I'm looking for advice on a fixed-blade knife for Every Day Carry. Here are a few limits:

1. Must be a fixed blade. Local law prohibits locked-blade knives. Go figure...

2. Must be less than 5.5 inches. State law.

3. Can't be a bowie-pattern or double-edged (not that I'd carry a double-edged blade anyway). State law, again.

I'm leaning towards a 3-4 inch blade, probably fairly wide. I've settled into the "sharpened pry bar" school of carry knives.

I'd like the cost to stay under $100.

I typically wear slacks and a polo shirt in my office. Since I'm going back to carrying a concealed handgun, I'm probably going to start wearing a sport coat again. So whatever I get, I'd like it to have a low profile.

Thanks in advance,
Bill

Bill-

The Becker Necker fits your blade criteria (3.25" blade length) and, I think, your "sharpened prybar" requirement. And the price is certainly right at ~$30. Decent Kydex sheath. With mine, like many folks, I've wrapped the handle in paracord; makes little more comfortable, and a convenient way to carry paracord.

For a great selection of more traditional fixed-blade knives, with many blade lengths 4.25" and shorter (you won't find any "Rambo knives" here), take a look at Bark River Knives.

You won't find much in the way of "sharpened prybars" like something in the Becker line, but they are tough, well-made knives. Many blade and handle-material configurations. I also like fact the blades are convex ground. You'll find prices below MSRP at various online knife retailers (some below $100, some slightly above, depending on knife, and which handle-material option). Folks on the knife forums speak highly of them; waiting for the order of my first two to be delivered as we speak.

And I've read good things about the Ontario RAT series for the <$100 range. In your blade range, the RAT 3 (3.3" blade, ~$80) and the TAK-1 (4.25" blade) and <$80. Don't own either.

Dan

Dan -

I like the Becker Necker. The paracord wrapped handle looks good, too.

Thanks for the input.

V/R

Bill

While I don't own the Becker Necker yet, I do own a Becker BK-7, and it is an amazingly high quality knife for the price. It takes and keeps a very sharp edge, and it is amazingly durable. I highly recommend the Becker line.

Bill--

The Becker Necker (BK11) & the Bark Rivers are excellent suggestions, so I don't think you'd go wrong with either.

However, I'm also partial to Entrek knives ( web page) from Ray Ennis. I have his Javalina (yes, I know it's misspelled...), which might well fit your requirements. The JAG & Badger may well, also.

Entrek knives are well-designed & well-made (from 440C stainless, properly heat-treated, with canvas Micarta scales), and can indeed fall into the sharpened prybar category.

You might wish to replace the sheath, but you could adapt the factory Kydex to IWB (inside waistband) carry by trimming off the fixed belt loop and adding a small loop of leather or nylon webbing & a Chicago screw.

Whatever you choose, have fun with the selection process. Please let us know what you decide, & how you like it.

Regards,

David

It is important that a Becker Necker buyer holds it in their hand first. The handle is definitely not the most comfortable thing around. Great blade size and shape, but the handle is tough to deal with. If someone sold a screw-on handle that extended the length of the grip a bit and gave it thickness, I'd surely buy it.

Out of curiosity, which state laws are you referring to?

Jon

Ken -

You're absolutely right about that. And I should've elaborated when I mentioned wrapping handle w/paracord to make a little more comfortable.

Although paracord does add handle bulk, does nothing to lengthen grip surface. I've got average-size hands, and end up with a 3-1/2 finger grip (is there such a thing?), or else pinkie resting against the butt-end.

Like you say, great knife (especially for the price), but the handle/grip is a turn-off to some.

Dan

Texas criminal law defines an "illegal knife" as one with a blade in excess of 5.5 inches, or having a bowie-pattern blade, or being a dirk; dagger; or poniard.

City ordinance here in San Antonio oulaws the carry of locking blade knives.

Enforcement is a police officer's discretion. Even though I have a Concealed Handgun License, I can't carry an "illegal knife."

A few years back I was stopped on the street by a local cop. He asked for ID and I showed him my driver's license. He saw my Spyderco Endura in my pocket and asked me to hand it over, which I did. He ran my license and saw that I had a CHL, which he asked to see. I showed it and told him I wasn't carrying. After he finished the interview, he returned my Spyderco with a warning about the city ordinance.

Since then, I've refrained from carrying my Spyderco. So I'm looking for a good fixed blade EDC knife.

Bill

Ken -

Thanks for the insight. I have pretty small hands, but the paracord wrap is a given.

Bill

No one has mentioned them yet, but how about a Bird/Trout Knife? Depending on the manufacturer, a 2 to 2.5" blade, and the handle is a simple shaft ending in a ring for your pinky. Think a really light, slender, fiked blade kerambit with a stubby little blade. Wrap the spine with paracord, and you are good.

I'm not terrifically fond of Cold Steel, but their's might be the most accurate to the old Marble's origional: http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/eComme...;amp;SKU=CS20BT

If you go to ren faires, I've never been to one that didn't have a knifesmith selling thier own version of these guys, usually pretty good ones.

I always wanted to buy a CKRT stiff Kiss, it seemed very minimal but then when I finally got around to buying one they had discontinued it. I had seen some survival related web site years ago where someone wrapped paracord around the handle and stored other items inside making it a very small 'survival' knife.
I found a couple web sites still selling it but didn;t want to buy a discontinued product just in case I liked it and wanted another.
I've still been looking for something similar, basically it was just a single piece of metal, no handles or anything.
Well look at that, the becker necker looks kind of like it just a little shorter.

I EDC a becker necker and indeed the handle is small. I use what I call a finger lanyard on all my small knives. It is a small loop tied at the rear, top hole in the becker. The loop is just big enough so that I can stick my first and second fingers thru the loop. The other two fingers are outside the loop. The length is just right so that my hand grips the knife in the normal way. The short loop prevents my hand from moving twords the blade and provides a great deal of stability to the grip. Try it.

I wrap the handle using the ?striker? method. Then I just tuck the loop into one of the handle wraps which keeps it out of the way when not in use.

Given a choice I would carry my BK-10 crewman so normally I like big handled knives. But this method actually eliminates the small handle problem and makes the necker into a very useful and lightweight EDC.

I will try to photograph the arrangement, but my life is a bit hectic at the moment so it might be awhile. Hope the description will suffice.

for the handle on the Becker Necker try www.sheathmechanic.com. He sells kydex upgrade for the handle. You can buy one fixed from him or send yours to him to upgrade(turn around two weeks) . He's a moderator over at Frugal Squirrels too so he's good people.

I'm attempting to venture in the fixed blades myself, after playing around with multi-tools (use LM Fuse) and numerous SAKs (Huntsman, Manager, Craftsman.

The Becker Crewman (BK10) looks great, but I heard that the sheath is kinda cheap. I'm also considering the SOG Seal Pup, looks like a great knife too (<80$ knives) but the plastic sheath looks a little cumbersome... Anyways, between those two, I might be slowly going towards the SOG Seal Pup. Sounds like both of these could be used here by the original poster of this thread.

This is not to EDC of course... I EDC my Huntsman along with a Micra on my keyring.

Check out their Carson F4. IIRC it's similar to the stiff KISS but both sides of the blade have been ground. I think the stiff KISS was one sided like the KISS.

I used to carry a Cold Steel SRK on my web gear in the Army. Liked it a lot.

If it weren't for the Bowie-pattern blade, the SEAL Pup would be my EDC knife. I like that knife A LOT!

I'm going to order a Becker Necker with handle mods from the Sheath Mechanic.

My thanks to everyone for their input. I'll send a report when I get a chance to use it.

Bill

I carry an old Gerber LMR. Thick blade and holds and edge like no bodies business. Kinda long for Texas but in AZ my CCW covers it.

I find it odd that you cannot carry a "bowie-pattern" knife in San Antonio , of all places. <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

The Texas Criminal Code was adopted about a century ago. Texas was trying to shed some of its "Wild West" image. Along with Bowie-pattern blades, carrying a handgun (open or concealed) was made illegal.

The passage of the CHL law in the 1990s made concealed pistol carry legal (subject to licensing and restrictions).

I doubt that the knife laws will change any time soon.

Bill

No locking folder???

That is sooo stupid! <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Cold Steel Master Hunter is a sharpened pry bar of about 4". Kind of a heavy knife if you ask me. I have one though, it's tough as anything.

I like the AG Russell Deer Hunter based on catalog photos a lot better. Thin blade and nice pocket sheath. I don't have one though. One of these days.

I gave the CS Master Hunter a lot of thought. I agree about it being heavy. I think it's just a bit too heavy for EDC (for me).

I've been looking at both the AG Russell Deer Hunter and Bird & Trout. The B&T is about the size I'd like to carry, but I worry about the thin blade (.060 in).

As I mentioned earlier, I decided to get a Becker Necker with the Sheath Mechanic handle modification.

I also opted for an AG Russell Hunter's Scalpel. It's better suited to fine cutting than the Necker, while the Necker fills the heavy cutting / prying niche.

And I feel that knives are sort of like guns: two is one, one is none.

Bill

I have a sort of sharpened pry-bar as my second survival knife after my Mora. It is a Cold Steel True Flight Thrower. It is made of Carbon V steel. It is VERY sharp! It cuts paper by just pulling it against the blade. It has about a 5 1/4" cutting edge. I changed the green cord for red and black heavy duty boot laces. It can't break or melt. I folded the leather sheath where the belt slot is. I pop riveted the folded loops on the edges. It sits higher on my belt. It is nice and flat and not in the way.

How bout the Ontario Rat-3.
http://www.ontariorat.com/rat-3.htm

Looks good. My only issue is the micarta handles. I generally find micarta grips to be uncomfortable. Other than that, great!.

Bill