That’s correct, a decent Fairbairn-Sykes, the British equivalent to the Ka-Bar USMC is about the same price.
RAT-7 is a damned good knife as well.
Oh man, you guys are killing me. I think I’m going to order at least one Elk Ridge knife today. I noticed that Amazon has them cheap and they get good reviews. Should be good as beaters. Hopefully the heat treat is good on them.
While looking at your original 3 choices I noticed the Cold steel large San Mei with a sweet 290cm (11.4") Tanto blade. Nice leather sheath, AUS8 @ 58HRC...only $38 shipped.
I know, I saw that on Exduct last year, I use it to give me an idea what SanRenMu models are made.
It’s nice to have a reference to the different knives all in one place. I do sometimes forget that it’s not the official site, thanks for the reminder Chloe.
i find this beatifull and great :party:
It’s 440 steel not 440C so it’s not top quality but then nor is the one I’ve got and that does well enough.
It looks like it’s a full tang which is good, if you don’t like the handle scales then it’s easier to replace them with something custom fit to your hand.
Get a lanyard to go through the lanyard hole and round your wrist, use it so if the knife slips out of your hand you don’t split a toe off or reach for it to catch it before it hits the ground, less fingers.
A lot of knife for the money.
Get one of these please not one of those “drag through” blade butcherers. The advantage of diamond sharpeners is there is no need for oil, just a bit of water if you have it, I use mine dry and wash it out when I remember, the 320/800 grit on this one is a good combination for out in the field sharpening.
Personally I’m not keen on leather sheaths, they get wet and stay wet. A good waxing on the outside, I use Renaissance Wax and on blades as well. I’ve had one knife in it’s leather sheath for over a year and not the least sign of rust spots, it’s a high carbon steel as well.
Go on it’s a decent knife and as I said a lot of knife for the money.
Thanks. It’ll just be a beater or possibly just sucked into my ever growing fixed blade collection, which also includes a couple you mentioned like the GI Tanto and a Nepalese Kukri. For sharpening, I use a Japanese whetstone, EZE-LAP system or just a plain old coffee cup, which I’m getting pretty good at. I also have an old school steel wand that I’ve used for years on the chef’s knives and sometimes use for bigger fixed blades. Still not sure if I want a Sharpmaker or maybe go for the gusto and save for a Wicked Edge system.
Is this a good knife? I was thinking of getting it due to the price.
Im in Canada and prices are (these are my two choices):
Becker BK-7 = $80
Mtech = $28
Ive read the reviews on it are pretty good, but its still a cheap knife.
I can’t find this model, but a lot of MTech are simply rebranded SR knives, which generally have poor steel and heat treatment. I would not get if you intend to use the knife.
Chloe is right M-Tech is not a good brand at all.
Your money would be better spent on a Mora any of them, there are loads to choose from, great steel and they won’t let you down.
If it’s the look that you are after get a GI Tanto from Cold Steel, solid as you can get and won’t break the bank.
I ordered that Elk Ridge knife! The wife must be psychic because she informed me earlier that she gets texts from UPS any time there is a package inbound no matter who ordered it.
The Moras are awesome and so is Hultafors. Both those brands can take a beating. The Companion in this picture has been regularly used and abused for the last couple years. I have been most unkind to it. I was going to take some very fine sandpaper to it, but decided I liked the worn look better.
Here’s a photo with the GI Tanto in it. And if you want BIG fixed blade go for the Ka-Bar Kukri.
i went immediately to ebay and the only ones i can find are selling for 200 bucks and up…which company is selling knockoff cold steel master tantos with san mai blades for under 40 bucks…
Interesting, this Boker Magnum is pretty similar to Black Fox…
i went immediately to ebay and the only ones i can find are selling for 200 bucks and up…which company is selling knockoff cold steel master tantos with san mai blades for under 40 bucks…
No, I’m pretty sure you wont get a genuine San Mei for $38.
Though you can find it here.
It’s made in China, on a budget, so it almost certainly isn’t AUS8, perhaps 8Cr, perhaps nothing much at all. Not as well built as a genuine Cold Steel either.
Cold Steel make a lot of quality knives at reasonably low prices, if not at quite the bang for buck as the Enlan EL-01. I’d certainly look at a GI Tanto. They’re not pretty, but they work.
Man that’s really a tough choice.
With the Becker you have one of the worlds best knife designs manufactured with excellence in the USA from excellent steel with a correct heat-treat that will be very easy to sharpen and perform beyond all your expectations. It’s a knife that will perform well for a lifetime and still be going strong long after you leave the planet.
On the other hand, the advantage of the M-Tech is that it’s a lot less money. It’s made by (actually I don’t know who it’s made by), out of steel (actually I don’t know, I mean who knows what the steel actually is), and has the letters U S A painted on the blade, but I know for sure that it’s definitely worth the $1.25 it cost the factory to stamp it out.
So the bottom line is:
Yes, you can save yourself a few bucks by going with the M-Tech, but if you are considering doing that, you could also save yourself a lot of valuable time and energy by just taking $28 out of your wallet right now and burning it.
Master Cutlery distribute MTech in the US. According to their site the MT-096 is made of “440 stainless steel”.
They are even selling the Blackfox from OP with pakkawood handle under the name “MTech Xtreme”:
https://www.mastercutlery.com/Ecommerce/General/CategoryProductDetail.aspx?CategoryId=1427&PROD_CD=MX-8075
It’s got USA Painted Right on the Blade! :bigsmile: