I found it very interesting that according to that KnifeTest.com site this $10 knife out performed blades costing 10-20x as much. Pretty impressive, at least from a pure durability point of view. I think I might have to pick one (or two) up to add to the collection. If for nothing else as a beater.
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/DBA443-1.html
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/DBA443-1.html
Lot's of googd options others have mentioned though for camping having a serrated edge on your work knife is a very useful feature.
My personal preference would be the Full Size USMC KA-BAR, Serrated Edge:
https://www.kabar.com/product/productDetail.do?productNumber=1218&mode=category&categoryId=1,2,3,7&categoryName=Military/Tactical
Nos' tests aren't exactly biblical in the knife world (and I wouldn't count out forum opinions, as several folks out there are doing similar or better tests). I love that he shook up the Chris Reeve crowd when he broke two of their large fixed-blades, but if you talk to a lot of folks that have actually been in real survival or battle situations, most of what he does in his tests are not considered even remotely realistic.
I'll say this (without trying to incite some sort of religious debate about knives), I do find that a lot of the self-proclaimed "survival" folks out there tend to want the biggest baddest abusable hunk of steel you can find but again, it won't do all the jobs its trying to do very well - in fact, most knives that fall into this category fail at doing a lot of the things you need (there is a saying in a couple of folks' signatures on blade-forums that says "your $500 Busse Combat knife can't out chop my $40 axe" - and to be honest, its true).
I don't own any TOPS knives or Busse Combat knives anymore mainly due to the fact that most of the knives made by either company are way too thick for any level of actual cutting - which is sort of what I like to do most with my knives.
INFI steel is actually pretty soft - it holds an edge about as well as 1095 and if you use it hard for cutting on a regular basis, you find that its easy to put an edge back on it (it excels in that it will almost never crack, chip, or split), but part of Busse's indestructible persona is based on the fact that pretty much any metal that's 1/3'-1/2" thick is hard to break (hence the reason Nos hasn't been able to break one easily on knifetests.com).
Nos' tests don't prove anything about cutting geometry, edge-retention, slice-cutting/push-cutting performance, etc. in things that you really need a knife for.
That being said, several of the knives he reviews are very good knives (I'm still a fan of Busse kin knives, but I'm also a Chris Reeve fan despite Nos' tests). Even the Cold Steel GI and Bushman are both decent knives - but if you look at either toward the end of his tests - they're mangled almost beyond use. Nos only comment is that the edges didn't crack or chip too badly - they bent, but didn't break. Try putting an edge back on a knife that's as bent as either of those in the test and you'll find out really quickly that "it didn't break" doesn't make it "perform" very well when you need it next.
Check out the ESEE folks' training website - they not only do the survival thing for real, they teach classes on it and go to a lot of really nasty places (like the jungles of Latin America) on a regular basis. They don't believe in a "one-knife-to-do-it-all" principle.
ESEE 5 or ESEE 6. I have the ESEE 6P and love it. A lot of camp and combat uses and comes with a lifetime warranty too. As mentioned above, check out the ESEE website and brouse around it a bit. Great stuff there.
This is my combo as well. I've also heard good things about the BK2
Here's a new name I haven't seen mentioned yet. Condor Tool and Knife company.
This one is basically a heavier duty Becker BK2, and IMO better steel and $20 cheaper to boot!
Condor Tool and Knife Rodan
This one is basically a heavier duty Becker BK2, and IMO better steel and $20 cheaper to boot!
Condor Tool and Knife Rodan
I am a Busse fan for a few of their blades, a Swamp Rat fan for mid-size, and a Scrap Yard all around because of their price/performance ratio. Saying that, I do have a GB axe and a Cold Creek Forge hammer hawk that chop better than any knife. In my bags there are a few other custom makers too, so I am not a total brand loyalist. I have yet to mess with the ESEE line yet, may do so in the near future just to see what they are all about. I know the ESEE guys treat their blades like they should, some Busse guys rarely use their blades so there is something to be said in that respect.
One of my favorite blades to use is this:
Busse B11. A 11" blade, res-c handle that is great for absorbing shock, Infi steel that is easy to maintain, a tough coating, and a sheath from a maker that is no longer is business. I carry this setup on my bad or as a Baldric style. Is it heavy, yes but that is because I have a Swiss multi-tool, PSK, fire kit, med kit, water treatment, para cord, rubber bands, etc. in it too. Basically it is a grab and go. The thing about the lighter blade is that it excels at chopping and clearing vines/etc.
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One of my favorite blades to use is this:
Busse B11. A 11" blade, res-c handle that is great for absorbing shock, Infi steel that is easy to maintain, a tough coating, and a sheath from a maker that is no longer is business. I carry this setup on my bad or as a Baldric style. Is it heavy, yes but that is because I have a Swiss multi-tool, PSK, fire kit, med kit, water treatment, para cord, rubber bands, etc. in it too. Basically it is a grab and go. The thing about the lighter blade is that it excels at chopping and clearing vines/etc.
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J
Johnwayne
Guest
Kabar's and buck knives here too. Reqsonable and tough enough for the price.
