If you use and take care of a high-end fixed blade knife properly, it will last you a lifetime.
These types of expensive knives are usually purchased by serious outdoor or knife enthusiasts and collectors. I have recommended different types of knives here with different types of users in mind.
These high-quality fixed-blade knives are made from premium quality steel with good edge retention and quick sharpening.
What Are the Best Fixed Blade Knives Under $200?
- KA-BAR Becker BK2 Campanion Fixed Blade Knife
- Buck 120 General Fixed Blade Hunting Knife
- ESEE 6 Fixed Blade Survival Knife
- SOG Pillar Fixed Blade Tactical Knife
- Gerber Gear LMF II Infantry Survival Tactical Knife
Best Fixed Blade Knife Under $200
1. KA-BAR Becker BK2 Campanion Fixed Blade Knife – KB-BK2
Important Features and Specifications: Blade Material: 1095 Steel; HRC: 56-58; Blade Length: 5.25″; Overall Length: 10.75″; Blade Thickness: 0.25″; Tang: Ful Tang; Blade Point: Drop Point; Blade Finish: Black Coating; Handle Material: Zytel; Handle Length: 5.50″; Knife Weight: 16 oz; Made In: U.S.A; Warranty: Lifetime;
1095 High-Carbon Steel Blade: The blade is quite thick, weighty, and nearly indestructible. The factory edge came wicked sharp out of the box.
The hefty blade worked very well when chopping down 6-8 inches diameter trees, slashing through 1-2 inches thick bamboo, cutting thick plastic and hacking through smaller trees, batoning 2-4 inches thick wood/branches for fire. I also used it for prying, digging, shaving tinder, skinning large game, feathering sticks, and stabbing thick materials. The weight balance of the knife is distributed in such a way that it can cut very quickly with less effort.
Chopping or batting hard or thick objects reduces sharpness quickly, but the overall blade’s ability to maintain a razor-sharp edge will exceed your expectations. Thankfully, even with such a thick blade, it didn’t take long to return to its razor-sharp factory edge using a diamond stone. High-carbon steel is very prone to rust, if it is regularly cleaned and coated with oil after use, it can last a lifetime.
Smooth Zytel Handle: The full tang handle is long enough, feels very solid, and fits my large hands comfortably. Unfortunately, the handle has no texture so it is very smooth and gets slippery in wet, sweaty, or muddy hands. In that case, it might accidentally slip out of your hands if you’re not careful during heavy chopping.
This thick and round handle is very comfortable, even after prolonged heavy cutting, I didn’t have any hot spots in my hands. The rear section of the handle has an extended pommel that can be used for any heavy hammering.
Hard Shell Black Nylon Sheath: The sheath is a combo of hard injection molded plastic and nylon belt attachment. Sheath retention is very firm, the knife does not fall even if you carry it upside down without using the safety loop. The ambidextrous sheath is MOLLE compatible, easily accommodates a horizontal hip or rear scout carry, and offers many more carrying options.
2. Buck 120 General Fixed Blade Hunting Knife – BU120BKS
Important Features and Specifications: Blade Material: 420HC Steel; HRC: 57-58; Blade Length: 7.38″; Overall Length: 12″; Blade Thickness: 0.175″; Tang: Full Tang; Blade Point: Drop Point; Blade Finish: Satin; Handle Material: Phenolic; Handle Length: 4.6″; Knife Weight: 8.3 oz; Made In: USA; Warranty: Lifetime;
420HC Steel Blade: The blade came hair-off sharp right out of the box and effortlessly sliced paper. The clip point blade is thick (0.175″), and long enough (7.38″) but still so light. The blade is designed primarily for large game skinning, butchering, and processing. Besides hunting, the knife is very useful for outdoor chores like filleting fish, cutting some thick rope, and chopping 2-3 inch firewood or branches and many other things.
However, batoning, hacking down trees, and cutting thick branches, or hard objects will drastically reduce the blade’s sharpness. It has slightly less edge retention than other high carbons but sharpens much faster.
Black Phenolic Handle: The handle feels a bit small for my large hands but is easy to hold. The handle has no texture, and feels very smooth; the grip becomes a bit slippery with wet, sweaty, or bloody hands. However, due to the integrated cross guard, palm swells, and curved aluminum pommel, there is less chance of slipping or accidentally touching the sharp edge. The full tang handle is weighty, comfortable, and well-balanced.
Leather Sheath: The sheath is thick, soft, durable, ambidextrous, and very well made. It has a snap fastener with a steel button that holds the knife properly. There is also a loop for hanging on the belt.
3. ESEE 6 Fixed Blade Survival Knife – 6PB-011
Important Features and Specifications: Blade Material: 1095 Steel; HRC: 55-57; Blade Length: 6.50″; Overall Length: 11.75″; Blade Thickness: 0.188″; Tang: Full Tang; Blade Point: Drop Point; Blade Finish: Powder Coat; Handle Material: Micarta; Handle Length: 5.25″; Knife Weight: 13 oz; Made In: USA; Warranty: No questions asked lifetime guarantee;
1095 HC Steel Blade: It came out of the box sharp enough to shave with. The perfectly sized (6.50″, Cutting Edge: 5.75″) and strong (0.188″ thick) drop point blade can handle almost any heavy-duty job.
I’ve baton 3-inch logs and wood for kindling; chopped down large saplings, swings, 4-inch logs, and branches in a few swings; made spares by feathering sticks; and slashed various things like cordage, rope, vines, and electric wire.
Despite all these heavy-duty, the heat-treated American steel blade was able to hold its edge very well. Being made of carbon steel and flat grind, easily can be field-sharpened with river stones. However, regular cleaning and oil coating are very important to prevent rust.
Natural Canvas Micarta 3D Handle: The 5.2″ long handle has contoured micarta scales, smooth finger choil, and jimping on the spine – overall the handle fits my large hand like a glove. The handle is easy to grip and control, even with wet or sweaty hands. Full tang construction and excellent weight distribution provide additional leverage in chopping.
Compared to the traditional handle, it is slightly rounded. It didn’t create any blister on my palm even after heavy chopping for long periods of time. The pommel with lanyard hole is flat/rounded which can be used for light hammering.
Polymer Sheath: The ambidextrous sheath is perfect for the outdoors as it holds such a large knife securely and the belt clip is sturdy enough and every button is steel, not plastic. Also got a chunk of paracord and a stopper thing with the sheath.
4. SOG Pillar Fixed Blade Tactical Knife – UF1001-BX
Important Features and Specifications: Blade Material: CPM-S35VN Steel; HRC: 58-61; Blade Length: 5″; Overall Length: 9.9″; Blade Thickness: 0.16″; Tang: Full Tang; Blade Point: Clip Point; Blade Finish: two-tone satin/stonewashed; Handle Material: Micarta; Handle Length: 4.9″; Knife Weight: 7.3 oz; Made In: USA; Warranty: Lifetime;
Premium CPM-S35VN Stainless Steel Blade: The knife was razor sharp, and effortlessly sliced paper straight out of the box. The pointed tip is lethally sharp and strong, great for quicker and deeper puncture. Its 5″ blade is designed with a great belly for cutting, carving, and slicing.
I’ve used it to cut rope, grilling meat, fishing line, small cables, gasket materials, and tree limbs and it cuts them all smoothly. The thickness (0.16″) of the blade is also fairly good, one to two inches of twigs or logs can be baton or chopped if necessary.
This blade is slightly harder to sharpen (HRC: 58-61) than high-carbon steel. But once sharpened it holds the edge for a long time. The corrosion resistance of this high-grade steel is very high. The knife is ideal for areas with high humidity or near salt water.
Canvas Micarta Handle: The handle fits my large hands easily and there are no hotspots but a little thicker would be better for larger hands. It feels solid, comfortable, and perfectly balanced. The handle is easy to wield as well as allows for many grip possibilities.
The ergonomically designed handle features smooth and deep finger choil, thumb notches on the spine, and plenty of texture, so the knife will never slip from an oily, sweaty, or bloody hand. The full tang has an extended part/butt with a lanyard loophole useful for light smashing.
Versatile Kydex Sheath: The tactical sheath is ambidextrous but it has no retention straps. The sheath has a belt clamp buckle and is molle compatible. When you insert the knife into the sheath, its locking system makes a satisfying sound and holds the knife tightly. The retention of the sheath is very good as well as can be instantly accessed or easily unsheathable in any situation.
Others: Total length 9.9″, weight 7.3 oz, made in the USA, and rock solid SOG’s lifetime warranty.
5. Gerber Gear LMF II Infantry Survival Tactical Knife – 22-01629N
Important Features and Specifications: Blade Material: 420HC Steel, HRC: 58-60; Blade Length: 4.84″; Overall Length: 10.59″; Blade Thickness: 0.198″; Tang: Partial Tang; Blade Point: Drop Point; Blade Finish: Black Oxide; Handle Material: Glass-Filled Nylon; Knife Weight: 11.67 oz; Made In: USA; Warranty: Lifetime;
Blade: Gerber LMF II comes very sharp from the factory which is enough to shave arm hairs. The partially serrated blade makes it the ultimate tool for cutting rope, cloth, paracord, rubber, vines, branches, set belt, electric wires, hard plastics, and other utility objects. I was able to baton 1-2.5 inch thick wood and twigs with the blade as it is thick enough and has a flat spine. Since it is serrated and not a full tang blade, better not to abuse it too much. Its 420HC blade holds a razor-sharp edge for quite a while and is easily sharpened when the time comes.
Handle: Gerber LMF II was actually designed to free the aircrew members from an accidental aircraft, and the blade has a three-quarter tang because it breaks between the butt cap and tang. Such type of unique craftsmanship protects the users from being electrically shocked while someone cutting the live wires and surviving themselves from the downed aircraft. The handle affixation is strong, feels great, and ergonomically fits in large hands. Moreover, to prevent slippage, there is a half-inch grip jimping on the end of the three corners of the handle. The handle also has two holes used to attach the knife to a stick to make a spear.
Sheath: The knife comes with a military-grade Ballistic Nylon sheath, and it is coated with a fire-retardant finish. The multi-purpose sheath is equipped with an integrated V-shaped sharpener and two ergonomic leg straps for calf or thigh carry. The sheath is MOLLE compatible and easy to carry with a waist belt, leg, or backpack. The 11.67 ounces weighting knife is tightly held in the sheath applying the friction lock method. Also, it has two small profile straps to hold the knife tightly with the sheath, so the knife does not come loose easily while moving or running so fast. You will also find the right or left-handed carrying options on this sheath.
Pros
- Blade is thick, strong & a workhorse for tackling tough jobs
- 420HC steel holds a good edge and is easy to sharpen
- Spine creates a flood of sparks
- Handle is good-sized and well balanced
- Grippy even with wet, sweaty, or muddy hands
- Pointed steel Buttcap for hammering
- Sheath allows user with a lot of mounting options
- Available in multiple colors and blade configurations
Cons
- Not a full tang knife
- Many users don’t like the pointed pommel
- Sheath is too tight