Affordable fixed blade (AFK)
Affordable fixed blade (AFK)
So, long story short: I really wanted Cru-Wear Micarta Proficient, but after thinking about it, the price is going to be too high for me. I have my own midset about fixed blade and the price that I want to pay for it.
So, I am going to start this new topic, and hopefully I get some answers and thought from other forumites :spyder:
Instead of listing properties like blade lenght, steel etc. I am going to start like this:
Maximum price for this fixed should be 150-170 €. This is the main goal, to produce a quite affordable general use outdoor fixed blade.
Blade lenght: 4 inches ........Could go bigger, not so much smaller, but I have a feeling that 4 inch blade is right around the sweet spot. NO thumb ramp. NO CHOIL
Handle: 4,5 inch. Scales out of G10 or micarta. Again, for the lower price, scales would be just rounded, more like on Shaman, not fully contoured like on Proficient or Zoomer.
Sheath: kydex, I guess
Steel: I am open to stainless or non-stainless. Again, to keep price down, I would say something like AEB-L is a good candidate.
Grind: FFG or high saber grind. I guess high saber grind is a good compromise. Convex would be a bit too pricey IMO.
What would be competitions for this knife: Fallkiven F1
What do you guys think? Am I asking for too much? Or am I trying to re-invented a wheel and just look at competition?
So, I am going to start this new topic, and hopefully I get some answers and thought from other forumites :spyder:
Instead of listing properties like blade lenght, steel etc. I am going to start like this:
Maximum price for this fixed should be 150-170 €. This is the main goal, to produce a quite affordable general use outdoor fixed blade.
Blade lenght: 4 inches ........Could go bigger, not so much smaller, but I have a feeling that 4 inch blade is right around the sweet spot. NO thumb ramp. NO CHOIL
Handle: 4,5 inch. Scales out of G10 or micarta. Again, for the lower price, scales would be just rounded, more like on Shaman, not fully contoured like on Proficient or Zoomer.
Sheath: kydex, I guess
Steel: I am open to stainless or non-stainless. Again, to keep price down, I would say something like AEB-L is a good candidate.
Grind: FFG or high saber grind. I guess high saber grind is a good compromise. Convex would be a bit too pricey IMO.
What would be competitions for this knife: Fallkiven F1
What do you guys think? Am I asking for too much? Or am I trying to re-invented a wheel and just look at competition?
In the pocket: Chaparral FRN, Native Chief, Police 4 K390, Pacific Salt SE, Manix 2 G10 REX45
Re: Affordable fixed blade (AFK)
... Waterway ... ?!
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
Re: Affordable fixed blade (AFK)
Handle is too thin fow my taste as a outdoor knife.
And yes, I have a Waterway, but it is not what I would call general outdoor knife. Its a good backpacking knife, but I have bit of a hard time baton it throu wood :D
In the pocket: Chaparral FRN, Native Chief, Police 4 K390, Pacific Salt SE, Manix 2 G10 REX45
- Cambertree
- Member
- Posts: 1640
- Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2014 6:48 am
- Location: Victoria, Australia
Re: Affordable fixed blade (AFK)
I like the idea of a value line of fixed blades.
What do you think of the Bow River? Not optimised enough for bushcrafty tasks?
What do you think of the Bow River? Not optimised enough for bushcrafty tasks?
- Stuart Ackerman
- Member
- Posts: 2084
- Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 2:39 pm
- Location: New Zealand
- Contact:
Re: Affordable fixed blade (AFK)
Pancake...do a sketch, even if it is rough... :)
Re: Affordable fixed blade (AFK)
Bow River is very nice, but I think it was designed with different purpose. Its more of a hunting knife, or small hiking knife. Steel is ok, nothing wrong with 8cr in my eyes, but the handle is small for long term wood processing. It´s ok for food cutting and meat processing.Cambertree wrote: ↑Mon Jun 15, 2020 1:45 amI like the idea of a value line of fixed blades.
What do you think of the Bow River? Not optimised enough for bushcrafty tasks?
Maybe :D Problem is, that I am not going to come up with anything new that is not going to resemble Fallkniven F1, Andaltool Canadian Forest knife, Fiddleback Forge Buschcrafter or something similar :DStuart Ackerman wrote: Pancake...do a sketch, even if it is rough... :)
In the pocket: Chaparral FRN, Native Chief, Police 4 K390, Pacific Salt SE, Manix 2 G10 REX45
Re: Affordable fixed blade (AFK)
Hey Pancake, you mentioned wood processing ... have a look at a Roselli Carpenter or Hunter.
Can’t say enough good things about either knife. :)
Can’t say enough good things about either knife. :)
A day without laughter is a day wasted. ~ Charlie Chaplin
Re: Affordable fixed blade (AFK)
I've asked for a smaller Aqua Salt in LC200N.
Overall dimensions similar to yours.
What's your desired blade thickness?
Aqua Salt and Waterway are thinner than the F1.
Overall dimensions similar to yours.
What's your desired blade thickness?
Aqua Salt and Waterway are thinner than the F1.
Re: Affordable fixed blade (AFK)
I know it doesn't match your requirements(nothing will), but I'd say to give the Street Beat a try. Really good knife.
Realistically, there isn't a Spyderco FB I can think of that would match your criteria. Closest is maybe a Mule Team?
Realistically, there isn't a Spyderco FB I can think of that would match your criteria. Closest is maybe a Mule Team?
"If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so."
-Thomas Jefferson
-Thomas Jefferson
Re: Affordable fixed blade (AFK)
Not sure if this knife has to be a scandi grind...scandi is good, but IMO too many manufacturers are using ridiculously thick stock with scandi.
Scandi should be at max 3.2 mm thick blade.
Mule team could work....there was some talk about making mule team knife as a standard production.
Modified Aqua Salt could work...
In the pocket: Chaparral FRN, Native Chief, Police 4 K390, Pacific Salt SE, Manix 2 G10 REX45
Re: Affordable fixed blade (AFK)
Oh shoot, how about the Junction? Aside from the wonky finger choil(which is actually nice), it's very close to what you are wanting. It's super cheap right now, I paid less than $100 for mine.
Edit: NVM, looks to be OOS everywhere.
Edit: NVM, looks to be OOS everywhere.
"If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so."
-Thomas Jefferson
-Thomas Jefferson
- Naperville
- Member
- Posts: 4430
- Joined: Sun Feb 04, 2018 2:58 am
- Location: Illinois, USA
Re: Affordable fixed blade (AFK)
Knife Center has a TAB called, "Find It" that will help you sort through all of this data in minutes.
I support the 2nd Amendment Organizations of GOA, NRA, FPC, SAF, and "Knife Rights"
T2T: https://tunnel2towers.org; Special Operations Wounded Warriors: https://sowwcharity.com/
T2T: https://tunnel2towers.org; Special Operations Wounded Warriors: https://sowwcharity.com/
Re: Affordable fixed blade (AFK)
Agreed!
Should also hold a true zero grind. :)
A day without laughter is a day wasted. ~ Charlie Chaplin
Re: Affordable fixed blade (AFK)
I'd love to see a series of middle-of-the-road non-frn outdoors fixed blades from spyderco. G10 or micarta handles, in several lengths from 3"-6". Basically I want Phil Wilson designs: gentle trailing point blade design and neutral(ish) rounded handles. If cruwear makes them too expensive, then I'd be very happy with aeb-l or 52100 (or maybe even 14c28n after reading Larrin's article yesterday). The Bradford Guardians come to mind as reasonable equivalents in the $100-200 range. Spyderco was able to make the Hossom series with micarta and n690Co in this price range- let's see more!
- Julia
"Be excellent to each other." - Bill S. Preston, Esq.
"Be excellent to each other." - Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Re: Affordable fixed blade (AFK)
It depends if you are willing to do some work on it. I would check out Brisa, especially in Europe, Elmax, AEB-L, 80CRV2 in blank forms. I really like Lauri PT blades.
I would recommend looking around for a mule, PD#1 and put some micarta on it.
I would recommend looking around for a mule, PD#1 and put some micarta on it.
- Doc Dan
- Member
- Posts: 14830
- Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2012 4:25 am
- Location: In a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity.
Re: Affordable fixed blade (AFK)
Sounds like a job for a Moran. It is hand filling, the blade is just the length you asked for, and it stood up to military testing.
I Pray Heaven to Bestow The Best of Blessing on THIS HOUSE, and on ALL that shall hereafter Inhabit it. May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under This Roof! (John Adams regarding the White House)
Follow the Christ, the King,
Live pure, speak true, right wrong, follow the King--
Else, wherefore born?" (Tennyson)
NRA Life Member
Spydernation 0050
Follow the Christ, the King,
Live pure, speak true, right wrong, follow the King--
Else, wherefore born?" (Tennyson)
NRA Life Member
Spydernation 0050
Re: Affordable fixed blade (AFK)
There is no problem for me make a knife out of scratch, I done it and most likely I am going to made another knife in the summer.
But I would like to see AFK from Spyderco, something more towards wood use, with high saber grind, FFG, thick enough handle, some good steel like 52100 that will not break the bank.
Hmm, never thought about that....Sounds like a job for a Moran. It is hand filling, the blade is just the length you asked for, and it stood up to military testing.
In the pocket: Chaparral FRN, Native Chief, Police 4 K390, Pacific Salt SE, Manix 2 G10 REX45
- kennethsime
- Member
- Posts: 4786
- Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2011 8:28 pm
- Location: California
Re: Affordable fixed blade (AFK)
I like the idea of a Chinese-made bushcraft knife from Spyderco.
The Bow River seems like it's been popular enough a hunting + fishing knife, let's apply the same idea to the Proficient and end up with a $75 bushcraft knife. Bonus points if we can get a nicer steel than 8cr, but honestly it's not bad.
The Bow River seems like it's been popular enough a hunting + fishing knife, let's apply the same idea to the Proficient and end up with a $75 bushcraft knife. Bonus points if we can get a nicer steel than 8cr, but honestly it's not bad.
I'm happiest with Micarta and Tool Steel.
Top four in rotation: K390 + GCM PM2, ZCarta Shaman, Crucarta PM2, K390 + GCM Straight Spine Stretch.
Top four in rotation: K390 + GCM PM2, ZCarta Shaman, Crucarta PM2, K390 + GCM Straight Spine Stretch.
Re: Affordable fixed blade (AFK)
I know, its boring and its bringing nothing new to the table.
But, I guess this desing should be boring, just a boring knife that you bring with you into the woods...... I might make one....
In the pocket: Chaparral FRN, Native Chief, Police 4 K390, Pacific Salt SE, Manix 2 G10 REX45