The RAT 3 is a very nice fixed blade EDC knife. Yes, the Ontario Rat 3 and Rat 5 quality has improved vastly in the last couple of years. The RAT 5 certainly appears to be an outstanding deal. The Laser Strike might be a better deal than the Ka-Bar Beckers that I'm very fond of, though, especially, when you figure out what you are getting extra and what you would potentially have to put into the Beckers.
When all things are considered, but it still doesn't have the best sheath. I like the Laser Stiker more than the ESEE 5 or the Ontario Blackbird SK-5, but it is twice as much as the roughly comparable RAT 5. I have to say, though, the Ontario Rat 5 at,$63.95 w/ Micarta handles on Amazon, is a bargain. It's similar in design to the Ontario Blackbird SK-5 and its cheaper brother, the Ontario Rat 5. I really like the ESEE 5, and it has a good warranty, perhaps the best in the industry. What would be your ideal length, Blade shape, grind, etc? Do you like the drop point, clip point, or spear point? I'm also a fan of the modestly priced Cold Steel Kukri machetes, but that's another thread. Or, a Mora (or 3 of them for that matter at their price point), either of which would be good for fine knife work. That would also be nice coupled with a BK14 or BK24 (with a different steel and different finish) for finer bushwork. Similar to the BK2, but thinner and a lot lighter, but still hefty enough for most things.
I much prefer the shorter 5 plus inch the BK10 Crewman Survival Knife. The BK9 coupled with a BK14 would be an incredibly well-rounded and versatile survival knife setup in which you could do just about anything required by a fixed-blade knife. The BK9, that is a formidable blade and awesome! I like it better than the shorter ESEE 7. ones are just more versatile, even though they cannot do what a large knife can. However, these seem a little too big for me and for the amount of times you would need a really big knife, the smaller 5" approx. It's kind of like an updated version of the Air Force Survival knife I had as a kid.Īs far as the other larger Beckers go, the Becker BK7 is also very sweet, and so is its big brother the Becker BK9. And, I don't like the grips on the mid-sized Beckers that much, even though the midsized Beckers, the BK15, BK16, and BK17 are also very nice knives. My main issue with them is that they don't come with Micarta scales and you have to pay upwards of $40 to get them as add-ons. I like all the Beckers and feel they are a very good knife for the money. I have bought into the Becker (Beckerhead) fanboy club. It would be an awesome knife if it was made out of the 1095 Carbon steel used in the SCHF9, though it corrects many of the SCHF9's shortcomings even though Schrade decided to use an inferior steel. I am not sure if I like the Bowie version of the Bushman as much. This can be attached to a pole for some real versatility creating a spear. I am also fond of the Ka-Bar Navy Mark I with the Kraton handle which is another awesomely priced knife for the money.Īs far as a real budget survival knife, I like the regular Cold Steel Bushman with the Secure X sheath. It's sort of a cross between the Becker BK7 and the Becker BK2, essentially a lighter, thinner-bladed BK2 with a combat blade tip. Still, another contender would be the Ka-Bar Becker BK10. The ESEE 5 is a little more and might have a better sheath than the Ontario SK-5. I am also fond of the Ontario Black Bird or the budget-minded Ontario Rat 5. My number one choice for Bush knife would be a Tops Brothers of Bush Knife, followed by an ESEE SK5, or a Ka-Bar Becker (beefy) BK2 (BK22 with updated sheath).
There really would be two categories, an all-out survival knife and perhaps a bushman-style knife. I don't think the difference between say a $80 survival style knife and a $300 survival knife is enough to justify the difference, and it seems like an $80 knife is the sweet point in terms of quality steel in the blade, the ability to hold an edge, etc.
What would you choose for your survival knife? I guess a budget knife would be no more than $150 and probably under a $100.