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Sidearms & Scatterguns Need advice on a fixed blade for a bug out bag.

You 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.
I 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 states
Tour two I sent it back to him he gave it back when he returned. A number of years passed I sent it to him along with some letters from the zone means more to him made me happy. Badass knives not cheap but many options today for decent ones your not too financially attached to like Hoffner a very good inexpensive fighter sent many to Afghanistan and Africa.
 
Bob Dozier
Chris Reeve
Half Face Blades
Smith and Sons

All of them make great knives. It's really gonna come down to what kind of steel, blade shape, length, etc. you want. When I was a kid I carried big blades 5-6", now that I am older I prefer 3-4" blades, my preference was and still is for clip points. The smaller blades make for easier work IMO inside of deer sized animals.
 
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......
 
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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?

There are a ton of great recommendations on here. I would decide on your choice of steel, blade shape and length and go from there.

Personally I stick with semi stainless (D2, CPM3V) and stainless S30V, Elmax, M390 etc. You need to find your sweet spot for toughness, sharpen ability, edge retention, etc.

All of the makers I mentioned above, I own or have owned and all are made in the USA.
 
IF you can get past the yellow and don't need the machismo size blade, these Spyderco Salt Series knives with H1 steel and sheeps-foot shape blades, particularly the fixed blade, may be a pretty good small kit option. The H1 stainless steel was specifically chosen to withstand salt water corrosion.

A sheepsfoot blade has a straight edge and a straight dull back that curves towards the edge at the end. They have been used at sea for centuries and get there name because they were once used to trim the hooves of sheep. Their shape bears no similarity to the foot of a sheep.

Sheepsfoot blades have a few other advantages over pointy tip blades.

Sheepsfoot is great for carving tasks. Have you ever been bored and had a knife on you with a stick nearby? Sheepsfoot blades have a large belly portion that doesn’t curve upward to a pointy tip, allowing for a knife with excellent carving capabilities.

Sheepsfoot blades are perfect for rescue/emergency situations and are the blade of choice for firefighters worldwide. For example, if you need to cut an article of clothing off of an injured crewmate, a sheepsfoot blade could cut through the clothing without much risk of accidentally stabbing the person. It can also dig safely between tightly coiled rope and skin.

Sheepsfoot blades are also stronger at the tip allowing you to use more torque near the tip without fear of the blade snapping off.

As a side note, they significantly reduce the chances for the minor stabbing injuries that, in 2018, are resulting in HR departments banning the use of ALL knives aboard commercial / merchantman ships. For this reason, all mariners are asked to now leave their pointed blades onshore and purchase a quality sheepsfoot or blunt-tip rescue knife for use at sea.

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IMG_0038 copy.JPG
 
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......
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...

buy the Izula scales

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've owned (Genuine) Ka-Bars since I was in the Corps over half a century ago.

Rust? What rust?

Never bent, chipped, or broke one. Forty-some years as a Boy Scouting Leader, mine have done every reasonable thing around the campground (and some unreasonable things) I've ever asked of them.

I have passed on about a half dozen of them to outstanding Scouts who ended up in the Military as ground pounders.

I'm thinking about an upgrade to this, it's about time I acknowledged the passing of the twentieth century....

pmclaine is right.

This is on my key chain. When the knife is gifted it goes with it, and I get myself another. Carbide Replacement Blades.

Cash well spent.

Greg
 
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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.
 
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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......

The KA-Bar's are not sticky and why would you mess up a rust preventive anyway .
 
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.
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 ?
 
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.
 
If you don’t plan on using and maintaining much maybe look at something like the spyderco mule team lc200n (steel is very corrosion resistant while still being good at keeping an edge). If you will use and maintain things like bark river bravo/gunny in 3v are good. LT Wright makes good knives slightly cheaper than the bark river generally as well. Carothers is very nice but harder to get and a bit pricier.
 
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”.


That’s a badass blade @bourbonbent
Really nice work!
 
The KA-Bar's are not sticky and why would you mess up a rust preventive anyway .


I have a USMC KaBar I bought in 1985 or so while in High School, carried it with me in the USMC.

It was parkerized like God designed it to be.

Friend gave me a newer version. Its coated.

My original is beat, stained, well loved.

The new one will never patina as nicely.

It will look like its needs a paint job if ever used.
 
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...

buy the Izula scales

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).


Got one of these....


Great size. Tough knife.

Coated.

Wont strike a spark if you tried.

They built some bull crap "shango notch" shit at the pommel to make up for that fuck up.

Every time you use the shango notch you risk punching the knife through your skull.

Truth be told the only reason I start fires with magnesium and steel is to show my kids you can.

If I want fire I use a match.

but still do I want to buy a finished knife that requires I refinish it to make it a true shit hits the fan knife?

No is the answer.

Carbon steel, parkerization, and oil is the solution.
 
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
 
The kabar is an excellent fighting knife so is the Applegate neither one is a Bushcraft type knife. Op needs to evaluate needs, if he wants a knife to fight his way back home then the kabar is a stellar choice. If op wants to stay warm and build some shelter then kabar isn't exactly an optimal choice. Likewise the esee's and Beckers will baton the hell out of some wood but if your looking to knife fight it's not optimal.

I work in healthcare I tend to know that the loser of the knife fight is doa and the winner dies in ICU or ER so I carry a Glock in my BoB for that purpose.
 
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A lot of these knives are fighting knives, and bad ones at that. Think about it if you wouldn't use it to cut your steak, or eat off of you shouldn't be carrying it around in a bug out bag unless your planning on using it for self defense. Something with an uncoated single edge 4-6inches stainless blade seems to make the most sense to me.
 
I know you mentioned this in the OP, but it hasn't been brought up since. What's wrong with a good lighter duty knife and a hatchet? If you're carrying it in the trunk, who cares about the extra couple pounds? You sure won't if you actually have to grab the bag and go.

I was looking at something similar a while back and still haven't bought one, but one of the fixed blade benchmades and a quality hatchet will cover damn near any few-day survival scenario I can imagine.

Don't fight with a knife. That's what we carry pistols for, just like Indiana Jones.
 
My suggestions are kind of different because they are all from Europe but maybe it will help you too.

1. Eickhorn KM 2000
This one is used by the German Forces. The costliest among for around 200€ new.


2. Glock FM81 or 78
Sturdy and can withstand some serious abuse. 81 is with saw 78 without


3. Mora Kniv from Sweden
I have a bunch of these. They are low priced but very good. I have one in each car, in each bag, in my toolbox and everywhere else.
 
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I’ve got a Mora as well, don’t underestimate them based on their affordable prices.

As above ^^^, Good knives to scatter around just in case you need something sharp in a jam. The blades are not as thick and wide as the other blades discussed above, but the grind is excellent, they hold their edge, and thus are very effective knifes. Lastly, they will pierce someone’s heart just as well if not better than many knives noted above.

I just remembered a couple more options: the “tactical“ axes that they make now. - Basically a hybrid you can use to shop small trees, branches as well as in combat.

The other is the “Tom Brown Tracker”. Is a multi use knife it’s a little scary when you first see it. That is because it has two separate blades and knotching blades on the spine. A multi use knife

The knife shape and blades have different purposes of course- it was to designed by Tom Brown, a professional tracker and wilderness survivor. 4 sizes to choose from. I have on in my arsenal.

1566329445920.jpeg
 
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.
 
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.
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 .
 
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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.
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 .
The limitations of a folding knife is the strength of the blade joint most of the smaller folders you cant put too much sideways pressure on the blade it's not designed for that . Some of the bigger folders are much stronger but still not as rugged as a good fixed blade . A lot of the success or failure is in how you use the knife . Some people just have unreal expectations of what a certain knife can do . I still have my very first knife that I got as a cub scout it's German made in Soligen , stag handle lions head pummel . The blade really worn away but still usable because I looked after it , sheath has rotted away . While other kids were throwing their knives at trees I was looking after mine .
 
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


You wont find a replacement unless its new old stock.

The powder coated blades are not the old school same.
 
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.
Friends don't let friends use vg10.

That said the falknivens reallyaren't bad choices and top quality blades.

Becker bk9/junglas and an izula or eskabar or esee 3 combo is covering bases

Folder is worthless unless your cutting boxes or opening letters... Hatchet is about as worthless.
 
^^^^
There are few folding knives I would trust with my life, The weakness of course being the pivot point of the blade.

For these sturdy types of folding knives you’ll be paying at least $300 for a quality one, if not $600. E.g., I have an Al Mar Japanese folder SERE knife. It is robust, it not as robust as a Bob Dozier folder for $600.
S urvive
E vade
R esist
E scape

But I would prefer a fixed blade knife for bugout. They are just stronger and more easy to pull out of your belt line in emergency. And you can use them to pry things open, as this is the main weakness of the phone.

Machete s are great, it you can stab with them. Same with axes, that’s why a Bowie and a smaller fixed blade will work as a pair. The Bowie can stab and cut (tree?) limbs.
 
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

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.
 
This is called carbon steel addiction these are just the ones in my sock drawer... Some heavily used some gifts that I didn't realize I stuck in my sock drawer.

Out of all those it's pretty easy to see the esee4 has seen some action lol.
I once asked that same question which one knife should I buy....
IMG_20190820_190134.jpg
 
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 .
 
You can get a machete with a saw on the spine . Gerber Gator is one .

Sure but they won't compare at all to one of those saws.
Go ahead give it a try buy one (you can get them on Amazon).
Get the medium teeth model, then watch how to use it, then try cutting a big branch up into campfire sized pieces and compare it to lots of other hand tools.
 
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.

Gonna order one of these and put it in the camper thanks.
 
I had this knife and three others similar to this one made from some old files that belong to my grandfather that passed away. If you have social media especially IG, you can find a ton of custom knife makers to make you a custom knife to your specs.
B7AD9A82-4724-41B0-AA13-E498761DA13B.png
 
I’d recommend J. Behring made knives/Treeman knives. Kind of pricey for the custom made models but oh so nice! Chris Reece Pacific is a solid blade too. Spartan Blades- especially the models designed by William/Bill Harsey...amazing blades?

Another option is the Cold Steel SRK. Good Steel, solid and durable, sharp and has good edge retention, and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
 
Oddly enough, I was wondering about fixed blades today for no reason at all and was going to ask a similar question as the OP.

I see a lot of custom makers mentioned and some commercial, but only 2 mentions of Cold Steel?
Are they not the cool kids anymore??

Very good information here!!
Thanks!!