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Someone claimed the Spyderco Fred Perrin designed Street Beat and Street Bowie knives are almost ideal survival and everyday carry knives, and outdoor use knives, any knife legalities aside, when it comes to the materials, design, and use. Would those of you who are familiar with and perhaps who own and have used them agree with that summary or what are your views on these two knives? Perrin is a very good knife designer.

hummmm...no.
Perrin IS a very good knife designer, but those two are not ideal survival or outdoor knives. The handle shape and the blade too, these are SD knives first and foremost.And they are very, very good SD knives. Anything else is just a bonus. And yes, I have both.

They can fulfill those roles just fine IMO. I used a street bowie as a camp knife. VG10 is used in many outdoors and survival knives. Fallkniven comes to mind.

Ended up selling it because I prefer the Aqua Salt for that role. Extremely light for its size (lighter than the street bowie), as tough as any carbon steel I've used while also being rust proof, excellent handle that works well with gloves on, not too expensive, easy to find etc.

Don't get me wrong, I love both of them, but for me, the finger choil is just not ideal for outdoor uses. Say for whittling I find the handle shape awkward. the steel itself is of course awesome, I like VG10 over S30v...

I have the Street Beat and use it outdoors a lot. I have a custom kydex sheath for it and often clip it to the shoulder strap of my pack. It is a smaller knife so for me in that roll it is a neck knife in a secondary roll to a larger knife. It is almost the exact same size as the Becker BK14 which is a very popular outdoor neck knife. It is thick blade stock (4mm?) and the edge is thick enough to be durable but it still cuts well. I have used mine fairly hard at times. Batonning and drilling with the tip. I have built a few bow drill kits with it.

Jt is right about the handle. It is unique and I think you either like it or you don't. I like it. It hasn't bothered me carving hardwoods with it.

Here is a terrible pic of it with the BK14 and Izula, both very popular outdoor and EDC knives.

Handle was perfectly comfortable to me but I did not like the blade angle. I prefer something with a subtle negative blade angle, not quite as drastic as the military but not angled slightly upwards like the beats. Great knife either way, the micarta handled ones are gorgeous but still ready for hard use.

These knives should do fine for such tasks. When I finally got to handle them, I did not like the way they felt in my hand. That might change over time as I get used to them, but the first time did not win me over. It is different, I will say that. I plan to try again, at some future date.

Either one of them would work as a steak knife while eating out without attracting negative attention. They'd also make serviceable hunting knives for processing small game and field dressing whitetail deer and black bear although, personally, I'd choose the Moran Drop Point for those uses. The Street Bowie would also work as a food prep knife while camping. OTOH, considering them "survival knives" might be stretching things a bit. I know I'd want something a bit more robust, like a Schempp Rock or one of the larger Hossoms.

I'd imagine there are better handle designs for Bushcraft and maybe other blade grinds that are better suited for it but I don't see anything about a Street Beat that suggests it would do poorly at camping or hunting.

Bearface, could we see the custom Kydex for your Street Beat, please, and any details on where to get one?
Thanks.

SpyderEdgeForever wrote:Someone claimed the Spyderco Fred Perrin designed Street Beat and Street Bowie knives are almost ideal survival and everyday carry knives, ...

IMHO this "someone" has not the best knowledge and experience about handle- and bladegeometries. I own both, the Street Beat and also some Street Bowies and I like their slim handles for EDC, though both are far away from ideal knives for survival. For EDU I prefer rounder and thicker handles, as this bulkier geometrie is more comfortable in long use. If you are looking for a light fixed for survival and so on, I suggest to try a Moran too.

In one case "someone" is right: If your Street Beat or Street Bowie is your only knife, it's the best in every situation

The Moran is a nice knife but it only has a 1/3 stick tang instead of a full tang. I think the Perrin knives are all full tang, thus they are stronger. Of course Mora knives are also 1/3 stick or rat tail tangs and they get used pretty hard.

JT wrote:hummmm...no.
Perrin IS a very good knife designer, but those two are not ideal survival or outdoor knives. The handle shape and the blade too, these are SD knives first and foremost.And they are very, very good SD knives. Anything else is just a bonus. And yes, I have both.

This.Perin was a french commando and bodyguard,and he is a martial art expert,after all.

Doc Dan wrote:The Moran is a nice knife but it only has a 1/3 stick tang instead of a full tang. I think the Perrin knives are all full tang, thus they are stronger.

Street Beat is full tang construction, but not the larger Street Bowies

Show me reports of broken handles from Morans or Street Bowies and this point in construction will be import, otherwise I can deny this "weak point".

Peter1960 wrote:

Doc Dan wrote:The Moran is a nice knife but it only has a 1/3 stick tang instead of a full tang. I think the Perrin knives are all full tang, thus they are stronger.

Street Beat is full tang construction, but not the larger Street Bowies

Show me reports of broken handles from Morans or Street Bowies and this point in construction will be import, otherwise I can deny this "weak point".

I've never seen any hidden tang fixed blade break somewhere relevant to this discussion. I've hammered Mora 760mg's through wood and street signs, and pried with them till the blade snapped. Handle was still in one piece.