Hey all,

I've got my eye on a couple of knives for general woodcraft, camping, hiking, etc., namely the Gerber LMF and TOPS Brothers of Bushcraft. I've also considered the various ESEE and Ontario knives as well. Have you guys used any of these knives? Do you recommend or not recommend them? Before I drop $100+ on a knife I'd like to hear what you guys have to say.

Thanks!

I'd go with the TOPS BoB. The Gerbers lack the quality that they once had.

Thanks, Widget. How about the Ka-Bar/Becker Knife & Tool series? I was looking at the BK-16 and BK-17.

Personally, and I mean for myself, I would not buy any of the mentioned knives. I don't care for the tactical style of knife and all are sort of that style.

The Beckers that I have handled are made of steel that seems impossible to sharpen and they tend to end up like a butter knife after some use.

If I was shopping for a good outdoor/bushcraft type knife, I would buy a Mora Robust for about $15. Better knife than the price would make you imagine.

I have a Becker BK10 and Doug's Mk2 Perseverance, but my favorite general camp knife is Doug's Mk3 - what some folks refer to as the "Fixed Rittergrip". Its smaller, lighter, semi-stainless, and has a great G10 handle.

On the other hand, I have to agree that the Mora Robust is a FANTASTIC carbon steel knife for the money ($15 + shipping). It gets so darn sharp that I'm a little nervous that I'll slice through the plastic sheath! A stainless steel version of the Robust would be nice too!

Close, but no cigar. The ESKABAR is a Becker Knife & Tool (KA-BAR) BK-14 and is still available from KA-BAR dealers everywhere. It combines the blade of the Becker Necker (BK 11) with the handle of the ESEE Izula.

http://www.kabar.com/knives/detail/145

I have and love the ESKABAR knife,espcially since the handle scales on it.It's a good solid work knife and I use it a lot in the kitchen also.Plan on getting a Kydex sheath for it eventually.Highly recommended......


BOATMAN
John

It's pretty popular to bash Gerber and they do deserve it for some of their stuff. But they are trying to improve and do have some good to excellent products, LMF is one of the good ones.

So Izzy, you would prefer a TOPS over an ESEE? Is it a quality issue or just preference? Thanks for your help!

Widget, I've got several Moras and LOVE them. I was kind of looking for something more heavy-duty though.