Fantastic Fixed Blade Knives

The most common style for an everyday carry knife is definitely a folder. However, you should not let a fixed blade everyday carry slip past your radar; fixed blade knives have many benefits. For starters, a fixed blade will always, always, always be a stronger knife than a folder will—fixed blades can pierce, they can pull, they can pry, and they can twist. These are all things that you might be able to do with a folder, but probably not without some nerves. Many people also brush off carrying a fixed blade because of the size. However, many fixed blades are smaller than large folding knives. And you really don’t need that large of a blade, around 3 inches, to accomplish the majority of your tasks. Another fantastic reason to carry a fixed blade as your everyday carry knife of choice is because they are much easier to maintain. You can do many dirty tasks with them, such as gardening, hunting, or fishing, and not have to worry about cleaning out all the nooks and crannies once you finish your work. With a fixed blade, you really only have to wipe everything down. Now that we’ve been over why you should carry a fixed blade, the next question is what fixed blade you should be carrying. To make the research easier for you, I have compiled a list of the three best fixed blades on the market.

 

The SOG Seal Pup Elite Knife:

This knife was designed to mimic the knife that the Navy SEALS use, so you know that this knife is going to be able to stand up to lots of heavy duty tasks.

The blade on this knife is 4.75 inches long made out of a high-quality AUS-8 hardened stainless steel. This steel has been powder coated for protection, corrosion resistance, and to defeat any glare. The lowered glare makes this knife a fantastic option for tactical missions because you won’t be alerting anyone of your position. The steel holds its edge well and has pretty good hardness. The thing that most people notice about the steel on this blade is how well it resists corrosion and rust. People use this knife for five plus years and their blades have no spots on it. The knife has a thick blade that measures .185 inches thick with a contoured spine. This thickness allows you to take on the rougher tasks without worrying about snapping your blade. There is a rasp on the blade’s spine, so you can have a place to set your thumb. Setting your thumb in this rasp will give you more control over your cutting, which makes it a perfect for smaller, more intricate tasks. The blade is partially serrated and has a clip point silhouette.

The handle on this knife is made out of Zytel, which is a super tough glass reinforced nylon. This material feels like a ceramic material, but it isn’t brittle so you don’t have to worry about your handle shattering. The handle is a black. It also has a nice finger profile which provides for fantastic grip even if the knife is wet. Another feature that gives you great grip is the textured scales. The handle also boasts a lanyard hole that is made for running paracord though.

Many people consider the sheath on this knife to be the best aspect of the knife. It is made out of quality abrasion resistant Cordura nylon webbing. The knife fits perfectly and has a button closure strap for the handle. On the front of the sheath is a small pocket that closes with Velcro, so you can carry a small item, such as fire steel in it.

Overall, this knife is 9.5 inches long. It can be carried don the right or left side, which is a very convenient aspect. No matter what you are doing, this knife will be able to stand up to the task.

Pros of the SOG Seal Pup Elite Knife:

• The blade has a powdered coating to improve hardness, corrosion resistance, and to not reflect light.
• The steel holds an edge well.
• This knife is crazy rust resistant.
• The thicker spine allows you to do heavier duty tasks.
• The handle gives you amazing grip, even while in the water.
• The sheath is the king of all sheaths.
• Can be carried on the left or right side.

Cons of the SOG Seal Pup Elite Knife:

• Some people consider the blade too thick to go about many tasks, such as filleting.
• The plastic handle is a drawback to some.

 You can find all the SOG Seal Pup Elite options here.

The Ka-Bar USMC Fighting Knife:

Something that Ka-Bar is known for is how they make their blades. They have a unique steel tempering, treating, and grinding process that help perfect their blades. Ka-Bar blades are known for being tough, light, and maintaining their edges extremely well. Something that makes this specific blade unique is that it is constructed of a single piece of steel that runs clear through the handle, which is called a full tang build. Because it runs through the handle instead of being attached, you can expect higher strength and durability. The blade on this knife is 7 inches long made out of 1095 Cro-Van steel. This steels holds an edge better than most stainless steels and is also a lot easier to sharpen than most stainless steels. The original shape and straight edge of this knife have been relied upon by thousands of people over the past sixty years. Some being Marines, hunters, campers, and military men. This knife actually follows the original design which was designed for Marines during the second World War in 1942. The curve that is on this blade is ideal for slicing, skinning, and dressing, which makes this a perfect hunting knife. And, the straight edge on this knife is ideal for slashing, chopping, and really any other task that you might need to throw at it. Something unique about this knife is that it comes unsharpened. This is a great option because it allows the user to choose their own angles on the edge and you don’t have to live with the factory edges. The most common people who enjoy that characteristic are hardcore hunters or military personnel. This partially serrated blade will require more maintenance than many other blades will. The blade is stamped with USMC.

You can get this handle in either a synthetic rubber Kraton G or a stacked leather washer handle, the latter being the more traditional style. Both of these options have a flat pommel that holds a pin that extends through the tang. Some people don’t love the size of the knife and I’ve heard people complain that it was too big and different people complain that it is too small. Really, the size of your ideal knife handle depends on the size of your hands. But, in all actuality, this is a comfortable knife that works for many different hand sizes. Another complaint is that people don’t have as good of a grip on the knife as they would prefer, epically in survival situations. A good fix to that problem is adding a little bit of grip tape to the handle.  A bonus about using the Kraton G handle is that it won’t rot over time, which can be a concern when choosing the leather handle. If you do choose the leather handle, you can expect a better grip.

The sheath that goes with this knife is also a stellar sheath. It is a natural leather sheath that is easy to repair yourself if you need to. The knife locks into the sheath securely and you don’t have to worry about it coming out unexpectedly. But, when you try to pull it out, it will pop out easily. A bonus about this sheath is that it makes the knife easy to access whether you are left or right handed. There are holes in the sheath that make it very easy to attach the sheath to your backpack.

Overall, the knife is 11.75 inches long and weighs 10.5 ounces, which is .65 pounds.

Pros of the Ka-Bar USMC Fighting Knife:

• The knife has a full tang blade.
• The steel holds an edge better than most stainless steel and is easy to sharpen.
• The knife comes unsharpened, so you get to choose the angle of the edge.
• You can get the handle in either a Kraton or a leather.
• The sheath is fantastic and is easy to repair if needed.
• Holes in the sheath are ideal for attaching to your backpack.

Cons of the Ka-Bar USMC Fighting Knife:

• The blade will need more maintenance than other knives.
• The knife comes unsharpened, so you won’t be able to use it immediately and you will have to have easy access to a sharpener.
• The handle doesn’t have the best grip.
• This is a giant knife.

You can order yours here.

The Gerber LMF II Survival Knife:

This knife comes in three different models: the LMF II Infantry, the LMF II Survival, and the LMF II ASEK. All of these knives are the same exact knife, the only things that differ are the handle and sheath colors and then the accessories that come with each model.

The LMF II Infantry comes with either a black, brown, or green handle. The sheath that comes with this version matches the handle color of your choice.

The LMF II Survival only comes with a brown handle and sheath, but it does come with a safety knife and strap cutter.

The LMF II ASEK comes with a green handle and sheath plus a matching safety knife and strap cutter.

The blade on this knife is 4.84 inches long and the thickness of the blade is 3/16’s of an inch. This knife is a drop point silhouette, which means that your blade will be stronger across the entire blade than a different shaped knife. This means that it is also stronger on the point of the knife. Because of the strength of the blade, this knife is an ideal candidate for cutting, slicing, and bushcraft tasks. The steel on this blade is a 420HC stainless steel. This is an all-around good steel that is very resistant to rust. To add to its corrosion resistant properties, the steel is coated in a black oxide. The steel is also an extremely tough steel, which makes it ideal for chopping, slicing, and even hammering, prying and digging. This steel is not great at maintaining its edge when faced with heavy use. This blade is a partially serrated edge.

The handle on the LMF II Survival is made out of glass-filled nylon that has a TPV over mold grip. This over mold adds a lot of grip and helps to channel water, so the handle remains grippy even while wet. This handle is actually wider than the average handle, plus it is on the flatter side. These two characteristics help add grip surface and it makes it easier to lash this knife to a stick, if needed. There are also three holes in the handle that also help to lash this knife to a stick. At the bottom of the handle, there is a flair that helps you chop things comfortably. The butt cap at the bottom is designed to break, crush, and hammer.

The sheath of this knife is color coordinated to your handle and it is made out of ballistic nylon. It also has a fire retardant coating. The knife is held securely in place by a friction locking system. This sheath can also be a left or right hand carry. A unique aspect of this sheath is that it has an integrated sharpener, which makes sharpening your knife on the go a breeze.

Pros of the Gerber LMF II Survival Knife:

• Comes in a variety of different colors.
• Comes with a variety of different accessories, depending on which version you purchase.
• The drop point silhouette makes the blade stronger across the whole thing.
• The steel is very resistant to rust.
• You can pry, dig, and hammer with this knife.
• The handle is wider and flatter, making it easier to hold.
• This handle provides great grip, even when wet.
• You can hammer with the butt cap.
• Sheath is fire retardant.
• Integrated sharpener.
• It is easy to lash the knife to a stick.

Cons of the Gerber LMF II Survival Knife:

• This is not a full tang knife.
• Partially serrated knives are harder to sharpen.
• The blade steel does lose its edge quicker than other steels would.

You can order a Gerber LMF II Knife here.

Conclusion:

Many people don’t even consider a fixed blade for their everyday carry knife, but there are many reasons why you should be considering a fixed blade. This list is to help you transition from carrying a folder knife to a fixed blade; these are the three best fixed blades that you will be able to find on the market.