Hiking knife

[spyderwolf]

I have both the Street Beat ans the Street Bowie and i love them,but i think they are not ideal for woods.
I thought about the Bow River,but since nobody saw the sheath,i think we are no where near a month out from it.More likely a year...
I narrow it down to the Jumpmaster and the Junction.They both are around 200$ in Europe,with the Junction being over,and the Jumpmaster under,and i love the classic Spyderco shape of the Jumpmaster.Only thing holding me back are the serrations.I never had a serrated blade.

[spyderwolf]

The variety of suggestions here is pretty amusing. Ark, waterway, street Bowie. Light weight! Rust proof! Tough! Steel charts!

But OP’e requirements seem pretty basic. Cutting branches, making kindling. If the Bow River we’re out I would suggest that as a basic fixed blade. It’s not out quite yet. If you can wait a month it may be worth it. Unless the sheath sucks.

The street Bowie is one of the other economical fixed blades but that massive choil gives me pause for this use case. Maybe it’s fine, it just seems like it forces more of a fighting grip. I’m sure it would get the job done, just doesn’t seem ideal.

Mule... no sheath, no handle, no bueno. Some suggested an Ark... this seems like a downgrade from a folder to me.

Sheaths also matter a lot. How are you going to carry this? Belt? In a pack?

Belt,horizontally,6 o'clock.

[Marulaghost]

Is the respect it off the question?

[spyderwolf]

Is the respect it off the question?

You had to bring this up,haven't you? The Respect is one of my grail knives,but it's over 500$ here,so it'll have to wait...

[brj]

i love the classic Spyderco shape of the Jumpmaster.Only thing holding me back are the serrations.I never had a serrated blade.

Well, the Jumpmaster will make for an exquisite 'first serrated' knife. For the record, I used to have a bias against serrations as well until a while ago... not any more. My Jumpmaster II sees way more use than my Temperance II and I am never without a toothy Salt on me.

Slightly off-topic here, but my current system for short hikes consists of only a Mora Eldris IWB and a Snap-It dangling from the left shoulder strap.

[Bill1170]

I’m surprised no one yet has suggested the Temperance 2. It is 5” of full flat ground VG-10 with a grippy micarta handle and a sheath. Might be too pricey for the OP, but it’s a great all around fixed blade.

[Gurney Halleck]

I’m surprised no one yet has suggested the Temperance 2. It is 5” of full flat ground VG-10 with a grippy micarta handle and a sheath. Might be too pricey for the OP, but it’s a great all around fixed blade.

I've been looking for a Temperance 2 for a while. Do you have any leads on where to find one?

[Extra330SC]

Guys,i need your help:i love to go hiking with my dog in the woods,and i need a fixed blade.
What do you think it will be the best?
Thanks in advance.

Bradley Junction or Mule with Halpern scales!


James

[Xplorer]

I’m surprised no one yet has suggested the Temperance 2. It is 5” of full flat ground VG-10 with a grippy micarta handle and a sheath. Might be too pricey for the OP, but it’s a great all around fixed blade.

I did suggest the Temperance 2. It's a great knife and might be ideal for the OP's stated requirements. As far as I know, it's not available though.

[Xplorer]

Chad... I think it shows that LC200N is well up to the outdoorsman's tasks. ...

No doubt about it. :)

(on a side note, I continue to be surprised by AEB-L/13C26 and how tough it really is.)

I know, right?! I am just about to order 6 little sheets (6"x24") of AEB-L in different thicknesses so that I can make myself a sweet set of kitchen knives. But, the leftovers will definitely be used to make outdoor knives. Aside from incredible toughness and very high overall performance, AEB-L is dirt cheap compared to the steels I normally work with. I definitely understand why so many knife makers like that steel. :)

[bearfacedkiller]

I love my Temp2 and when they do show up on the secondary market the price is usually very reasonable.

[elena86]

1. Fixed blade - Waterway
2. Folding knife - SE Pac Salt

[Gsg9]

Get a Junction, it's nice and compact and good performer

https://youtu.be/Hz73CvjVbnA

[Xplorer]

Hahahahaha!! :) I love the intro video and theme song! Great info too! Thanks for sharing. :)

[MacLaren]

It's a shame the Province hasnt been released yet.
Its gonna be one more nice fixed blade.
Maybe she'll be out one day.

[Ed Ricketts]

Another vote for the 5" Perrin, for general purposes and light weight. The new hatchet if you plan on a lot of chopping firewood & for shelter building.

[spyderwolf]

Get a Junction, it's nice and compact and good performer

https://youtu.be/Hz73CvjVbnA

Thanks for the photos.They might tip the balance in Junction's direction.

[spyderwolf]

I’m surprised no one yet has suggested the Temperance 2. It is 5” of full flat ground VG-10 with a grippy micarta handle and a sheath. Might be too pricey for the OP, but it’s a great all around fixed blade.

I can't afford to pay 500+ for knife,no matter how badly i want it.

[sal]

Hi Wolf,

Smart to live within your means.

If you are not going to use the knife, but just carry it, weight and cost are a larger issue. If you plan to use it, what for is a question. I would suggest the Temperance 2. A lot of performance and value for the cost.

sal

[vivi]

The variety of suggestions here is pretty amusing. Ark, waterway, street Bowie. Light weight! Rust proof! Tough! Steel charts!

But OP’e requirements seem pretty basic. Cutting branches, making kindling. If the Bow River we’re out I would suggest that as a basic fixed blade. It’s not out quite yet. If you can wait a month it may be worth it. Unless the sheath sucks.

The street Bowie is one of the other economical fixed blades but that massive choil gives me pause for this use case. Maybe it’s fine, it just seems like it forces more of a fighting grip. I’m sure it would get the job done, just doesn’t seem ideal.

Mule... no sheath, no handle, no bueno. Some suggested an Ark... this seems like a downgrade from a folder to me.

Sheaths also matter a lot. How are you going to carry this? Belt? In a pack?

Honestly for cutting branches OP would be better served with a $20 fiskars hatchet than a $200 knife with a 4" blade and less optimized weight distribution for chopping.

Being rust proof is nice when you're in the woods. One less thing to worry about if you get surprised by some rain, and if you don't get the knife 100% clean after making dinner you won't wake up to a bunch of rust spots.

H1 is also tougher than any stainless steel Spyderco offers, which is another reason I like it for this role. My Auqua Salt has seen over a decade of batoning and prying apart wood with zero damage to the knife.

I'm surprised you, OP and others are writing off the Street Bowie without trying it for this use. Sure, if you're going to whittle a log cabin, you can probably find a more optimal handle. But if you're cutting some rope, whittling a few tent pegs, doing some camp food prep, processing small game....it can handle all of these things very well. The grip is comfortable and secure, with a nice palm swell and grippy rubber section, with no guard to get in the way. It's served me well for years. OP says he owns one already, so why not take it on a hike and try it out before spending more money?

Same thing with the Ark. Try it before writing it off. It will handle typical hiking chores. You won't notice the size or weight at all. Rust proof so all you have to do is make sure its sharp before you go. Worlds easier to keep clean compared to folders.The generous belly makes it work well on a cutting board. An Ark will do everything I need in the woods outside of chopping apart wood for a shelter, but personally when I hike I'd rather carry a 5oz hammock and 6oz tarp that I can setup in five minutes, than carrying a 1lb+ hatchet or chopping knife and spending half an hour or more building a less comfortable shelter than impacts the appearance of my local trails more.

Either way, I hope OP is careful carrying at 6 o clock. Don't ever fall on your back or you'll be hurtin.