What’s the Best Fixed Blade Knife Available?
While a folding knife brings with it a built-in versatility that’s suited for a wide range of tasks, the fixed blade is pure strength. In fact, the best fixed blade knife is less likely to break because it doesn’t have any moving parts, unlike the folding knife which can break down under too much pressure.
The shorter, thinner blade of the folding knife is less likely to meet the challenge of the outdoors, where you may have to chop kindling for a campfire or cut tree saplings. Its role is more defined, unlike the fixed blade, which can take on the challenges that come its way. The dedicated knife owner is likely to own both a folding and a fixed blade, or non-folding knife, because each one has its own area of particular expertise.
And below, take a quick look at our interactive table. In the table, you’ll be able to compare and contrast a few of the best fixed knives currently available on the market:
| Photo | Model | Price |
|---|---|---|
 | Cold Steel Survival Rescue Knife (SRK) | $$$ |
 | Gerber LMF II Survival Knife | $$$ |
 | Ka-Bar Fighting Knife | $$ |
 | ESEE Knives 3P | $$$ |
 | SOG Seal Team S37-K | $$$ |
 | Cold Steel Recon 1 | $$$ |
Uses for Best Fixed Blade Knives
If you’re a hiker or a camper, you can use the fixed blade knife to slash through undergrowth, shave wood, or cut rope.
Fixed blades also make the best survival knives for outdoor use, where you might have to chop wood for a campfire so that your kids can roast marshmallows, or you might have to protect your family from harm.
Fixed blade knives often come with a knife sheath, making it easy to carry with you so that it’s always at hand when needed. Knife sheaths can be made from nylon, leather, plastic, or Kydex.
Kydex sheaths are the cream of the crop and are custom fitted for their knives for a snug fit.
Below, please take a moment to view some of the best-selling fixed blade knives currently for sale on Amazon:
| BEST SELLERS |
|---|
1) Mossy Oak |
2) Ka-Bar USMC |
3) Cold Steel Survivalist |
5) Camp Lore PR-4 |
4) Cold Steel San Mai SRK |
Types of Fixed Blades
These kinds of knives have various strengths and can be used in surprisingly varied settings.
They can be hunting knives, cooking knives, self-defense knives, all specializing in a particular skill or focus. A list of fixed knives includes the following types:
Tactical knives are used for survival and self-defense.
Bowie knives, which have been around for over a century, can be used for cutting sticks and for hunting.
Throwing knives have a thin, tapered handle that allows a clean release for target throwing; they are also used for hunting and self-defense.
Neck and boot knives are smaller fixed blade knives that are intended to be hidden from view.
Kitchen knives are used for cooking and have a variety of uses by everyone from a restaurant chef to an ordinary person cooking dinner for the family.
Is a Serrated or Non-serrated Blade Better?
Serrated blades have an advantage when it comes to tackling the more demanding chores like cutting rope, or cutting through animal fur, but a non-serrated or straight-edged blade is better at multi-tasking.
A partially serrated edge is a useful option. But a straight edge is easier to sharpen and to keep clean, and doesn’t come with the limitations of a serrated knife. The final decision will be based on what you intend to do with your knife.
What is the Advantage of Tang?
A full tang design is one of the strengths of the fixed blade knife; folding knives lack this because they have movable parts. A knife with full tang has the steel of the blade running unbroken from knife tip all the way through the handle. This internal steel, combined with the wider, longer blade, is what gives the blade its powerful strength.
How does the Handle the Knife?
A knife is meant for hard use, but a knife needs to be under the control of the user. That’s where the handle plays a key role. The handle needs to provide a secure, solid grip for your hand.
Some knives come with finger guards so that you won’t have an accident and cut yourself. Some of the fixed blade knives are made with a protrusion at the butt end of the handle; this makes the knife more secure in your grasp so that it won’t slip out of your hand.
The Importance of the Steel
Stainless steel is the favorite for fixed knives because carbon steel, although it has the “edge” (pardon the pun) in strength, is more prone to rust. A stainless steel knife requires less maintenance and much less effort and time in cleaning and care of the knife.
Popular stainless steel brands include:
- AUS 8
- VG-10
- 440C
- 154-CM
- 320V
The Top Fixed Blade Knives
And here are our top picks for fixed-blade knives. Let’s begin with a Ka-Bar knife.
The KA-BAR US Marine Corps Fighting Knife, with its 7-inch serrated blade made of 1095 Cro-Van steel, leather handle and sheath, brings semper fi power, strength, and durability to its work.
The $59 knife is made in the United States, the sheath in Mexico. The knife does what you need it to do, but it’s bit of an overachiever, so if you’re planning to use it to skin the animals you bring back from your next hunting trip in order to eat them, be warned in advance that it’s too big for this task. It earns high marks for its use in camping, hunting, and survival.
The KA-BAR Becker Companion Fixed Blade Knife is one of the most popular survival knives for sale. Its weight—16 ounces with a blade thickness of 0.25” —might seem overwhelming, but that weight can add to its strength when the knife is needed for jobs that require more force.
The knife’s durability was proven by rigorous stress tests. The knife comes with a Kydex sheath to protect it from whatever Mother Nature can dish out during outdoor use. The designer of the knife, Ethan Becker, brings decades of experience to his work.
For $69, you get the benefits of the Ethan Becker expertise. Becker comes by his knife know-how from several different realms of insight: he’s a respected hunter, outdoorsman, survivalist, and a chef.
SOG Specialty Knives provide a gamut of choices for knife enthusiasts of all kinds, including military knives survival knives, and multi-tool knives. They are made or assembled in the U.S., Japan, Taiwan, and China. This $104 Seal Team knife has been tested to prove its resistance to salt water and heat, and has also undergone durability tests to demonstrate that it meets the highest standards for cutting, chopping, and penetrating. The partially serrated blade, 7” in length, has a durable Zytel handle with a finger guard at the tip.
The Cold Steel takes its name seriously, with a 6” blade that’s made of San Mai III steel. This knife has Fällkniven quality for $110, almost half the price of the Swedish knife.
This knife is the perfect tool for backpacking and hunting trips, adept at cutting sticks for roasting hot dogs and beheading fish. One Scout leader reported using the Cold Steel SRK to teach knife safety at a Boy Scout camping trip. Its Kraton handle is also able to stand up to usage while providing a comfortable grip for the hand. This Survival Rescue Knife comes with a Concealex sheath.
This knife, made by a small, lesser-known Swedish company with a reputation for manufacturing knives that are high in quality, has a thick 6.6” blade of laminated VG-10 steel that renders it durable and resistant to the elements. Its handle is made from Kraton, and the sheath from Zytel to give it increased durability. You’ll be able to use it to split logs, trim trees, open cans of food, skin animals, and help in the camp kitchen, without showing any adverse signs of wear. The knife costs $234, which isn’t cheap, but its ability to get the job done validates the cost of the knife.
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Benchmade Fixed Blade Knives
Military personnel and rescue workers show a special loyalty to the Benchmade products that they use during their deployments.
The popular Benchmade Nimravus 141BK knife has earned its stripes during deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, in the hands of Navy pilots, Army soldiers, and combat medics.
Benchmade knives have not only proven themselves in combat situations, but also domestically, for rescue workers at Ground Zero and Hurricane Katrina. Benchmade service is just as stand-out as their products; knives that are sent to be sharpened are returned refurbished to their owner.
Buying the Right Knife
Fixed blades serve their purpose in both outdoor and indoor settings, whether you’re an outdoor type who likes hunting and camping; a student of self-defense; or you like to try out recipes with the best culinary equipment.
When buying your knife, make sure that you know what you need, and what you’ll use your knife for.
You will want to check out the kind of blade that’s best for your needs, the material that the handle is made of and how comfortable the grip is for you, and what kind of sheath is best suited to your knife.
Another reminder is to be sure that you do your homework on your municipality’s rules and laws for legal knife carrying. A knife is regarded as a weapon, and you’re a law-abiding citizen who takes the rules of knife safety seriously.
Whether you’re looking for general fixed blade knife information, or you’re truly seeking out the best pocket knives you can find, be sure to revisit our homepage so we can direct you to the article that will suit you best!
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