Looking for high quality fixed blade knife...

[masek77]

Can anybody recommend a fixed blade knife? Im looking for something that is better than good, something that holds a razor edge and doesnt dull up as soon as I use it. Im no expert at anything and I figure its better to ask you guys than talk to a salesman who is just interested in a sale. Thanks in advance.

[Hairtrigger]

This guy is as good at knives as any. AND a great guy to hang around with
http://safariknives.com/

[Graybeard]

The absolute BEST I've ever held or seen was made by Sunrise River Knife Company. Read my full review here:   http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/producttest/sunrise.htm

The #21 Small Drop Point Hunter was the run away favorite of all at the hog hunt I attended for the test of this knife. It just kept on gutting and skinning and cutting up those hogs until all were taken care of. The most it needed during all of this was a few quick touch ups on a steel to bring the edge back to full sharpness.

I'm still kicking myself for letting that one go back after the review rather than buying it.

[SDS-GEN]

Many small custom shops make great knives, the key is in the steel.  Get one in ATS34 or better yet S30 or S90. My cousin married a guy who makes knives as a hobbie.  I ground out a couple on his equipment and took one to Alaska this year.  The one I took was ATS34 steel, I used it all week and even skinned a bear with it.  Back home it was in on the gutting and skinning of one deer, and the gutting of two others.  I haven't sharpened it yet, it won't quite shave now but it is still very sharp.  The S30 holds an edge even better and is more corrosion resistant.  Hope this helps. 

[zermatt7]

masek 77...sent you a pm

...the ones Greybeard reccomended are EXTREMELY well priced considering the endorsement he gave them !

[kyelkhunter3006]

It really depends on your budget.  In factory or semi-custom knives, TOPS and the Ontario RAT series are good buys.  These two brands are very popular with the military in general and with Special Forces too.  The AG Russell brand knives are usually good items, and they sell Bob Dozier knives as well.  Probably one of the best deals out there.  Not cheap, but still a good value for what you get.

Steels to look for are:  stainless--440C, AUS-8, ATS-34, 154CPM, VG-10, S30V, and there are other exotic stainless steels that are also very good. The more exotic the steel, the higher the cost.  Also, don't overlook the carbon steels like A-2, D-2, 1095, and 1084.  I'ver used knives with all of these steels and have been more than happy.  Most of the knives I've seen made of 1084 have been large knives for camp use or chopping.  If the heat treat is right and the blade is ground correctly, all of these steels will hold an excellent edge.  Some are easier to touch up than others. 

Knives are kind of like optics---you get what you pay for most of the time.  Cheap knives have cheap steel that won't hold an edge very well, and can be difficult to even get a good edge on the blade.

[HUNTERMAN]

The best knife i ever had was a Buck Omni 12pt. IT stays sharp and cuts really good.

[Karl B. Andersen]

"Many small custom shops make great knives, the key is in the steel. "

Don't fool yourself - the "key" is NOT the steel!
It is the heat treatment.
Jesus, Himself, could send a bar of steel down from Heaven, but it wold be no better then the heat treatment it gets!
You can take a perfectly good high-dollar, high-alloy piece of "designer" steel and completely ruin it by improperly heat treating it, and conversely, take the simplest of simple carbon steels and, with the proper heat treatment, create a blade that will out-perform evey knife on the rack of your local sporting goods supplier.
If you want to do research on your next knife, spend more time discovering your prospective "maker's" heat treating procedures.