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A Survival Knife Should Be Able To........
- Thread starter pitdog
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Mind explaining how a knife is going to "alert others to your position or situation with some ability to navigate"?
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- Joined
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These are Dave Canterbury's brief expectations:
" There's a lot of different realities when it comes to knives. Do you need a big knife, do you need a small knife, do you need more than one knife? If you're going to carry a knife and you're only going to carry one knife, that knife has to be big enough that you can use it to cut down trees if you need to; it has to be big enough to split firewood and make kindling; it also has to be small enough to do delicate work like skinning animals."
" There's a lot of different realities when it comes to knives. Do you need a big knife, do you need a small knife, do you need more than one knife? If you're going to carry a knife and you're only going to carry one knife, that knife has to be big enough that you can use it to cut down trees if you need to; it has to be big enough to split firewood and make kindling; it also has to be small enough to do delicate work like skinning animals."
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First and foremost I expect it not to break or bend on me, then I expect it to split wood, carve things, throw sparks off a ferrorod, and chop.
My BK2 meets these requirements for me.
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Keep you alive :/ That means different things in different climates but it boils down to this.
Efficiently skin and clean game, prepare food, baton and chop, perform woodworking tasks, dig loose turf, pry open a can, perform hygeinal maintenance (specifically on your feet, cutting off callous, trimming toenails, lancing blisters) slice chordage, webbing and other fabric material... I think that just about covers it. Easy improvisation for a spearpoint is a plus. The sheath is equally important though, I want 100% positive retention of both the sheath to my person and the knife to the sheath. Multiple convenient mounting solutions are also nice.
Efficiently skin and clean game, prepare food, baton and chop, perform woodworking tasks, dig loose turf, pry open a can, perform hygeinal maintenance (specifically on your feet, cutting off callous, trimming toenails, lancing blisters) slice chordage, webbing and other fabric material... I think that just about covers it. Easy improvisation for a spearpoint is a plus. The sheath is equally important though, I want 100% positive retention of both the sheath to my person and the knife to the sheath. Multiple convenient mounting solutions are also nice.
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has to be able to chop efficiently. preferably full tang durable handle that won't slip when wet. has to have decent corrosion resistance and great edge retention. should also be small enough that it can be used for lighter tasks. i.e. skinning, food prep etc. then have a pouch on the sheath for fishing line, fire steel, compass and other things... i wouldn't really want a hollow handled knife.
Had to think this one out before posting.
Chop good enogh to cut poles for shelter and process wood, as well as cut bedding materials (grass, boughs, reeds etc.).
Be batonned through tough materials. Not only as a means to split firewood, but also an aid to making tools, and camp items.
Carve well. this is a neccesity in the making of trap and deadfall parts, fish traps, etc.
Slice and peel. The ability to process meat and other food items as well as be used as a drawknife for the construction of bows, peeling logs and so much more.
Pierce and drill This requires a sharp but strong point. It aids greatly in the making of fireboards as well as in the making of traps and camp furniture (may as well make yourself as comfortable as possible)
Pomell should be able to be pounded on enabling one to cut in sockets (not drilling)
Good edge geometry (my favorite is a full flat grind with a convex final edge) That enhances cutting ability but resists deformation under use.
Easily sharpened and maintained in the field.
I generaly carry a two knife combo. My most carried at this point is my G.L. Drew bowie/camp knife with 10" blade coupled with my G.L.Drew utility blade with a 3 3/4 inch blade. Black canvas micarta handles with a full tang make em durable enough for pounding on (NO I don't whallop em...just hit em hard enough to drive in the tip)
Forged 5160 is tough as all get out and holds up real well in this kind of use. While still sharpening up easily with my DC4 hone.
More important than the knife is the knowledge and skills to use it safely and effectively any blade is only going to be as good as the skill level of the user.
Chop good enogh to cut poles for shelter and process wood, as well as cut bedding materials (grass, boughs, reeds etc.).
Be batonned through tough materials. Not only as a means to split firewood, but also an aid to making tools, and camp items.
Carve well. this is a neccesity in the making of trap and deadfall parts, fish traps, etc.
Slice and peel. The ability to process meat and other food items as well as be used as a drawknife for the construction of bows, peeling logs and so much more.
Pierce and drill This requires a sharp but strong point. It aids greatly in the making of fireboards as well as in the making of traps and camp furniture (may as well make yourself as comfortable as possible)
Pomell should be able to be pounded on enabling one to cut in sockets (not drilling)
Good edge geometry (my favorite is a full flat grind with a convex final edge) That enhances cutting ability but resists deformation under use.
Easily sharpened and maintained in the field.
I generaly carry a two knife combo. My most carried at this point is my G.L. Drew bowie/camp knife with 10" blade coupled with my G.L.Drew utility blade with a 3 3/4 inch blade. Black canvas micarta handles with a full tang make em durable enough for pounding on (NO I don't whallop em...just hit em hard enough to drive in the tip)
Forged 5160 is tough as all get out and holds up real well in this kind of use. While still sharpening up easily with my DC4 hone.
More important than the knife is the knowledge and skills to use it safely and effectively any blade is only going to be as good as the skill level of the user.
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Some good points so far.
The reason for the post is that I was just pondering on the subject this morning. I started to think if you asked a person what Ray Mears survival knife was most ( who are into this stuff ) would say his Woodlore, but is that just his prefered Bushcraft knife.
On his travels Ray always carries both an axe and a saw in addition to his knife.
What if Ray was to be dropped off in say Alaska for a month with his knife as his only edged tool, maybe his choice would then change. So then ya start thinking well in that case bigger is better, I'm gonna be doing some chopping ! However if your scenario involves you trying to make your way back out then with fatigue setting in that huge chopper might start taking it's toll and eventually become left behind.
Obviously there is no right and wrong answers but I do enjoy reading peoples views !
The reason for the post is that I was just pondering on the subject this morning. I started to think if you asked a person what Ray Mears survival knife was most ( who are into this stuff ) would say his Woodlore, but is that just his prefered Bushcraft knife.
On his travels Ray always carries both an axe and a saw in addition to his knife.
What if Ray was to be dropped off in say Alaska for a month with his knife as his only edged tool, maybe his choice would then change. So then ya start thinking well in that case bigger is better, I'm gonna be doing some chopping ! However if your scenario involves you trying to make your way back out then with fatigue setting in that huge chopper might start taking it's toll and eventually become left behind.
Obviously there is no right and wrong answers but I do enjoy reading peoples views !
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- Mar 6, 2009
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Reminds me of the Seinfeld Episode "The Fatigues"
Eddie Sherman: "It's a hot night. The mind races. You think about your knife: the only friend who hasn't betrayed you, the only friend who won't be dead by sunup. Sleep tight mates, in your quilted chambray night shirts." I think that's going to be my new signature line on here.....at least until I find something else I like.
As for the OP:
It has to be light enough to carry 100% of the time, yet strong enough to do all the tasks posted by others above.
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- Aug 5, 2008
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+1
Usually one doesn't get to choose which knife they have on them when in an emergency/survival situation so knowing how to use a knife and practicing all the different techniques and survival skills will probably make the biggest difference in whether you live or not.
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- Aug 4, 2009
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Forgot to add easily maintainable in the field!!!