quest for a new knife

[forrestdweller]

as already mentioned in a few posts in the past: during a trip to nicaragua 4years ago i lost my five most-used knives and my pocketboy when being robbed by bandits...

my carving knife i replaced with a homemade replacement, in late 2021 i managed to replace my pocketboy and last year i got a new multitool, but lack of funds and availability have so far prevented getting a new main knife and skinning/ food prep blade...

a friend left for europe today and (as payment for my work) he promised to get me a new knife and torch. my lost main blade was a Fallkniven F1 and i'm looking for something similar in size and function. as i'm living in a tropical rainforest and close to the coast i need a tool which requires little maintenance, meaning stainless steel and (ideally) synthetic sheath; about the same size + shape as the F1 and 25mm or wider (=it's supposed to be a "heavy duty work knife" for backpacking/ hiking/ exploring and not a delicate whittling tool or food prep knife...)

so far i looked at the following options:
- another F1 in laminated VG10 w. zytel sheath (the newer steels are out of price range)
- Esee 3 in s35 (both about same price)
- Mora Garberg (bit too narrow)
- Condor aqualore (seems they've some issue with quality control and their steel is on the soft side...)

the most interesting option so far is the Brisa "trapper" as it comes in different steel options and -- what looks very interesting to me -- is available as a blade blank, meaning i could get a better steel (it's currently out of stock but i'm eyeballing the "elmax" version) and put my own handle on it (plenty of tropical hardwoods to choose from ) has anyone experience with the latter option?!

thanks!
(i apologize if replies might take a day or two due to limited internet access...)

 

[Bearmont]

You can get preformed G10 handles for the Brisa Trapper also, I'm no sure if it was on the homepage or via retailers here in EU. Those would work well in wet climates.

Also, 14c28n would be a good steel for your usage. There's the Sanrenmu S745 on Aliexpress, which is affordable.

 

[Kato28]

From the proposed I have the Mora Garberg in carbon steel. it is great for the money, tough steel and very easy to sharpen. You would probably want the 14C28N version, which is a great steel.

Also I just though I should mention that the F1 is not made in VG10 anymore, they switched to VG7 and the price has gone up also. They say the new steel is better, but it might be just marketing spiel.

 

[gra_farmer]

From the proposed I have the Mora Garberg in carbon steel. it is great for the money, tough steel and very easy to sharpen. You would probably want the 14C28N version, which is a great steel.

Also I just though I should mention that the F1 is not made in VG10 anymore, they switched to VG7 and the price has gone up also. They say the new steel is better, but it might be just marketing spiel.

Vg10 is the better steel over vg7, which I must admit I didn't know about until this post....I did a little Google search this morning and little info, so looked at the chemical parameters

 

[Erbswurst]

I think that the stainless Morakniv Garberg is the best choice for you because it is as good as indestructible but otherwise the blade isn't too thick for an all purpose knife. The handle is very ergonomic and durable.

It performs better than the F1 in my opinion which is a good knife without any doubt, but if we are honest we have to admit that the blade of the F1 is too thick for most tasks. It has like the Trapper a slightly too small handle.

The plastic sheath of the Garberg can't convince at all, because the belt loop ring doesn't attach security to the sheath. You could loose the knife in the sheath and just keep that stupid ring.

So, you either get the Morakniv leather sheath with it or order a leather sheath from a shoemaker where you are, or you get an aftermarket kydex sheath @Herman30 recommended a Saxon kydex sheath maker who offers such a sheath that's made in his workshop with out sending the knife to him for example.

That's what I would choose if I were in your position.

Compared to the Trapper and slightly larger Brisa models the Garberg has the sex appeal of a German screw driver of course. But it's indeed an incredibly well made tool.

Condor knives are third world knives with changing quality and they are obviously over priced on the European market. And so far I know Esee knives are probably a sensible choice if you want to keep it in the car or use it around the farm house, simple and robust knives that obviously get the job done. But guess why there are more ergonomic after market scales for them offered, and coated blades are surely not the best option in the world. That are in my opinion farmer knives. They are cheap and OK and if you loose one it's also OK, that's the concept behind.

 

[Kadushu]

Lionsteel may be worth a look. There's a Magnacut version of the M4 now.

 

[Kato28]

Vg10 is the better steel over vg7, which I must admit I didn't know about until this post....I did a little Google search this morning and little info, so looked at the chemical parameters

It‘s hard to say which one is better without a head to head test in the real world.
On paper the Tungsten in the VG7 should give it a bit more wear resistance vs the VG10, but not sure if that will translate in normal use.

 

[forrestdweller]

thanks for the replies!

didn't know about fallkniven changing the steel, so that's off the list for me then...
condor is also off the list due to the mentioned quality issues. the Garberg does indeed not look as nice as some other knives but Paul Kirtley and several other well-known outdoor "gurus" seem happy with theirs brisa offers both blade blanks and entire kits (which are useless to me as they include a ferro rod which i've zero use for) -- didn't check their entire website but i'm sure they sell micarta and/or g10 as well (some more homework to do ... ) i'll check out the other mentioned knives as well, fortunately i've still a few weeks before making my decision

 

[C_Claycomb]

I am having a very hard time resisting just ordering a Lion Steel M4 in Magnacut! I have wanted to try both knife and steel for a while.

 

[Danceswithhelicopters]

How about one of the Spanish Joker bushcraft knives?

Excellent quality, micarta handled.

 

[scruff]

I've just been doing the final fettling on an old Brisa EnZo blank I've had for years....



I couldn't recommend them enough.

 

[Kato28]

I've just been doing the final fettling on an old Brisa EnZo blank I've had for years....

View attachment 78838

I couldn't recommend them enough.

This looks great. The blade design is a bit different at the top, a lot nicer then the current ones.

 

[scruff]

This looks great. The blade design is a bit different at the top, a lot nicer then the current ones.

Yes, it was a limited run with Mahkiel Eklund DNA.

 

[Dan1982]

+1 for the Garberg. Fantastic tool in either steel and can be found for about £60. After market kydex sheath for £25

Will serve your needs perfectly.

 

[forrestdweller]

How about one of the Spanish Joker bushcraft knives?

Excellent quality, micarta handled.

i forgot to mention them in post #1 but they caught my attention a while ago, too... their "nomad" looks a bit too long and thick (5mm iirc) for my liking but some smaller models like the "lynx" look interesting

to throw another knifemaker into the discussion: 20 years ago a "puma" knife saved my behind: are they still worth considering (iirc they moved their production away from solingen)?!

 

[MrEd]

I've just been doing the final fettling on an old Brisa EnZo blank I've had for years....

View attachment 78838

I couldn't recommend them enough.

I agree, I have an enzo/brisa trapper and the bigger ‘trooper’ and a couple of others - I really like brisa knives

 

[Bearmont]

Another very similar knife to the Sanrenmu SRM S745 is the Ruike F118. Also 14c28n steel. First one is about 50€, the latter about 65€.

 

[Nice65]

I’ll chuck a Casstrom into the mix.

No.10 Swedish Forest Knife in Orange

A Casström hunting knife has to satisfy a different set of criteria than our other outdoor knives. Whether it be field dressing, skinning, or butchering game, the Casström No.10 SFK will make light work of it.

casstrom.co.uk

Available as a blank too, but the orange G10 is a great option for your use and conditions.

No.10 SFK blade only - stainless steel

Now you can make your own knife using our popular No.10 Swedish Forest Knife blade. Customise your handle and make something truly unique for your outdoor adventures! These blades are full tang, and well-suited to bushcraft, hunting, camping, and other outdoor pursuits. Technical...

casstrom.co.uk

 

[forrestdweller]

Another very similar knife to the Sanrenmu SRM S745 is the Ruike F118. Also 14c28n steel. First one is about 50€, the latter about 65€.

i didn't realize they make fixed blades, too -- their pocketknives seem to have a good reputation...

 

[Bearmont]

If you mean Sanrenmu, they're generally quite good. Don't expect a perfect secondary grind, but that's a small thing remedied by the first proper sharpening anyway. I don't have a Ruike myself.