[Dillinger]

Okay, so we showed a lot of you guys a really good folding knife that could stand up to abuse and didn't cost an arm and a leg.

At around $60, we showed you a great "pocket" sword that would serve you well no matter what you were planning.

Unfortunately, we did not get any response from the manufacturer and quite frankly, that is a bit disappointing. Especially since we were real world testing just exactly what they claim to be all about.

So, Mr. Benning and I have been having the urge to have another head to head battle and we were thinking about maybe a good, decent price fixed blade knife.

The thought is, this fixed blade would work for you guys on a camping or fishing trip, but it would also be a great SHTF blade that you could rely upon.

It's easy to say, spend $300-$500 on your primary field knife or you will end up dead with a broken knife. I should know, my primary knife is made by Mission Tool and it's expensive as hell.

But, I don't agree that you CAN NOT get a good, reliable field knife, that will take some abuse and not leave you stranded with a broken handle in your hand.

So, we are soliciting opinions of a fixed blade field knife that you guys might want to see tested. Preferably from another company than the one we tested already, since they don't seem to care, and preferably this should be a blade that will not break the average person's bank account ( around $100 ).

What say you FTF Blade Lovers? What do you want to see tested?

[spittinfire]

I only have a couple of fixed blade knives so I don't have a suggestion but this will indeed be epic.

[Benning Boy]

First, let me say I was beyond disappointed with those guys.

The idea was that at some point, we'd generate enough buzz that they would come on here and answer some questions, make an appearance, something to acknowledge the thread, and more importantly, it was to be a bonus for you guys.

I frankly feel like we let you guys down. Especially the guys that bought one based solely on what we did here.

I stand by the knife, it did all we said it did. I cannot, however, stand by a company that blew off a forum that sold 5 or 6 of these for them. Perhaps more.

That said, I hope that whatever knife we decide on will withstand an even bigger, even better set of challenges. This is not to spite the company that blew us off, it's that we expect more from a fixed blade.

I've already got some crazy stuff in mind. We await your suggestions.

[spittinfire]

Can you guys beat the crap out of something cheap? Like one of the knives I actually own? I offer this,

GerberGear > Product Details > Profile

I carry one of these in my hunting bag and it has never let me down. I haven't abused it but I have used it.

[Benning Boy]

We discussed Gerbers.

For me, I no longer hunt, so a gut hook serves no purpose.

You see, my friend, I'm Lara Croft. At a moments notice, I could be raiding tombs in Cambodia, then jetting off to the slums of Paris.

What we're shooting for is an all purpose, SHTF kinda do-everything knife. Again, the standard of our other test was it didn't have to excel in one area, it had to do a capable job in many areas. You can buy knives that are functional crowbars, but they suffer at everything else. Likewise, you can buy a knife so sharp that it splits atoms, but is too weak to do anything else.

We know that few here are wealthy. $100 or less is a reasonable investment for something that should last a lifetime. If there's a Gerber that makes a good icepick, tent peg, fighter, cooking utensil, firestarter, we'll look at it.

[Dillinger]

I agree with my brother the Mullusk Lover.

We need a knife that does multiple categories, and still rates a high 7 in them as we test.

Chopping.

Hacking.

Cutting Rope.

Cutting Fresh Wood.

Splitting Wood or Timber.

Cleaning a fish or two.

Being a temp tent peg.

Being a "nail" stuck in a tree to hang food or dirty laundry from.

This is the knife we are looking to test....

JD

[canebrake]

How about;

Benchmade Fixed Black Griptilian (Black / SER) 151SBK - Blade HQ

Benchmade Pardue Rant DPT 10502SBK (Black / SER) - Blade HQ

CRKT Ultima 7" Tactical Fixed Blade Survival Knife (Bead Blast SER) 2017 - Blade HQ

Boker Plus Shanz Integral Dagger SID Fixed Blade w/ Micarta Handle (PLN) BO180 - Blade HQ

Gerber Mark II Fixed Blade Knife (SER) - Blade HQ

RAT Cutlery RC-4 Wilderness Fixed Blade Knife Micarta Handle (Black PLN) RC-4P - Blade HQ

Becker Campanion Black (PLN) KA-BAR BK2 - Blade HQ

Ka-Bar USMC 02-1217 Fixed Blade Knife (Black PLN) - Blade HQ

Cold Steel SRK Search Rescue Fixed Blade Tactical Knife 38CK - Blade HQ

[Franciscomv]

I like this. I like it a lot. There are several good choices for decent priced fixed blade knives that will perform well, my experience is with outdoors chores, not tactical use, so I'll limit my suggestions to knives that I've used while playing in the woods.

-Becker line by Ka-Bar. Designed by survival expert (and cook!) Ethan Becker, they are basic, rugged knives that can take a lot of punishement. Good carbon steel blades, handy overall design. A tad thick for me, but I like girly Scandinavian knives. You can get a Campanion (5" blade) for around $65, or one of the larger models like the Combat Bowie and Combat Utility (7" and 9" blades, they come with a smaller knife) for around $75.

-I know Cold Steel didn't pay much attention to the Spartan thread, but you should still consider their SRK, a very stout knife for around $70. I like the older, Camillus made, Carbon V version, but the new one is good too.

-Benchmade's Fixed Griptilian is a steal at around $70, great design, excellent blade steel (154CM) and made in the US!

-Kershaw Outcast, a big chopper made out of D2 (a rather unusual choice) that has received pretty good reviews. Costs around $75.

[Benning Boy]

Okay, we're getting somewhere. Good selection.

And thanks, I was trying to remember the Becker.

Ka-Bar's were another one we had up for discussion.

I'm gonna have to state that I had that Gerber. Dropped it on a tile floor, and the tip folded over like a fishing hook. Straightened back out easily enough, but damn.

Keep them coming. I have stuff in mind that will test YOUR resolve to resist having me committed.

[Franciscomv]

Damn four picture limit... OK, here are a couple more.

-Benchmade Rant Bowie (or the drop point model), nice size, good steel (440C was considered a premium stainless some years ago), good overall design and they are now made in the US. They cost around $50.

-Ontario RAK. Part of their new "Ranger" series, which were previously custom made by Justin at Ranger Knives (he still makes some models, he was an army ranger, hence the company name). All the Ranger designs are rugged like hell, the RAK is the cheapest of the full size models. $75

-If you want really affordable knives, then take a look at some of Condor Knife and Tool's new models. The "Made in El Salvador" tag might not scream quality, but they are quite good. They've been working with a lot of American bushcraft enthusiasts and are producing some good hard use knives for under $30. Some of them were designed by Joe Flowers (Joezilla on knifeforums and bladeforums) who knows quite a bit about outdoors equipment. Here's their knife catalog: Condor Tools & Knives :: Knives ignore the wacky designs and look at the Bushcraft basic, Bushlore, Rodan and even the Nessmuk. They aren't perfect, but they are made out of a pretty decent steel (1075 is one of those simple carbon steels that's been around forever, it just plain works) and they can be found for $25 on-line.

-Perhaps something by SOG? Their Seal Pup costs around $65, and they've got cheaper models as well in their Fusion line (the fit and finish on those is not very good, though).