Finished a nice morning stumpin', wandered over to the spring for a drink... my nice cross draw sheath was missing my much loved Puma fixed blade. I HOPE I can backtrack and find it, but meanwhile I need another fixed blade for my roving.
Looking for one with about a 3.5" drop point blade (steel or carbon, sturdy enough to dig out my Judo's), no finger guard, and reasonable price. Can't afford one as nice as the lost one these days.
Suggestions much appreciated.

Joe

Check out the sponsor classifieds. Good stuff there  

I like a "cheap" but sturdy knife for extracting heads while roving.  I have an Air Force survival knife and a Navy Mk III that have given me great service.  The latter has a tip that appears delicate, but has not failed and is perfect for weakening the wood around the blunt or broadhead.  

For a smaller blade I highly recommend an ESEE 4.  Splendid all-around knife that shapens up very well and is rugged and very serviceable.

Two knives come to mind:

Mora knife - VERY popular among the bushcraft crowd, cheap ($10-$20), comes in a variety of colors and options, has good steel and will work well

CRKT Brow Tine by Russ Komer - this is my favorite hunting knife and I like to take it out roving as well.  It's just small enough to work well in small game and just big enough to work through a hog or deer well.  I paid about $65 for mine from a third party website.

I have an ESEE 3 that I like.  3 3/8" blade. Gets sharp and holds a good edge.

Also anything in the length you like from Helle.

I bought a becker bk 14 that I have been carrying around this fall that I like alot.  Sounds like it would fit your needs.

if you have a military surplus store nearby check them out.  There are thousands of inexpensive knives that meet your requirements including alot of the bayonets.  I have a couple of AK47 bayonets and they are beefy pieces of steel.

Take a look at Ron LaClair's knives. Very stout blade that has and keeps a good edge.

Costwise, the Mora knives are very hard to beat.  Match them up with a neck or belt shealth from GFA and you have a great inexpensive combo.  I went with the neck knife shealths for my daughter and I and the red handled carbon steel Mora's and we have been very happy with them.  Very easy to sharpen and they hold a great edge, just remember that a carbon steel blade needs to be keep lightly oiled.

Anything in 440c should probably do. If you're digging out arrow heads you might want to go a little higher on the carbon side, that will make it a bit harder and keep the edge longer - but conversely the higher the carbon, the more prone to rust it is.
If you're handy you could probably pick up a good quality knife blank for $20-30 and put the handle on it yourself. That way you are essentially getting a 80-100 buck knife for a steal.

Check out a gun show or even the classifieds here...lots of good knives cheap. Stick with the brand names....Buck,Gerber,Schrade,Case....and so on.

If you don't find your Puma and you want a GREAT deal on a fantastic knife check out the Benchmade Activator 201.  It's D2 steel - difficult to sharpen but once sharp it stays that way.  Currently my favored belt knife.  The blade is 3.6", not too big for gutting but big and deep enough for general tasks.

Running around $110 currently.

 

For stumping I use a Kabar as its big enough to take out big chunks of wood without trashing the blade......surplus issue knives can be found pretty cheap........... Have a few nice custems that stay in the pack till needed to do the deed on deer.........

Can't beat a good multi-tool. I always have one with me as well as a knife.

You should check out Ben Tendick's knives. He is a sponsor and makes great knives especially for the price. BRT Bladeworks I think. You can find him in the knives and crafters forum here on TG. Shoot him a PM. He has made knives for many members and has had a write up in Blade magazine. I for one like going with products from one of the TG members/ sponcor.  Just my two cents.

Chris

As others have already recomended the Mora is a very good knife . It has become my favorite sheath knife and thats comming from someone that has collected quality knifes for 35 years .

Any of the Mora knives are great for cutting.  The scandi grind works very well in wood.  If you are going to be using the knife really hard and digging with it, I would get an ESEE 3.  Fantastic blade and a good company to deal with.  Good luck choosing.  There is a lot of nice steel out there.

Just one of the reasons I dislike a knife on my belt, unless they have a really good retention system. I carry a 3 1/2" blade vintage Schrade in a neck sheath or a GFA necker when hunting, stumping or hiking. I am very fond of old Case, Schrade and Western knives, and haunt flea markets and antique shops to feed my addiction.

Check out Busse Combat.
Bet most haven't heard of them but they are THE toughest knives I've owned.

They are a little expensive, but for American made and remarkable craftsmanship, Bark River knives will forever have my vote for a belt knife.