Knife Advice

[Wayfarer]

I'm trying to decide on a new all-rounder knife for bushcraft/outdoor pursuits and hunting, skinning and prepping game.

I have been drooling over the Becker BK2 (Now the BK&T companion) for a number of years but recently have been looking at the Schrade Frontier 51 Micarta (SCHF51M) and the Fallkniven F1. I understand there is a wide spread of prices here and I am happy to go up to the cost of the F1 if it is really that good. I have read a lot of reviews raving about the F1 and how it is the knife to end all knife arguments etc but it is pricy and I wanted a second opinion before I committed. I'm pretty open to other suggestions too.

Cant wait to hear everyones thoughts!

EDIT: Bonus points if anyone knows where I might be able to go and handle some of these knives around hampshire?

 

[flowwerpower]

Personally i would get a Scandinavian puuko blade (pretty cheap) and put a handle on it yourself, its pretty easy and satisfying and cheaper too..... well a lot cheaper in terms of the F1

 

[Janne]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[Dark Horse Dave]

I've owned and used both the Becker and the F1, and like you convinced myself that they were just what I needed. However I later sold them both on. My view is that both are very well made knives, but are probably a bit too geared towards 'survival' to meet your needs. You probably already know this, but I believe the BK2 was based around the MOD survival knife and very much comes from the 'sharpened pry bar ' school, and the F1 I think was designed to fit into a Swedish military cockpit, ie it needed to be relatively small but tough.

Both are very robust knives and are by no means bad, but my opinion is that both blades are too thick for the overall length of knife. The Campanion in particular seems 'stubby' to me, though I loved the way the handle sat in my palm. I well remember my initial reaction being "this is a beast!"

I went on to use it in conjunction with a BK11 - the Becker Necker - for some time and it's a good combo, with the 2 doing the big, choppy stuff and the 11 on the finer stuff ( inc. small game prep).

In the end though I found I was using the smaller blade for most things and the 2 was staying in its sheath, so I was lugging this great lump of steel and plastic around for not much purpose, ie it wasn't really earning its keep.

However I did like the feel of the knife in my hand, the ease of sharpening and also the ease of keeping it clean.

I never really got on with the F1. Again it's thick for the length. I also always struggled with the sharpening, though that says something about my lack of skill! My other dislike was around the squared corners of the handle, which I found uncomfortable.

All of this is just my opinion and findings and others will have their own. Hope this helps anyway.



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[juliojordio1983]

I would suggest having a look at some of the makers knives on here. I went though lots of brands and models of knives looking for a outdoor/camp knife, F1,A1, Spyderco's, Bark Rivers etc. I was never 100% happy. I would like most aspects of the knife, and then through use I would identify an issue I hadn't anticipated, and I'm off again looking for something else. I went through god knows how many knives over around 18 months. Then, someone suggested I look at custom made knives (which till that point I had ignored as I thought they would be beyond my price range) and I was very pleasantly surprised that for less than a production model F1, I could commission a knife with the spec and features I wanted, and be 100% happy with the end product.

For fixed blades, have a look at DriftwoodWalker as an example. I own a Bushcrafter, and it is sublime in every possible way. Far better than any Falkniven/Bark River.

Mark.177 (Mark Jacobs) is another excellent maker whose knives I've owned.

Jordan

 

[John Fenna]

I have tried the F1 and like it ... but not enough to have it as my main user...
I am afraid that my main user is one I made myself from an Indian/Pakistani damascus blade of dubious origin that I was given by a friend.... I expected the lamination to fail quite quickly but it has lasted YEARS of use.
I am still looking for the "perfect " knife and although many are excellent none have it all for me...

 

[FGYT]

Definatly worth looking at a commissioned knife
Your range of uses is going to require compromise
I make bushcraft and game blades as well as bigger blades and when aimed at specific use they are very different .

Your not far from me I'm near Ringwood if you want to come see / chat

 

[Ziethen]

Have a look at the the Terävä Jääkäripuukko 140 from Varusteleka. I myself carry the Terävä Jääkäripuukko 110 stainless, and I'm mighty happy with it. There is numerous videos on youtube reviewing both the stainless and the carbon versions.

 

[Janne]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[sunndog]

Definatly worth looking at a commissioned knife
Your range of uses is going to require compromise
I make bushcraft and game blades as well as bigger blades and when aimed at specific use they are very different .

Your not far from me I'm near Ringwood if you want to come see / chat

Op, don't let that offer pass mate

 

[Wayfarer]

Definatly worth looking at a commissioned knife
Your range of uses is going to require compromise
I make bushcraft and game blades as well as bigger blades and when aimed at specific use they are very different .

Your not far from me I'm near Ringwood if you want to come see / chat

That would be awesome thanks! I just tried to PM you to discuss this but it appears your inbox is full. 'FGYT has exceeded their stored private messages quota and cannot accept further messages until they clear some space.'

 

[Dark Horse Dave]

I find most modern 'bushcraft' knives much too thick.

I'm pretty much of the the same view these days - hence my Mora Classic no. 2 gets used most - plus of course they are very cheap and fun to pimp (one for the OP to consider maybe?)

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[Muskett]

What I use as my hunting gralloch knife, what I use for prepping game, what I use for camp and bushcraft, and what I use for survival, are all very different styles of build.
A Survival knife makes a dogs dinner at game prep. A hunting knife isn't robust enough for survival. Both can do it but not ideal.
Design, stock thickness, grind, heat treatment, all come to play and give marketably different results to how efficient they really are at any given task. The reason to have a select cutting armoury.

A Leatherman Charge TTi wil do 90% of all the things you might use a knife for. Add it to a Silky Saw F180 and a Skrama then 98%. Add a crook knife then 99%. Cut logs with a saw.

Some of the medium folders can do the hunting, camp and survival well enough: Spyderco Military, Chris Reeve Large Serbenza, Benchmade 940, to name three.
Bushcraft Camp to split logs then I like the Terava 110 or 140. Inexpensive too and very efficient at splitting and working wood.
Survival: Survive Knives GSO, or a Falkniven. Needs to be tough and portable, though not always so efficient at being a knife.
For folding Saws then look no further than the Silky Saws.
Hunting knife then they really just need to be thin and sharp, so not that wood splitter survival type. EKA do some nice ones.
Food and game Prep then Victorinox Fibrox Professional range.

Thing is there are so many perfectly good knives out there. The hunting/bushcraft/survival sheath knife loads and loads. Go for one that is a thin as you dare as a knife is a cutting tool. Get one you like the look of and feels good in your hands. The simpler and more straight forward then generally the better they are. Cost isn't the best measure of performance to utility. Many will just say get a Mora, but in truth they are really a cheap short term solution and investing a bit more is worth it.
Don't forget some sharpening kit in your budget.

Everyone should have a SAK (Farmer or Huntsman), and an Opinel. One knife I'm promoting because I think is really fantastic is the Skrama; just such an accomplished and useful tool.

 

[Dark Horse Dave]

And in fact I got myself a Skrama off the back of a fine review that Muskett did. I really like it as well. Oh, and I use an Opinel too - great little knives!

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[juliojordio1983]

Mark Jacobs will happily do a modern knife with a 2mm stock width Slicey slicey.

 

[FGYT]

That would be awesome thanks! I just tried to PM you to discuss this but it appears your inbox is full. 'FGYT has exceeded their stored private messages quota and cannot accept further messages until they clear some space.'

Cleared some space

 

[Janne]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[Corso]

And in fact I got myself a Skrama off the back of a fine review that Muskett did. I really like it as well. Oh, and I use an Opinel too - great little knives!

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cool sheath please tell us more

 

[Dark Horse Dave]

Ah, I wondered whether that might attract any interest! Yes it's cool alright, but I didn't make it myself unfortunately ; check out Buccaneer Leatherworks on Etsy. It's a guy called Koen in Belgium. He has some great designs for Opinels. Very reasonably priced and very quick delivery. ( No connection Etc)

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Ps apologies to the OP for wandering off topic!

 

[sunndog]

I was wondering about that opinal sheath too. Its not my style but its a dandy little thing