Best Medium sized fixed blade.

W

WhiteRhino

Joined
Mar 7, 2014
Messages
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Hi I have been lurking for a while and I am interested in trying to EDC a fixed blade. I would want something around 7.5"-9".
I understand Esee and becker comes up alot. Are those two the best options, or is there another route to take?
I really like the stellar warranty and the ability for the knife to excel at many different tasks.
 
You are on the right track with ESEE and Becker for a good knife at a great price. You could look into Ontario as well.
Tops has like 26 knives in the 7 to 9 inch blade range. Most of the designs are too far out there for me but you may see something you like.
Scrapyard, Swamprat and Busse also come to mind.
 
Fallkniven, SOG Cold Steel, Benchmade, Blackjack and Bark River make some interesting designs too.
 
Welcome to the Forum! Two question for you: (1) How much do you want to spend; and (2) What style do you like - traditional or modern?? The answer to those two questions will narrow the field significantly.
 
1. Around $200-300 max total for now. Perhaps more in the future. 2. I prefer modern, but I like traditional knives too.
Thanks
 
The selection of "the best knife" starts with accepting that there is no such thing. A knife that excels at one task will inevitably fall short at another. It's up to the user to identify what is expected/desired, and what compromises are acceptable. Don't get me wrong, there are many good general purpose knives...and they get a lot of love around here; but they give up being the best at any task in the interest of handling many.
For clarification, when you say you want something 7.5-9", do you mean blade length or overall? (The assumption would generally be blade length; but that's pretty big for EDC)
Is this knife something you want to have in your hand immediately, or are you willing to wait weeks to months for a custom?
 
Okay - and what are your priorities? What do you need the knife to do, and what functions are you less concerned with? These are important because blade steel and geometry are factors in how well a knife does at a given task.
 
Looking for an EDC fixed blade... my suggestion is that you pick up a Dozier custom which can be easily had for the price range. AG Russell keeps a number of popular models in stock most of the time for immediate delivery. My EDC fixed blade is a Dozier Personal which has an overall length of about 6.25" carried in Dozier's horizonatal belt sheath which provides for fast access and pretty good concealment. The knife also does not get in the way.

Bark River makes some good stuff too and has many designs and sizes to choose from.

For something inexpensive (or less expensive), the ESEE 3 or Kabar Becker BK-14/24 or BK-16.
 
Swamp Rat Rodent Solution , GSO 3.5 (available soon) , Busse Magnum Bear Cub , several offerings from Blind Horse knives , The smaller Bark River knives , ESEE Izula II or look at some of the custom makers here on the forums .


...............................................
HOLD MY BEER AND WATCH THIS !
 
I'm a big fan of the Dozier Modified Personal - just a smidge under 7 inches, overall...but, again, it really depends on what you're going to be doing with it. D2 is great for general cutting/slicing; but if you're going to start hacking at things, it isn't the best choice (not that there's much hacking to be done with a 3 inch blade, but people never cease to surprise me).

I really like my Enzo Trapper in 01 steel - overall length, off the top of my head, about 8 inches (3.75 inch blade). The scandi grind is about the easiest to maintain.

Bark River, as mentioned, has some very nice options.

I agree with the recommendation on the BK16. I found the BK11 didn't fit my hand well, but the grinding stone on my Dremel fixed that.

Gray Wolf Knives makes some nice, affordable knives.

There are bunches going through the Knife Makers section of the classifieds on this site; and you can get some great deals there (as well as the Individual Sales section)
To be honest, passing the 4" blade mark on an EDC fixed blade can create some unnecessary hassles. People notice. Make sure you know your local laws before you start carrying...and, if questioned, never say you are carrying it for self defense. It's a tool - don't put it into the Weapon category.


Edited to add:
This might help put things into perspective a little more

From left to right: BK15, BK16, DPx HEFT4, ESEE4, Gray Wolves Knifes M7, Kellam Wolverine, Enzo Trapper, Bark River Gunny, BK11, Dozier Personal
 
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If you're going to EDC a fixed for the first time you're going to want something on the small end. Also, you can carry horizontal easier and cleaner.

Try that ESSE 3-MIL SPEC. Good knife, good rig.

Other than ESSE, anything small BUSSE/Rat/Scrapyard will be good.

Don't forget to check out neck knives as well.
 
My favorite in that size is the Zero Tolerance 0121. 8in overall with a 4.25in blade. In my opinion it can handle anything you can throw at it for EDC.
The one between the Becker and fixed Skyline.
2013-04-15164643.jpg
 
Thanks for all of the options. I went ahead and ordered the ESEE-3M and ordered some TKC scales to go with it.
Really for the price I payed I feel like I could play around with some other choices too. The beckers look tempting.
Heres to my first ESEE.
 
WhiteRhino said:
Thanks for all of the options. I went ahead and ordered the ESEE-3M and ordered some TKC scales to go with it.
Really for the price I payed I feel like I could play around with some other choices too. The beckers look tempting.
Heres to my first ESEE.
Click to expand...

The TKC scales make the world of difference to the ESEE knives. I have a set on my ESEE-4 and it's brilliant.

Congrats on the new purchase. Remember, pics or it didn't happen ;)
 
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