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Join the contest SubscribeI have had numerous Randall knives over the years I ordered one mid 70s model 14 took almost two years to get it. Sent it to one of my friends that ended up in Iraq tour 1 (seabee) in his first firefight tore it off of his belt in a turret on a humvee found it after. He gave it back after he returned to the statesYou certainly cant go wrong with a Randall.
If you post a Want to Buy there are members that will have some Randalls to sell.
You seem to be just doing your due diligence asking what is out there.
Knives, like rifles, are kind of a personal thing.
You will get all sorts of answers and everyones own personal preference is going to be presented to you as the "absolute best" with no ther alternative to be considered.
What are people's thoughts on the m9 bayonet. Saw some of those for sale on eBay (used but good condition) for $75-$95?
Thanks @Novak77. "Soldier proofing", good elusive quality to have - the m9 was not up to the task - how about the rest of the knives mentioned here?
The coating on any of the 1095 blades such as the ESEE or Becker Knives can be removed in about 10 minutes with a towel and some paint stripper.Id agree with the dont by a "Coated" blade suggestion.
Cerakote or whatever is the rage to put on blades now makes for a "sticky" blade.
To top it off it limits where you can strike a fire steel if you want to do so.
Make mine Parkerized please and pass the oil......
Id agree with the dont by a "Coated" blade suggestion.
Cerakote or whatever is the rage to put on blades now makes for a "sticky" blade.
To top it off it limits where you can strike a fire steel if you want to do so.
Make mine Parkerized please and pass the oil......
There's a thousand knives that would do fine and the SOG is very good , but if a tank drove over your bug out bag which knife would survive unbroken ?Yes, I am totally overthinking this but in doing so I am learning a lot. I appreciate the help folks.
I think that I am one of those guys that loves the journey almost more than the destination ... Otherwise I would have just bought the SOG at Cabela's and been done with it. Again, thank you for the insights and recommendations.
Depends on how you use a knife honestly. Some people are extremely abusive and use knives for things knives are not suited to doing. Others baby them and never even want to scratch them.
I beat the sweet hell out of them. Often.
For large blades, stainless is not ideal. High carbon tool steels don’t rust when you maintain them. A coat of oil is easy. Staining is a different matter, as is material transfer from hard impacts.
I typically carry a large knife, a folder, and something in between. If I’m expecting to be anywhere hairy, it’s gonna be a big knife.
Regardless of size, heat treat is the most important thing in a knife. Perfectly heat treated 1095 will outperform poorly heat treated 3V. Perfectly heat treated Vanadis 4 Extra will outperform just about anything on earth, but will you notice the difference in use?
This is the one I usually carry into the woods, made it about a year ago.
View attachment 7132306
The stains on the blade are from cutting down hickory trees and fun stuff like that. The blade is 11” long Crucible L6 steel, color case hardened 8620 steel fittings, and northern curly ash handle scales mortised and corby bolted to the tang. Overall length is 16”.
The KA-Bar's are not sticky and why would you mess up a rust preventive anyway .
The coating on any of the 1095 blades such as the ESEE or Becker Knives can be removed in about 10 minutes with a towel and some paint stripper.
Most of my blades have long since had the coating stripped either by use or paint stripper.... The ones that got the stripper I gave them the personal touch with the mustard patinas or the grapefruit patinas....regardless they all work great, some of them look good and none of them have rust. They are twice as durable as any stainless blade, can be stropped with a leather belt or sharpened with a river rock if needed and they dont cost an arm and a leg.
Here is a good choice
Less than $40...Amazon.com : Ka-Bar BK14 Becker Knife and Tool Eskabar Knife : Hunting Fixed Blade Knives : Sports & Outdoors
Amazon.com : Ka-Bar BK14 Becker Knife and Tool Eskabar Knife : Hunting Fixed Blade Knives : Sports & Outdoorswww.amazon.com
buy the Izula scales
Amazon.com : ESEE Micarta Handle for Standard Izula Knife : Cutlery Accessories : Sports & Outdoors
Amazon.com : ESEE Micarta Handle for Standard Izula Knife : Cutlery Accessories : Sports & Outdoorswww.amazon.com
sand them just a tiny bit so they fit
If you dont like the coating go to walmart or the parts store and get a $5 can of any gel type paint stripper. spray it without handles of course and let it sit for 15m and wipe it off with a towel or a plastic scraper.
Go shove it in a lemon or use some mustard and vinegar and let it sit if you want a patina on the blade.
Done.
(Well until you decide to replace the sheath with Kydex.... its a never ending vicious cycle).
I'm thinking about an upgrade to this.......
Good post , good advice , I agree Ka-Bars are not as good as they once were . Two of mine have made in USA and one Taiwan . The drop forged survival Ka-bar is quite good has a strong blade but large . I like Randall's also . My interpretation of a bug out bag is it's there for an emergency some kind of catastrophe or civil disturbance not for normal hunting so I think people need a combination knife that can handle multiple jobs and not let you down . I would hate to try an build a shelter with a pocket knife or skin a rabbit with a Randall Bowie so what I have in my bag / pack is a sheath knife a medium length machete and a pocket knife. The bases are covered .If a guy’s rifle in the military was his wife,his blade would be his first child.
That said, Kabars are great, but not sure if they are as well made as they used to be.
IMO, asking one’s knife to “do everything” as a buyout knife is not a good idea, at least from a survival perspective.
We would depend on knives so much in survival, that we are better off with 2-3 knives.
Eg, I have an Esee 5 (5”) an Esee 3, and a Esee Candiru (about 2 inch). All 1095 steel that is quite hard, but soft enough to sharpen on river rock, as noted above. Stainless is more difficult to sharpen unless you are experienced and have some particular Stainless sharpening stones.
The 5 is a quarter inch thick blade that weighs a pound or more. Surly want for a nice tight but it’s robust enough to cut down small trees, split wood, cutting knotches and building shelter. This one stays in your pack until you really need it.
The 3 is your EDC/Everday Carry knife that you keep in your belt loop. It’s only about 1/8” thick with a wide blade “belly” - for skinning game, etc. Again, it’s not a fighting knife per se, but it is quick access on your belt in case of emergency.
The Candiru is for smaller needs and for more intricate work needed. Eg, starting fires, cooking,
Or you might get a small ax, and something like a Esee 3.
Some ppl want a fighting knife instead- like a Bowie that can chop small branches/small trees. Maybe get this with a smaller knife for smaller jobs.
Randall’s are awesome, it. Or best bang for buck for buyout. More like shelf queens these days, the way they are selling vintage Randall’s for as much or more than modern day made Randall’s.
Go to AGRussell.com and look at the variety they have. The Russell family has been in the knife-making business for decades, and they make some high quality Randall replicas as well.
As far as an axe goes , I personally have found for clearing camp sites and getting through bush it's better to have a machete . An axe is great for fire wood and chopping up a carcass and helpful for building a shelter from larger wood but a good machete with saw back can do most of that also .This has been great and I have learned a lot ... I also learned I will probably have to start another collection ... so hard to choose.
Would like to shift the topic slightly to discuss the folder + hatchet vs. fixed blade ... does it just boil down to weight? Or is there something you really can't or shouldn't try to do with a fixed blade vs. a small hatchet / axe? Maybe a better way to ask is what can't you do with a good fixed blade that you can do with a hatchet?
I started down the path of a fixed blade as a good 80/20 solution - 80% of the bang for 20% of the wt.
EK 5 looks good. I am, however, not as enamored with the skinny grip.
Your comment about the old Ka-Bar makes the best sense. Time to retire the old one (Gift it to our Grandson) and simply get an exact replacement.
Prices, though...; When I bought my first one, it was well under $20.
Greg
Friends don't let friends use vg10.I am shocked I tell you that two pages have gone by with out so much of a mention of Falkniven. S1 or A1 please.
As far as an axe goes , I personally have found for clearing camp sites and getting through bush it's better to have a machete . An axe is great for fire wood and chopping up a carcass and helpful for building a shelter from larger wood but a good machete with saw back
You can get a machete with a saw on the spine . Gerber Gator is one .If you need to cut wood / trees etc. Nothing beats the speed of having one of these in your pack with a couple spare blades in case you get crazy and break one:
Try cutting up larger branches for firewood with that just once and you'll understand why you must have one.
Remember in a survival situation it's all about trying to minimize the calories/time/effort you need to expend for a specific gain or result.
You can get a machete with a saw on the spine . Gerber Gator is one .
If you need to cut wood / trees etc. Nothing beats the speed of having one of these in your pack with a couple spare blades in case you get crazy and break one:
Try cutting up larger branches for firewood with that just once and you'll understand why you must have one.
Remember in a survival situation it's all about trying to minimize the calories/time/effort you need to expend for a specific gain or result.