Fixed blade knife for SHTF

[praharin]

Speedy, Thats fine as a dedicated fighter (subject to local laws, double edged) but its pants as a utility blade.

The OP asked for a general purpose fixed blade



Sorry, my post sounds a bit snotty, not how its supposed to read

I'm not 100% sure what "it's pants" means, but I think sometimes people put down double edged knives more than they should. Anything knifey (knives are for cutting) you want to do you can do twice as much with an equivalent double edged blade. Now, there are some secondary tasks that people often use knives for that the second edge can hinder.

I do prefer a single edge, but I think I could walk into the woods with a nice double edged knife and come out alright. This one for example:

http://www.amazon.com/Ontario-Knife-Sti ... B000I7OBPA

[Turtlewolf]

Now that is a dagger Iike, but mind you I've owned no fewer than 3 S&W boot knives and all have been good blades-but certainly not good carvinf blades.
cheers

[Winston Smith]

I like this one that I got in the PX @ Ft. Hood about 8 years ago. Nice Blood Grooves on both sides, razor sharp, and made right up the road...

[Turtlewolf]

I like this one that I got in the PX @ Ft. Hood about 8 years ago. Nice Blood Grooves on both sides, razor sharp, and made right up the road...

Thats not the one I have but since when were any S&W knives made this side of the great water?
cheers

[Winston Smith]

By my research, at least some of the S&W knives are made in the USA. I can't tell if all are made here, or where specifically, but I don't see why they couldn't be made right in the huge building the guns are made in. If you have some other info, please share.

[Turtlewolf]

By my research, at least some of the S&W knives are made in the USA. I can't tell if all are made here, or where specifically, but I don't see why they couldn't be made right in the huge building the guns are made in. If you have some other info, please share.

S&W Firearms is not Taylor Brands, which makes the knives.
They own Schrade as well but easily 90% or more of thier knives are Chinese, too my knowledge no S&W are American-the guns are but the knives are S&W in name only.
cheers

[Browning 35]

I'm not 100% sure what "it's pants" means, but I think sometimes people put down double edged knives more than they should. Anything knifey (knives are for cutting) you want to do you can do twice as much with an equivalent double edged blade. Now, there are some secondary tasks that people often use knives for that the second edge can hinder.

I do prefer a single edge, but I think I could walk into the woods with a nice double edged knife and come out alright.

It's probably less of an issue of utility and more of an issue of double edged knives being illegal in most States in the US.

Double edged knives are great, but if they're illegal to carry then that means that most people are going to avoid the hell out of them. I'm sure that they're probably legal to carry in some locations (seems like there would HAVE TO be somewhere), but I can't think of any offhand and every place that I've ever lived they were illegal (usually a felony).

Don't really have a point to make besides this....just saying that it kind of limits their usefulness.

[Turtlewolf]

Knives are generaly a local law, in Canada it is legal to carry whatever you want for a blade unless a local town or city says other. As long as it isn't concealed.
Gravity and automatic knives are the only ones which federal law says are illegal.
cheers

[JRJ]

I'm sorry, but if the knife can't do both to a reasonable degree, it's not suitable as a survival knife. I can do (and have done) both with a stumpy tang, super thin Mora or a full tang, 1/4" thick Strider. ESEE knives, which you linked to, are fully capable of cleaning game. Now you don't need a knife to skin anything if you do it right, but on the same note, any knife can skin game if you aren't worried about preserving the hide. If you're using a knife, expect to ruin the hide; you'll save yourself a lot of disappointment much of the time that way.
.

I actually had a hard time working squirrels with an ESEE. Meh.

[Turtlewolf]

I'm sorry, but if the knife can't do both to a reasonable degree, it's not suitable as a survival knife. I can do (and have done) both with a stumpy tang, super thin Mora or a full tang, 1/4" thick Strider. ESEE knives, which you linked to, are fully capable of cleaning game. Now you don't need a knife to skin anything if you do it right, but on the same note, any knife can skin game if you aren't worried about preserving the hide. If you're using a knife, expect to ruin the hide; you'll save yourself a lot of disappointment much of the time that way.
.

I actually had a hard time working squirrels with an ESEE. Meh.

Take the squirrel, tear skin at base of neck, pull skin away from neck to tail and twist tail off. Open squirrel with fingers and set aside insides. No knife realy needed for small game most times.
Yes I've done this, with game up to chickens and rabbits.
cheers

[praharin]

I'm sorry, but if the knife can't do both to a reasonable degree, it's not suitable as a survival knife. I can do (and have done) both with a stumpy tang, super thin Mora or a full tang, 1/4" thick Strider. ESEE knives, which you linked to, are fully capable of cleaning game. Now you don't need a knife to skin anything if you do it right, but on the same note, any knife can skin game if you aren't worried about preserving the hide. If you're using a knife, expect to ruin the hide; you'll save yourself a lot of disappointment much of the time that way.
.

I actually had a hard time working squirrels with an ESEE. Meh.

Really? Maybe you need more practice...

Take the squirrel, tear skin at base of neck, pull skin away from neck to tail and twist tail off. Open squirrel with fingers and set aside insides. No knife realy needed for small game most times.
Yes I've done this, with game up to chickens and rabbits.
cheers

Can you imagine trying to do that with a knife in your hand the whole time?!

[squinty]

I've seen people use box cutters to skin/gut small game. Worked ok.

[Turtlewolf]

Praharin you just made my day!
Of course I'm pretty sure you knew I was talking about cleaning small game with no blade at all, which is often quick and safe.
cheers

[Molon Labe]

I never could get the hang of not using a blade to start the cleaning though. More than just making an incision I mean, I almost always need to open up and peel down the neck before I can do the rest by hand. Guess I'm just too rough on my meat... giggity.

[Paul J]

Not a "knife guy" here so take this for what it's worth. The unit I grew up in, encouraged us to carry a large knife for SERE, I carried a cold steel recon scout , it, served well in unit training and schools, ( cutting sapplings for hide sites, to skinning deer) Curently, i run a big game guide service and do 90% of the skinning myself, and use what ever knife is in my truck at the time i pick the guys up off the stands. Could be anything from a randall mod 1 to a case trapper. this past year my wife gave me an ESSE 6, i used it on a lot of deer, and it works well. It's also very easy to resharpen. The only reason i mention this is that a lot of folks seem to think you cant skin and butcher game with a large "tactical" knife, In my experience a large knife will do everything that a small knife will do, but a small knife can't do everything a large knife can. If i could only have one knife to accomplish any given task it would be the ESSE 6, YMMV. Good luck.

[Turtlewolf]

Not a "knife guy" here so take this for what it's worth. The unit I grew up in, encouraged us to carry a large knife for SERE, I carried a cold steel recon scout , it, served well in unit training and schools, ( cutting sapplings for hide sites, to skinning deer) Curently, i run a big game guide service and do 90% of the skinning myself, and use what ever knife is in my truck at the time i pick the guys up off the stands. Could be anything from a randall mod 1 to a case trapper. this past year my wife gave me an ESSE 6, i used it on a lot of deer, and it works well. It's also very easy to resharpen. The only reason i mention this is that a lot of folks seem to think you cant skin and butcher game with a large "tactical" knife, In my experience a large knife will do everything that a small knife will do, but a small knife can't do everything a large knife can. If i could only have one knife to accomplish any given task it would be the ESSE 6, YMMV. Good luck.

Now days a 6-7" knife isn't realy what people are talking about when they say "big knife."
In all fairness the ESEE6 is a nice, practical design that is a good field blade, as all of the ESEE blades are.
Actualy I don't even consider it a tactical design.
cheers

[Paul J]

TW, kind of see your point, like I said not really a "knife guy" got some nice ones and really appreciate a good knife, but I beleive things have changed in the knife world over the last few years. I now see different categories of knife such as "bushcraft" "camp knives" etc. Being less of a knife enthusiast i kind of narrow things down a bit further, So for me the ESSE would have been plenty "tactical" (ie useful in combat) I do see where you're coming from though, and yeah i guess these days a 6 in blade isnt really a large knife.

[Turtlewolf]

TW, kind of see your point, like I said not really a "knife guy" got some nice ones and really appreciate a good knife, but I beleive things have changed in the knife world over the last few years. I now see different categories of knife such as "bushcraft" "camp knives" etc. Being less of a knife enthusiast i kind of narrow things down a bit further, So for me the ESSE would have been plenty "tactical" (ie useful in combat) I do see where you're coming from though, and yeah i guess these days a 6 in blade isnt really a large knife.

Isn't it wierd how knives got classified in a hurry?
I remember as a young fellow using my "tactical" Cold Steel Carbon V Recon tanto for everything, but that was ages before the internet and before I understoond that tantos were "mall ninja only."
I also used an Ontario Knife Company Aircrew Survival (model 499) to skin tons of game and carried it for more miles than I care to remember and it was designed as a combat knife.
If a knife works for you it shouldn't matter if the "experts" tell you it is too short or too long, you're knife should be a little bit personal and fir your hand like a nice deerskin glove.
Actualy the "knife" I trust the most is a hatchet, a good one, but most often lately a Fiskars-which cost me all of $25-the new X7 model or as often as not the older 14" model. Both were $25 when I got them.
cheers

[Paul J]

Yeah, no shit. You remember when a Buck 110 was as tactical as a folder could get.... and then spyderco happened. I guess the same thing has happened to guns, a decade ago you could get a carbine, an SMG or a sniper rifle, now you can get an sbr , spr , pdw, or Battle rifle. Don't get me wrong Im not" old school"
I like the best equipment available, I'm just sayin.

[ForgeCorvus]

Praharin, "Pants" is English for "Rather Crap"..... I keep forgetting I'm talking to foreigners
And I was pointing out that a lot of places (not just States) have laws against carrying double edged knives, as well as my bias when it comes to having a second edge pointing at you when you are using your chosen bladed tool.

BloodbathPB, That looks like a (slightly uglier ) version of a Fairbairn & Sykes

What do you use it for ? (or aren't you allowed to say )

I'm finding this interesting still

[Winston Smith]

Praharin, "Pants" is English for "Rather Crap"..... I keep forgetting I'm talking to foreigners
And I was pointing out that a lot of places (not just States) have laws against carrying double edged knives, as well as my bias when it comes to having a second edge pointing at you when you are using your chosen bladed tool.

BloodbathPB, That looks like a (slightly uglier ) version of a Fairbairn & Sykes

What do you use it for ? (or aren't you allowed to say )

I'm finding this interesting still

That S&W is quite a bit shorter than the knife you showed (I believe that is an old issue British Army issued fighting knife, no?) I think the blade on it is only about 4 inches. As a military boot knife, the S&W was one of 3 I kept on me(CRKT M16 Tanto next to my belt buckle, and my old style bayonet on my web gear were the others)along with my 2 Gerber tools. Admittedly not to useful for woodscraft, but there's not much woods in Iraq. My mentality was the more knives you have on you, the better chance you'll have access to one when you really need it.

It just stays in a drawer now which is legal in CT.

[74 or more]

This is my everyday carry and i love it.

http://www.knife-depot.com/knife-211359.html

[Murph]

This is my everyday carry and i love it.

http://www.knife-depot.com/knife-211359.html

That's an interesting choice. Did you get some custom kydex cut, or are you still using the original leather?

[74 or more]

I use the leather sheath it comes with. It holds up just fine.