(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best fixed-blade knives

First, are you looking for pretty or functional? If pretty, Mora makes some real classy looking fixed blades, I have a Mora Forest Exclusive, this is a high-end version of the Mora Classic and is above your price range as a result at 90ish$, the Mora Classic doesn't look quite as fancy, but they are essentially the same knife (I linked you to the birch handle model, there are many more models of the classic that come in red ochre wood handles as well). At 70ish$ you can get a Kellam Puukko, I don't own one but I've heard good things about these, and more importantly, they look nice. All the knives I have suggested this far are Nordic/Scandinavian style blades, if you want something more "American" looking, Buck has some nice fixed blades for a good price, the Buck Vanguard, Ranger Skinner, Fronteirsman and Skinner are all below budget. Ka Bar makes some knives in this style below your budget as well. The CRKT Hunt n Fisch is beautiful imo, and its about 50$. If you are, in fact, looking for more functional type blades feel free to ask, I kind of assumed you were looking for nicer looking knives since they're formal gifts.

Hmm. Please don't be offended if you were already aware of this, but Mora only makes small knives. So you really won't find a general purpose/utility/Bush Mora with a blade over 4.5 inches, maybe 5 inches tops.
Their best selling knife is the Morakniv Classic No 2/0 Wood Handle Utility Knife with Carbon Steel Blade, 2.9-Inch It has a 2.9 inch blade and a nice wood handle. No bolster though, but according to many who own one, it isn't an issue. I've owned the Mora Companion (since lost it) and was so impressed with it that I told all my friends, even those who don't spend too much time outdoors, to get a nice carbon steel Mora, and after seeing mine, most of them did.
I never heard of the Anza, but I'll definitely have to check it out.
Good luck finding your ideal companion blade, ultimately it almost always comes down to personal preference.

> Can I get some best-in-class suggestions for sub-$100, ~$150, and sub $200? Might get lucky with a sale.

You also said you wanted a good slicer so I'm going with that as my main criteria. Also these are my opinions.

Sub $100: Spyderco Delica 4 Lightweight FRN Or Spyderco Endura 4

$150-ish: Spyderco ParaMilitary2 G-10 In many peoples opinion this is probably the best EDC blade available.

Under $200-ish: Zero Tolerance 0450CF

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Other great knives for EDC:
Ontario RAT II - Only $25. Worth getting for when someone wants to "borrow your knife".

Benchmade 940-2 - $180-ish. Light easy to carry, not much belly to the blade shape so not always the best for slicing.

Spyderco Dragonfly 2 - $50ish depending on the color. Small knife, easy to carry. Unless your EDC tasks involve skinning wild animals, this will work fine.

Cold Steel Code4 $70-ish. Great steel, thin knife so it carries easily, slices well thanks to think factory grind.

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.

You gotta be more specific in your original questions buddy.

First of all, there are 2 reasons to remove an animal from a trap. To rescue (and minimize harm to the animal), or to harvest (and minimize damage to the trap). Here in bushcrafter land, I wouldn't usually assume you aren't planning on eating what was caught in the trap.....

It does sound like you are looking for the rescue side of things, and this is for a film, and you are looking for realism..

A swiss army knife or basic folding pocketknife are fairly realistic options for what a typical person might have with them with just a general plan of being 'prepared'. Something like 4-5inch Condor Bushlore is a decent approximation for what a more bushcraft oriented person might have with them in a wilderness setting. Someone who is going out intentionally to rescue animals from traps though, that is an entirely different question! For that you'd want a blunt tip, the type found in rescue knives, and/or EMT scissors.

For realism, most of us here know enough about the various types of knife that we could likely give you good answers - but you really should explain what kind of realism you are actually going for.

Average outdoorsy person with basic 'preparedness' is likely to have something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Swiss-Army-Huntsman-Leather/dp/B000IOI0NC/

Or this:

https://www.amazon.com/Gerber-Spine-Fixed-Blade-Camping/dp/B07DDCG3HD

Average Joe who has no idea of what makes a knife good or useful is likely to have something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Tac-Force-Police-Assisted-Tactical-Rescue/dp/B01LZ0T3N9



Average bushcraft subreddit user probably has something similar to:

https://www.amazon.com/Condor-Tool-Knife-Bushlore-Hardwood/dp/B002CC6BPM

but wishes they had:

https://www.amazon.com/Benchmade-162-Bushcrafter-Drop-Point/dp/B00B0E1MB6

Someone going out with them intention of rescuing persons or animals would probably be carrying something like this though:

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Rescue-Tool-Pocket-Fluorescent/dp/B000PX0LKG

https://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Assist-Orange-Handle-Rescue/dp/B0012G6KI2

https://www.amazon.com/LEATHERMAN-832590-Raptor-Shears/dp/B07N6P2RCB

https://www.amazon.com/DGX-Titanium-Coated-Stainless-Shears/dp/B01B2YF0AM

And then finally, I'll say this - pretty much anything sharper than a butter knife can be used to safely rescue an animal from most situations. Hell I could probably do it with a can opener or nail clippers. So just decide what sort of situation you expect your characters to have intentionally been prepared for, and go from there.

https://www.amazon.com/GI-P-38-Can-Opener-5-pack/dp/B005EAIXAU

Got a blade material are you looking for? (stainless steel or carbon)

Blade profile? (drop point, tanto, spear, clip)

Blade grind? (Flat, Saber, Scandinavian, or Hollow)

Off the top of my head:

Becker BK16 - flat 1095Cro-Van

Esee Camp Lore PR-4 - Saber 1095

Esee 4P - flat 1095

Esee Izula - flat 1095

Morakniv Bush Crafter - Scandinavian 1095

Morakniv Garberg - Scandinavian 14C28N

Cold Steel Master Hunter - Flat VG1 in San Mai

​

FYI The ESEE brand has perhaps the best lifetime warranty of fixed blades. Return and they will replace with no questions asked policy. It is also transferable so they do tend to keep their value over time. Tactical Intent is a verified seller on amazon. At that price range you can get a pretty great knife.

Hope this helps!

I really really like a $13 Mora. Rugged, sharp as heck, solid...so cheap you don't feel bad really really using it and beating the piss out of it. A real been-there-done-that guy I know recommended them to me and after using one (and having lots of other fixed blades, I truly love it)
https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Companion-Outdoor-Military-4-1-Inch/dp/B004TNWD40
They make a serrated also:
https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Bushcraft-Serrated-4-3-Inch-Stainless/dp/B00K70MLK0/ref=sr_1_10?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1509940703&sr=1-10&keywords=mora+black


If I was going to pick anything maybe one of these:
http://www.jayfisher.com/USAF_Pararescue_Knives.htm

This with an aftermarket sheath:
https://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-Snody-Handle-Included-Purple/dp/B00ILFNAYY


Actually what am I smoking. This: 100x this. If you've held it in your hand you know that it is the most comfortable knife I've ever held.

http://www.benchmade.com/bushcrafter-family.html

Although the Busse I'm evaluating now is pretty dope.... I still want a Benchmade Bushcrafter.

If it was for overall survival/utility I'd want a Himalayan Imports Khukuri.

For Search/Rescue specifically... give me a tanto-point, combo-edge...honking chunk of steel.
https://www.topsknives.com/knives/tactical/tops-pry-knife-ppp-tool
https://www.topsknives.com/knives/survival/smoke-jumper

Could be persuaded to try these
http://www.benchmade.com/fixed-blade-knives.html?blade_style_shape=861

something stupid and overbuilt (in the best way)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axt6pJERJ38

Personally, if the file isnt completely dulled, i'd save the file as old files tend to be really fucking good and just buy new steel. Because of rising fuel prices, rising minimum wages, and easier availability to annealed steel stock that's exactly what you want, there's just about no reason for someone who's not already an expert on metallurgy to work on a file as a knife.

The reasons you would would be:

1. Leaving it hardened, and just being very gentle with a grinder and keeping it cooled (so you dont have to work with heat treating it at all).
   
   
2. Artistic value (however if you're making a camping knife, i'd hazard a guess at the goal of this not being to flex your bladesmith skills at an art show)
   
   
3. For someone who's already great at annealing and doesnt care about the ridiculous time sink it is, a relatively cheap sunday project.
   
   The reason im against it is because annealing properly is a process that (for someone who i'd assume doesnt have a high-powered, accurate forge and the skills to maintain the temperature) can easily fry and decarb the metal (bad) and if done right, takes a while and gas. The time it takes and the gas cost would be equivalent to, if you live in any western country (which im assuming from your username and english that you do) at least 20$. With that money, you could just hop onto amazon and buy something like this https://www.amazon.com/RMP-Knife-Making-Blank-Annealed/dp/B074927X9K/, which is longer than the file most likely is (giving you more options) and is already annealed.

http://filipinobolos-com.3dcartstores.com/Filipino-Golok-B_p_29.html

http://www.baryonyxknife.com/famapa1.html

http://www.baryonyxknife.com/rigmaha.html

https://www.amazon.com/Condor-Tool-Knife-Parang-Machete/dp/B00WTHW9T2

Or commission a local Smith. You're asking about one of the easiest blade shapes to forge, most any blacksmith/knife maker can make one for you if you ask.

The Aranyik knife store is down for maintenance right now, but in a month or so they should be back up. They have some great tools of that shape, especially if you like pole mounting. If you're doing that much land clearing, look into pole mounting.

Oh, and also you shouldn't really need to use a thick machete like this. I literally do this kind of work as a day job and have found nothing that a Imacasa 22" machete and a chainsaw can't handle.

I love camping! We might actually be heading up north to stay in a cabin near a lake to do fishing,shooting practice,etc. A friend is renting the cabin for her son's birthday I am excited. I could use this set of gloves for shooting the cross bow/protecting my hands. To cut a patch & pretend I'm in the jungle lol. For protecting Myself. On my second wishlist I also have first aid kits,bow tips & more. Thanks for the contest.

Honestly, even as a fan of Cold Steel, I would say that the Recon Tanto is not a great choice for an EDC survival type blade. It's much more of a combat knife. I have one in VG-1 steel and its only moderately useful in a survival scenario comparatively speaking. The curvature of the blade makes some basic tasks more difficult, though it certainly will make a large, tanto-shaped hole in anything you pierce with it.

For survival I would go with something like the Black Bear Bowie machete: https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Steel-Black-Bowie-Machete/dp/B071Z3JF36/

As far as a similar type of knife in the same price range, the best I could recommend would be something like this or this.

Increasing your price range to $60 or so would give you a lot more options, if you can swing that.

There are great options out there.

I personally like the Tonife Squirell for micro, CRKT Minimalist for small size, the Boker Plus Urbanovsky Gitfo for larger one and the Spyderco Dog Tag for a folder.

Good luck!

I personally just like the idea of blinding someone you are trying to stab. I do have a couple of these "Hunt" versions as well, since they came as a set with the folding ones.

It only gets limited usage since deer are easier to gut and skin after you hang them, and we hunt on our farm so there isn't far to go. I tested it and it worked fine in that regard, but we're more fond of our thin skinning knives at that point. But it would certainly come in useful if I were field dressing at night.

It is kind of handy though that if you turn the light on when it's sheathed at your hip, even then it gives off plenty of light to see your feet while hiking.

The Natchez is good as mentioned. Cold Steel also has the Laredo and 1917.

Svord has a big one and a small one.

I have one of these and I absolutely love it. Big and sturdy, for a very good price.

Why not two? Morakniv makes an electrician specific knife. And then there's its Eldris which is more versatile and can be worn around the neck. Both are tiny and are under $50 total.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00T3EZRK2/ref=dp_ob_neva_mobile

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01J7MM5M2/ref=pd_aw_sim_468_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=B4KS3MBGX08M9QFNPM0V#nav-search-keywords

Esee Izula is $75 and has a great warranty.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00O24R9EA/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1483690874&sr=8-3&pi=SL75_QL70&keywords=Esee+knife

I tend to like fixed knives for simplicity. Hope this helped.

Here's an Eldris review from my favorite YouTube knife channel:

https://youtu.be/nIuycY8YwC4

So some will be a little more then 40 but the performance and customer service is worth it.

Cold Steel Extra Large Voyager Clip Pt. Plain https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DPW4LJG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_x3eXDbMZTEMNN

Buck Knives 119 Special Fixed Blade Knife with Leather Sheath - Black Handle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EHWWJQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_H4eXDbKPRCS8H

Cold Steel Peace Maker II https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BD57RZW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Z5eXDbFY372C4

Ontario Knife Company 8667 Rat-5, Plain Edge with Black Nylon Sheath https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075NNXMSC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_06eXDbRS3PEXY


Buck Knives 620 Reaper Black Fixed Blade Survival Knife https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RQ7WQ2K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_e.eXDbT0Y0DW9

As /u/EyeOfSearle said, Mora is pretty much the best value for money you're gonna get. The 6" Mora Classic 3 is bang on in all your criteria, if you don't mind a wooden handle and no guard.

I've got the 14" Winchester Bowie (you can find them at SAIL and a few other outdoors stores). I take it with me camping every time! Awesome for limbing branches for kindling and other similar jobs. Going price is 36$ well worth it.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000EDVU48/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_WUYwCb5Z8VN3S

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000EDVU48/ref=mp_s_a_1_10?qid=1368668118&sr=8-10&pi=SL75

Check this out. Strong functional. Pretty reasonably priced. Id just strongly recommend you dig a little more

Other side looks the same. This is about 2.5 hours of using an 800 grit Japanese waterstone for the initial grinding/removing the black paint. Then using a 4000 grit stone to put on the mirror finish. (hands are sore!)

Still some rough spots that needs more work but happy with how it's turning out.

This is the knife

Not the best Survival knife but rugged and very handy. More of a brute force knife, not an every day carry for me.

Here are a couple more pics Camera reflection in the top pic.

I have the 6 inch Mora Knife Classic number 3. The nice thing about these knives is that they don't have a micro-bevel. It makes it really easy to sharpen them on wetstones or paper.

Take heed: they come from the factory RAZOR sharp. I literally shaved my face with mine when I got it. And I mean literally.

Strongly agree here. I'd suggest a knife with a blunt tip like one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Craftline-Utility-Combi-Sheath-3-2-Inch/dp/B00TO03KUE

You can also blunt the tip of any knife with a coarse stone.

So I bought the morakniv cratfline electrician tradknife for my brother for christmas this las year. He uses if for everything he needs working in HVAC. It hasn't been a year yet but he takes it everywhere and he keeps it sharp with a fallkniven cc4. Very easy to sharpen since it has a scandi grind.



https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Craftline-Electrician-Stainless-1-3-Inch/dp/B00T3EZRK2/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=morakniv+electrician+knife&qid=1566258180&s=gateway&sprefix=morakniv+electrician&sr=8-2

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.

Mora Craftline Safeword. But it would be better in stainless.

I'm not Military, but when my father was in the Marine Corps in the 70s he was issued a KaBar Big Brother.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004NN7NAA/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504240595&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=kabar+big+brother&dpPl=1&dpID=31E-qMF2BsL&ref=plSrch

A lot of guys these days receive the Gerber 06 Auto

http://www.bladehq.com/item--Gerber-06-Automatic-Knife--1471

This is pretty much just the fixed blade version of the 06, but some guys get the Gerber LMF

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0009JVOCA/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1504240771&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=gerber+lmf&dpPl=1&dpID=31Yjv1xqlVL&ref=plSrch


And the most common military issue fixed blade is the classic Kabar Fighting Knife.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001AIAIP8/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1504240839&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=kabar&dpPl=1&dpID=31wN6v6RMlL&ref=plSrch

$16.48 at Amazon

If you want a piece of steel for cheap and have the tools to make one, this here will get the job done

For a fixed blade under $100 check out the RAT 3 or the Gerber LMF II or the SYKCO 311.

Do you happen to know if these Cold Steel knives have a lockback?

https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Steel-Point-Carpenters-58TPCC/dp/B00U1IAFRY/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1473358913&sr=1-2&keywords=cold+steel+code+4

How can you tell from before you feel the knife opening?

This is not the tactical one, nor the serrated one. The serrated one is this and the tactical one is this. This is the old Mora Bushcraft Black.

There is the Ka-Bar Becker Remora, which is just over $20.

I have a Mora Classic No 2. It's a great knife, sturdy but light.

OP: The Mora No 3 (amazon) has a 6" blade.

http://www.amazon.com/Winchester-22-41206-Large-Bowie-Sheath/dp/B000EDVU48

I bought mine for 17$ expecting it to shatter, I split half a cord of campfire wood, countless saplings and at this point have started using it over my bk10 and my tracker. I have no idea why this holds such a good edge, I assume the steel is shit but have only had to resharpen it twice with extreme use. Its a decent batoner, shaver (with the notch below the blade.) and chopper. The sheath is triple wrapped, plastic, insulator and then nylon (stitching is shit though.) Ive done some ridiculous stuff to this blade under the presumption that It would eventually break... it hasn't. Those things include prying growth-rings apart on ash, chopping down 4 inch trees and even using the thing as a barrel rest while hunting. Buy it and try and break it, if you do let me know how you did it, it will make feel feel better about the money I wasted on a tracker.

Maybe I'm just lucky. Upvoted for humorous name.