The Best Fixed Blade Knives

It is widely known that fixed blade knives are stronger and more durable than folding knives. They also perform better in the long run because the blade is more adaptable to tough outdoor tasks such as hunting and survival.

But as great as they are, they’re not as compact for pocket carrying as the folding knives are. However, many people love them because they’re versatile and they have less maintenance.

In this article’s fixed blade knife reviews we cover the best models on the market to help you get yourself one.

The Best Fixed Blade Knives Are…

Product	Details
1. Bastinelli Knives Piceour	Top Pick	Overall Length: 5.50-inch Blade Length: 1.63-inch Blade Thickness: 0.11-inch Blade Material: N690C Weight:1.70 oz	Check Current Price
2. CKRT Minimalist Cleaver Blade		Overall Length: 5.06-inch Blade Length: 2.13-inch Blade Thickness: 0.10-inch Blade Material: 5Cr15MoV Weight:1.70 oz	Check Current Price
3. SOG Instinct Boot Knife		Overall Length: 5.90-inch Blade Length: 2.30-inch Blade Thickness: 0.16-inch Blade Material: 5Cr15MoV, Polished Satin Weight:2.30 oz	Check Current Price
4. Case XX Gut Hook Hunter Fixed Blade Knife		Overall Length: 9.00-inch Blade Length: 4.50-inch Blade Thickness: 0.10-inch Blade Material: Tru-Sharp Surgical Steel Weight: 5.60 oz	Check Current Price
5. CRKT SiWi Fixed Blade Knife		Overall Length: 7.44-inch Blade Length: 3.34-inch Blade Thickness: 0.20-inch Blade Material: SK-5 Weight:5.60 oz	Check Current Price
6. Ontario SP-1 Marine Combat Knife		Overall Length: 12.10-inch Blade Length: 7.00-inch Blade Thickness: 0.188-inch Blade Material: 1075 Carbon Steel Weight:9.90 oz	Check Current Price
7. Gerber LMF II Infantry Survival Knife		Overall Length: 10.59-inch Blade Length: 4.84-inch Blade Material: 420HC Weight:11.67 oz	Check Current Price
8. SOG Pillar Fixed Blade Knife		Overall Length: 9.90-inch Blade Length: 5.00-inch Blade Thickness: 0.16-inch Blade Material: S35VN Weight: 7.30 oz	Check Current Price
9. Ka-Bar Becker Kephart BK62 Fixed Blade Knife		Overall Length: 9.68-inch Blade Length: 5.125-inch Blade Thickness: 0.15-inch Blade Material: 1095CV Weight: 6.40 oz	Check Current Price

1. Bastinelli Knives Piceour — Our Top Pick

Bastinelli Knives are custom knives designed by Bastien Coves who is an industry renowned designer and knifemaker. The Piceour is manufactured in Italy and designed in collaboration with Doug Marcaida who is a knife designer and also a highly skilled martial artist.

It is a small combat fixed knife that is simply designed but very useful as a backup knife or for self-defense. It features a scalpel shaped blade with a slim handle and a karambit style ring at the end of it. The knife comes with either a black Cerakote finish or a stonewash finish.

The blade is N690C which is a premium steel used by European knifemakers. It is almost similar to the Japanese VG-10 with characteristics such as great edge retention and corrosion resistance.

It comes in a black Kydex molded sheath with a molle clip attachment that allows you to clip the sheath on any piece of clothing apart from your belt. It clips on firmly and remains in place even as you take out the knife.

The Piceour is a small knife that fits very well in the pocket. It has a slim profile that will not bulge and the molle clip keeps it secure. The shape of the blade doesn’t give this knife much versatility of use but it makes an excellent self-defense knife.

Overall Rating – 4.8/5

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2. CKRT Minimalist Cleaver Blade — Best Under $50

Designed by renowned knife maker Alan Folts, the Minimalist series of knives come in different blade styles. These fixed blade neck knives are compact and easy to carry, great for general use.

The different blade styles include Drop Point, Bowie, Wharncliffe, Tanto, Keramin, and Cleaver styles. The cleaver style blades have become popular in EDC knives because they give more flexible options for use. And unlike the drop point blade, which is also a popular EDC style blade, cleaver blades are more solidly built to take on tough tasks.

It will also be more durable considering that the choice of blade steel used on these knives is 5Cr15Mov stainless steel, a low-end steel used to make budget knives. It has decent wear resistance and edge retention but it excels in corrosion resistance. The Minimalist comes with a bead blasted finish.

It features a polished resin infused fiber handle with a fob for extended grip. It fits comfortably in the hand with deep finger choils for the perfect grip. It comes with a GRN sheath with a paracord for neck carry and a belt loop for the easy attachment to a belt or gear.

The Minimalist Cleaver is an excellent little knife for EDC tasks and it’s compact and lightweight to comfortably carry on the neck. It also makes a great present for your loved one because of it’s unique aesthetic design.

Overall Rating – 4.5/5

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3. SOG Instinct Boot Knife — Best Belt Knife

The Instinct is an amazing little boot knife that features a full tang fixed blade, an ergonomic G-10 handle, and a molded Kydex sheath. The Instinct knives come in either the full-length version which is 5.9 inches in total length or the mini version which is 4.8 inches.

The full-length blade Instinct sports a 2.3-inch blade made of 5Cr15Mov stainless steel finished in polished Satin. It is a full tang clip point blade that gives you a wide range of deep cutting and slicing abilities. The blade steel has a Rockwell hardness of 54 HRC which means you’ll be sharpening it quite often but it does have above average corrosion resistance.

The molded Kydex sheath is very attractive. It has the SOG branding on both sides so whichever side you fix the belt clip, you’ll still get to show off the branding. It has slots around the edge of it for your neck chain or paracord. The clip is very flexible because it allows you to carry the knife in any angle that you’re comfortable with.

The handle is also good looking with the G-10 grips permanently bolted onto the stainless steel. It has deep finger choils that enhance the grip and comfort of handling the knife. The jimping on the spine of the blade will give you extra leverage while working with the knife.

The Instinct makes a great self-defense knife. You can also use it for other stuff but the edge retention is really poor and the knife will dull with very little use. Overall, it is a great looking knife with a decent fit and finish for its price.

Overall Rating – 4.5/5

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4. Case XX Gut Hook Hunter Fixed Blade Knife

Case hunting knives are available in four different blade styles to suit your needs. These are dependable fixed blade knives that are built for hunting and bushcraft. All the knives come with surgical stainless steel fixed blades with polished leather handles encased in a genuine leather sheath.

The Gut Hook is a specialized blade-style used by experienced hunters to field dress game. It features a belly for slicing and skinning with a hook at the tip of the blade. The blade is made of Tru-Sharp stainless steel with a mirror polish finish. This is a high carbon steel with excellent edge retention, blade strength, and corrosion resistance.

The knife comes with a stacked leather handle, a true classic feature of hunting knives. The leather is wrapped tightly around the handle to conform to a comfortable grip.

An aluminum blade guard and mushroom cap provide secure handling for the knife as well as jimping on the spine of the blade. Also included is a genuine leather sheath that closes with a snap button.

This knife features the XX Trademark of W.R Case & Sons Cutlery which is their signature quality checkmark. It shows that the blade has gone through the proper heat treatment for durability. This gut hook knife is an absolute must-have for hunting.

Overall Rating – 4.8/5

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5. CRKT SiWi Fixed Blade Knife — Best Under $100

The SiWi is a tactical knife that represents 25 years of active duty experience combined with the design aesthetics of renowned knife expert Chris Williams. The knife is built to endure extreme conditions to give you long-lasting service.

The SiWi has an overall length of 7.4 inches, which is on the small scale of fixed blade knives. It is solidly built with a high-quality fit and finish, with high-end steel for the blade, and uniquely designed G-10 handles.

The SK-5 steel used on the blade is a hard steel with some decent edge retention. On the downside, the high carbon content in this steel makes it brittle and hard to sharpen. The SiWi drop point blade is finished in a non-reflective black powder coat that gives it a tactical aesthetic and additional protection against rust.

It features a full tang construction with G-10 scales ergonomically designed with a generous finger choil and jimping on the spine for a strong grip. Its GRN sheath enables different carry options and securely holds in the knife. Also included is a Tek-Lok clip attachment that allows you to carry the knife sideways for better comfort

The SiWi makes a great tactical knife with a thick blade and a drop point blade for almost any task.

Overall Rating – 4.4/5

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6. Ontario SP-1 Marine Combat Knife

The Spec Plus SP-1 combat knife is a tactical blade designed for military, survival, and first responder uses. The knife is big with a solid grip and versatile use.

It features a full tang clip point blade with a plain edge and made in 1075 carbon steel. Clip point blades are versatile and make for great gear for outdoor activities such as camping and bushcraft. And to make the point tough and durable, the blade is 0.188 inches thick to make the tip endure repeated stabbing action.

The carbon steel on this knife is tough, easy to sharpen to razor sharpness, and affordable. It is the type of steel you’d expect on a heavy-duty survival knife such as this one, but it also requires good maintenance.

It has poor edge retention and corrosion resistance and that’s why it comes with black powder coating finish to protect the blade from rust.

The handles are Kraton which has one of the best gripping surfaces. It is ergonomic, rounded in the middle to provide a comfortable grip and control. It also features a double guard to protect your hand and comes with a molle compatible nylon sheath.

Although the SP-1 is designed to be a combat knife, a lot of people use it as a camping and survival knife because that is what it is really good at.

Overall Rating – 4.7/5

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7. Gerber LMF II Infantry Survival Knife

The LMF 2 is an upgrade of the hugely successful LMF model. This fixed blade survival knife is built to be tough to get you out of sticky situations. Specifically designed for survival, the LMF 2 incorporates well thought out features that make it a life-saving knife.

One of the most outstanding upgrades of this knife is the butt cap that has been purposefully separated from the tang of the blade to keep you safe while cutting through live power cords. The butt cap is also toughened for use as a hammer and glass breaker. Its separation from the tang reduces the impact of the hammering on the knife.

Another feature is the incorporated lanyard holes on the handle and butt cap that can be used to lash the knife onto a pole to be used as a spear. The knife itself is quite hefty and with the right technique, the drop point blade would make an effective spear for fishing or whatever.

The partially serrated blade is made of 420HC, a high carbon steel with high corrosion resistance. Good quality heat treatment of the blade will give better edge retention and a quick look at the reviews indicates that it does have decent edge retention which you can easily maintain out in the field with the inbuilt carbide sharpener on the sheath.

The GRN handle is over-molded to provide a comfortable grip while using it to accomplish a heavy task. Also included is a durable, low profile sheath that is molle compatible and can attach to a vest. It keeps the knife securely in place and needs extra force to remove it which can be a safety issue if you’re not careful.

The LMF 2 is a military-grade tactical knife with design features that make it a versatile survival knife. It is adaptable to all situations and tough enough to handle heavy tasks.

Overall Rating – 4.6/5

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8. SOG Pillar Fixed Blade Knife

The SOG Pillar is an outstanding fixed blade knife with a great design and aesthetics and is on the premium end on the price scale. It is a medium-sized knife that comes sharp out of the box with a clip point blade that performs every task effortlessly, at home, and out in the field.

The 5-inch blade is made in S35VN steel which is a high-end steel that is tougher and has better resistance to edge chipping than the comparable S30V steel. You can also expect to get excellent edge retention and high corrosion resistance from this steel, a characteristic that has made it one of the best choices for kitchen knives.

The Pillar is not a kitchen knife but it will give you top performance in every task without getting dull. It is a full tang knife that uses Torx screws to fix on the black canvas Micarta scales. Micarta gives you a sure grip and fits comfortably in the hand. The lanyard hole in the pommel is well sized to pass your paracord through without fraying it.

The knife doesn’t come with a blade guard, however, it does feature a shallow forward finger choil and a scalloped spine that should provide some protection against slipping onto the blade. It comes with a Kydex sheath that offers several mounting options and provides good blade retention.

The Pillar is one of the best fixed blade knives in the market and it is an outstanding improvement from the cheap Chinese made knives that SOG has been pushing out into the market. The design, the fit, and the excellent performance of the Pillar is proof that the SOG brand is still on top of the knives game.

Overall Rating – 4.7/5

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9. Ka-Bar Becker Kephart BK62 Fixed Blade Knife

The BK62 is a brilliant upgrade of the legendary Kephart knife that spawned the bushcraft genre of knives. The only individually owned Horace Kephart’s original 5-inch knife is owned by Ethan Becker, who took Kephart’s original design and enhanced it into a modern bushcraft knife.

BK62 was designed to be a close reproduction of the original, hand made knife. It is made for every task you can put to it with a full tang construction and a single-edged spear point blade with a full flat grind. The knife is tough and can shave wood, skin game and cut through fibrous materials in equal measure.

The1095CroVan steel blade features a sedge on the spine that gives you better handling and reduces drag when cutting through soft materials. It is stainless steel with a stonewashed finish to enhance corrosion resistance and minimize abrasions throughout the years of service.

It comes with walnut handles which are the traditional material for hunting and survival knives and is bolted onto the tang of the blade. It is a slim and flat handle that fills in your hand and the tapered tang provides a good balance. Also included is a brown leather sheath that protects the blade and gives you a secure carry.

The original Kephart knife was still in excellent condition 100 years after being made without resharpening. That durability and craftsmanship are what inspired the BK62 knife.

Overall Rating – 4.4/5

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Features To Consider When Buying A Fixed Blade Knife

Fixed blade knives have many uses but the features that make them so useful and durable are almost the same. Let us highlight some of these features in greater detail.

Blade Metal

The steel used to make the blade determines the overall quality of the knife. Bushcraft knives need to have high-quality steel with good edge retention to limit the inconvenience of sharpening it every time in the bush. It also needs to be tough for hard use but not brittle.

Stainless steel blades are more durable and they retain their aesthetic appeal more over time. Carbon steel blades are brittle and more prone to rust but they’re tougher and take a sharper edge than stainless steel blades.

Blade Style

Most hunting knives prefer the drop point style because it is better adapted to skinning and detailed cutting. The clip point, on the other hand, is more versatile, giving you an all-rounded performance.

The spear point, which we’ve also found in fixed blade knife reviews to be common in self-defense knives and combat knives but the edges are flexible for general EDC tasks.

Tang Construction

A full tang construction is when the steel blade extends the full length of the knife. The handle scales are then attached to the sides of the tang with rivets or Torx screws.

A full tang offers the best strength and durability for heavy-duty tasks. It also offers better weight balance to the handle which gives you better control when handling the knife.

Handles

The handles vary depending on the knife. Traditional hunting knives feature wood which provides a great gripping surface and stacked leather handles that are comfortable when using over an extended period.

Good quality handle materials include G-10 and Micarta materials which are lightweight and durable as well as aesthetically appealing.

Sheath

The quality of the sheath is an important feature because it allows you to carry your fixed blade knife safely. A good quality sheath will offer different carry options and made of quality materials to protect the blade.

Conclusion

While there are many advantages to having a fixed blade knife, the folding knives offer better advantages in the urban setting. But that doesn’t mean that you give up on having a fixed blade because there are mini-sized fixed blades in the market that are suitable for EDC and self-defense.

Our top pick the Bastinelli Knives Piceour is one such knife. It’s a mini combat knife with a scalpel shaped blade a slim handle that fits discreetly in your hand. Hopefully, this article has informed you enough to get your next fixed blade knife and do let us know which one is your favorite.