Great under rated knives

7SFCW4 · Mar 30, 2014

Remington, F.A.S.T. fixed blade knife. You can get them all day for < $20.00, an outstanding product, a great price.

PRO's:

Fixed blade, minimal serrations (hard to keep sharp).
Easy to hold handle, even when wet.
Steel: 420 Stainless. Outstanding corrosion resistance and exceptional wear resistance. Commonly used in dental and surgical instruments, cutlery.
Handle/grip Panels: Easy on, easy off. You can easily wrap with Para-Cord if you wish.

CON's:

Sheath (seriously, at this price, what do you expect?). It is an after thought. Do yourself a favor and learn how to make your own KYDEX sheaths, you'll be glad you did.

Not much else to day. It works, it lasts, it holds a good edge, it is very affordable, it is durable. I can't find anything on warranty, but I am fairly confident that Remington will stand by it unless you try to pry a manhole cover with it.

Sgt Nambu · Mar 30, 2014

These look OK. 440 stainless BTW. Wouldn't be a bad idea to have a few in various bags and packs or ammo pouches.

theguncrank · Mar 30, 2014

Mora of Sweden...
http://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Companion-Outdoor-Military-4-1-Inch/dp/B004TNWD40
http://www.moraofsweden.se/construction/classic-2

I paid less than $8 for each of these, and they perform as well as those (that I have since sold) that cost 10x or more...

7SFCW4 · Mar 31, 2014

Yes, the Mora is a great handy knife, and the sheath is first rate (no MOLLE but...). That and a WW2 USGI mess kit spoon and you are talking uptown.

gunfreak · Mar 31, 2014

I'm looking for a Mora, I would also recommend Glock knives as a survival/truck knife. I'm no longer a glock fan but do still have my glock saw back knife.

JRuby · Mar 31, 2014

I like the old western sheath knife before Camullus bought them out.

gaijinsamurai · Mar 31, 2014

I like the US government issue Airforce survival knives. If you look around, you can usually pick one up on-line for less than $50. I have better knives, but am often reluctant to take them out, for fear of losing them.

http://www.google.com/images?q=US+A..._group&ei=6Zg5U43CMOnWyQGZi4D4Dw&ved=0CC4QsAQ

Sun195 · Mar 31, 2014

Most of the Mora-like knives are good deals. I've bought from this guy - good selection and service:

https://www.ragweedforge.com/SwedishKnifeCatalog.html

Member 34319 · Mar 31, 2014

Off budk these go on sale once and a while for 3-5$. I picked up a hole lot of them last time they did. I have them in all my bags cars drawers etc. http://www.budk.com/mobileProduct/K...pped-Survivor-Knife/pc/2902/c/2949/156751.uts

They work great.

RBid · Mar 31, 2014

My approach is to save on folders for EDC, and to spend on fixed blades. This seems counter to the majority. It seems like most would like a $100-$200 folder and a $12 Mora. To my mind, that is backward. Folders are inherently limited by the fact that they fold. Their capability is limited because certain amounts of stress may cause their locks or thinner blades to fail. 8CR13MOV steel is really up to any task that a liner lock and a sub 3" cutting surface are up to, so I see no need to go beyond my Spyderco Persistence in a folder. S30V won't add value, because there is still the matter of reliance on a lock. When a job calls for something beyond a folder, that's where you want a beast.

This is why I on-body EDC a $30 Spyderco Persistence and have an ESEE 3 fixed blade in my EDC bag.

7SFCW4 · Apr 1, 2014

All good points.

Just to clarify, I normally carry a Benchmade Nimravus, fixed blade, non-serrated in the field (on my rig, on the right side shoulder strap) and a Benchmade Presidio 500 also non-serrated in my pocket. For my money, the Benchmade Military folders are just about as stout as is practical in a folder. Benchmade makes many models, but, for me, this has stood the test of time and earned it the coveted, "...don't leave home without it..." meta-data.

I used to carry a Gerber BMF non-serrated, but after landing ( via a PLF) on it numerous times, it was either it or me, so it sits in the safe these days, a retired veteran. The Nimravus is a practical work horse, not too big, not too small, great steel, full tang, great handle, great sheath. What's not to like?

Now, what does a Benchmade come with? The Benchmade price tag, which, I fully understand it not for everyone.

So....as a dollar conscious option, the Remington FAST fixed blade (IMHO).

HansC · Apr 20, 2014

Hultafors is another Swedish cheap knifemaker with bigger handles and stouter blades than those by Mora. I really like the Marttiini carbinox knife for a fixed blade with a blade length just under 3&1/2 inches. I don't want hassles over whether a knife may be construed as a concealed weapon or found threatening by somebody, so that bushcraft-style knife is a favorite of mine.

A few of the Spyderco knives are made here, and many Gerber, Benchmade, Buck, and Kershaws are made right in the Northwest. Nothing wrong with supporting American products. For some reason, I don't feel bad if I buy a knife made in Switzerland or Brazil or the Czech Republic, but I'm happy to pay more for a quality American product. We make some great knives here. A cheap, American made fixed blade is the BuckLite Max, typically less than $20. It is good to throw in an emergency bag, but I prefer something a little more refined for an everyday tool.

Certaindeaf · Apr 21, 2014

Remember how back in the old days we'd slander Japan? Now it's pretty different. I wonder if the same'll happen regarding China.. probably.

Boats · Apr 23, 2014

Certaindeaf said:
Remember how back in the old days we'd slander Japan? Now it's pretty different. I wonder if the same'll happen regarding China.. probably.

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting. There are enormous business ethics differences between Japan and China, all favoring the former. Yes, Japan was slandered, but it's not slander or libel to say that Chinese knives are next to garbage as the quality, nor the pride of a place like Seki, Japan is present in the Chinese cutlery industry.

Boats · Apr 23, 2014

RBid said:
My approach is to save on folders for EDC, and to spend on fixed blades. This seems counter to the majority. It seems like most would like a $100-$200 folder and a $12 Mora. To my mind, that is backward. Folders are inherently limited by the fact that they fold. Their capability is limited because certain amounts of stress may cause their locks or thinner blades to fail. 8CR13MOV steel is really up to any task that a liner lock and a sub 3" cutting surface are up to, so I see no need to go beyond my Spyderco Persistence in a folder. S30V won't add value, because there is still the matter of reliance on a lock. When a job calls for something beyond a folder, that's where you want a beast.

This is why I on-body EDC a $30 Spyderco Persistence and have an ESEE 3 fixed blade in my EDC bag.

I think you are incorrect. The return on a S30V blade over something as barely acceptable as 420 or 8CR13MOV, is that it will take a finer initial edge and then perform longer without re-sharpening. Lower quality steels dull too fast as they simply do not have the elements in them to provide the wear resistance you will find in a CPMS30V or even a D2 blade.

I take issue with the OP too. A cheap 420 stainless blade is a crummy choice to stake your life upon. You don't need to spend a fortune, but until you are up to a full tang 1095 Cro-Van Becker BK 15, 16, or 17 at about $65, you are either relying upon garbage, or a light duty Mora.

I love my Mora 2000, but it is not a heavy use knife. The blade is thin and tapers, making it too easy to bend. The big problem with stainless steel knives is their brittleness compared with carbon steel ones that are more "springy." A Becker or an ESEE-4 will still be flexing, without taking a permanent set, at the point a cheap Remington snaps in two.

Doc In UPlace · Apr 23, 2014

+1 on the Nimravus. I got mine for a decent price on eBay and it looks as though it did a tour or two, still works great and is dangerously sharp.

I have a Chris Reeve Nkonka in CPM 3V that I used to chop up hard tree branches for firewood by battoning the blade with another tree limb. You can't tell it's ever been used. Amazing.

Anyway back on topic here, My own preference is to buy once and cry once, poorly made cheap stuff that fails when you need it does not seem like a bargain, and "inexpensive" to one person might seem like a fortune to another.

The Ontario 8628 RTAK II is about the size and price I think of for a utility knife, though those might be "not overlooked", I don't know what's popular in the internet-land.

I have a colleague with a RAT-7 and that looks like it can last under hard use, too.

About steels, in general the 420 isn't usually very impressive, but Buck has a High Carbon version that they heat treat properly and that makes all the difference; that is to say they're not ALL bad.

Certaindeaf · Apr 23, 2014

Boats said:
I wouldn't hold my breath waiting. There are enormous business ethics differences between Japan and China, all favoring the former. Yes, Japan was slandered, but it's not slander or libel to say that Chinese knives are next to garbage as the quality, nor the pride of a place like Seki, Japan is present in the Chinese cutlery industry.

I'm not holding my breath either but to forget history is folly. I think all "Swedish" roll/blade steel comes from Japan etc and look how we looked down upon Japan back in the day.

HansC · Apr 23, 2014

Originally, Swedish steel was special because of the unique alloy context present in their local ore. I have a bunch of Swedish Mausers, and even when they farmed the manufacturing out to Oberndorf, Germany, they insisted their own steel must be used in the production of the guns. The difference between a Swedish small ring Mauser and anybody else's is profound. Ask an older gunsmith about drilling and tapping a Swedish Mauser for scope rings. It is hard to get an answer without profanity. They are exceptionally tough.

Sweden still makes steel. I have some relatives in Hungary that work in manufacturing, and they improved their products recently by importing Swedish steel instead of continuing to use the local stuff.

Modern manufacturing has given us great recipes and processes for making steel, but just like cooking, some people are going to do a much better job than others. Ultimately, cost savings comes with a significant effect on product quality.