Advice needed on what knife

[noost]

Hi Guys,

Need some advice on a fixed blade knife.

My budget is between R1000-R1200 but it has to include a Molle pouch.

I am looking at either the SOG SEAL PUP from Hailstorm or CRKT Ultima.

It needs to be capable of being used as a camping knife but also a SD should the situation warrant it.

Thanks!

[Bowhunter]

Hi Guys,

Need some advice on a fixed blade knife.

My budget is between R1000-R1200 but it has to include a Molle pouch.

I am looking at either the SOG SEAL PUP from Hailstorm or CRKT Ultima.

It needs to be capable of being used as a camping knife but also a SD should the situation warrant it.

Thanks!

Get yourself a custom blade for that money.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Louie89]

Hi Guys,

Need some advice on a fixed blade knife.

My budget is between R1000-R1200 but it has to include a Molle pouch.

I am looking at either the SOG SEAL PUP from Hailstorm or CRKT Ultima.

It needs to be capable of being used as a camping knife but also a SD should the situation warrant it.

Thanks!

Whatever you decide make sure you get a knife with a full tang.

[White Rhino]

http://www.the-knife-connection.com/rc-4pmb.html

[Ds J]

A few things are important on a good knife:
1. Steel
A knife has to stay sharp for a long period of time. The most cheaper knives simply cannot take the punch of hard work as good as more expensive knives. Cheap steel tends to be softer, and the cutting edge folds over, leaving you with a blunt knife and endless frustration. I prefer carbon steel for my knives, but stainless steel gives less headaches with regard to cleaning and maintenance. Steel from the German, English, US and Swedish steel is usually very good, depending on company.

2. Handle, grip and balance
A light knife is a pain to work with because the knife does not have momentum of its own. (Ever skinned something with a pocket folder?) Large knives make big cuts and takes far less energy to do so. A big knife can do a small job, but a small knife battles with a big job. The grip has to be big and relatively heavy to balance out the blade, otherwise you get a tired arm from keeping the blade in position. A grip with finger serrations prohibits one to use the lade upside down - the nordic knives have some of the best handles in the business. A heavier knife with a good balance between blade and grip makes for easier cutting. A full tang aids in balancing the knife. My preference is for natural handle materials like wood, leather and bone, but in that instance "suum quique" - to each his own.

3. Blade shape
Since many, many moons ago, the shape of successful blades have not changed very much. The Bowie, the kukri, the parang, the sax, the bolo and even the okapi - most of the general purpose knives of history - all have one simple feature in common: a slightly curved cutting edge ending in a point. It is so because in the course of history that shape (basically a elongated leave shape) has proven itself.

Personally, I do not like the serrations on a general purpose / camping blade because it takes away too much of the workable edge of a knife. Say, for instance, you have to sharpen a piece of wood, trim a wooden peg or cut thick rope: with either the SOD Seal Pup or the CRKT Ultima, you have the back third of the blade lost to serrations and have to battle with the front part of the knife. Other people like them - I have never found serrations to be of any good use. (Please help me out if I'm wrong!) Lots of work with a general purpose knife gets done with the back part of the blade which is closest to the handle, and where the most power from your wrist and forearm can be used. Serrations in there makes it cumbersome to use.

I have used a tanto-style knife very little and the only thing I could do properly with that chisel point is to cut pizza into little pieces on a wooden plate. But I have sharpened a few of them for people, and they are a pain to sharpen. The "chisel cut" on the original tanto (mostly used between 600AD and 1000AD on traditional Japanese weapons!!!) were used to penetrate armor of the day. It phased out when the Japanese metallurgy got better. Japanese swords and knives still feature a distinct tip, but it is rounded.

Conclusion: please don't just buy a knife to have one. Shop around and try lots of different knives. Feel their balance, test for the four basic grip positions and try to learn something about the steel's qualities and abilities.

[noost]

Great, thanks to everyone!

Thank you Ds J, brilliant explanation!

I am still bit of a knife-noob so this is gold for me

[Seneschal]

I have spent lashings of cash on knives over the years and have, at one time or another, possessed pretty much every make of knife available to South Africans (custom and production), I can sum up my advice in a few bullet points:

• Buy the best knife you can afford now. It will save you a lot of money in the long run. You may start with a CRKT knife, but you may well end up with a Chris Reeve or Strider or Busse, and you will regret the money you wasted on the entry level stuff. Not that CRKT is no good, just that it never ends there......

• Don't buy the biggest most tacticool knife you can - you don't want to end up on that hike or hunt looking like Rambo just wandered off the reservation. Big knives have a superficial "wow" factor but invariably don't get used in favour of something more sensibly sized. Buy the right tool for the task, and for field use and SD a knife between 3,5 and 5 inches is perfect.

• Get the right steel - there is lots of hype about carbon versus stainless. Some of today's high alloy stainless steels (Bohler N690, RWL 34, 154CM, S30V, S35VN, etc) are absolutely fantastic and outperform basic plain carbon steels. Pure carbon or stainless - get the best you can for the tasks you intend.

• Get the right blade geometry - there are plenty of knives out there that are built 'tough', but they are mediocre cutters. Thickness is often allowed to trump cutting efficiency. Thinner is usually better when it comes to cutting.

• Get the most comfortable handle you can - there is nothing worse than a handle that results in 'hot-spots' in your palms when you use it over an extended period. A handle should fill your palm and be comfortable all around. All the more so if you think you will actually be using the knife for SD.

• Full-tang, rat-tail tang, hidden-tang can all be very confusing. If a tang extends deeply (more than 2/3) into the handle, tapers gradually from the shoulders, and has properly radiused shoulders, your knife is plenty strong. Ask any knife maker. If a custom made hidden tang knife breaks in a bend test, its almost always in the blade, not the tang.

• This is a personal preference, but avoid Americanised tanto points. They are a hassle to sharpen. And anyway, real tantos didn't look like Cold Steel tantos do today.

I hope that helps.

[uBestRi]

Don't buy the perfect knife, otherwise you won't have an excuse to buy lots more.

[Jakes 10]

This was a good read!!! Thanks for sharing the knowledge.

[HJordaan]

For that price I would suggest a custom knife. Have it made to your specs! A pouch you can always have made afterwards shoot it not come with the knife.

I have a knife-maker whom I trust, currently own 3 knives from him with a few more on order. He builds a prototype out of perspex or some other material which gives you the feel for the shape and where the weight should be.

He live in Pta, Wonderboom area. Please send me a pm should you require contact details.

Regards
H