Good camping/hunting knife gift?

A classic Buck fixed blade, you cant go wrong. Or a Victorinox swiss army knife, not that cool maybe, but practical. If youre wanting fancy, Bark River/Blackjack knives are good options.
 
I would probably go with the Ontario RAT series.

A RAT 1 folder combined with one of their fixed blades.

A Victorinox Farmer would also be useful.
 
Well, there is certainly a lot to chose from and I'm very grateful for all the suggestions, I certainly didn't expect that many people posting replies!

Like Mikel mentioned, more details would make for a better recommendation.
Fixed blade better than folding, loves long hikes, interested in bushcraft, no hunting, no particular interest in military items/objects including tactical looking knives.

In the past couple days I've done a lot of reading and did a bunch of research and learned a lot, and with all these suggestions I've already spotted some good candidates.
Bradford and Blackjack seem to be more of what I had imagined for this gift, there's other ones too but I might be considering those because I like them a lot lol.
 
Let us know what you choose for the gift. We will continue to offer more ideas. :D
 
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Top of your budget would be the Bark River Bravo 1. It will be a great all arounder for your friend.
 
I just picked up a LT Wright Frontier First in 3v should make for a good knife. It's a small knife though.
 
I just picked up a LT Wright Frontier First in 3v should make for a good knife. It's a small knife though, still waiting its arrival.
 
The description sounds like the Buck 105, 119, or 110 if you prefer a folder.
Grohmann #1, #3, or #4.
CS Master Hunter, SRK, or Recon Scout all make good all around hunting/camp knives.
Outdoor Edge make some very good hunting blades.
 
Capibat said:
...
Like Mikel mentioned, more details would make for a better recommendation.
Fixed blade better than folding, loves long hikes, interested in bushcraft, no hunting, no particular interest in military items/objects including tactical looking knives.

...
Bradford and Blackjack seem to be more of what I had imagined for this gift, there's other ones too but I might be considering those because I like them a lot lol.
Click to expand...

Bradfords tend to use harder steels, (Elmax, 3V) so they will hold their edge longer during normal slicing and cutting, but since you mentioned he's into bushcraft, that is not necessarily what he'll want. Using a knife with a really hard steel like that for batoning and chopping will likely cause the edge to chip, and if he pries with it, it'll break the blade.

Blackjacks look like more classical designs, and tend to use tool steels. Those are very good, but will rust if not cared for, and eventually stain even if cared for. Will that bother him?

I'd be tempted to combine TWO knives for $200: Ka-Bar Barosz Choppa and a Victorinox Trekker:
  • The Choppa is the bigger knife for bushcraft; it can do chopping and some light tasks. Would work well in case he finds himself having to defend himself against predators. (2 legged or 4 legged) T
  • Trekker is the smaller one for lighter tasks, and can also help with bushcraft. (saw) The Trekker can be had in plain edge or serrated, one hand opening or nail nick. A serrated one would be great for food prep and would compliment the plain-edged Choppa nicely, I think.
There's still money in the budget for a ferro rod and a can of bear spray.
 
Capibat said:
...
Like Mikel mentioned, more details would make for a better recommendation.
Fixed blade better than folding, loves long hikes, interested in bushcraft, no hunting, no particular interest in military items/objects including tactical looking knives.

...
Bradford and Blackjack seem to be more of what I had imagined for this gift, there's other ones too but I might be considering those because I like them a lot lol.
Click to expand...

Bradfords tend to use harder steels, (Elmax, 3V) so they will hold their edge longer during normal slicing and cutting, but since you mentioned he's into bushcraft, that is not necessarily what he'll want. Using a knife with a really hard steel like that for batoning and chopping will likely cause the edge to chip, and if he pries with it, it'll break the blade.

Blackjacks look like more classical designs, and tend to use tool steels. Those are very good, but will rust if not cared for, and eventually stain even if cared for. Will that bother him?

I'd be tempted to combine TWO knives for $200: Ka-Bar Barosz Choppa and a Victorinox Trekker:
  • The Choppa is the bigger knife for bushcraft; it can do chopping and some light tasks. Would work well in case he finds himself having to defend himself against predators. (2 legged or 4 legged) T
  • Trekker is the smaller one for lighter tasks, and can also help with bushcraft. (saw) The Trekker can be had in plain edge or serrated, one hand opening or nail nick. A serrated one would be great for food prep and would compliment the plain-edged Choppa nicely, I think.
There's still money in the budget for a ferro rod and a can of bear spray.
 
For that price, I would consider looking at the knifemaker's market on the forum here. I design a few models for that use as do many other makers.

For production knives, the Becker BK62 and BK16 come to mind. For something larger, I like the Esee 6. LT Wright makes some cool stuff too, but many will be right at or ovee your budget.

Buck knives has some cool stuff and you should have some money left over. The buck 119 is a well loved model that can handle both hunting and camping pretty well but certainly is aimed more towards hunting.

The kabar combat utility knife is also a pretty good performer and is reliable as long as you don't badly abuse it, like throwing or heavy prying.
 
Two LT Wright knives come to mind, the Frontier Valley and the Bushcrafter HC. I believe the FV can be found in 3V, the Bushcrafter HC is in 1075, more robust than edge holding, but easy to sharpen.
 
Maybe a BK16 w/ micarta, or a Buck 101 fixed while they are still around? Then you have money left over for a SAK as well. Check out the onyx blade SAKS. I don't own one but I think those look cool and would purchase one if I could
 
Check out SK Blades. 20% off code is knifefriday20. Buck Compadre/Frontier, and 212 in D2 steel....if there are any left.
 
Capibat said:
...Like Mikel mentioned, more details would make for a better recommendation.
Fixed blade better than folding, loves long hikes, interested in bushcraft, no hunting, no particular interest in military items/objects including tactical looking knives.....
Click to expand...

Thanks, that should help to narrow the otherwise wiiiiiiiiiiiide expectrum of choices.

STAINLESS
If he is not a knife guy, I suggest you go with a stainless blade so it doesn't get ruined if he forgets cleaning it. When I say ruined I am not talking about the whole blade turning into a pile of rust (which can and does happen if the blade is not coated and stored wet, I had that happen to a carbon steel Mora). What I mean is that even coated blades will have the edge exposed, and that's what will rust, lose the edge and dull fast. So I suggest you go stainless.

NON-TACTICAL
I would say this rules out black coated blades and kydex/plastic sheaths. This pretty much rules out any ESSE, BECKER, COLD STEEL (sans the Master Hunter), etc.

LONG HIKES
If he goes for long hikes, be aware of the weight of the tool, otherwise it will be left behind. If it is a boat anchor he will not carry it. Ligthtest you could get is one of the fancier Moras, but while they perform GREAT, they seem to fit more the toolbox than the belt. And unless he is a knifenut (which he doesn't seem to be) he would not be able to appreciate a tool that looks like a toy.

GRIND AND EDGE
Bushcraft goes with woodcraft and the general consensus suggest that a scandi grind (no secondary bevel) is what should be used. Those edges are tricky to maintain (in my opinion) because they require you to sharpen the whole bevel. Again, if he is not a knifenut and you don't expect him to turn into one, once it goes dull he will probably throw a bevel on with a few quick licks on the sharpening stone. I suggest you go with a convex grind and convex edge because it can be maintained with a loaded strop or wet/dry sandpaper (over a semi-hard backing). And the method itself is so stupid-proof that even I can get a nice edge on my knives.

I would suggest you have a look at the Fallkniven F1 (basic model, not the PRO version) with a leather sheath. Stainless, satin finish, laminated steel, full tang (protrudes a bit on the back but not arround the handle, so it is comfortable even in cold conditions) and the rubber provides some a nice grip. It has been arround forever and it is also highly praised here in BF. I own the F1 and S1. The F1 is small, light and I have the plastic sheath which can be flushed with water to clean any debrish and does not hold moisture. I suggest the leather sheath for your friend because it is less tactical looking.

And since it is well below your budget, you can get him a two sided strop with two blocks of stropping compound (coarse and fine) so he can maintain the convex edge properly.

Also, just throwing ideas out there, if you were to look for a nimble blade I would have a look at the Spyderco Bow River... I bought it just because it is cheap and... well, it has surprised me a lot (for the good). For food prep chores is king (full flat, think blade). For bushcraft... meh... maybe not so much.

Best of luck!

Mikel
 
So I finally got a knife, I ended up not having time to order on line and had to go with the local option and what they had in stock.
I was between a Becker BK2 companion, buck 102 woodsman and a benchmade sibert bushcrafter. I went for the Benchmade which seem the nicest option of the bunch and fit the bill perfectly, more expensive but that's OK, I think it was worth it, the present was a pleasant unexpected surprise and it was very well received!

I don't think the benchmade brand was mentioned here before, I wonder why, perhaps not very well known?
 
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