540606867&sr=8-1&keywords=Bacho+Laplander
https://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-X7-Hatchet-Inch-378501-1002/dp/B0002YTO7E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1540607032&sr=8-2&keywords=Fiskars+X7+Hatchet+14+Inch%2C+378501-1002
And as a added bonus here's a fire steel.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-x-2-5-Drilled-Ferrocerium-Ferro-Rod-Steel-Flint-Fire-Starter-w-Lanyard-Hole/131485475489?hash=item1e9d2522a1:rk:4:pf:


And finally to end it all, we have a sleeping bag. This one is well known in the world. Kelty Cosmic 20 Degree. It's a dry down bag which means it's made of down that can handle some moisture but still keep you warm. It's rated for 20 degree's. I'll post the same bag as well but is rated for 0 degrees'. It'll be more expensive but it'll let you stay warm during the winter.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kelty-Cosmic-20-Sleeping-Bag-20-Degree-Down/253894865275?epid=1152349824&hash=item3b1d50317b:m:mFpUvLXnvtZZETXdugDHwvw:rk:2:pf:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kelty-Cosmic-0-Sleeping-Bag-0-Degree-Down/253375355468?epid=28012067594&hash=item3afe591a4c:m:mCrEnOYV72CJ257e08pGR4Q:rk:2:pf:


Check the sizes of the sleeping bag before you buy.


Also a pack, this one works as two in one. Really nice for a 60L https://outdoorvitals.com/products/rhyolite-60l-lightweight-internal-frame-backpack1
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If you do plan on doing any winter camping, I'd edit a few things. One of them is I'd get the 0 Degree sleeping bag posted. Instead of the tarp I'd get this pup tent. https://www.ebay.com/itm/USGI-Military-Issue-2-Man-Canvas-PUP-TENT-w-Poles-Stakes-Complete-VGC/392111853275?hash=item5b4bb00edb:g:JEQAAOSw~jJarA5E:rk:1:pf: Which comes with poles and stakes. I normally toss the poles and get some branches outside. I get four branches and make a bipod that I tie off on either end. That gives me more room inside the tent and less weight I have to carry on my person.


I'd still get the cot but I'd also include Thermarest Z-Lite sleeping pad to put on top of it https://www.ebay.com/itm/Therm-a-Rest-Z-Lite-Sol-Ultralight-Foam-Backpacking-Mattress/132801349129?epid=1900010560&hash=item1eeb93c609:rk:1:pf: as well as one of those super heavy duty emergency blankets. It's a reflective blanket but it's also the same thickness as some of those heat reflectors you use for a car windshield. Not those flimsy things you see "survivalists" use. Those placed on the cot, with that zero degree bag, and that shelter works amazingly. Just don't throw a heavy blanket on the sleeping bag and don't wear a lot of clothes in it either. That'll make everything for naught.
______________________________________
So with everything listed, the pack, cooking stuff, tools, cot, sleeping bag, and either the canvas shelter or tap, you'd be looking at around $560 assuming you got the 0 Degree Sleeping Bag instead of the 20 Degree. Which you really should. A 0 Degree is much better in my case.


Also if you do get a down sleeping bag, NEVER STORE IT IN THE COMPRESSED STATE!!! Always store it someplace with it out of it's bag. If you keep it compressed 24/7 until you use it, you'll destroy the down.

I've tried a LOT of different knives in a wide range of sizes and 4-5" seems to be ideal for me. I want a blade that's at least twice as long as the thickness of anything I'd try to baton and I don't really need to baton anything thicker than 2 inches. In my opinion, batoning is for making kindling and I use anything larger than 2" as fuel, not kindling.

Take a look at this picture for a second. That's a 20.8oz Gerber Bear Grylls Survival Hatchet and a 22.5oz Ontario RTAK II, after the same number of chops on the same log. The RTAK II is a BIG knife made for chopping wood but it can't even match the performance of a hatchet that is both smaller, lighter and 1/3 of the price.

You say hatchets are "specialized" tools as if they aren't capable of more than 1 or 2 things, but a good hatchet is one of the most versatile tools available. I carved my first bow drill kit with a Fiskars X7, in addition to chopping, limbing, splitting, carving feather sticks, etc.

I've had a KaBar Becker BK7, Ontario RAT 5, multiple machetes and other big knives but even though my BK7 chopped and split better than my current ESEE 4, it sucked at everything else and my $25 Fiskars X7 still chopped and split better. I've just never found big knives to be as useful as a good hatchet (or a folding saw) paired with a well made work knife, like an ESEE 4. That combo offers FAR more versatility, which saves you calories, for only a few more ounces and for the price difference, you can save weight elsewhere by splurging a little on Titanium cookware.

All that being said, if I could only take a knife with me, then I'd take a BK7 or an ESEE 6, but I'd still prefer a good hatchet over either of them.

Let's see...

http://www.fedtacticaldirect.com/Kershaw-Camp-10-1077_p_49809.html

Kershaw Camp. Great kukri style blade on a budget that performs excellently.

http://www.bladehq.com/item--Kershaw-Cryo-Spring-Assisted--11101

Kershaw Cryo. Hinderer design for a cheap price! Small blade, but feels big in the hand. The Cryo 2, the larger version, will be coming out soon.

http://www.amazon.com/Mora-Made-in-Sweden-511/dp/B004GAVOUU/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1372063610&sr=1-2&keywords=mora

http://www.amazon.com/Mora-Companion-Heavy-Duty-Knife/dp/B009NZVZ3E/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1372063610&sr=1-3&keywords=mora

Moras. 1095 carbon steel, strong and used to do a lot of good things in the woods. Very tough, very sharp, very cheap.

At higher prices, the BK2

http://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-Becker-BK7-Combat-Utility/dp/B001IPMG8K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1372063915&sr=8-2&keywords=bk2

http://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-Becker-BK2-Campanion-Fixed/dp/B001N1DPDE


And of course, the tried and true classic Kabar

http://www.bladehq.com/item--Ka-Bar-Short-USA-FightingUtility--16358

A few to get you started, though, with knives, you generally get what you pay for. Generally, you'll want to figure out exactly what you want in knives, especially in how you use them to find the best deals and blades.


Collecting knives is an expensive habit that ends up going into 500 dollars knives and 1k customs. ;) Budget and collecting don't mix!

$300-400 is plenty of budget. You should be able to get a reasonably durable knife, flashlight, and wallet for about $50 a piece.

You could get a Saddleback wallet, which have been popular on reddit. Many different sizes and layouts to choose from. The front pocket ID wallet is popular. I personally prefer Bifold wallets though.

Many of the flashlights suggested are $50 or less, such as the FourSevens Preon line.

After that, you just have the knife left, with about $70-$130 spent depending on your taste. You could get a perfectly acceptable knife from Kershaw or Spyderco for about $50. Any knife from either manufacturer in that price range should be satisfactory, though make sure to at least google a review of it first. I personally own a Kershaw Leek and while it is a good knife, I would not recommend it to you. It's rather delicate.

If you'd like to spend more on a knife, go for some of the more expensive Spyderco knives, or Benchmade. The Benchmade mini griptillian is one of the most highly reviewed modern pocket knives. many different handle colors, blade colors, and blade shapes are available. It's expensive, but you can even design your own.

By this point, you may have spent as little as $163, not factoring in shipping. If you're looking for a true survival knife you need a fixed blade. Folding knives are very helpful, but if you want a "stranded on a desert island" knife or a "lost in the woods, days from civilization" knife, you need fixed blade. The Becker Knife & Tool BK 2 (made by KA-bar) is a great example of such a knife. It's too big to carry on your belt daily without scaring people, but if you keep it in a bag or a car then it's fine. This thing is truly indestructible. The blade is a 1/4" thick. You could use it as a hammer.

Goshen? Ah, memories. Hello from a Philmont Staff alum.

I just bought a Mora from Amazon... it was cheap and seems to do the trick. But it's not full-tang. The Glock looks nice, and similar in style to a K-bar. You might want to look into Ontario Knifeworks stuff, including the RTAK II. It's a long beefy blade, which is great for the leverage required to baton thicker wood. Long enough to keep your hand away from the striking surface too. It would also serve well for debarking to prep for lashing semi-permanent tripods and survival shelters.

Hope you have a great summer dude. Teaching kids to shoot blackpowder and throw tomahawks at Philmont was probably the most fun job I've ever had... those kids look at you like some sort of super woodsman, which is a great feeling. Grow your beard for maximum mountain-manness!

It depends entirely on what you expect to do with the knife.

Food prep is a common task, which is best done with a small, slender fixed blade knife (folding knives are harder to keep clean - very important with food prep! - and slender blades cut food better than thick blades do). If the food prep knife is carried with the cooking gear, it does not require a belt sheath. A $9 victorinox paring knife is light and strong and would work fine for all but the largest jobs.

A saw or hatchet is far superior to a knife for preparing firewood, if that's going to be necessary.

General woodworking tasks - such as forming tent stakes, or notching wood to build a shelter or something like that - is best done with a thicker, stronger knife. A $20 stainless mora is very hard to beat for these sorts of tasks. If the hatchet/saw are lost, they can help with firewood prep, too.

See /r/Bushcraft for lots of helpful advice and knowledge.

Knife: definitely something more beefy than the Leek (while it is a beautiful knife you may want something more rugged I like the Ontario rat 2 or the fixed blade Rat 3 I also like this gerber "survival knife"
Light: that's a great light good pick
Multitool: This gerber is my favorite, they've taken me through two deployments overseas and still run like a champ
Pen: Space pen for sure

$150 is plenty of budget for a good knife. This one is just slightly over that budget but will last you the rest of your life. It's kind of my dream survival knife.

The Fallkniven F1 is very popular as well and right in your price range.

Currently I use this knife which is also very good.

If you want to go a little less expensive still, Becker makes some good ones such as the Bk16. I know the Becker doesn't look anything like "hand made", but I have the BK2- I used paint remover to take the black coating off the blade, replaced the plastic handles with micarta and stained it to look more like wood, and built a leather sheath for it. It's a beautiful knife now. Too bad it's so goddamn heavy.

You could also go with something like the Mora bushcraft. I have that one also, very decent knife.

You could even just get a regular Mora or a Condor bushlore which are even more economical options.

I'll have to disagree here. The Mora Bushcraft Triflex is one of the finest blades I've used. It is light weight, yet, is extremely durable. It sharpens easily, holds and edge, and is about the right size for bushcraft in my hands.

I've used them to prep meat and vegetables, carve wood needles, baton firewood, cut cordage, fell tiny trees, and most other tasks one needs in the woods or at home. It is a joy to use.

I've used other brands at 20 times the price and have been left not nearly as satisfied.

Don't take for granted that you won't feel bad about really using this blade. At less than $30 you won't worry about replacing it (but you might never need to).

I've held and used the Mora Companion and the Mora HighQ Robust, I give them to folks that go into the woods with me as gifts. They are fine knives as well, with the same qualities as the Triflex.

If you are cheapo, grab one of these knives and try it. I'd bet most people like them.

As for the knife is not an axe part, we'll disagree there too. The Parang type machete, and other long knives of similar design is a type of tool used in many parts of the world. It can be used very skillfully for rather delicate tasks, such as food preparation, or it can be used to cut down a tree. In some areas that's all a person carries.

Firesteel, I'm with stupid_guy, hit Amazon: Light My Fire Scout has been working for me. I like that when it feels like you are holding it right, you are. Works good in the dark that way.

Guyot Stainless Steel Bottle, 32-Ounce

And one more thing you didn't ask for, but I love. And I like to spread the love:

GSI Halulite Ketalist

I've got a compass that I've used for 30 some years, but can't find it anywhere.

Let us know what you get and how much you like it after using it a bit! :-)

Hello fellow VI runner,

For what my opinion matters, I pretty much always carry a knife of some kind when I’m trail running. Partially for the occasional bit of trail/woodwork that needs doing but also for the protective factor from cougars, and because I am a knife knerd too. Most of the folks I run with also carry a blade albeit almost all folding. I can’t comment much on their exact preferences.

In winter I tend towards fixed blade, either a Mora bushcraft (cheapish ) or a compact machete depending if I know trees and branches are down from storms and the like.

In the summer months, I tend towards larger folding knives like a Spyderco PM2 or GB2. I use folders in the summer because it’s brighter and many more folks in the woods so the general risk is down and I don’t want to look like a sociopath running around with a sheathed knife when I bump into hikers and mountain bikers.

I appreciate the comment about the realism about taking on a cougar should it come to that. I hope we all stay safe out there while enjoying the trails.

The gerber prodigy is a very nice nice for the price:
http://smile.amazon.com/Gerber-Prodigy-Survival-Serrated-22-41121/dp/B000XH5H6W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449118260&sr=8-1&keywords=gerber+prodigy
That would be your typical 'combat' knife, and the one I would recommend for this price range. My experience with it was stellar, but I never had a purpose for it so I sold mine.

My EDC knife is a SOG twitch 2:
http://smile.amazon.com/SOG-Specialty-Knives-TWI12-CP-2-65-Inch/dp/B0009JXR8Y/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1449118357&sr=8-4&keywords=sog+twitch
This is a small flip knife, the steel is great. I would highly recommend this.

Your other option would be a morakniv
http://smile.amazon.com/Morakniv-Bushcraft-Tactical-4-3-Inch-Plastic/dp/B009O01H0Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1449118465&sr=8-2&keywords=mora+tactical
I've never owned a mora, but I've heard great things about them. They make some cool bushcraft ones (linked) but their specialty is boot knives.

Overall I wouldn't worry too much about it, I'm a grunt and I've had tons of knives and multitools. A few such as the twitch passed the test of time, but far more often I had (foldeing) knives wear out due to grit, and so on. In the army I've been given and issued tons of knives, it's always nice getting a new one; they're not expected to be bifl.

Seriously consider an inexpensive Mora or two (I'd recommend the Mora 120 or Mora 122 or both) as a great starting place.

You won't know what you want until you noodle around a bit, so skip buying a great custom carving knife (though when you do, let me recommend Deepwoods Ventures as another solid option).

Play around with an inexpensive knife or two and figure out all the usual questions. What handle makes you happy? Are you a chip carver? What blade shape makes you happy? Is relief carving really your thing? Etc.

Also, don't let some random Internet nut try to tell you there are any hard and fast rules to how you should spend your time.

I wouldn't recommend a "titanium" knife, firstly because for $10, it's not titanium. It's probably some chinesium knife that won't hold an edge very well. Secondly I don't recall Camillus having a great reputation due to materials and QC.

If you're looking for a good budget knife, I know Ka-Bar and Becker make good ones, and if you can swing an Izula, that would be my choice. Here are some links. Izula Ka-Bar 1 Ka-Bar 2 Ka-Bar 3.

The reason I'm recommending Ka-Bar and ESEE is that they both use 1095 carbon steel which is an excellent choice in toughness and edge retention. I almost forgot Mora, a superb Swedish knife that is renowned for its steel and edge retention, and used worldwide by folks in the workforce and outdoors communities.

The ESEE and Ka-Bars will run you $40-$60, and the mora will run you about $15. You can get Moras and Izulas at Cabelas, but Amazon is also great. Good luck.

Personally, I look for steel to be suitable for the job above anything else. To me, any knife out in the bush is better than no knife and the last thing that you want is it to fail on you out in the middle of nowhere. I always look at the heat treat to see if it suits the proper intended usage of the blade, steel choice, etc.. I like to see a steel with a good ratio of toughness and wear resistance while also retaining an acceptable amount of corrosion resistance and sharpenability.

After that, I move on to the blade grind and shape. Scandi grind is probably my favorite for working with wood. Full Flat Grind is probably a close second. I want the blade to actually cut, so having a nice balance of thin behind the edge, while still retaining decent thickness and strength in other areas like the spine, swedge, tip, etc is important. Definitely a huge plus if the spine is 90 degrees and rough to give you the ability to scrape.

The handle is probably the last thing that I care about, but still important. I want it to fill my hand, but not be too thick or long. If you can work a finger choil in the design without sacrificing a lot of cutting edge, great, but it's not a necessity. I prefer there to be minimal finger guard, but I do like for a little something to be there and not just a straight, abrupt transition from handle to cutting edge.

FWIW, My usual bush knives vary from the Mora High Q Robust, to the Spyderco Mule Team in CPM 4V (or PSF27) for smaller blades, to the Cold Steel Bushman in 1095 (or SK5) or the Ontario RTAKII in 5160 for larger blades.

Honestly? You're going to want to just go to a knife forum- this is a good example of one, or BladeForums.com is another- and just immerse yourself in it. Read posts, ask questions, salivate over knives, etc.

Here's a guide on knife grinds and the differences between them. Here's another.

Some good, popular companies for folding knives are Spyderco, Benchmade, Kershaw, and Cold Steel. All of these also make fixed blades, but only Cold Steel has anywhere near as many fixed blade designs available as they have folders.

Some popular companies for fixed blade knives are Ka-Bar, Morakniv, Ontario Knife Company, ESEE knives, BlackJack Knives and Fallkniven.

Any knives by any of those companies will likely be good, solid knives for whatever their intended purpose is- which brings us to another point, the intended purpose of a knife.

Different knives are obviously intended for different things, and a good knife for bushcraft might make an incredibly shitty one for cooking, with the While the Becker BK2 might happily slash apart a log or firewood, it's so fucking thick that it'll take a lot more work to push it through food, for example. Alternatively, while the Benchmade 530 is a great EDC knife that will happily cut food or cardboard all day, if you try its super-thing blade against wood or rope you'll be in for a bad time and might even need a new knife. Basically, there isn't really any knife that's "good" for everything. There are knives that are BAD for everything, but that's a different story entirely.

If you have any questions about anything I said, feel free to ask. Like I said- that's a good way to learn about knives.

Well, I don't know exactly what's meant by "survival knife", but I'll assume all around multitasking. My go to knife, if I have to pick one, is my mora. It's durably, easy to sharpen, keeps its edge, can handle a beating, and is conveniently sized. I use it for everything, and if I were to lose it, it's not so expensive that I'd feel a great loss. That said, were I to pick a single tool it would be either the coldsteel combat shovel, as its durable, cheap, and gets a surprisingly good edge or really any quality hatchet.

I value affordability in balance with quality, because while there are better knives on the market, they're a lot more expensive. For the value, I think the Mora Bushcraft is one of the best, but it all depends on what you like and need it for.

Morakniv makes some great budget fixed blades, some are quite small and most have a general utilitarian use. Here's a model for less than $17 and these have built a really good reputation for value and hard use.

However, maybe that isn't quite what you're looking for. Maybe you want something thicker, more substantial? Continuing with fixed blades is the ESEE 4P which before shipping is $99. Another option would be the Ontario Knife Company's RAT-7 for currently $63. Being an avid knife collector, I have maybe 150 total knives total. That said, I think if I had only 1 knife to take out with me and feel secure in doing so, the Kabar/Becker BK7 would be it. For ~$78 new on Amazon, it's just a big hunk of steel (1095 steel specifically) that can tear through almost anything you put in front of it from wood to meat to a car door panel lol. I would recommend looking into some customization for it for a couple for reasons. The black plastic handle scales that it comes with are not so great. This can be resolved by using a bike tire inner tube mod OR just grabbing those ~$40 micarta scales that the link suggests below the photos of the knife itself. The sheath is definitely serviceable for your needs, but you may eventually want to upgrade it to a kydex sheath, or even a leather one if you really like leather. Finally, the coating that's on all of the Becker knives has the benefit of protecting the blade very well but the cost is a lot of friction and eventually that coating will wear off and it'll look different. Many modders just strip that coating off and blue or force patina it and frequently oil after use. Or go the other route and spend hours up front polishing it to a mirror polish and now you have a knife that will look really Bowie-ish.

A fixed blade would be perfect. Mora knives are excellent inexpensive knives that are quite commonly used for camping. They make some with wooden handles, composite handles, stainless blades, and carbon blades. My understanding is that their stainless blades don't hold an edge quite as well as their carbon blades, but carbon blades have the disadvantage of being susceptible to rust. So for an outdoor camping application where you're likely to be running around in dirt and mud and rain and lakes and streams and not likely to have a supply of rubbing alcohol, clean cloths, metal polish, and mineral oil, a stainless blade with composite handle would probably serve you best.

On the other hand, Cody London, that hippy dude from Dual Survival pretty much exclusively uses classic Moras with wooden handles and carbon blades. On the other other hand, he also doesn't wear pants or shoes.

Here are a few to look at.

That may look like a knife....

I wouldn't call it one.

Return it, don't buy anything else.

Think about why you really want the knife you're getting and what the goals are for having it. You don't necessarily "need" a reason, but it might help you pick one.

The one you linked isn't something i'd use. There are better things out there.

if you're just looking for a good knife in a sheath that you can pull out of it... well

can't go wrong with mora

NOTE Carbon steel requires a little more care than stainless

I'm not sure what led you to think you need a ring to take the knife out properly, if you could expand on that I might be more helpful.

If you just want something scary "tactical" or for "defense", I might have words but you might not like it.

Most of those pieces can be carved with a couple of decent knives
Here, I'm going to go against my best advice, but this can be found at Amazon:

Here is a Mora knife that can be used as a roughout knife that can be purchased at Amazon.

While this knife is OK for hacking away large amounts of wood (not my first choice by far), you really need a good detail knife. Here is one I highly recommend.

As far as the strop goes, save you money. A thin piece of leather glued to a 8" x 2" (+ or -) board will work just as well as anything you purchase.

If you're looking for a folding option, Fox and Emerson both make good knives, but they are expensive.

Cold Steel makes a relatively affordable fixed-blade option, but it's BIG. Fox and Emerson also make a fixed-blade options, but they are very expensive.

For a general use, fixed-blade option, I'd recommend something like the Mora Companion in stainless. It's boring next to any karambit or even your BG knife, but it will do the job of opening boxes and most routine cutting chores. For a folder, you simply cannot go wrong with a Victorinox.

I hope I didn't seem too condescending (that's where I talk down to you) in my first comment. Please feel free to ignore any smart-ass comments I may make and welcome to the club!

Edit: Karambits are simply not my style. I'm sure there are some other folks on /r/knifeclub that can offer more options than I on that subject.

Others have mentioned it but the Ka-Bar Becker BK2 is widely loved as a survival/do everything knife.

If the BK2's blade is too big and heavy for you, you might consider its little brother the BK16.

Also consider one of the Scrapyard Knives like the 311, 411, or 511.

Good luck!

Here's a few:

Becker BK-2 carbon steel, decently sized though maybe big by your definition. This knife will take anything you throw at it, comes with a sheath.

The ESEE Izula is also pretty popular around here, definitely a lot smaller.

Can we get specifics on:

Carbon/Stainless?

Approx length?

Price range?

These will help us figure out what would be ideal.

EDIT: clarity

I have two Leatherman tools. I have used them for over a decade and have never had any trouble with them. They are easy to sharpen and they don't have a single dot of rust on them. Every tool is going to have its limits. I wouldn't use the knife on a Leatherman as a crow bar. I have never heard anyone complain about their Leatherman.

I have seen many people complain about the Sven Saw. It seems to be high quality and the design is very convenient. However, because of its triangular design, it actually can only cut smaller branches. Perhaps you aren't intending to cut a 6 inch limb. Just know that anything thicker than probably 3 inches is probably a big pain to cut with the Sven. Also, from what I understand, the Sven Saw only takes Sven Saw Blades, which is an added inconvenience and expense.

I have a basic cheap bow saw (one piece, non foldable) that I think works great. Bonus is that you can, if needed, use it with standard hack saw blades.

I don't currently own a Mora knife, but they do seem to be universally loved. Please note however that there are several Mora knives that range from $8 to $18 (both stainless and non-stainless). They don't seem to be substantially different from the one you mentioned that is $65.

This is the Mora Bushcraft Survival knife you mentioned ($65):

http://www.amazon.com/Mora-Bushcraft-Survival-Stainless-Steel/dp/B005CAPU80


Different Mora knives are either non-stainless carbon steel or stainless. Also, the thickness of the blade varies. You can get the thicker stainless steel knife in the cheaper model ($14):

http://www.amazon.com/Lime-Green-Mora-Companion-Knife/dp/B00BU9ATS8/ref=pd_sim_sg_12

I'm sure you can find one without a lime green handle. There seem to be a thousand models of Mora knives.

Another example, slightly thinner but still stainless ($11):

http://www.amazon.com/Mora-Stainless-Steel-Camo-Knife/dp/B005K994QM/ref=pd_sim_sg_11

This one is not stainless but the steel is even thicker than the one you mentioned ($40) if durability is your priority:

http://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Bushcraft-Sandvik-Stainless-4-3-Inch/dp/B009O01H0Y/ref=pd_sim_sg_9

This last one is almost exactly the same as the knife you mentioned, except that it is $17 instead of $65:

http://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Companion-Stainless-Military-4-1-Inch/dp/B004ZAIXSC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376873143&sr=8-1&keywords=mora+knife+stainless+steel

Perhaps the price of the one you mentioned is inflated because of the sheath, but the reviews rate that sheath badly. They mention the clip disconnecting unexpectedly and also it does seem like the sharpening stone and the fire steel to be a bit of a gimmick. Fire steels are like $3 at Walmart and maybe $5 if you want the bigger military style model. The sharpening stone attached to the sheath seems to be toy like and not really functional.


Another one that seems to be the same as yours without the gimmicky sheath ($38):

http://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Bushcraft-Outdoor-Stainless-4-3-Inch/dp/B003FYJU9A/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1376873143&sr=8-12&keywords=mora+knife+stainless+steel

There seems to be a huge variation of prices on Mora knives. The best ones seem to be the ones that are Stainless Steel and the thickness is around 0.1 or 0.098 inches.

I already own several high quality expensive knives, so I don't have a need to purchase the $65 range Mora knife. But the ones that are around $11 seem to be a great deal to use in situations where I might want to avoid damaging my expensive knife.

My favorite to purchase cheaply right now is:

http://www.amazon.com/Mora-Stainless-Steel-Camo-Knife/dp/B005K994QM/ref=pd_sim_sg_11

Because it has the hook at the front of the grip, which will help prevent your hands from slipping on to the cutting edge if you have to push into something. I think in survival situations, you hands may be tired, shaky, wet and dirty, which might make them prone to slipping. And of course, a survival situation is the absolute worst time to cut your hand.

Those are my 8 cents worth of contribution.

I got one of the wooden handle crossguard ones; http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003Z5CTV0/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1418406010&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX200_QL40

I love it and I think it's beautiful... I vaguely remember thinking the plastic mora knives looked silly when I first saw them but now that I've used them I think that they're so cool that I think they look awesome by association.

But yeah, they're great knives. I mostly use mine for its intended purpose of woodcarving. The only drawback I've found is that the mora blades are so thick they're not ideal for cutting food; but that's not really a drawback because that's not what it's for (opinel is for food, mora is for wilderness adventures).

Here are my personal essentials.

• Spyderco Delica 4: $60 VG-10 steel, comes in tons of colors
  
• Spyderco Endura 4: Larger version of Delica
  
• Morakniv Companion: $12-$20 A really awesome fixed blade, outperforms knives triple it's price.
  
• Victorinox Tinker: $20-25 classic swiss army knife, really great quality in general. Lots of tools but not too many so it's easily pocket carried.
  
• Victorinox Cadet: Smaller Swiss Army Knife, aluminum handles. Lots of colors.
  
• Kershaw Cryo, or Cryo 2: $20-40 steel frame lock, Hinderer design, good price, tons of colors. The Cryo 2 is the same as the Cryo just larger.
  
• Ontaro Rat 1 or 2: $25-30 Classically shaped folders with a very rugged build for a liner lock. The 2 is a smaller version of the 1.
  
  Also, you're going to want a sharpening system that works for you in the long run. I personally use the Spyderco Sharpmaker But there are tons of good sharpening options out there.
  
  P.S: You're going to get a lot of people hating on your Gerbers most likely, that's because they're honestly not worth it in the long run. They use very low quality steel for the price and they don't have the best quality control. I'm not saying your Gerbers are trash or anything. But they definitely won't last very long. Just about all of the knives I listed will last you a lifetime if you treat them right, and oil/sharpen them correctly.

So you seem pretty knowledgeable, and I trust your opinion. I’ve narrowed it down to 6 I’m choosing between, with some definitely more likely than others. Three are folders , and three are fixed . While I no longer trust MTech for folders, their blade kept decently well, and there’s not a lot of room for screws loosening on fixed blades. I also know Elk Ridge was never mentioned in the tread, but I’ve owned one fixed and one folder from them and they were both great knives, I have faith in the brand

For a cheap brilliant bushcraft knife:

http://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Bushcraft-Tactical-4-3-Inch-Plastic/dp/B009O01H0Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422126084&sr=8-1&keywords=mora+bushcraft

For a cheap brilliant bushcraft knife in wet conditions:

http://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Bushcraft-Sandvik-Stainless-4-3-Inch/dp/B00B90H1T8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1422126084&sr=8-4&keywords=mora+bushcraft


For a very cheap good bushcraft knife:

http://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Companion-Outdoor-Military-4-1-Inch/dp/B004TNWD40/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422126275&sr=8-1&keywords=mora

For a very cheap good bushcraft knife in wet conditions:

http://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Companion-Outdoor-Stainless-4-1-Inch/dp/B005EOJAKI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1422126315&sr=8-3&keywords=mora+orange

My boyfriend bought me a morakniv companion a few weeks back and I've never had a more multitasking blade. Though designed as an outdoorsman knife, theyre razor sharp but also light weight and the rubber handle makes them very comfortable to hold. Plus, they come in great plastic sheaths that make them convenient for camping trips or picnics. 1000% would recommend. This is the one I have http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BTJKB00?cache=686004116d7b72b4413c26fe29e01dc1&pi=SX200_QL40&qid=1407024182&sr=8-1#ref=mp_s_a_1_1

The 2 words on the knife means "lucky". If i were to guess, they were probably chinese knockoffs. Not sure any reputable or knives with tradition going to name themselves lucky, more so with crappy designed box.

My choice on knife: I'm currently using a camping knife, Mora Companion, $14 in amazon. I picked the stainless steel version for ease of maintenance. They are cheap and works great. The scandi grind make it easy to sharpen the knife myself. Being a cheap knife with lifetime warranty and good review, I don't feel guilty for trashing it while learning how to use and maintain a knife.

Pros: classic design with a lot of history behind it, fairly rugged, easy to sharpen, holds an edge, not too heavy, inexpensive, good for batoning wood, I've opened plenty of cans with mine

Cons: if you spend more money you can get a slightly better steel in some knives

This is the one I have.

Ka-Bar 2-1212-3 Black Fighting Knife https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BSY9D0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_c2wNzbZPACSBG

A good alternative could be the Becker BK2 variant of the KABAR which is a little newer and more heavy duty. Better at batoning and holds up a little better. But to me it has more of a kitchen knife appearance instead of the traditional KABAR military/survival appearance.

Ka-Bar Becker BK2 Campanion Fixed Blade Knife https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001N1DPDE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_dgrNzbTY2SGCD

Both are solid outdoors knives though.

I have one of these Ontario 499 Air Force Survival Knife, Black. Has served me well so far. Feels super sturdy in your hand. Has great reviews on Amazon if you don't want to take just my word for it.

The Mora comes in a lot of different forms and the price is pretty nice Ex1 http://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Classic-Craftsmen-Utility-3-9-Inch/dp/B003Z5CTV0/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&qid=1421064634&sr=8-19&keywords=MORA+fixed+blade Ex2 http://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Classic-Scout-Stainless-3-3-Inch/dp/B00EAL17G6/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1421064219&sr=8-14&keywords=MORA+fixed+blade Ex3 http://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Classic-Craftsmen-Utility-4-2-Inch/dp/B003Z5GRUY/ref=pd_sbs_sg_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=08QQT1AEGRYMCVC9NXTB I dont know much about Elk Ridge tho which model from Elk Ridge do you like? If none of the Mora's are of interest to you then maybe someone can find you a knife like the Elk Ridge your looking at. Or maybe someone who owns one can tell you the quality of them.

Depends on what you want to use it for.

The Canopy is thicker out to the tip, giving it more heft for chopping. It is, IMO, the better tool of the two. The Warrior is designed more as a fighter, and so has a lighter, more manoeuvrable (and more fragile) tip. The false edge on the spine isn't really ideal for work, but it'll still get the job done. Both are made from 8Cr13MoV, which is a pretty decent but not exceptional stainless. Overall, decent knives and reasonably priced at $40-50 (Amazon). Both are full tang AFAIK and so should be quite tough.

If you can afford to stretch to around $70, you might want to take a look at the Ka-Bar Becker BK9. Similar size (9 inch blade), full tang, thicker stock (.250 inches IIRC), and significantly better steel (1095). 1095 is a carbon steel, which means you have to be a little be more careful to avoid rust compared to 8Cr13MoV, but it's also quite a bit tougher.

If you mostly intend on doing more 'knife' tasks (slicing, cutting thin limbs, brush), the Canopy might be a slightly better choice, being the cheaper and lighter option. If you want a real chopper, I'd go with the Becker.

I just picked up one of these little beauties. I wear it on my belt at work (butcher) when I need a quick blade and don't want to go into my pockets. May suit your needs, super comfortable to use and clean.

Edit: Although i'd bet your able to sharpen a knife or know someone who will, this little bastard was by far the sharpest knife out of the box I have ever bought.

Moras are great. I also love the Hultafors GK. It's a little more stout than the Mora, feels great in hand, and is cheap as hell.

You can carry any size knife if there’s a legit reason if it’s not for self defence or concealed. I find fixed blade knives get dirty looks here in the city, but carry them fine in the woods. I carry a small folder (4” blade) clipped to the inside of my pocket in the city

If you want a recommendation, I’d get a mora companion. Great budget fixed blade and will do pretty much all you need to do.

https://www.amazon.ca/Morakniv-Companion-Tactical-Stainless-4-1-Inch/dp/B005EOJAKI/ref=pd_sbs_468_t_0/140-6358220-6278246?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0156BBXA8&pd_rd_r=1efe136b-2181-4b2f-994c-20189f6c9d1f&pd_rd_w=uDSVH&pd_rd_wg=wpqEA&pf_rd_p=9926bb69-42b9-46e4-b788-f665992e326d&pf_rd_r=ZH55X8NBQ6QNY5WCS48M&refRID=ZH55X8NBQ6QNY5WCS48M&th=1

I'm a fixed blade fan, though what's "EDC" for me (large knife in a belt sheath) isn't for most people. However, a full tang, fixed blade knife will always be more "indestructible" than a folder, so I stand by my opinions.

The KA-BAR BK series are extremely tough knives. My favorite is the BK-2: https://www.amazon.com/KA-BAR-Becker-Campanion-Fixed-Blade/dp/B001N1DPDE/. This is about as close to "impossible to break" as you can get. It's a big, thick chunk of steel and I've used it for everything from cutting rope, splitting wood, removing tile and grout, and as a pry bar.

At about half the price is the Ontario 499: https://www.amazon.com/Ontario-Force-Survival-Knife-Black/dp/B001CZDQPI/ It's smaller than the BKs and has a rough finish, but it's extremely tough. It has been indestructible as far as I can tell: I TRIED to break it by banging it into hard logs and carelessly batoning with it and it barely lost an edge. Great knife for the price.

I could give you some strong examples of folders, but I know other commenters on here will do way better than me on that.

It's going to be hard to find a good quality knife of that size with serrations.

My suggestion would be the Essee 4 https://www.amazon.com/ESEE-Sheath-Blades-Micarta-ESEE-4P-B/dp/B00UY4NS6K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1527453497&sr=8-2&keywords=essee+4

Or a Kabar BK2 https://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-Becker-Campanion-Fixed-Blade/dp/B001N1DPDE/ref=pd_sbs_200_5?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B001N1DPDE&pd_rd_r=FWQNG5WTZ9CEV0ZC6D3V&pd_rd_w=tjCQ6&pd_rd_wg=CtqJV&psc=1&refRID=FWQNG5WTZ9CEV0ZC6D3V


I would also suggest going to a brick and mortar store and handling each one to make sure they fit your hand well.

I prefer a Morakniv knife. They're usually about $12 to $25, go on sale often, and come with an excellent hard plastic sheath. They're light, durable, and simple. A friend of mine took one up the entire Appalachian Trail as his main trail knife in 2015; he loved it, never had a problem with it.

Mora knives have always served me very well as outdoors knives.

they might look cheap, but they have great steel, and have really held up (I typically buy the stainless version like this one)

https://smile.amazon.com/Morakniv-Companion-Stainless-Military-4-1-Inch/dp/B004ZAIXSC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466474771&sr=8-1&keywords=stainless+mora

2 knives will work. The first one needs to be burly, easily sharpened, and one that you don't mind beating up. Doesn't need to look like crocodile dundees knife. Personally I like the ontario aircrew survival knife. It's affordable, durable, and comes with a good leather sheath and sharpening stone. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CZDQPI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The other essential is a multi-tool. Either the basic Gerber or Leatherman will do. https://www.amazon.com/Gerber-MP600-Multi-Plier-Needle-47550/dp/B000VORS1E/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2ATZ9E2OJ54M9&keywords=gerber+mp600&qid=1569727801&s=gateway&sprefix=gerber+mp%2Caps%2C243&sr=8-1

I was going to link you to /r/CCW but it sounds like your too young to carry a gun or a knife depending on what state you live in.

My advice to you is to carry a decent fixed blade knife on your belt that can easily be removed from the sheath until you are old enough for a gun. I know it sounds a bit extreme to some but its something that you should consider especially knowing that there are predators in your area.

It doesn't mean you have to stab someone, I actually had an instance where 3 homeless men tried to corner me at my car after I went fishing, they left after I had moved my shirt to the side showing my knife, never even took it from the sheath.

In terms of legally carrying a knife, comply with your local laws but also keep in mind that if the police see you with a fishing pole, tackle box, and any knife that doesn't look like a fucking Rambo knife on your belt... they probably wont glance twice at you. my suggestion
morakniv

Remember, the people that do this are cowards, they may hate you but they probably don't hate you enough to get stabbed.

or just carry pepper spray if you like.

In terms of them having a gun you are pretty much shit out of luck after they get the drop on you, at that point just give them what they want, if they hit you just go fetal and protect your head/neck and scream to attract attention.

The best thing for this is situational awareness, if you see a group of people or even a single person that makes you uncomfortable don't feel bad about going somewhere else, your personal safety isn't worth making some random guy/girl a little mad because you crossed the street.

best of luck to you bud, hope you heal quickly.

http://ecosknives.com/zen3/ These are hand made. Mine have come sharp. In fact I just got 2 new ones for my birthday.

http://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Companion-Outdoor-Stainless-4-1-Inch/dp/B00BTJKB00/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412718972&sr=8-1&keywords=mora These are great for the money.

http://www.anzaknives.com/ These are made from files

Do you have a picture of what you like?

try r/knives

I would recommend a Ka-Bar Becker BK-2 Campanion (of course) and a Kershaw Skyline, if you're interested in a folder. Total for less than $100.
(BK-2 Abuse links.) Those two sets of tests should be more than enough evidence for the Campanion's awesomeness. It's $62 on Amazon.
The Kershaw Skyline gets great reviews. Amazon has them for $34.

EDIT: Added all the links, and decided to provide an actually comprehensive and helpful comment.

That one seems like this but with just a blade side guard. I prefer the look with both. Is there any functional difference that you see?

Also good luck with the DMV. I've been putting my visit off...

Just for the record, I wasn't able to find one of these for sale anywhere, but if you are looking for something similar in the way of a production knife, I would recommend the Ontario RTAK-II or ESEE Junglas.

Not taking anything away from Mr. Gossman and his awesome blades, but not everyone can afford $500-600 for a knife even if it were possible to locate one for sale.

Great knife. If you like it, also take a look at the classic Morakniv.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004D6H1WC?cache=486f0461b6a26021478bd889c8e14c6b&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&qid=1409945869&sr=8-14#ref=mp_s_a_1_14

I got this model, but with finger guards, as a first knife for my kids. Sharp as anything out of the box, scandi grind that is very easy to sharpen. But you need to be a bit careful with the carbon steel to avood rust.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003Z5CTV0?cache=b142d0ad6d37d758919e95a32aed3933&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&qid=1409946487&sr=8-12#ref=mp_s_a_1_12

I don't think it has a specific name. Dajo Survivor Knife I guess. It's pretty cool, its sheath has a whistle and a flint and steel. I've taken it on a couple Boyscout Campouts and have been satisfied with its performance. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002GXKAX6/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/178-8313723-4743653

My wife has to bring a go-girl when we go camping. She swears by it. As a man, I would have to advise bringing some type of blade. I would suggest a fixed one not a folder in case you need to split wood etc. An affordable but capable option is the KaBar Becker. It should last you a long time and is very versatile. Have fun!

I love my orange companion - great pick!

This is a great knife, great steel, and very affordable. I keep in in my GHB, a Morikniv:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BTJKB00/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you're looking to do bushcraft tasks, it'd be better for you to get a knife, saw, and a hatchet so you have all the tools you need for manipulating wood and natural cordage. If you're trying to stay under $100, I'd recommend...

Knife - Mora Bushcraft Black

Saw - Bahco Laplander

Axe/Hatchet - Cold Steel Trail Boss

This will bring you in right at 100 dollars I think and give you a great starting set of tools for bush/field-craft.

There are other options in each of these categories that could combine to keep you under 100. I can list some of those, too, if these don't meet your needs. But, this will definitely do any bushcraft task you can think of.

If you do get the Cold Steel Trail Boss, take some time and thin the cheeks a bit and put a bit of a thinner convex edge on it. You'll be shocked at the results. Trust me.

Thanks!

Is this the Mora Knife you are suggesting:

https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Companion-Outdoor-Stainless-4-1-Inch/dp/B004ZAIXSC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1499099295&sr=8-2&keywords=mora%2Bknife&th=1

Is a multi-tool even necessary then?

Also, based on what you said, and based on the fact I'll be hiking for a week, do you think it would be better if I just carried the titanium bowls, or would the kit be better?

• Sawyer Mini Water Filter
  
  
• Ferrocerium Rod
  
  
• Morakniv Companion
  
  
• Cotton Bandanna
  
  
• Reusable Mylar Blanket
  
  
• SAK Classic
  
  
• AMK Trauma Pack
  
  
• Signal Mirror
  
  
• Compass
  
  These are just suggestions, I'm sure there are cheaper or better quality alternatives to these, but it's a good start.
  
  Also, you're a cool brother.

I have several KA-BARs and love them all.

I love this one for camping: https://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-Becker-Combat-Bowie-Fixed/dp/B001IPKL7I

This one is always in my car (next to a small KA-BAR tanto, and SOG hatchet): https://www.amazon.com/KA-BAR-200038-BK3-Becker-Tool/dp/B001IPILMA

I've been putting together a birthday/Christmas gift list...

• Outlier Nycos
  
• Taylor Stitch Townsend denim
  
• Booze (Bulleit Bourbon)
  
• Wool socks
  
• Gift cards to BB, J. Crew
  
• Kiva microloan (try it free!)
  
• A decent camp knife
  
• Cast-iron frying pan
  
• Good kitchen tongs
  
• Paracord
  
• Any hobby stuff - for me it's ski goggles, ski lessons, firearms course fees, rifle locker, etc.

With or without a fire starter these Moraknivs kick ass. They range from 11-28 dollars and are a perfectly adequate size for a rugged all purpose blade. The poly sheath is durable and the handle is comfortable enough for prolonged use. More importantly however, it comes in pink!

I like that these gifts are quality items and "general purpose", and by that I just mean that they are accessible to most people. Let's face it: those who want niche high end gear will be purchasing that themselves because they'll know exactly what they are looking for. This is the sort of stuff that almost anyone would be pleased with.

Here are a few random things off the top of my head I might add:
Mora Knife - $15.
Casio Pathfinder watch - $40
Light Tripod and phone mount $22 + $15 (added these because a lot of people use their phones as cameras out there
[Constellation Playing cards]( Night Sky Playing Cards https://www.amazon.com/dp/1591932424/) - $6
Anker 10,000 mah battery pack - $26
Chill-Its Cooling Towel - $8
Nite Ize S-Biner - $4

A little out of your price range, but they're sold on Amazon (watch out for counterfeits though) is the Esee knives. They are crazy tough and have the best warranty of any knife maker I've seen and if you find a way to break it they'll send a new one, even if it was on purpose. The model number dictates the size of the blade like the Izula 2 has 2 inch blade, Esee 3 has 3 inch blade etc.
edit: the Esee knives are basically made of diamonds and the Ontario Rat 3 is a very similar knife more in your price range.
Ontario Rat 3
Esee 3

As far as axes or hatchets go, the best you'll find are generally hand-made and typically aren't any cheaper than $100. The Fiskars will work just fine for standard home use, however.

+1 for ESEE knives, they are fantastic products. If you want a cheaper full-tang fixed blade knife that can hold its own against ESEE or other very expensive knives, check out any of the Becker BK knives, made by Ka-Bar.

I had a Cold Steel Kukri (which isn't very good, if you're looking for a solid, inexpensive Kukri, get the Ka-Bar) and once I got my Becker BK9 I never pick it up anymore. The BK9 is smaller than a Kukri, but still has plenty of chopping power and weight behind it. The 1095 steel holds an edge very well. I've done some chopping where I was regularly hitting dirt and rocks, and the edge was still hair-shaving sharp when I was done. Throw in some Micarta Handles and a Kydex Sheath and your knife is going to last a very long time.

In general, the more you spend on a knife or axe, the better it's going to be. Obviously there are exceptions, but cheap knives are cheap because they usually use cheap steel, cheap coatings, they aren't full tang, and a number of other features that you'll only find in the $50-$70 range.

The Becker BK-2 is a fine beater of knife for your first decent quality fixed-blade. Great size, great price.

Edit: If you really want something "cool-looking" but still functional, the new Becker BK-5 could fit the bill.

I'm a big fan of http://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Carving-Knife-Laminated-2-4-Inch/dp/B004URTI4I/ref=sr_1_7?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1453580923&sr=1-7&keywords=morakniv for most carving. The shorter blade means the control is closer to your hand, which is good for "not cutting the shit out of yourself". A longer blade would be better for stripping bark and trimming branches, but less for fine work.

For $50, you can get a good knife from Glock, and that would leave you with enough money to get another one if you wanted.
YOu could also go with the Becker BK2
I also have good experiences with this

Though this may be a little smaller than what you're looking for, my favorite fixed blade right now is the Dajo Survivor

I don't like to bring expensive knives out into the woods (because I'll lose them), so my suggestions would be:

Mora Companion. Bright, reliable, cheap. It's the bog-standard backpacking blade.

Mora Companion Heavy Duty. Same as above, but heavy duty.

Boker Real Steel Bushcraft II. Good size for a small knife, D2, Scandi grind. I own it, I like it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005EOJAKI/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480392972&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=morakniv+orange&dpPl=1&dpID=318P1p3HPhL&ref=plSrch

This is a perfect knife for any hunter, I guarantee you. Blaze orange will help find it after you do it, and cheap enough to replace readily. Most gunsmiths/jewelers will even engrave it for you at a small fee.

Morakniv has a similar one as well: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B004URTI4I/ref=pd_aw_sim_200_13?ie=UTF8&dpID=31Gga046jdL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL115_SR115%2C115_&refRID=1X281FHCXH57XZHEGAN1

A friend of mine has this one I believe, and really likes it.

Get him something like this. Nice and light/easy to handle.

In all seriousness though, some kind of Victorinox would be good, maybe the Classic

Hultafors makes a very good knife that you can get for under $15 on Amazon. They are Swedish knife and tool maker that has been around a long time. They aren't well known in the US but, I think, they make excellent products. Here is a link to the knife I have: http://www.amazon.com/Hultafors-Craftmans-Knife-Heavy-Duty-Gk/dp/B004O9MIE4

and here is a link to their website: http://www.hultafors.com/

I was going to say Esee is a good starting point. My personal favorite are Survive! knives. https://surviveknives.com/

They're just very hard to get.

From more mass-produced stuff on the lower end:

https://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-Becker-Combat-Bowie-Fixed/dp/B001IPKL7I/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=BK-9&qid=1565302535&s=gateway&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/KA-BAR-Becker-Campanion-Fixed-Blade/dp/B001N1DPDE/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=BK-9&qid=1565302535&s=gateway&sr=8-3

https://www.amazon.com/Ontario-8604-RAT-7-Knife-Tan/dp/B0013AW8D8/ref=sr_1_30?crid=18LHTWFQCW6Y3&keywords=rat+knife+ontario&qid=1565302569&s=gateway&sprefix=rat+knife%2Caps%2C211&sr=8-30

https://www.amazon.com/TOPS-Knives-Brothers-Bushcraft-Handle/dp/B004GAM1UC?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_9741493011

Higher end is a toss up between a lot of small batch and completely custom-made knives.

I go here for most of my knife info: https://www.bladeforums.com/

)

like u/kimste2 said for the money you really can't go wrong with a Mora. If you insist on a full tang I also have a couple of the Survivor HK-106 knives and have been very impressed considering the price, they also come with a fire starter.

Mora

Mora - Light My Fire

Survivor HK-106

If I know I am going to be in a survival situation?

Phone + Battery, 50 Flares, vehicle with a full tank of gas would be my top 3.

More serious you say? Just limiting myself to ordering online, mostly amazon -

1. Warbonnet hammock and tarp
   
   
2. Sawyer water filter
   
   
3. 1,000 feet of 750 cord
   
   
4. 50 bic lighters
   
   
5. 12 Months supply of food
   
   
6. Heavy knife
   
   
7. Light cheap knife
   
   
8. Any expensive sleeping bag
   
   
9. Cell phone, including my favorite RPG games.
   
   
10. Solar recharger
    
    
    

• Assumes I am stranded in the forest of the Northwest United States.
  
  
  Given a more specific survival situation, a budget, weight limit or other constraints, I may adjust my list accordingly.
  
  

Here you go:

http://www.amazon.com/Hultafors-380020-GK-Handle-Sheath/dp/B004O9MIE4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405179429&sr=8-1&keywords=hultafors+gk

It's a larger and more sturdy version of their original craftman knife. Also, the spine has a sharp 90 degree angle so it can be used as a firesteel striker. I was amazed how well it worked as a striker as it shaves of huge shavings from my firesteel that sparkeles for several seconds which makes it a lot easier to make fire than with the standard striker crap that use to follow the firesteels.

The second is an Air Force survival knife. They're a good deal, full tang 1095 for ~$45 at most Army/Navy surplus stores. I used one for two years and it held up great.

Can't go wrong with a Mora. Good size, good sheath, good steel, cheap as dirt.

I'll second this, the only difference is that I bought the stainless steel version. I got it after reading LOTS of reviews about various knives, and basically just wanted to get a basic, good knife that didn't cost a ton. I have been quite happy with this one, and will probably get the carbon steel version sometime in the near future too.

Can't go wrong with the Companion. It's a great bang-for-buck knife. It won't hurt the bank too much to buy a few spares!

http://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Companion-Sandvik-Carbon-4-1-Inch/dp/B009XDR0NK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1465177784&sr=8-2&keywords=mora+carbon

A pocket knife is useful for some basic cutting tasks like opening packaging and cutting some zipties or such. Fixed blade knives are much more durable and can cut branches and are capable to handle a higher variety of tasks as well as typically having a better grip and much less likely to have issues when under hard work.

I'd recommend a Morakniv ; they're cheap, proven reliable, good factory edge, very durable, and lightweight. It's a great option if you're not super into knives but want a cheap one to just toss in the jeep and forget about until you need it.

Moraknivs are great. I recommend this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009XDR0NK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_Ps2qDbR97TSJW

I had been making photo albums but just started a YouTube channel. My friend was nice enough to let me borrow his GoPro and mounts but most of the time I record with my phone (also have another camera but it's a bit broken and can only take pictures). Part of what I'm ordering from amazon is a new monopod/tripod/selfie stick which I'm very much in need of at the moment since my videos are a bit shaky.

Haven't gotten around to do any solo 2 day trips yet (most of the time I'd be with a group and there would be designated campsites to fill up water at) but if I was going out with no means to fill up I'd take anywhere from 4-6 liters of water. The climate here is very hot and there is no such thing as bringing too much water. If there was a water source I could potentially allow myself to bring less since I could boil any water I find.

Amazon list:
-5.11 Rush 72 55L backpack
-Mora Companion (stainless steel)
-Bahco Laplander
-Headlamp
-Jetboil 10in frying pan
-Whetstone

All together that weighs 7.9 pounds and at some point I'd like to get a sleeping pad and tarp bringing it up to ten pounds (not including food, water, and other supplies which might get me to around 15-20 pounds depending on the duration of my outings).

As for the grill it's just a makeshift one. Four tent pegs and a small grate.

You have fishing line, hooks and lead but no knife. I see a multi tool but I think it’s worth the weight to add a fixed blade knife. It’s useful for preparing fish, cutting wood, and so much more.

Watch this or one like it to drop in price (CamelCamelCamel) like it does a few times a year:
Morakniv Companion Fixed Blade Outdoor Knife with Sandvik Stainless Steel Blade, 4.1-Inch, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BTJKB00/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_vvAPBbJBENH05

This. What I think I'm seeing is a carving kit assembled to do woodblock print carving (they use linoleum because it's softer and more consistent than wood. carefully cut away negative space, roll with ink, make a woodblock print)

I agree you need a sturdier fixed blade knife if you want to whittle/carve larger things. I really like a flat-edged blade...almost exactly like this one Honestly this knife can do almost anything that a whole set of chisels and v-tools can do, just a little slower. (although a v-tool is awesome for details/lines and chisels can be nice for weird nooks and carving details in hair sometimes)

Hah, funny you linked the EAB Pocket Knife - I actually found one of those (Or something comparable?) in my things from when I was in boyscouts and I laughed at how small it was and almost threw it out.

I am very tempted to just go rambo and buy a Ka-bar but I probably won't. Lower price will make it disposable and hopefully I won't ever have to use it anyway. Thinking the same way as you, quality...but functionally a waste of money

What are your thoughts on this one? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004ZAIXSC/?coliid=I2WSGFIH1CDNP4&colid=ZZRP77UIJCYE&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it I Found it in another thread highly recommended and it's cheap. If not, will probably get one of the first two you linked.

Y'all are dangerous. This came from just a little bit of browsing this sub and some searching and review reading and whatnot. Amazon links for convenience:

Leatherman Crater c33Tx

Kershaw Leek

Schrade SCHF9 Extreme Survival Knife

CRKT 2020 AG Russell Sting

Any advice or substitutions anybody care to offer? I think for the money this is a pretty damn fine set of 4 knives. The Leatherman might get some funny looks but I had its younger brother for many years and it would probably replace my current EDC (Kershaw Skyline)

Edit: Will definitely take lots of pictures when I pull the trigger.

I like the M9 bayonet. It’s a rugged knife with an okay saw. My favorite feature is that the blade and sheath can be combined to make wire cutters.

Haha nice! I'm planning on getting all the colors of the Sandvik version!

That sting looks like it's about 100% geared towards self defense. The other posters are right, you need something a little more camp oriented.
This looks to be lighter weight and more usefull for camping than what you currently have. It is NOT designed to cut firewood, but a small camp axe is better suited for that job.

Hands fucking down the Ontario RAT-3

(http://www.amazon.com/Ontario-Knife-8630-RAT-3/dp/B001DZV3C0)

I have this knife and it is a Military grade survival knife. It's virtually indestructible. It packs small, sits nice and tight on your hip, isn't vary heavy, and has all features for bushcrafting/survival, and batoning wood. For 70$ you can't go wrong. The Army boys have even picked this knife up as a on hand self-defense weapon in the field. Jump on youtube and watch a review. This is a going to be a heavy duty tool in your kit, you want to get it right the first time.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009XDR0NK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is the knife I take backpacking, I guess it could be a survival knife but I mostly cook with it... I really like that it is orange so it is easy to find when I drop it.

Agreed. I'm not a knife enthusiast by no means, but I was in a situation where I refused to give up my old Leatherman Wave, but needed a good blade so I picked up a Morakniv Companion and love it. 4 oz with the hard plastic sheath.

EDIT: I should also note that I cannot be trusted with folding knives, from experience.

The Morakniv brand of knives are extremely high quality for the price.

I have a stainless, a carbon steel and a coated carbon steel. I like the coated the most, but when I got some rust on my carbon, I took it off with steel wool and 'blued' it under my gas range. It's now exotic iridescent blue and purple colors, but it doesn't rust anymore. I didn't care because it cost me 12 dollars.

The coated was around 40 dollars I think...I use this one primarily when hiking, mushroom hunting or wildcrafting / digging in dirt. It's great. It's orders of magnitude a better, lighter, sturdier, handier knife than any of the clunky US marine, bowie, gerbie, honking, boneheaded bad designed knifes out of the US; also with swedish quality steel and lower price.

Ive used these for cooking, gardening and foraging / whittling / and bushcraft. I cannot say better things about Morakniv. Sure, there may be better knives but not for the price.

>Nothing is ever sold at the msrp unless it is enforced in some way. It'll probably cost about the same or a bit more than a Bushcraft Black.

I agree, for any readers interested in the numbers, the MSRP on the Bushcraft Black carbon steel is $79.99 and is currently going for $57 on Amazon. That's 29% off MSRP.

It is not labeled as Ontario but rather Rothco. It appears to be exactly the same and the reviews are positive. It is also slightly cheaper than the Ontario one. Here.

In that pricerange I'd spend the extra $10-$15 and get a Becker BK2 instead. Everyone that uses them seems to love them. I don't use one personally because it seems a little oversized, but I've handled them and they have really solid construction.

If you want my tool recommendations, personally, I use the ESEE-4, Gransfors-Bruks Wildlife Hatchet and Tramontina 24" Machete combo. Three tools to do just about anything.

Can't go wrong with a Morakniv Companion. Only $15. I love mine.

Well, there's this :)

You might want to look at the Becker BK2 for a little more money.

thanks!

whats difference between bushcraft black and the survival? looks like its the same knife but $12 more for the sheath with firestarter and sharperner. worth it?

$36 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BFI8TOA

vs

$24 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009O01H0Y

Hultafors Heavy Duty is a bit more robust than a Mora, but they're both good.

CRKT Sting was the only thing that came to mind as an ankle knife. I think a neck knife would be easier to access. There are plenty of very good neck knives with kydex sheaths that could work. I personally don't recommend using a knife in a defensive situation, I would rather carry a concealed firearm.

Pretty sure it's based off of this one.

I'd say he wants this. Classic design meant for both "tactical" needs and survival needs. Plus most military guys think they look pretty cool.

I got a Mora Companion in stainless steel for $11. I had to pick a bright color and got it when it was on sale to get it at that price point.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EAL1090/

I like the bright color anyway, I won't lose it. Check to see which color is which price. You can get it in carbon steel too if you prefer the constant maintenance.

Modifications: see the sub I linked to. I wrapped my neon sheath with some paracord, tucked in a ferro rod, and then covered the whole thing with a slice of bike inner-tube (great emergency tinder, burns when wet, and you can make "ranger bands" as needed from it too.) The inner tube cuts out most of the neon, leaving just enough not to lose it in the bush.

I've found the Ontario Sp10 Raider to be an excellent axe replacemet in a pinch as well, and it's even cheaper than the Becker (and slightly heavier).

I've got an Ontario RTAK-II. It's only a 10 inch blade, but it's been pretty handy.

Ontario Knife 1086284 Co RTAK-II Knife https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DZV3BG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_RdvTBbRN65Y6A

Cutting things can be done in probably an infinite number of ways, so it's really about having the right tool for the job. You could thicken the blade, sure, but that makes cutting with the knife harder. This is why kitchen knives are thin in the first place. Buy a Becker BKII (a ~$100 knife) or some other glorified crowbar and you won't have this problem, you'll have others.

KaBar Big Brother

Ontario Marine Raider

Ontario Freedom Fighter

None of the above. I would suggest you get a Morakniv such as a Companion and use it before you buy anything else.
https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Companion-Outdoor-Stainless-4-1-Inch/dp/B00EF2RUD4

Best $13 you will ever spend.

Go with Amazon. You're buying from the same company for a much cheaper price.

The Blackbird SK-5 is a good choice. It's just the right size, fairly affordable (~$120), and has a full tang blade for batoning wood.

Here's a great video on what you should be looking for and why.

The Ka-Bar Becker BK2 would be a more affordable option ~$75.

Morakniv Companion and Buck 119 are awesome choices.

https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Companion-Outdoor-Stainless-4-1-Inch/dp/B00EF2RUD4

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000EHWWJQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502984683&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=buck+119+knife&dpPl=1&dpID=315rFijBsPL&ref=plSrch

here are a few recommendations not on the list at a slightly lower price point:

Condor Tool & Knife, Crotalus Knife

Condor Tool & Knife, Hudson Bay

Condor Tool & Knife, Stratos

Glock Field Knife

Morakniv Bushcraft Black

Morakniv Bushcraft Pathfinder


Here are some other brands at similar price points to the ones you had listed ($100 - $200) SOG Knives, TOPS Knives, Bark River Knives

Just checked out the Campanion on Amazon. Currently listed around $80 with free shipping. Get it now.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/ol/B001N1DPDE/ref=mw_dp_olp?ie=UTF8&condition=all

Ok one thing about knives is that they are tools and just like tools you get what you pay for. I camp and hunt quite a bit and these two will be all you need. The BK9 for chopping, cutting, hacking, spliting, hammering, and all other sorts of camping needs. Use the Remora if you need to skin something or do some fine wood work such as notch making or anything else of the sort.

All the mora talk inspired me to hit up amazon.

www.amazon.com/dp/B009O01H0Y

aaaaaaaaaaand added to wishlist.

usually full-tang for strength (although partial-tang moras are nice), at least 1095 steel (not cheap chinese stainless, although mora and fallkniven use good quality stainless)

grind can be either scandi or flat or saber, with scandi being strongest and thickest blade, easiest to sharpen but harder to cut through something or do fine work due to the blade thickness, and flat grind harder to sharpen but easier to cut through things but slightly weaker blade, with saber being more rare and basically inbetween the two

no bullshit serrations because you won't be able to sharpen that or do fine work with it

my perfect bushcraft knife would be full-tang, spear point, saber grind, about 4-5 inches, micarta handle (so it stays grippy when wet), so something like a L.T. Wright GNS Saber or Fiddleback Forge KE Bushie or GSO 4.1 or ESEE PR-4.

but those each cost like $200-$300 and I have an aversion to spending that much on one thing when I can just buy an Old Hickory Butcher Knife, a Morakniv Companion and an Opinel No.7 all for literally $40 combined and have a bunch of different knives suited for different situations (butcher knife for hacking/batoning, mora for general use, opinel for fine work)

edit: woah this dude modded an old hickory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ziV3R9Jcro

another dude who mods old hickories
https://longmireknives.wordpress.com/my-work/

BK2 is a similar size and use, but with a better reputation for quality.

I'm a big fan of Mora knives. Good knives at a very reasonable price. All of the ones linked come with hard plastic sheaths.

A hatchet and a small knife are ideal, in my experience. A Mora Companion and a Fiskar's X7 will do darn near anything you need to do. Less than $50 together.

Get a [Mora] (http://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Companion-Stainless-Military-4-1-Inch/dp/B004ZAIXSC/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1420689734&sr=1-1&keywords=mora+knife). They can be made very sharp and they are very durable. I have literally beat the crap out of mine and it holds up fine, even though it is not a "full tang" knife. It you use it sensibly and take care of it, it will last you forever. This is a great fixed blade to start out with and learn to use.

Stay away from the "hollow handle" knives, as they are considerably weaker than others (these are obviously not full tang) along with anything that has "survival" or "Rambo" in its name.

Serrated blades are great for cutting through cordage, but for most uses in camping, are not needed.

I am not a fan of any of the paracord wrapped knives as these tend to collect all kinds of dirt and grime. If you field dress a deer with one, the cord will get soaked in blood and goo. The only way to clean it is to take the wrap off, clean it and replace the wrap. Just carry a hank of 20 feet of paracord or make a paracord bracelet.

The Amazon comments describe it better than I can. HERE
It is a way heavier, way thicker, in all ways a much sturdier knife. You can use this as a prybar, to baton wood, and it still comes sharp enough to shave with out of the box.

Mora Bushcraft

No nonsense knife great for camping, cleaning fish/small game etc. 40 Dollars for a solid knife that'll hold up to most anything.

Ontario SP1

If you're more into the military style knives but don't have more than $60 to shell out for a KABAR, Ontario makes decent knives for the price.

Gerber BG Folder

Yes, it's a branded knife but that doesn't really matter. It's a decent knife for the price, especially if you're new to knives and you want to mess around with it without fear of breaking something expensive. Also, this particular one is a folding knife whereas the first two are fixed blade.

Cheaper side go with the SOG Seal Pup.

For something of better quality go with the ESEE 4, or the Ka-Bar BK2.

Mora Bushcraft black. I've seen them beaten like the proverbial rented mule and they held up excellent. Not expensive either - buy two with your budget.

http://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Bushcraft-Tactical-4-3-Inch-Plastic/dp/B009O01H0Y

Yes!

Glock KB17281 81 Field Knife https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000W32PIK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_x6RNBbWQ0HCE5

$30!

Or Mora (Companion)

Starting at $15

Morakniv Companion Fixed Blade Outdoor Knife with Sandvik Stainless Steel Blade, 4.1-Inch, Military Green https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004ZAIXSC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_giSNBbDZWQZHH

Yeah, I don't have one of these yet but they come highly recommended, particularly for the price.

www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00EF2RUD4/ref=pd_gwm_simh_10?pf_rd_p=eeda26e3-c818-411e-91c7-e824b2883986&pf_rd_s=blackjack-personal-2&pf_rd_t=Gateway&pf_rd_i=mobile&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=G5DYEF7YXXGTW88C83K8&pf_rd_r=G5DYEF7YXXGTW88C83K8&pf_rd_p=eeda26e3-c818-411e-91c7-e824b2883986

Pick your flavor based on requirements.

I'd consider a Morakniv fixed blade for each kit. They're so durable, great grip, sharp as heck, and are cheap enough to get a few easily from Amazon: Morakniv on Amazon

Morakniv knives. Easiest $15 you'll ever spend. Even if you do ruin it, it's only $25. But, seriously try to kill it. You will not be able to...
I have the companion linked below. I carry it while completing lawn chores and running outdoor power equipment. LOVE it. The sheath provides fast, easy access. But holds the knife very securely.


https://smile.amazon.com/Morakniv-Companion-Outdoor-Stainless-4-1-Inch/dp/B00BTJKB00/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486659984&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=morakniv&psc=1

Ok... I'm gonna try and look exclusively on amazon, because it seems pretty representative of prices elsewhere and it would take too long to look everywhere. I'll work in UK money, since that's where I live, and I'll convert it to USD at the end.

• Archery - £23
  
  
• Hatchet - £10
  
  
• Bowie Knife - £80
  
  
• Slingshot - £3
  
  
• Small and large BBs - £11
  
  
• Flint and Steel - £1
  
  
• Collapsible Fishing Rod - £10
  
  
• First Aid Kit - £17
  
  
• E-Tool - £60
  
  
• Hiking Boots - £65
  
  
• Socks x 5 - £10 x 2 = £20
  
  
• Underpants - £25
  
  
• T-Shirt x 10 - £3 x 10 = £30
  
  
• Climbing Rope - £37
  
  
• Twine - £8
  
  
• Jeans x 3 - £20 x 3 = £60
  
  
• Duct Tape - £6
  
  
• Matches - £3
  
  
• Water Purification Tablets - £4
  
  
• Toothbrush x 30 - £3 x 30 = £90
  
  
• Gloves - £10
  
  
• Plant ID Book - £23
  
  
• Guille Suit - £39
  
  
• Beef Jerky isn't on Amazon, but I'd hazard a guess at around £20 for enough to keep you going.
  
  
• Also not on amazon, but 50 smokes would add up to around £25.
  
  
• Snare Wire - £24
  
  
• Hiking Stick - £16
  
  
• Compass - £2
  
  

• Magniying Glass - £8
  

  
  

  All of these items add up to £730, or $1040, so, unfortunately, just over $1000.
  

  
  

  (

Here are some recommendations. If you are doing batoning and splitting, I would recommend something with a thick spine (and learning how to do it correctly). I wouldn't open cans with my knife because it's a poor tool choice for that and there are plenty of dirt cheap can openers.

Here are a few options:

KA Bar Becker companion in 1095 steel

Ontario Rat 3 in 1095

Morakniv Companion Heavy Duty carbon blade

cheap US army can openers so you don't damage your knife or hands opening cans

​

These are some good high carbon blades in a variety of prices. I do recommend buying one you can feel to get a good idea if the grip is right, but this should give you some variety of makes and what they offer. These are all black anodized coatings which will help keep rust away. My preference is for a knife in the 7 inch length range for chopping, no serrations (pain to upkeep and don't cut, they rip) and a neutral finish because black knives are hard to find if you drop it in the dark. NEVER buy a knife that isn't full tang.

Go out and get a feel for handles, blade shapes and lengths and try what you can borrow before making a decision.

OK

or this one, which is quite well reviewed and popular but it's over $30. If you gotta buy me one, i'd prefer this one.

If your looking for a big knife I've only heard good things about the Ontario RTAK II.

Review.

You're better off buying a Mora knife for that purpose.

Have you looked at Ontario and Ka-Bar?

Something like this https://www.amazon.com/KA-BAR-Straight-Knife-Leather-Sheath/dp/B0018RH23C?

or https://www.amazon.com/Ontario-Force-Survival-Knife-Black/dp/B001CZDQPI

A Spyderco Military
https://www.knifecenter.com/item/SP36GPE/spyderco-c36gpe-military-folding-knife-s30v-satin-plain-blade-black-g10-handles

A Benchmade Contego
https://www.knifeworks.com/best-selling/benchmade-contego-810-1401-3-9-in-m390-stainless-blade-plain-edge.html

A Varusteleka Terava Skrama
https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/terava-skrama-carbon-steel/30189?gclid=CjwKCAjw6vvoBRBtEiwAZq-T1d5uNsQfQiYZZF3_IMTAYXt95L0MML6Hgc7pwsw6j4rTbLhIYC2EpxoCTT4QAvD_BwE

A Varusteleka Terava Jaakaripuukko
https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/terava-jaakaripuukko-carbon-steel/56524

Spyderco Sprig
http://www.nationalknives.com/spyderco-sprig-fb37ggrp-fixed-blade-knife-4-25-plain-edge-blade-forest-green-g-10-handle-sheath/

Spyderco Southfork
Out of production, but one of my favorite models. Unfortunately they are pricey even used.

Ontario Rat I
https://www.bladehq.com/item--Ontario-RAT-Model-1-Liner-Lock--36924

Becker BK9
https://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-Becker-Combat-Bowie-Fixed/dp/B001IPKL7I

Becker BK5
Out of production, but one of my favorite models. Unfortunately they are pricey even used.

Beckers are nice, http://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-Becker-BK2-Campanion-Fixed/dp/B001N1DPDE/ref=pd_sim_sg_1 also comes in 7 inches