i need help choosing the best bang for my buck....whats the best fixed blade survival knife max 10" overall under $120 and not chinese....im going to use this for every day carry.
It may crack you up, but in a survival situation it is no laughing matter. And I agree there are those that tout their ability to take flint and knap a knife out in a matter of minutes. And I am sure there are plenty of MacGyvers out there that can take a car door and fashion a knife from it that will do them just fine after they find themselves lost in the Rockies during an elk hunt ... but why should they have to do all of that when, in fact, they could choose that one knife, that one tool, that would be best suited to cover as many bases as possible. And I do not see the humor in that shankfisher.It cracks me up that the knife has such mystique and people invest so heavily in them. ... The knife is not the "skill" and the skill will get your through. People lived long (LONG) before iron and still (steel) blades were common . . . for the money, get a Mora.
It all goes back to weight and space and the specifics of what we talk about here.Sure, I'm a professional historian. I teach college-level American History for a living. Which means that I look at this issue from a different point of view than most. Bear with me while I prattle on, okay?
.... it's clearly obvious that any knife made before the current cryogenic steels and special alloys was in fact fully functional for survival purposes. What's not clear is why abusing a tool until it breaks is better than using the correct tool for the job in the first place? You get what I'm, saying? Just because a knife can be used (in extreme situations) to baton a stick of wood does not mean that is the correct approach to the problem. The better approach is a hatchet, which most any woodsman carried for that particular task.
Now, I understand that a pilot's survival knife is a good idea, .... even if the better tool is a different tool.
But look, I'm preaching to the choir here. You guys know what I'm saying, which is simply that it's better to match tool to job, than make do. The best kit is one in which all your tasks are enhanced by using the right tools .... which given the expense of some tools, may very well be one that is significantly cheaper than the most advanced around. Use the "saved" cash to invest in other tools that will significantly increase your survival threshold.
... that's why the knife has such a mystique and people invest so heavily in them. Because moreso than anything else in the evolution of human beings, it has been steel that has allowed us to progress as we have. It is in our genetic makeup. And until the past 100 years or so it has been a fleeting thing because even our most beloved of steel edged weapons have broken or rusted away. Modern metallurgy gives us other options ... and until they finally make a light saber, I suspect people like us will continue to search for that mystic perfect blade made from that perfect steel. At least I know I will .... it has to do as much with it being a practical heirloom item as anything I suppose. We have ALWAYS, as human beings, kept our steel in high regard ... there is so much historical record of that fact.It cracks me up that the knife has such mystique and people invest so heavily in them.
... and we were all simply attempting to answer his question as honestly and forthrightly as possible. His question, btw, is rather ambiguous and not easily answered because of its enigmatic nature. Most people refer to blade length, not overall length. Most people would not choose a 10" overall length fixed blade knife for every day carry. He stated "best bang for his buck" yet offers to spend $120.00. And most confusing of all was his subject line, "Best fixed blade survival knife for the $," ... when once you read the post it reads as if he is more concerned with simply having a good utility knife on his belt for the most part.i need help choosing the best bang for my buck....whats the best fixed blade survival knife max 10" overall under $120 and not chinese....im going to use this for every day carry.
Sure, I'm a professional historian. I teach college-level American History for a living. Which means that I look at this issue from a different point of view than most. Bear with me while I prattle on, okay?But at the same time people used to hunt with muskets too, and they used to walk everywhere too, or ride in buckboards, and they used to die in their fifties too and feel like they had lived a long life, and they used to have to mix rum with water to make grog and kill the germs too ..... I'm sure you're getting my point here?
Guys like him are the reason I NEVER lend out a knife...:..but it's awesome to see actual stress testing on a blade......sad, but awesome. It does aid in confidence building with regard to the tools one carries.Hop n pop
You might look at the video here. If this guy isn't tougher than you on a knife, you'd be happy with a Scrapyard model.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqzCFQ0lF50&NR=1
Is that the AK47's bayonet?1, you could get a couple of these... For the money ($20 each at gunshows) you get a solid chunk of steel... takes and holds an edge, can be used as a wire cutter, can opener, I even chopped a bit of wood with it last time I went camping... Works like a charm...