Three of the Best Fixed Blade Knives
Kevin Felts 04.16.18
Let’s take a few minutes and talk about three of the best fixed blade knives on the market.
Before we start talking about the knives, let’s set some ground rules. These should have around a four-inch blade and should cost less than $50. Something from a well-known brand name is preferred. So that eliminates all of the no-name stuff on eBay.
For this list, I wanted only camp knives. This means a knife well suited to performing tasks around the hunt camp, or on a hiking or fishing trip. A camp knife can be used for everything from skinning a deer to cutting rope.
Gerber Big Rock Camp Knife
The Gerber Big Rock is available in either a plain knife edge, or a partial plain/serrated edge. Retail price is around $30-$40, which puts it at the high end of our price range.
From the Gerber Big Rock webpage:
- Overall length: 9.4″
- Blade length: 4.5″
- Weight: 6.3 oz.
- Blade style: drop point
- Blade material: 440A stainless steel
- Blade type: fine edge
- Handle material: glass-filled nylon with SoftGrip overmold
- Sheath material: nylon with protective insert
The Big Rock features full tang construction with a place for a lanyard.
Just so everyone knows, I am not a big fan of 440 stainless. However, the Big Rock sharpens reasonably well and holds a decent edge. Over the years I have used my Gerber Big Rock to skin several whitetail deer, and the knife did well. I was able to skin the deer without having to stop and resharpen the knife in the middle of the job.
Over the years, the Big Rock has been one of my “go-to” hiking knives.
SOG Field Pup
This is a nice little camp knife which sports a leather sheath and a rugged grip. The Field Pup usually sells for around $40, but Cabelas had them on sale and I was able to get mine for $16.88 + $5.95 shipping.
- 7Cr17MoV stainless steel blade
- Slip-resistant Kraton handle
- Black leather sheath
- Lanyard hole
This is what people may consider a basic camp knife. The Field Pup comes with a Plain Jane no frills leather sheath which as a belt loop. This is about as basic of a camp knife as someone can get.
Morakniv Companion
The best has been saved for last, and that is the Morakniv Companion. Mora has a reputation for low cost and high quality knives. Costing less than $20, this is the most affordable knife of the three.
From the Companion webpage:
- 4.1-inch high carbon steel blade
- Extra-large ergonomic handle with patterned, high-friction grip
- Blade Thickness: 0.125 inches (3.2 mm)
- Blade Length: 4.1 inches (104 mm)
- Total Length: 8.8 inches (224 mm)
- Net Weight: 4.8 oz. (135 g)
- Color-matching plastic sheath with belt clip
- Limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty; Made in Sweden
Something I like about the Morakniv Companion, the belt clip can atach to MOLLE webbing. This makes it easy to move from one pack to the other. Something I do not like, is the lack of a lanyard hole. This is not a game changer, but it would be nice to have a lanyard on the knife.
Final Thoughts
Why a lanyard? When carrying the knife on the outside of a pack, the lanyard can be clipped to the pack for an extra layer of protection. If by some freak accident the knife comes out of the sheath, the lanyard will stop it from falling to the ground. The other option is to carry the knife on a belt, or inside the pack.
Out of all three knives on the list, the Morakniv Companion is probably the easiest the sharpen, while the SOG Seal Pup was the hardest to sharpen.
I really like the Morakniv Companion belt clip, as it can be clipped to MOLLE webbing, or worn on a belt.
Over the years the Gerber Big Rock was one of my go-to hiking knives. However, the Morakniv Companion is quickly replacing the Big Rock at the top of my list.
The SOG Field Pup fits inside MOLLE webbing, but has to be zip-tied in place.
Overall, I like all three knives, but the Morakniv Companion has a slight edge on the others.
