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#200450 - 04/18/10 11:34 PM Looking for a knife for my brother. Any Ideas.
NIM Offline
Member

Registered: 02/12/03
Posts: 128
Hello,

I'm looking to buy my brother a knife for his birthday and I was wondering what people would suggest. I have mine from awhile ago and I'm not sure what is out there to purchase. I've been out of the market for years.

He asked for a knife that would be good around camp, but he also expressed that he wanted the knife to at least be functional in a mountain lion/brown bear attack situation.

I didn't tease him too much but I understand what he is looking for.

If anyone has any suggestions and wants to help here is the criteria :
1) Carbon Steel. Unless there have been some amazing new alloys I'd prefer to buy him the tried, true and easy to sharpen High Carbon Knife. (He isn't near the ocean)
2) Must be a fixed blade knife
3) Blade at least 6 inches long. (but not "too" long i.e. must be good to use around camp)
4) Full tang
5) No annoying saw blades on the back of the knife. Knife guards aren't needed either as the wildlife shouldn't be fighting back with knives, although I wouldn't exclude a great knife just because it had a guard. One never knows when my brother will be assaulted by a mountain line that has taped a knife to its paw.
6) Must be of GOOD quality.
7) Price range is $50-$300 US


About my brother: He lives in a major city but does go out on camping trips, hikes, and canoe/kayak trips in very remote areas of Canada (usually Northern Ontario). He is moderately knowledgeable for a camper(i.e. practices proper bear/camp etiquette etc and knows it is incredibly unlikely to even see a bear running away from you). He basically wants a do-it-all knife that is beefy and yet not too unwieldy so it can be used around camp.

I'm open to any suggestions and figured this is the forum to ask for this type of help.

With much thanks,

-NIM


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#200452 - 04/18/10 11:47 PM Re: Looking for a knife for my brother. Any Ideas. [Re: NIM]
Russ Offline
Geezer

Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
_________________________
Better is the Enemy of Good Enough.
Okay, what’s your point??

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#200457 - 04/19/10 12:12 AM Re: Looking for a knife for my brother. Any Ideas. [Re: ]
MDinana Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 03/08/07
Posts: 2208
Loc: Beer&Cheese country
Lots of folks will say "Mora!"

Well, I'd agree, but go with more than the $10 ones. Get a decent quality. Good blade shape, light weight, fairly solid, it would "stick" well.

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#200460 - 04/19/10 12:51 AM Re: Looking for a knife for my brother. Any Ideas. [Re: MDinana]
jzmtl Offline
Addict

Registered: 03/18/10
Posts: 530
Loc: Montreal Canada
Since you have a large budget.


http://www.knivesshipfree.com/Bravo-2

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#200461 - 04/19/10 01:27 AM Re: Looking for a knife for my brother. Any Ideas. [Re: jzmtl]
KenK Offline
"Be Prepared"
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 06/26/04
Posts: 2208
Loc: NE Wisconsin
I'd highly recommend you take a look at Doug Ritter's RSK Mk3.

http://www.equipped.org/rsk_mk3.htm

Its not carbon steel, but it is a superior semi-stainless S30V steel. Fantastic stuff - same steel used in the Mk1 folders.

Great steel, great tough handle material, excellent blade shape, decent sheath.

Its also not a 6" blade, but a good camp knife doesn't need that long a blade.

The Mk3 is designed to be used, but it is a beautiful knife too.


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#200467 - 04/19/10 01:56 AM Re: Looking for a knife for my brother. Any Ideas. [Re: jzmtl]
Dagny Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 11/25/08
Posts: 1918
Loc: Washington, DC
Originally Posted By: jzmtl
Since you have a large budget.

http://www.knivesshipfree.com/Bravo-2

I second JZ's notion. Because of your stipulation for a blade at least 6" long, here's another vote for the Bark River Bravo 2 (7" blade). I have several "Barkies" and they are impressive. You're going to receive about as many suggestions as there are knifemakers.

If I had to pick just one of my knives, like Ken K I'd grab Doug Ritter's MK3. It's nicely balanced, substantial but not too heavy and I like the extended tang. An elegant tool. But the blade length falls short of your specs. And I'm not planning on fending off carnivores with it.

I'd bet that your brother would be delighted with the Bravo 2. It's beefy, but if you are thinking of stabbing a bear with it...beefy's good.

http://www.dlttrading.com/bark-river-knives-bravo-2.html

The Bravo 2 measures 12.25" overall with a 7" blade made of ultra durable A2 tool steel achieving hardness of 59HRC. Blade is a beefy .215" thick and the knife weighs approximately 14.5 oz. Comes complete with a deluxe Sharpshooter leather sheath.

$194-254, depending on the handle material you choose. DLT Trading has provided excellent service.

If I came to face-to-face with a mountain lion or brown bear armed with nothing but a knife I might drop dead of a heart attack.


Attachments
barkie.gif



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#200468 - 04/19/10 02:25 AM Re: Looking for a knife for my brother. Any Ideas. [Re: NIM]
Teslinhiker Offline
Veteran

Registered: 12/14/09
Posts: 1418
Loc: Nothern Ontario
Originally Posted By: NIM
Hello,

I'm looking to buy my brother a knife for his birthday and I was wondering what people would suggest.
He asked for a knife that would be good around camp, but he also expressed that he wanted the knife to at least be functional in a mountain lion/brown bear attack situation.


A good camp knife will not be the best aid in cleaning ones' underwear after repelling a cougar or bear attack...

Joking aside, the KA-BAR that Russ pointed out looks like it may be a good knife purchase for your brother.
_________________________
Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.

John Lubbock

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#200473 - 04/19/10 03:33 AM Re: Looking for a knife for my brother. Any Ideas. [Re: Teslinhiker]
CANOEDOGS Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 1853
Loc: MINNESOTA
i know i sound like a old busted record that keeps skipping but,try Ragweed Forge and under the Helle Listing look at the Laplander knife.under a $100 and made for people who butcher deer and hack wood in everyday,real life situations.

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#200478 - 04/19/10 04:22 AM Re: Looking for a knife for my brother. Any Ideas. [Re: CANOEDOGS]
MostlyHarmless Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 06/03/09
Posts: 982
Loc: Norway
About handle bars: Those old fashioned "hunting daggers" have huge handle bars because everything becomes slippery when covered in blood (or so I'm told).

That being said, a protruding knob between the edge and the fingers should be plenty "handle guard" for your brother. Something like the handle on that K-BAR 7. It also looks like the scales on that handle can be shaped with a rotary tool to suit individual hands. (That handle look a bit too squarish to my liking, but it is kind of hard to tell from internet pictures... )

6 inches is too big a knife for me, so I'll express my ignorance on those and wish you luck finding your brother a nice present. Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect - it just has to be good enough to not be left home. The features of a "perfect" knife is something your brother can tell you once he has used that knife for a couple of years...

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#200480 - 04/19/10 04:41 AM Re: Looking for a knife for my brother. Any Ideas. [Re: MostlyHarmless]
Rusty Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 02/15/03
Posts: 204
Loc: College Station, Texas
+1 on the Becker BK-7
I have had one for 5+ years and it is rock solid and holds an edge very well
_________________________
"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." - Frankin


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