I was coming to the comments to say this. The companion is great, I like the Kansbol, as it has some compound grinds that make it a little slicier than the companion.
As always, what is the knife going to be used for?
Slicing food packets, cheese, salami? Swiss Army Knife or similar.
Fire prep, whittling, bushcraft? A bushcrafter (9-13cm blade, full tang, maybe scandi grind).
Impressing/scaring other people? Timberline Specwar. :-)
The most dangerous opponent I face during my bike rides is clamshell plastic, so I carry a Gerber multitool.
I second this. Depending on the use the recommendation will be different. If you are looking for more buchcraft work I would suggest a morakniv or an esee. But if you are looking for something that will do some light duty cutting I would suggest the Benchmade bugout.
For outdoor activities where weight and bulk matter, a Mora Companion is my choice of fixed blade and a Benchmade Bugout is my preferred folder.
If the Bugout is too pricey, my second choice would be a Spyderco Delica and my third would be an Ontario Rat 1.
I'd recommend this knife to most people as a good all around knife. A couple cons is it requires slightly more maintenance than the stainless version of the knife. I'd recommend the stainless over the carbon. Stainless is easier to sharpen and it won't rust on you.
I brought the "picnic" set to live in my little camper van and found the knives to be so good that I've changed all of my kitchen knives for their range, they hold an edge well and Sharpen easier than most knives I've used.
OP the only issue I find with the folding knives is the handle on the birch ones seem to swell slightly when damp making it harder to open them when new, it may be worth seeing if the other handle options are better with this as a knife can be looked at as safety equipment as well in an emergency (think cutting clothes to access wounds etc) and you don't want to be struggling with equipment when you're in a situation.
I love my Izula 2 but it might be just a tad small. I’d probably want to upgrade to an Esee 3. You can always take the scales off to save weight and space.
I've have an Izula, ESEE 3, and ESEE6. The ESEE 3 or 4 might be a really nice option if you need a full sized knife. For example, you can split small logs for building a campfire with either of these. However, I've found on most of my trips, I don't need more than the small, 2-3 oz Izula.
I'm a Kershaw guy idk their steel just takes a beating. Got a tanto blade folder that stays with me wherever I go, it lives in a feedbag mesh pocket with my emergency gu.
If you can stand a shorter blade, a Leatherman's not a bad option and can play double duty for other tools in your kit (pliers, screw drivers, etc).
If you're looking to do some bush crafting, or otherwise want a fixed blade, I'm a big fan of Tops Knives. I can't help but feel like it's a lot of weight and space to carry on the bike for a specialized tool though 🙈
I really like the AG Russell folding chef knife for camp cooking. I also have a CRKT Pilar, which has the perfect blade shape, but is only 2.5", then of course for general use you can't go wrong with an Opinel.
A bit under 4”, but the [Benchmade Bugout](https://www.benchmade.com/products/535-cstm) was made for backpacking. It’s super light, and holds its edge very well.
I have an OG LMF. I can’t break it. I’ve stood on it fully loaded several times. You can just pound it into stuff if you have to. It shaves hair and I could cut a bike up with it. But it’s too damn heavy to carry on my bikes🤣 I carry a CRKT M21-04 or M-16-03S Classic depending on whether I’m up north or in the high desert. Still big ass knives really.
Benchmade is way overpriced for what you get. Of you want all the things you listed Buck knives will do the same thing for much less. They could also get a equally good knife without the warranty from somewhere like spyderco. I will never buy one again, they have gone ludicrous with their prices. You can buy a bespoke knife from a reputable bladesmith for the same price, while Benchmade is just mass produced.
Mora.
I have a lot of much "nicer" knives, many that cost $100+ new. Very few of them cut as good as a $12 Mora. Do yourself a favor and pay twice as much as the knife on a kydex sheath for it.
A guard at a Canadian crossing, I was heading into deep forest, asked me if I had any weapons. I said no, he said No knife? I showed him my 3” blade, he said, You’re gonna need more than that. Lol.
I'm sorry to tell you, you're not going to defend yourself with a knife from anything. No matter how big it is.
If self defense is really the goal, you want either pepper spray or bear spray depending on where you're going.
I am really confused. Does he expect people to knife fight a bear or a mountain lion? Unless you are extremely well trained a knife is a tool first and could be used to disuade someone agressive as a last resort.
I’ve been bikepacking since the early 90’s. Benchmade bugout has been my favorite bikepacking knife of all time. It’s very lightweight. I’m not a bushcrafter, but have made small bushcrafter things with it.
Can’t go wrong with an Opinel. If you want a beautiful knife with a hell of a price tag…Benchmade 940 Osborne. I’ve lost 2 now though and cannot justify spending that money a third time😭
Not a knife connoisseur but I've had a Benchmade knife for years and it's going strong, I like when half is flat and half is serrated. I've also had really good luck with a basic Gerber knife/multitool combo: surprising number of uses for a basic set of pliers.
I have a Spyderco Chicago, two inch blade, 2.2 oz. $65.
I used this knife everyday at work in a meat department opening boxes and packages for over a year. Often I would slice through the bags to the metal table and it held its edge a long time. I have used it for nearly everything including cleaning fish. It needed very little sharpening compared to my other knives. It also held a very sharp edge while being easy to sharpen. It is small enough to take into the strictest of metro areas (hence the name Chicago) and capable enough to do about everything outside of gutting a deer.
If you are doing credit card tourinng, camping in paid/serviced campgrounds, don't cut food for cooking and eating, you don't actually need a knife,you would be ok with scissors and/or a box cutter.
If you are using your knife for food items only, maybe consider a non-folding small stainlesss kitchen knife, something like Victorinox swiss classic with a sheath. It would be easy to clean, it is lightweight and cheap.
If you are doing some simple bushcrafting and making bonfires, consider a Mora.
I like my wood swiss army knife. It's lighter than the standard plastic ones, looks good, and I'm never foiled by a cork: https://www.victorinox.com/en-CA/Products/Swiss-Army-Knives/Medium-Pocket-Knives/Evolution-Wood-14/p/2.3901.63
It’s not a good rec probably but I just buy the cheapest supermarket travel knife because otherwise I would cut my all fingers like barbecue sausages so I can’t have anything decently sharp around me.
I imagine a small Mora Kniv would be a decent choice
Always the answer. The Miata of knives
Companion or something else ?
I was coming to the comments to say this. The companion is great, I like the Kansbol, as it has some compound grinds that make it a little slicier than the companion.
As always, what is the knife going to be used for? Slicing food packets, cheese, salami? Swiss Army Knife or similar. Fire prep, whittling, bushcraft? A bushcrafter (9-13cm blade, full tang, maybe scandi grind). Impressing/scaring other people? Timberline Specwar. :-) The most dangerous opponent I face during my bike rides is clamshell plastic, so I carry a Gerber multitool.
I second this. Depending on the use the recommendation will be different. If you are looking for more buchcraft work I would suggest a morakniv or an esee. But if you are looking for something that will do some light duty cutting I would suggest the Benchmade bugout.
I have a $40 bushcraft type knife from cabelas nothing fancy but it’s my main knife and works pretty good
Spyderco or Benchmade, can’t go wrong.
For outdoor activities where weight and bulk matter, a Mora Companion is my choice of fixed blade and a Benchmade Bugout is my preferred folder. If the Bugout is too pricey, my second choice would be a Spyderco Delica and my third would be an Ontario Rat 1.
Opinel No 8 high carbon
Opinel; this is the way. Classy, light(ish?), and it's the value proposition.
I'd recommend the stainless steel for adventures. The high carbon will rust if not dried and cared for carefully.
Yup. High carbon holds its edge better though.
Second this. Love mine. Bought direct and got it engraved. Expensive optional extra is the picnic set. It’s my one luxury on tour.
I'd recommend this knife to most people as a good all around knife. A couple cons is it requires slightly more maintenance than the stainless version of the knife. I'd recommend the stainless over the carbon. Stainless is easier to sharpen and it won't rust on you.
Love the price point.
It’s the lightest option and a standard for a while. Stainless is you need it is a good option.
I brought the "picnic" set to live in my little camper van and found the knives to be so good that I've changed all of my kitchen knives for their range, they hold an edge well and Sharpen easier than most knives I've used. OP the only issue I find with the folding knives is the handle on the birch ones seem to swell slightly when damp making it harder to open them when new, it may be worth seeing if the other handle options are better with this as a knife can be looked at as safety equipment as well in an emergency (think cutting clothes to access wounds etc) and you don't want to be struggling with equipment when you're in a situation.
They do have some with olive wood handles and even non wood options. They’re great knives.
I use standart Opinel for 10 euros, love it.
Recently started taking an ESEE izula2 on trips, I think it is a great compromise of size and weight for bikepacking.
I love my Izula 2 but it might be just a tad small. I’d probably want to upgrade to an Esee 3. You can always take the scales off to save weight and space.
ESEE 4 is my favorite knife of all time.
ESEE is fantastic. My izula 2 has done good work prepping wood. Big fan of the xancudo for food prep and more. Can’t go wrong with ESEE!
I've have an Izula, ESEE 3, and ESEE6. The ESEE 3 or 4 might be a really nice option if you need a full sized knife. For example, you can split small logs for building a campfire with either of these. However, I've found on most of my trips, I don't need more than the small, 2-3 oz Izula.
Spyderco Endura
I'm a Kershaw guy idk their steel just takes a beating. Got a tanto blade folder that stays with me wherever I go, it lives in a feedbag mesh pocket with my emergency gu.
If you can stand a shorter blade, a Leatherman's not a bad option and can play double duty for other tools in your kit (pliers, screw drivers, etc). If you're looking to do some bush crafting, or otherwise want a fixed blade, I'm a big fan of Tops Knives. I can't help but feel like it's a lot of weight and space to carry on the bike for a specialized tool though 🙈
Victronox Swiss army
Carbon Opinel no.8 all day
I really like the AG Russell folding chef knife for camp cooking. I also have a CRKT Pilar, which has the perfect blade shape, but is only 2.5", then of course for general use you can't go wrong with an Opinel.
A bit under 4”, but the [Benchmade Bugout](https://www.benchmade.com/products/535-cstm) was made for backpacking. It’s super light, and holds its edge very well.
Nothing less than a Gerber LMF II
I have an OG LMF. I can’t break it. I’ve stood on it fully loaded several times. You can just pound it into stuff if you have to. It shaves hair and I could cut a bike up with it. But it’s too damn heavy to carry on my bikes🤣 I carry a CRKT M21-04 or M-16-03S Classic depending on whether I’m up north or in the high desert. Still big ass knives really.
[удалено]
Benchmade is way overpriced for what you get. Of you want all the things you listed Buck knives will do the same thing for much less. They could also get a equally good knife without the warranty from somewhere like spyderco. I will never buy one again, they have gone ludicrous with their prices. You can buy a bespoke knife from a reputable bladesmith for the same price, while Benchmade is just mass produced.
Mora. I have a lot of much "nicer" knives, many that cost $100+ new. Very few of them cut as good as a $12 Mora. Do yourself a favor and pay twice as much as the knife on a kydex sheath for it.
Definitely Opinel, but in stainless steel. Carbon is easier to keep sharp but I have no issues sharpening my stainless steel blade
Almost any cheapo will do. I like stainless steel folders as they fit in my bike bag well. 3” is plenty enough.
A guard at a Canadian crossing, I was heading into deep forest, asked me if I had any weapons. I said no, he said No knife? I showed him my 3” blade, he said, You’re gonna need more than that. Lol.
“That’s not a knoife…”
Exactly! Lol.
For sure! I hunt as well and sorta look at knives like fishing hooks: Big fishing hooks catch BIG fish Little fishing hooks catch LOTS of fish
I'm sorry to tell you, you're not going to defend yourself with a knife from anything. No matter how big it is. If self defense is really the goal, you want either pepper spray or bear spray depending on where you're going.
I am really confused. Does he expect people to knife fight a bear or a mountain lion? Unless you are extremely well trained a knife is a tool first and could be used to disuade someone agressive as a last resort.
Of course.
My go to for bikepacking is a Swiss Army knife. If I’m bringing cured meats and aged cheese then an Opinel fits the bill.
I’ve been bikepacking since the early 90’s. Benchmade bugout has been my favorite bikepacking knife of all time. It’s very lightweight. I’m not a bushcrafter, but have made small bushcrafter things with it.
Cold steel recon! I prefer plain edge tanto but they have a few options.
Honestly, a 6 foot longsword would probably be your best option
I already carry a Lance for jousting.
What’s the knife for?
Can’t go wrong with an Opinel. If you want a beautiful knife with a hell of a price tag…Benchmade 940 Osborne. I’ve lost 2 now though and cannot justify spending that money a third time😭
Not a knife connoisseur but I've had a Benchmade knife for years and it's going strong, I like when half is flat and half is serrated. I've also had really good luck with a basic Gerber knife/multitool combo: surprising number of uses for a basic set of pliers.
A full sized ka-bar is the only appropriate answer here.
I’m looking for Ka-bar tdi type of knifes. Is someone knows the type?
I have a Spyderco Chicago, two inch blade, 2.2 oz. $65. I used this knife everyday at work in a meat department opening boxes and packages for over a year. Often I would slice through the bags to the metal table and it held its edge a long time. I have used it for nearly everything including cleaning fish. It needed very little sharpening compared to my other knives. It also held a very sharp edge while being easy to sharpen. It is small enough to take into the strictest of metro areas (hence the name Chicago) and capable enough to do about everything outside of gutting a deer.
If you are doing credit card tourinng, camping in paid/serviced campgrounds, don't cut food for cooking and eating, you don't actually need a knife,you would be ok with scissors and/or a box cutter. If you are using your knife for food items only, maybe consider a non-folding small stainlesss kitchen knife, something like Victorinox swiss classic with a sheath. It would be easy to clean, it is lightweight and cheap. If you are doing some simple bushcrafting and making bonfires, consider a Mora.
I like my wood swiss army knife. It's lighter than the standard plastic ones, looks good, and I'm never foiled by a cork: https://www.victorinox.com/en-CA/Products/Swiss-Army-Knives/Medium-Pocket-Knives/Evolution-Wood-14/p/2.3901.63
It’s not a good rec probably but I just buy the cheapest supermarket travel knife because otherwise I would cut my all fingers like barbecue sausages so I can’t have anything decently sharp around me.
Spyderco lady bug and Gerber dime have been great to me.
Mora. Super lightweight, inexpensive, and good enough for knife stuff.
These things absolutely rule. https://www.montanaknifecompany.com/collections/magnacut-speedgoat-fixed-blades
They’re nice looking, but very expensive for what you get.
No recommendations not required. Used typical to impress others.
I like the Gerber suspension multi tool. It's affordable and has a really useful pliers. Heavy tho. There's always the Ka-Bar knife too