Recommendation? The best survival / daily chef's knife?

[Shorttime]

Karen Hood/CRKT collaboration, called the HCK1 Hood Camp Knife.

And unweidly name, I know, and they are on the expensive side for a CRKT, because they are out of production, and actually good. I can't post pictures from my mobile, but image search finds it pretty quick.

 

[DannyTheSwede]

Your requirements are very specific, OP. I'd add another vote for full custom.

Good luck!

I totally understand. I do my own dress pants, from top to bottom, with multiple hidden zippers. I've ordered custom military boots, and so on. I AM a custom guy.
I've done Photoshop for over 15 years. I love design too!

However. I know my limitations in blades. I am but a user and collector, so far.
Thus, I need to try more and learn more before deciding on the ultimate steel and shape.
And for the last few years, some stainless steels have entered the survival / military community.
This gives me more hope, but also makes me wait further before designing, as the perfectionist that I am.
Good luck to you too!

 

[DannyTheSwede]

Karen Hood/CRKT collaboration, called the HCK1 Hood Camp Knife.

And unweidly name, I know, and they are on the expensive side for a CRKT, because they are out of production, and actually good. I can't post pictures from my mobile, but image search finds it pretty quick.

The shape is super! But I thought 1095 wasn't stainless?

 

[DocJD]

My mindset does not allow the word impossible

The only way to resolve your contradictory requirements is to compromise them to the point of ending up with one knife that fulfills neither purpose very well .

If you change "survival " to camping knife , it becomes relatively easy to also have a good kitchen knife .

 

[Spears]

You must be a spy. I was just watching a review on the Shrapnel One. And then I got this notification! It seems by far to be the best suit yet.
But you beat me to it! Now this and Jeo-Tec 37 might be the biggest contenders. I'd like to see someone baton and tip-abuse the Shrapnel as they do the Esee-5 and Jeo-Tec 37.
It's hard to find field-tests of the TTKK and TTKK Large 2, unfortunately.
Anything that beats the Shrapnel? Any thoughts on Jeo-Tec 37? Same steel, but Italian or Spanish alternatives.

Ha, you got me there! Though, great minds think alike, no two fools are different.

The other knife that I can think of is the Work Tuff Nomad Field, which I do own the most recent rendition of with orange/black handles. Only feature it doesn't have is an extended tang and the steel isn't technically stainless (8% Cr class steel so still much more resisant to corroding than something without any Cr).

I'm not sure you'll have much success finding a TTKK but it looks like they were made in S30V, which is stainless.

The shape is super! But I thought 1095 wasn't stainless?

Correct, 1095 has no Cr and is not stainless (and 1095 Cro-Van has so little Cr that it wouldn't change its non-stainless property).

As much as you want a good large "field" knife, I still think you'll be much more capable with a good folding saw, a poly handled 26-32", 2-3lb head felling axe, and a smaller but still robust knife (I do wish more mainstream production "outdoorsy" knives would have the edge below the handle). The skill set you'll be able to build of those three will be much more valuable than a large field knife. Granted, they are fun as heck, though.

 

[DannyTheSwede]

Indeed Spears. Great tip nevertheless! Still the top pick so far.

Work Tuff Nomad Field does have a great handle hook and guard when thrusting. But the wood-chopper (khukuri-)design hinders the base of the blade from cutting to the board. Shame on an otherwise nice-looking alternative.

It seems difficult for people that do not understand this threads mission. I don't need the advice about why the thread is wrong. Maybe we need a thread for people that like multiple heavy tools every time they go outside? A thread for the EDC 100 lbs backpack for every mission at all times just in case?

A compromise is the opposite of packing a Silky saw, a Hultafors axe and a Fällkniven. I have that. It is not optimal to bring on every mission.
A hunter does not need a saw, an axe, a dedicated glass-breaker, a pig sticker, a ferro striker and a bushcraft knife, every time he is on a mission.
Nor does a soldier.
Yet I always bring something that does all that. In one knife. For the rare cases that the mission plan didn't include the proper tools.

Believe me, I know what it means to prepare for each mission individually. And you know what?
The most common thing people generally do with knives is cooking and perhaps opening packaging. Wouldn't it be nice to build on that EDC knowledge?
Not to mention packing and caring for multiple tools. Each to their own mission.

 

[Arathol]

Each to their own mission.

Maybe you could enlighten us as to your "mission" statement? What exactly are you going to be doing?

You are not going to find a thin, slicey chef knife that is 1/4" thick so that you can baton it through a log. You don't need a "stabby" point for hunting either, unless you plan on leaping out of the trees onto an animal and stabbing it to death........You don't really need a flat edge for food chopping, curved works just as well.... Do you take a cutting board on your "missions"?

.....As for stainless vs carbon, if your carbon knife is rusting after just a couple days of kitchen use, you are not cleaning it properly. I have carbon steel kitchen knives that are decades old and show no signs of rust or corrosion. Show pictures of this rust so we can see what is going on.....

There are plenty of good all around survival knives that do most things pretty well, and many of them have been covered here. If it was me I'd go with an Esee Junglas...

 

[DannyTheSwede]

Maybe you could enlighten us as to your "mission" statement? What exactly are you going to be doing?

You are not going to find a thin, slicey chef knife that is 1/4" thick so that you can baton it through a log. You don't need a "stabby" point for hunting either, unless you plan on leaping out of the trees onto an animal and stabbing it to death........You don't really need a flat edge for food chopping, curved works just as well.... Do you take a cutting board on your "missions"?

.....As for stainless vs carbon, if your carbon knife is rusting after just a couple days of kitchen use, you are not cleaning it properly. I have carbon steel kitchen knives that are decades old and show no signs of rust or corrosion. Show pictures of this rust so we can see what is going on.....

There are plenty of good all around survival knives that do most things pretty well, and many of them have been covered here. If it was me I'd go with an Esee Junglas...

The mission of this thread is in the title. I'm just looking for a nice stainless daily driver that could serve as so much more at occasions, where I only bring a 2-day backpack. Examples that happens: I need to cut a rope, I need to brake a plexi-glass, I need to pry something open, etcetera. But hopefully mostly cooking and eating by a nice campfire. An Esee-5 could do all of this, but not without utmost care each time it touched a liquid.

The Junglas would be a good chef's knife. But it is 1095, which is not up to par for the specific stainless goal. And I was comparing it when buying the Esee-5. I could easily use that for a lot of things. But it is a bit too long and narrow for prying, kinda prone to bending if I really went to town.

"thin, slicey chef knife that is 1/4" thick" is funny. But I never mentioned thin. The majority understood me, though. The form of a chef's knifes belly with "the edge below the handle" (as Spears stated quite clearly) but the strength of a survival knife. With maximally used real estate as a bonus.

So far, the Extrema Ratio Shrapnel One is a hell of a candidate.

 

[Shorttime]

Bollocks!

I forgot that the Hood wasn't stainless.

I'll be over here, trying to wash out the taste of shoe leather....

 

[Sundsvall]

This will do it!

Boker Plus BOB

AUS8 Stainless Steel
Thick (Baton friendly)
Kitchen knife profile
Small and packable
Has a pointy pommel for glass breaking
Kydex sheath

Designed for a BOB.

Bob

A lot helps a lot. An old saying that doesnot always apply. Due to its blade thickness of 7 mm, our Boker Plus Bob based on the exclusive design by Jesper Voxnaes is virtually unmatched. The three-dimensionally contoured canvas...

www.bokerusa.com

 

[DannyTheSwede]

This will do it!

Boker Plus BOB

AUS8 Stainless Steel
Thick (Baton friendly)
Kitchen knife profile
Small and packable
Has a pointy pommel for glass breaking
Kydex sheath

Designed for a BOB.

Bob

A lot helps a lot. An old saying that doesnot always apply. Due to its blade thickness of 7 mm, our Boker Plus Bob based on the exclusive design by Jesper Voxnaes is virtually unmatched. The three-dimensionally contoured canvas...

www.bokerusa.com

Awesome addition to the list, Sundsvall! I take it you're a fellow Swede?
I guess that Böker here means "one who grubs"(?), (what boars do when they stuff their face digging in the mud) for you none-Scandinavians.
This is in the shortest extreme of the list, but what a thick beauty! And the 7mm AUS-8 is no joke. It's like a dwarfed Operator 7, but more hygienic.
It might even top most knives on the pry bar department.
And I LOVE Kydex. Kydex is about a must for in-and-out constant use.
If this doesn't win, I might get it anyways as well, just for the fun of it. Bushcraft on steroids!
Keep em coming!

 

[DannyTheSwede]

Maybe you could enlighten us as to your "mission" statement? What exactly are you going to be doing?

You are not going to find a thin, slicey chef knife that is 1/4" thick so that you can baton it through a log. You don't need a "stabby" point for hunting either, unless you plan on leaping out of the trees onto an animal and stabbing it to death........You don't really need a flat edge for food chopping, curved works just as well.... Do you take a cutting board on your "missions"?

.....As for stainless vs carbon, if your carbon knife is rusting after just a couple days of kitchen use, you are not cleaning it properly. I have carbon steel kitchen knives that are decades old and show no signs of rust or corrosion. Show pictures of this rust so we can see what is going on.....

There are plenty of good all around survival knives that do most things pretty well, and many of them have been covered here. If it was me I'd go with an Esee Junglas...

This is simply false, people. Do NOT trust this person, hunters! If by chance you are hunting boar, (or anything more aggressive for that matter,) you might find yourself out of ammo, fogged up, in the dark, or with a jammed weapon, etcetera. Any professionally trained hunter knows this, even if he obviously preferably uses his rifle per default. Furthermore, if a non-lethal hit is made, it is but humane to have a pointy "stabby" (as he says) thruster to finish the suffering (if all else fail).
The "stabby" knife would of course not be for gutting, preferably. Thus the quest for a good compromise. It is not impossible, though, to place a bigger knife between the mid-knuckles (or a firm index+thumb-tip-grip) to prevent gut leakage when gutting.
I don't get why a forum about the passion for knives has to be this childish? Can't we just share the quest for awesome knives?

Also, "You don't really need a flat edge for food chopping, curved works just as well".
What? No two different things can work identically well for a specific purpose. I have A-B tested many knives. Of course there is a slight difference between all knives that are not identical. However, good luck hacking groceries on a cutting board with only the base edge of a khukuri

 

[Sundsvall]

Awesome addition to the list, Sundsvall! I take it you're a fellow Swede?
I guess that Böker here means "one who grubs"(?), (what boars do when they stuff their face digging n the mud) for you none-Scandinavians.
This is in the shortest extreme of the list, but what a thick beauty! And the 7mm AUS-8 is no joke. It's like a dwarfed Operator 7, but more hygienic.
It might even top most knives on the pry bar department.
And I LOVE Kydex. Kydex is about a must for in-and-out constant use.
If this doesn't win, I might get it anyways as well, just for the fun of it. Bushcraft on steroids!
Keep em coming!

I didn't include it at first because of the shorter blade. Otherwise, it checks off all the requirements, is still in production and doesn't cost as much as the customs. AUS8 is a great steel. It is very tough and gets pretty sharp.

There is another called Boker Plus PryMate Pro.

https://www.knifecenter.com/item/BO02BO016/boker-plus-prymate-pro-fixed-blade-knife-d2-stonewashed-sheepsfoot-black-g10-handles-kydex-sheath

Boker Arbolito Genuine Deer Stag Gut Hook Fixed Blade Knife​

https://deadwoodknives.com/p-02ba510hh-boker-arbolito-genuine-deer-stag-gut-hook-fixed-blade-knife-2ba510hh

​

 

[Drop bear]

I don't have one personally, though, I've been thinking of picking one up for the longest of time.

Sounds like the description of the Extrema Ratio "Shrapnel One."

• stainless (used in the kitchen daily and washed without the need for oil) , made from N690 stainless steel
• thick, baton-ready full-tang , .25" stock steel, full tang and batonable
• flat-edge food chopper (without a protruding guard that passes the edge and hinders a flat landing on a cutting board) , edge below handle
• stabbing point (for hunting) , really pointy tip with swedge
• pointy glass-breaker , not pointy, however, protrusion at tang is for that purpose among other things

It certainly won't be as robust as the Selvans; however, it would be much better suited for kitchen duty. It practically looks like a basic chef's knife just made with 2-3x thicker stock steel than a "normal" kitchen knife.

Only downside is the base sheath is probably not the best and an upgrade would be beneficial.

I had a look at the shrapnel one. And yeah. That would be the better fit.

I know stuff all about E.R. well and truly outside my budget.

 

[Drop bear]

This is simply false, people. Do NOT trust this person, hunters! If by chance you are hunting boar, (or anything more aggressive for that matter,) you might find yourself out of ammo, fogged up, in the dark, or with a jammed weapon, etcetera. Any professionally trained hunter knows this, even if he obviously preferably uses his rifle per default. Furthermore, if a non-lethal hit is made, it is but humane to have a pointy "stabby" (as he says) thruster to finish the suffering (if all else fail).
The "stabby" knife would of course not be for gutting, preferably. Thus the quest for a good compromise. It is not impossible, though, to place a bigger knife between the mid-knuckles (or a firm index+thumb-tip-grip) to prevent gut leakage when gutting.
I don't get why a forum about the passion for knives has to be this childish? Can't we just share the quest for awesome knives?

Also, "You don't really need a flat edge for food chopping, curved works just as well".
What? No two different things can work identically well for a specific purpose. I have A-B tested many knives. Of course there is a slight difference between all knives that are not identical. However, good luck hacking groceries on a cutting board with only the base edge of a khukuri

The area I live in hunting boar with knives is pretty common.

And hunting boar with stainless steel knives is pretty common.

Otherwise. There seems to be this ideal usage for knives. So a bushcraft knife can't be a tanto or a thick knife can't cut food.

But honestly most knives work for pretty much anything. I don't think compromising is necessarily a compromise.

I for example cook with modified cleavers. I am not running a commercial kitchen. I just cook for myself. So the level of fun outweighs the need for efficiency.

So yeah. Take out the knife that you are exited to use. That I think is the most important aspect. Because then you will use it.

And the better you get at using a knife. The more efficient the knife becomes.

 

[DannyTheSwede]

The area I live in hunting boar with knives is pretty common.

And hunting boar with stainless steel knives is pretty common.

Otherwise. There seems to be this ideal usage for knives. So a bushcraft knife can't be a tanto or a thick knife can't cut food.

But honestly most knives work for pretty much anything. I don't think compromising is necessarily a compromise.

I for example cook with modified cleavers. I am not running a commercial kitchen. I just cook for myself. So the level of fun outweighs the need for efficiency.

So yeah. Take out the knife that you are exited to use. That I think is the most important aspect. Because then you will use it.

And the better you get at using a knife. The more efficient the knife becomes.

Totally agree! Hunters gonna hunt. Haters gonna hate

I, as a knife-nerd, know that there would be a perfect unique knife for each and every task in the world. For each hand-size too, actually. And so on...
But yes, "most knives work for pretty much anything". That's the reason for me to find the best one for my need, and excitement as you mention.
Compromise is to me the epitome of functionality, which just adds efficiency. For me, being efficient is fun. Being capable is fun.

The reason I want a thick knife, is that I've seen people in front of my eyes drop somewhat hard RHC's on concrete / ceramic tile, and totally shatter them. Or break them when surprised by a nail in wood. They have always been somewhat thin. But with what most see as a gimmicky SERE-knife, there is no easy way to make it fail. Thus the Esee-5 is such a bestseller even the maker doesn't understand it.

That is my goal. To become sufficient with only one knife, if needed. This is the way.

 

[Spears]

Work Tuff Nomad Field does have a great handle hook and guard when thrusting. But the wood-chopper (khukuri-)design hinders the base of the blade from cutting to the board. Shame on an otherwise nice-looking alternative.

Not entirely. The canted handle does make it look like that and a section of the edge closest to the handle will not touch the cutting board if the handle is also over cutting board.

However, a good portion of the belly and edge sits pretty comfortable below the handle. The belly portion is actually quite good for rocking back and forth when dicing veggies and stuff. Also, the handle is long enough and still high enough that you'll likely have more than enough clearance on a field cutting board.

 

[DannyTheSwede]

Not entirely. The canted handle does make it look like that and a section of the edge closest to the handle will not touch the cutting board if the handle is also over cutting board.

However, a good portion of the belly and edge sits pretty comfortable below the handle. The belly portion is actually quite good for rocking back and forth when dicing veggies and stuff. Also, the handle is long enough and still high enough that you'll likely have more than enough clearance on a field cutting board.

It is very pretty. Might have to watch a video review or something to see it in action. I trust a good old video where they abuse it just to make me trust it. Not too familiar with the brand yet.

 

[Arathol]

This is simply false, people. Do NOT trust this person, hunters! If by chance you are hunting boar, (or anything more aggressive for that matter,) you might find yourself out of ammo, fogged up, in the dark, or with a jammed weapon, etcetera. Any professionally trained hunter knows this, even if he obviously preferably uses his rifle per default. Furthermore, if a non-lethal hit is made, it is but humane to have a pointy "stabby" (as he says) thruster to finish the suffering (if all else fail).

LOL.....you been watching youtube and playing video games too much....."professionally trained hunter" you say......

If you are hunting boar in the dark you better have something a bit more substantial than a chefs knife if thats what you intend to dispatch it with......

Also, "You don't really need a flat edge for food chopping, curved works just as well".
What? No two different things can work identically well for a specific purpose. I have A-B tested many knives. Of course there is a slight difference between all knives that are not identical. However, good luck hacking groceries on a cutting board with only the base edge of a khukuri

Ever heard of an Ulu? Or a Santoku? They have been used for centuries for food prep. The only real straight edge knives I use in the kitchen are a Nakiri bōchō and a usuba bōchō.

Other then that, I use whatever is at hand at the time. Sometimes its a CS Luzon, sometimes its a Marbles Woodcraft, or whatever I happen to be carrying. Either way it gets the job done easily. Today I had this with me -

Not a straight edge in sight, but it does food prep as well as any knife, better than most....

 

[skyhorse]

D DannyTheSwede Welcome , you may find just what you need here.https://www.bladeforums.com/forums/for-sale-fixed-blades.754/