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Actual “Survival Knives”

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I do not believe that there is a "best" survival knifer. And that is not what the OP is looking for. The topic is about what has actually been used. As a teen in the 1960s, I did some camping sndf backpacking as a Boy Scout. N to really "survive" casmpig or bushcraft as we see now on YouTube, but we were out there. I had a standard four blade Boy Scout pocket folder and several fixed blades along the way.

One was an Olsn knife with a Soligen steel blade. Another was an early issue, Viet Nam era Air Force Pilots Survival knife. I had cut down the cross guard and put together a laced leather sheath for it. Paid !$5 for it back then. If I'd left it as-issued snd in th box mint, today it would be worth . . . .well more.
 
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Twenty years ago there was this guy who got his arm trapped under a rock while biking in the wilderness. He was caught there for two or three days and finally aself-mputted his arm with the 2 1/2 inch blade on his pocket tool.

That is Survival!
 
There have been a couple of times in my younger days when I have had to use a knife to make kindling and a feather stick to start a fire after getting soaked on a hike or canoeing or fishing trip. I probably would have survived but my misery was greatly reduced by having a warm fire to dry myself and my clothes. Most of the time back then I used a Cold Steel SRK or Buck 110.
 
I’m personally not surprised that there aren’t many “close call” survival stories here, and that’s because we’re a bunch of knife people.

In my experience, knife people tend to be tool people, and tend to be prepared people, and therefore I imagine tend to get themselves into survival situations less often than the average human.

I recently retired from a 20 year career as a State Park Ranger and was involved in many search and rescue operations. Probably dozens, maybe over a hundred.

I believe I only found TWO PEOPLE in those 20 years of SAR that were actually carrying a map. A few had water or food, and NONE of them had a fixed blade knife, bivy sac, fire starters, or anything resembling a survival kit. I always asked them, and was always a little amazed at their lack of imagination.

Like most park visitors, they simply parked their cars and skipped into the woods without a second thought about survival.

But you folks are smart, and realize that the woods can be dangerous in some circumstances. Good job. 👏
 
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I think the idea of the 'perfect' survival knife is misplaced. If you are going somwhere where you think you might end up in a survival situation, you're likely to avoid doing things that'll put you in that predicament and carry stuff that'll make that predicament easier to deal with. I imagine most people would find themselves in a 'survival situation' with whatever their EDC is rather than any purpose built gear because if you had the purpose built gear, are you really in a survival situation (vs an unfortunate contingency for which you've already planned)?

For my part, I got caught short climbing the mountaineering route on Whitney in late November. My buddy and planned on doing it in a day but went long and had to bivy at Iceberg lake (12k feet). We spent the night making water and trying to sleep without any sleeping gear. we used our emergency, blankets, slept on our rope, and cuddled in 15 degree weather. I had a Swiss Army Classic that I didn't need to use. We woke up at 3am, made more water, sumitted, and walked back to the truck. So ends my 'survival' story.
 
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Blues said:
Some posts moved. If I understand correctly, the OP is asking you to post the actual knives in your possession which have been used in your own survival situations. Not the names or brands or pictures of knives which may be purchased for such use.
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Got in big trouble on a kayak about 25 years ago in the Gulf of Mexico, I had a knife with me but I think it went in the water when I rolled. It would have been no use anyway. Got exhausted trying to right the boat cause the hold was full of water. Decided I did not need that boat any longer and decided to float and get my strength back. I made the swim back in after about 45 minutes, puked up a bunch of seawater and got quite sick a day or two later. The is a lesson in every misadventure this one for me was on the kayak, keep a tipless knife attached to you if you want to keep it. If you like survival stories try the book "438 days". I took several water survival courses in my life and studied these types of events quite a bit and 438 days is about as real as it gets, and his knife is a major part of his survival.
 
scdub said:
Based on the above description, it sounds like you were practicing survival skills in a somewhat controlled setting, rather than being in a situation where you were worried that you might not make it out alive.

By this definition of “survival situation”, I’d consider the knives I carry on long hikes and backpacking to be “actual survival knives”, because they are part of the kit designed to keep me alive - just like my “survival boots” and my “survival jacket”.

I was “lost” in the woods once for a short time many years ago, and I was carrying a SAK and a Swamp Rat Howling Rat at the time, but I found my bearings without using either knife.

On the other hand, I’ve practiced survival skills using many different knives while on the trail, and my current favorite is my Busse Dirt Dart. It chops well above its weight (15oz) when lashed to my head as shown. 👌
View attachment 2952627View attachment 2952628


Along with some other knives that I’ve carried and used in the woods:
View attachment 2952629
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Beautiful blades!
 
Sometimes to often, "Survival" does not depend primarily on having a knife.

Read "Deep Survival" bLook for tis book: eep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why iby Laurence Gonzales.

A fictional story our grand kids were required to listen to while driving to Colorado for a backpacking vacation was "To Build A Fire" , a short story by Jack Londen

Both emphecise the brutal reality of being in the wild places. . . .that requires caution, preparedness and perseverance when things go wrong.
 
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