Like firearms, which knives are “best” is always up for debate. What is ideal for my purposes might not work for someone else and vice versa. With that said, I know I always like to hear what others carry so I thought I’d share a short list of my current favorite blades. This list shouldn’t be really thought of as a “best of” sort of deal but rather just my personal favorites, nothing more.

In no particular order:

The Condor Bushlore. I recently posted a review of this knife elsewhere on this site. It is economical, yet high quality. The Bushlore is a sturdy, no nonsense knife that is made to be used, not just gawked at from afar. This would be a great knife to toss into a bug out bag or other kit so you’re always sure to have a good blade with you when you need it.

CSP-A2 Knife produced by Mission Knives (photo courtesy of Mission Knives. Admittedly, I’ve only played around with this one a bit but damn if it isn’t impressive. Made from A2 tool steel, the blade runs just shy of 5″ and is 1/4″ thick, making it a great, actually functional, size. The CSP was designed by Chance Sanders to be an ideal knife for both urban and rural preppers. In my opinion, he not only met but exceeded that goal.

TOPS Brothers of Bushcraft (B.O.B.) knife. This may very well be one of the most comfortable knives I’ve used. I’m not sure if that’s a result of the shape of the handle, the canvas micarta scales, or what but it just fit my hand perfectly. A full review is coming soon. However, I can tell you the 4 5/8″ blade is made from 1095 high carbon steel and this is a full tang knife, like all the others on this list. The black Kydex sheath comes with a magnesium fire starter that clips into a specially designed pouch. This is a nice knife that will take a beating and ask for more.

The next two blades on this list are my choppers. They are the ones I turn to when I’m blazing a trail, cutting firewood, or for some other reason need a longer blade than normal.

Becker BK9 (photo courtesy Amazon.com). This is a beast of a knife. It has an overall length of almost 15″. The 1095 Cro-Van steel blade is 9″ long and the entire knife weighs a bit over a full pound. But, I’ll tell you something else. It arrived hair popping sharp and it doesn’t take a lot to get that edge back after even harsh abuse. I’m not a big fan of the nylon sheath, though it is quite serviceable.

Cold Steel Kukri (photo courtesy Amazon.com). I bought one of these for my father-in-law a couple years ago for Christmas. He’d been searching for a decent machete for cutting brush out back and blazing some trails through the forest adjacent to his house. I’d heard good things about the Cold Steel Kukri so I put one under his Christmas tree. After he and I used it for a bit, I had to get one for myself! The blade is 1055 carbon steel and runs about 13″. Comes with a nylon sheath that isn’t anything special but does the job. At around $15 or so, you really can’t go wrong with this one. It holds a decent edge but keep in mind that a kukri isn’t meant to be shaving sharp.