Are BlackJack knives any good?

[Lone_Gunman]

I am looking for a 5-6" fixed blade general purpose knife for hunting and carrying while in the woods and camping. The Blackjack #5 looks like a Randall #1 knock-off. How do they compare?

If Blackjack knives are any good, are there better choices than the #5?

 

[hso]

Good knives.

 

[Joe Demko]

They are good knives.

When it comes to copies of (homages to, if you prefer) Randall Knives, though, you might want to shop around. From what I've seen, the copies cost enough that it's worth spending just a little more and getting a real Randall. Not saying the copies aren't good knives, mind you. They may be very good indeed. One thing they most likely will never do, however, is increase in value the way a Randall does. You can buy a Randall as a using knife and it will still retain some signifigant value. The copies, if they appreciate at all, will do so only as MIB safe queens.

 

[ClarkEMyers]

Black Jack knives are fine and with an interesting history.

Black Jack knives are fine and with an interesting history.

At one time I found a Randall number 1 very comforting for strange surroundings.

The #1 pattern would absolutely not be my first choice for a camp knife or for a hunting knife - there are IMHO many better choices from both Randall, and Black Jack and also from Bark River and other sort of successors to Black Jack.

 

[Boats]

I agree. The Randall #1 and its copies make for great stabbers but not much else. Point is relatively fragile, swedge takes up valuable room on top for batoning surface, top of the guard gets in the way for most cutting, not enough belly in the blade for ideal cuttinng performance, and stick tang construction of a proportionately short grip relative to a longish blade leads to fragility for prying, digging, or other last ditch duties of the knife.

There would be far better choices for a camp/hunting knife. Here are a few now:

Bark River Gameskeeper:

Ontario TAK-1 in D2



Fallkniven F-1 Micarta

Benchmade 190

EKA W11



Hmm. Looks like my preferences run to drop point hunters.

 

[Eleven Mike]

Who makes that last knife? Web site?

The Bark River is beautiful. It looks exactly like my custom knife.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Who makes that last knife?

It's one of the EKA line.

Eka is out of Eskilstuna, Sweden:
http://www.eka-knivar.se/index.asp?lang=UK

Ragnar's Forge also carries them:
http://www.ragweedforge.com/eka-catalog.html

 

[jeep-2]

JMO but the Benchmade 190 looks like the best woods-hunting knife there, would be better yet if it had a few more saw teeth on blade

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Saw Teeth

I don't think them's saw teeth.

I believe they's grooves, put there so's yer thumb has a place to push against when cutting tough stuff.

Could be wrong.

 

[jeep-2]

you could be rt..

 

[hso]

AG is correct. The Benchmade doesn't have saw teeth or serrations. The thumb notches on the spine are there to improve control.

 

[AK103K]

I have a couple of the orignial Blackjack 1-7's and have always liked their knives. They are very well made and come razor sharp. Their edge is different than most knives and is convex instead of the traditional hollow ground. The originals have gone up quite a bit in value, and have a collectors interest all their own. If you check out EBay, you will see they command a good bit these days.

They have recently been brought back by Ken Warner in WV, and some models are now again available. I recently picked up a couple of new "Small" versions with stag handles. It has a 3" blade with an overall length of 7" and comes with a nice, deep, leather sheath. Its about perfect for daily use. They can be had in other handle materials, as well as other models.

http://www.knifeware.com/blbostsm.html

This is mine

This is one of my original 1-7's

 

[Harold Mayo]

When Mike Stewart owned Blackjack, they made some of the absolute best knives out there, IMHO. I think that their 1-7" knives were better than the same Randall. They certainly held a sharper edge for a longer time...one of the reasons that I got rid of my model 1-7" Randall. NOW the Blackjacks are made by an outside contractor, namely Bark River Knife and Tool (for the most part, anyway...can't say 100% for sure). Who owns Bark River? Mike Stewart. Always good knives. I don't like the slightly different design of the current Blackjack 1-7", though.

 

[wildburp]

1

Looking forward to getting my Randall Model 1 soon. A knive is but a tool. Open cans, cut string, or kill in combat, et cetera. Collector, or camper? One cannot denigrate one blade because it does not fit ones needs. Get what you need, but appreciate the wide range of tools/weapons available to the warrior/collector, with special appreciation for those that continue to create them.

Merry Christmas

wb

 

[JShirley]

Heh. I think the Hobbit Warrior, and most "American Tanto" designs, are practically useless.

John

 

[arizcowboy]

+1 on the Blackjack 1-7. It has the sharpest edge I have ever seen on a production knife. Like a dumbsh*t I sold mine a couple of years ago because I never used it.